Praise the Lord for the freedom we have in Christ. Praise the Lord for the great land He has given us to live and to serve.
I was reading about Terry Waite some time ago. Terry Waite CBE (born May 31, 1939 in Styal, Cheshire, England) is a British Quaker and Anglican, humanitarian and author. In the 1980s he was Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie's Assistant for Anglican Communion Affairs. As an envoy for the Church of England, he traveled to Lebanon to try to secure the release of four hostages including journalist John McCarthy. He was himself held captive between 1987 and 1991. Terry Waite in his book ‘Taken on Trust’ describes being chained to the wall and only allowed to go to the bathroom once a day. He was shackled to that radiator for 1763 days, almost four years. We can only imagine the sense of freedom he has now. But imagine that after he was released he was walking past the building where he had been held and one of his captors calls him over. The man says ‘Mr Waite won’t you come back into captivity again? We will give you a new set of handcuffs, a new chain, a new room and a new radiator to be chained to.’ Would Terry Waite go back? No of course he wouldn’t. Paul says in Galatians 5 verse 1 ‘It is for freedom Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again with the yoke of slavery.’ When we look around us and observe the lives of many people we see slavery and not freedom. I see people burdened with guilt, bound by fear, enslaved to habits which are sinful, shackled with an attitude that is far from Christlike. Yet here Paul says Jesus has set them free. In John 8 verse 32 Jesus says the truth shall set you free and four verses later in verse 36 he says ‘if the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed.’
In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress there is a point at which Christian’s burden, which he has been carrying all his life, falls off his back and rolls away. Do you remember where this happens? It falls off at the foot of the cross and it rolls into an empty tomb. He never again carries that burden on his back – the burden by the way is sin. Friends Christ has set you free from the burden of sin. Paul tells the Galatians, and us, we are made right with God by grace through faith in Christ – our justification. That frees us from the burden of sin, from a guilty conscience, from the fear of death. We also have freedom of access to God and freedom of acceptance by God – all because of Christ. Therefore ‘stand firm’ in the freedom which Christ brings, and Christ alone brings. I have freedom to serve my neighbour. Paul says in verses 13-15 that I have been freed to serve others, not exploit them. You see the mark of freedom is service. Sounds strange but as we are told we are no longer our own but have been bought with the blood of Christ. We are freed from the slavery of sin and become servants of Christ. I display my freedom in Christ by serving others in the name of Christ. It is out of my freedom that I serve. It is an expression of my love towards Christ who has set me free that I serve others in his name.
The Son shall set you free and you shall be free indeed. Amen.
Micah called this morning and said grandpa I am coming to your house today. Simeon turned 2yrs. old today, they are all coming here for a few days. Alice has gone to Boston to drive them back here. Tom and Jessica will be coming home for the weekend too. Sunita will be coming from Washington. We will all be together for a few days, praising God and celebrating His grace and love.
May the Lord bless all of you as you travel and celebrate.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5gDTwi4YJk
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 7/2/09
I love to read the biographies of those who have followed Christ and served Him faithfully to the end. Reading about them I get excited about Christ and His claims on our lives.. Jim Elliot was converted as a teenager. He gave himself entirely to Jesus.. Eventually, he believed that the best way to serve Christ, was in taking the gospel to the Waodani Indians in South America. On January 8, 1956, at the tender age of 28, he was killed, along with four other young missionaries, who were trying to make contact with the Indians. Several years earlier Jim wrote a statement that summarized what Paul is saying in Romans 12:1, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim gave his life to Jesus in what he judged to be the most reasonable service, and he gained a spiritual inheritance forever. Another missionary, William Borden, came from a wealthy, privileged family, was a graduate of Yale University, and had the promise of a wonderful and lucrative career before him. But he felt a call to serve the Lord, as a missionary in China and left for the field even though his family and friends thought him a fool for going. After a short time away and even before he reached China, Borden contracted a fatal disease and died. He had given up everything to follow Jesus. He died possessing nothing in this world. But Borden of Yale did not regret it. We know this because he left a note as he lay dying that said, “No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets.” Like so many others, he found the service of Christ to be eminently reasonable, and he gained a lasting reward.
What a way to live and what a way to serve.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH2Ow3ep88
Bumper Stickers for Women
Here are some of the latest in bumper stickers for women!
So Many Men, So Few Who Can Afford Me.
My Mother Is A Travel Agent For Guilt Trips.
Princess, Having Had Sufficient Experience With Princes, Seeks Frog.
Coffee, Chocolate, Men ... Some Things Are Just Better Rich.
Don't Treat Me Any Differently Than You Would The Queen
If You Want Breakfast In Bed, Sleep In The Kitchen.
Dinner Is Ready When The Smoke Alarm Goes Off.
Warning: 6 Minutes Until Next Mood Swing.
And Your Point Is?
I resemble that comment!
Warning: I Have An Attitude And I Know How To Use It.
Of Course I Don't Look Busy...I Did It Right The First Time.
Do Not Start With Me. You Will Not Win.
You Have The Right To Remain Silent, So Please Shut Up.
All Stressed Out And No One To Choke.
I'm One Of Those Bad Things That Happen To Good People
How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?
(Hey!, some of these work for men too!)
What a way to live and what a way to serve.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH2Ow3ep88
Bumper Stickers for Women
Here are some of the latest in bumper stickers for women!
So Many Men, So Few Who Can Afford Me.
My Mother Is A Travel Agent For Guilt Trips.
Princess, Having Had Sufficient Experience With Princes, Seeks Frog.
Coffee, Chocolate, Men ... Some Things Are Just Better Rich.
Don't Treat Me Any Differently Than You Would The Queen
If You Want Breakfast In Bed, Sleep In The Kitchen.
Dinner Is Ready When The Smoke Alarm Goes Off.
Warning: 6 Minutes Until Next Mood Swing.
And Your Point Is?
I resemble that comment!
Warning: I Have An Attitude And I Know How To Use It.
Of Course I Don't Look Busy...I Did It Right The First Time.
Do Not Start With Me. You Will Not Win.
You Have The Right To Remain Silent, So Please Shut Up.
All Stressed Out And No One To Choke.
I'm One Of Those Bad Things That Happen To Good People
How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?
(Hey!, some of these work for men too!)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 7-1-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. It has been raining almost every day. It is very much like Monsoon of India. Somebody has stated that the summer will skip the North East USA this year. Our youngest daughter Jessica was born very early in the morning on this day in 1984. She was born at Robert Packer Hospital, in Pennsylvania. Jessica has been a great source of Joy from the Lord to us. We praise the Lord for her life.
I love to read the letter of Paul to the Philippians, which is Paul’s ode to joy. He has used the term “joy” or “rejoice” several times before, but now he shouts out the essence of all that he has said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4). Some people equate joy with happiness, but it is much deeper than happiness and more enduring. Happiness depends on what is happening around you; joy is constant and sure. Joy is always possible, which is why Paul says we should rejoice “always.” To rejoice requires an action, not merely a feeling, and we choose how we are going to react to our situations.
When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he was sitting in a Roman prison, his back sore and tender, his wrists chafing from the chains, perhaps a little bloody with a soldier connected to the other end of that chain. Despite his circumstances, he’s telling the Philippians to rejoice. He himself was rejoicing in his circumstances, as we have seen throughout this letter.
This sounds like a foreign concept. Our brains are not wired to think like this. How do you get to a place of joy like this?
About ten years ago CNN’s Larry King interviewed Billy Graham. For some time Graham already had several health issues including his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. When Larry King asked him how he felt about having Parkinson’s Disease, Dr. Graham replied, “I feel great about it. It’s been a wonderful experience. I believe the Lord has many lessons to teach me through this disease.” Dr. Graham was rejoicing in the Lord.
One would wonder how a person could be able to do this. The answer is twofold. First, it is supernatural. It must be from God. Second, in cooperation with the Spirit of God, Dr. Graham must have made it a habit to daily rejoice in the Lord. Even a disease like that, which would bring anyone’s spirits down, was a cause for Billy Graham to praise God. The Lord gives the gift of joy but it is up to us to put it into practice. This response goes completely against our natural mind-set. When we face tragedy we are more likely to blame God and ask “why?”. Joy does the opposite. When we practice rejoicing in all circumstances, our minds are better prepared for any circumstance. If we can learn to rejoice even when things go wrong a change of attitude is going to be evident.
Paul followed the challenge to rejoice with a natural result of rejoicing, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (4:5). This word is translated variously as “forbearance,” “mildness,” “moderation,” “large-heartedness,” and “inner calmness.” Charles Swindoll described it this way, “In our rough-and-rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. Not so! ... Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity.... Instead of losing, the gentle gain. Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead!”
Paul could have been frustrated with the Corinthians, who thought they had it all as Christians but the Apostle could see glaring immorality in their midst. He could have been really angry with them. Instead he wrote, “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…” (2 Cor 10:1). He took a sensitive, parental approach to their stubbornness.
Paul always remembered that “the Lord is near.” There are two meanings we could take from this phrase; both give us reason to rejoice and remain calm. One is that Jesus is literally near. “The LORD is near to all who call on him” (Ps 145:18). The second is that Jesus is coming back soon. “…be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (Js 5:8-9).
Either way we have reason to be calm. If we are facing trouble or frustration we can be calm because the Lord is near. Our attitude is based on the faith that God is in control.
The attitudes of joy and gentleness will help lay a foundation for growing a beautiful mind and allaying our fears and anxiety. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (4:6). The KJV says it even better, “Be anxious for nothing.” The word “anxious” means “to be divided” or “to de drawn in different directions.” If that sounds bad consider that the word “anxiety” comes from an old English word that means “to strangle.” It was used to refer to the practices of wolves killing sheep by biting them around the neck, strangling their prey to death. That’s anxiety.
R. H. Mounce once said, “Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God.” We can worry or we can worship. It’s impossible to do both. Let us worship. Also,
rather than worry, Paul calls us to prayer. To pray is to worship God, to focus on his character and adore his attributes and his names. It continues to amaze me that we pray as a last resort when the peace that comes from prayer is so profound.
When we pray we also put before God those problems and needs, no matter how small, and we can get real specific about the troubles we are facing. Always pray with thanksgiving. This is the practice of a beautiful mind.
The result is this very real truth, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7). When God’s peace floods our souls it protects our hearts from wrong feelings and thoughts. The word “guard” means “to garrison” and it is a picture of soldiers protecting a camp or castle. The enemy is unable to get in when God’s peace protects us.
A beautiful mind is a mind that has learned to cast our worries onto Jesus our Lord,and receive his peace. This is a mind that views life differently than the pattern of this world.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4narr2wyEGive
Him A Strong Warning
On a street, where the speed is limited to 30 mph the police stop a driver.
"Not only have you been driving too fast, you've been passing cars where it is not allowed. Your lights don't work, your tires all completely worn out. This is surely going to cost you a lot. What's your name?"
"Schtrathewisizeski Vocgefastilongchinic."
"Well, I'll let you go this time but don't do it again."
Praise the Lord for this new day. It has been raining almost every day. It is very much like Monsoon of India. Somebody has stated that the summer will skip the North East USA this year. Our youngest daughter Jessica was born very early in the morning on this day in 1984. She was born at Robert Packer Hospital, in Pennsylvania. Jessica has been a great source of Joy from the Lord to us. We praise the Lord for her life.
I love to read the letter of Paul to the Philippians, which is Paul’s ode to joy. He has used the term “joy” or “rejoice” several times before, but now he shouts out the essence of all that he has said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4). Some people equate joy with happiness, but it is much deeper than happiness and more enduring. Happiness depends on what is happening around you; joy is constant and sure. Joy is always possible, which is why Paul says we should rejoice “always.” To rejoice requires an action, not merely a feeling, and we choose how we are going to react to our situations.
When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he was sitting in a Roman prison, his back sore and tender, his wrists chafing from the chains, perhaps a little bloody with a soldier connected to the other end of that chain. Despite his circumstances, he’s telling the Philippians to rejoice. He himself was rejoicing in his circumstances, as we have seen throughout this letter.
This sounds like a foreign concept. Our brains are not wired to think like this. How do you get to a place of joy like this?
About ten years ago CNN’s Larry King interviewed Billy Graham. For some time Graham already had several health issues including his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. When Larry King asked him how he felt about having Parkinson’s Disease, Dr. Graham replied, “I feel great about it. It’s been a wonderful experience. I believe the Lord has many lessons to teach me through this disease.” Dr. Graham was rejoicing in the Lord.
One would wonder how a person could be able to do this. The answer is twofold. First, it is supernatural. It must be from God. Second, in cooperation with the Spirit of God, Dr. Graham must have made it a habit to daily rejoice in the Lord. Even a disease like that, which would bring anyone’s spirits down, was a cause for Billy Graham to praise God. The Lord gives the gift of joy but it is up to us to put it into practice. This response goes completely against our natural mind-set. When we face tragedy we are more likely to blame God and ask “why?”. Joy does the opposite. When we practice rejoicing in all circumstances, our minds are better prepared for any circumstance. If we can learn to rejoice even when things go wrong a change of attitude is going to be evident.
Paul followed the challenge to rejoice with a natural result of rejoicing, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (4:5). This word is translated variously as “forbearance,” “mildness,” “moderation,” “large-heartedness,” and “inner calmness.” Charles Swindoll described it this way, “In our rough-and-rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. Not so! ... Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity.... Instead of losing, the gentle gain. Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead!”
Paul could have been frustrated with the Corinthians, who thought they had it all as Christians but the Apostle could see glaring immorality in their midst. He could have been really angry with them. Instead he wrote, “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…” (2 Cor 10:1). He took a sensitive, parental approach to their stubbornness.
Paul always remembered that “the Lord is near.” There are two meanings we could take from this phrase; both give us reason to rejoice and remain calm. One is that Jesus is literally near. “The LORD is near to all who call on him” (Ps 145:18). The second is that Jesus is coming back soon. “…be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (Js 5:8-9).
Either way we have reason to be calm. If we are facing trouble or frustration we can be calm because the Lord is near. Our attitude is based on the faith that God is in control.
The attitudes of joy and gentleness will help lay a foundation for growing a beautiful mind and allaying our fears and anxiety. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (4:6). The KJV says it even better, “Be anxious for nothing.” The word “anxious” means “to be divided” or “to de drawn in different directions.” If that sounds bad consider that the word “anxiety” comes from an old English word that means “to strangle.” It was used to refer to the practices of wolves killing sheep by biting them around the neck, strangling their prey to death. That’s anxiety.
R. H. Mounce once said, “Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God.” We can worry or we can worship. It’s impossible to do both. Let us worship. Also,
rather than worry, Paul calls us to prayer. To pray is to worship God, to focus on his character and adore his attributes and his names. It continues to amaze me that we pray as a last resort when the peace that comes from prayer is so profound.
When we pray we also put before God those problems and needs, no matter how small, and we can get real specific about the troubles we are facing. Always pray with thanksgiving. This is the practice of a beautiful mind.
The result is this very real truth, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7). When God’s peace floods our souls it protects our hearts from wrong feelings and thoughts. The word “guard” means “to garrison” and it is a picture of soldiers protecting a camp or castle. The enemy is unable to get in when God’s peace protects us.
A beautiful mind is a mind that has learned to cast our worries onto Jesus our Lord,and receive his peace. This is a mind that views life differently than the pattern of this world.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4narr2wyEGive
Him A Strong Warning
On a street, where the speed is limited to 30 mph the police stop a driver.
"Not only have you been driving too fast, you've been passing cars where it is not allowed. Your lights don't work, your tires all completely worn out. This is surely going to cost you a lot. What's your name?"
"Schtrathewisizeski Vocgefastilongchinic."
"Well, I'll let you go this time but don't do it again."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-30-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this bright and beautiful, rain-washed morning. Alice arrived safely yesterday from Washington, DC. She had spent a few days there with our nieces, visiting Sunita and Andy.
We are happy to announce the engagement of our daughter, Jessica, to Tom Ross. They became engaged on Saturday. Jessica and Tom are both graduates of Grove City College, where they met and were friends. Jessica lives in an apartment in Philadelphia, which she shared with her cousin, Jovita, until recently. Tom shares a house with one of his buddies from college. Tom is a financial consultant with Vanguard Financial Services and Jessica is a special programs coordinator with Teach America, Inc. Both attend the Vineyard Church in Philadelphia. Jessica will be celebrating her 25th birthday tomorrow.
Janice and Jeremy celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary on June 25. Their little boy, Simeon, will be turning 2 one week from tomorrow. Janice and the kids are planning to join us this weekend to help celebrate Jess and Tom's engagement. We will also be having a little party to celebrate Simeon's birthday.
The reading for last Sunday was taken from Mark 5. This chapter contains the record of three miracles Jesus performed. One was in the gentile territory and the other two were in the Jewish region. Jesus cast out demons from a man who was possessed and tormented by many demons and who lived in the tombs. Jesus drove the demons away, into the sea, by His word of command. Later Jesus, our Lord, had returned to Capernaum, where a great crowd gathered around Him. A Jewish leader came and fell at the feet Jesus and begged Him to come to place His hands on his daughter who lay on her death bed.
Jesus was on the move, but He was interrupted by the touch of a woman who had suffered for 12 years. Suffering for 12 years she was probably very discouraged, very isolated, and bankrupt, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. As a last resort she came to Jesus . She touched the hem of His garment. According the Jewish ceremonial laws she was unclean and untouchable, yet she reached out and touched Jesus. In a deeper way Jesus, the great and winsome physician, touched her and made her whole again. He restored her. Jesus, the Christ, is still in the business of touching the untouchable! We may feel like we are too dirty or too wicked for Jesus, the Christ. May He touch us with His forgiveness today and cleansing today.
I read about a man living in London during the 19th Century, Joseph Carey Merrick, (1862 - 1890) who was terribly disfigured by neurofibromatosis. His own family rejected him because of his hideous appearance! Sir Frederick Treves (1853 - 1923), a prominent British surgeon found Joseph working in a circus as a sideshow freak! Dr. Treves, in August 1866, brought Joseph Carey Merrick to a London hospital and began to treat him as a person instead of some sideshow oddity! He provided books for Joseph and soon discovered that he was a kind, intelligent person. Joseph Carey Merrick lived in that London hospital until his death!
After a newspaper reported on Joseph’s progress, Dame Madge Kendal came to visit him. Dame Kendal (1848 - 1935), born Margaret Shafto Robinson, was a talented English actress and theater manage, a beautiful woman of high society, and a committed Christian. On one visit she presented Joseph Carey Merrick with a copy of William Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet." He felt like an ugly beast cowering before a fairy princess. He was at such a loss for words that he opened the book and began to read. His voice was squeaky and broken as he read the words from the Second Act: "See! How she leaned her cheek upon her hand that I might touch her cheek." As he read that line, Dame Madge Kendal slipped quietly into the seat beside him! She responded with the words of Juliet that she had memorized from her years in the theater. Joseph read and she recited the rest of the act together! When it was done, Dame Madge Kendal leaned over and kissed the swollen, leathery cheek of Joseph Carey Merrick! Dr. Frederick Treves later recorded that from that moment on, Joseph Carey Merrick was a changed man!
Though we may not have a physically disfiguring disease, sin has disfigured each and every one of us until even our righteousness is as filthy rags! Compared to the perfect holiness of Almighty God, our sinful lives are hideous and grotesque. However, the Lord Jesus Christ leaned over at Calvary and gifted us with the mercies of Heaven and since that day none of us have ever been the same!
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef9jKHwHueQ
This for those who live in our vicinity:Mark your calendars for a couple of very special events.
On Saturday, July 18, 2009 there will be a free and informative workshop called, "Heaven Now, A Marriage Seminar". The seminar will be from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and will be held at the First United Methodist Church at 53 McKinley Avenue in Endicott and sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church. The speaker for the event is Richard P. Larson, the Executive Pastor of the Sierra Bible Church in Sonora, California. Lunch will be provided, and there will be daycare for infants and children up to 12 years of age. Your are encouraged to pre-register by calling 748-6329.
On Thursday, July 23 at 7 PM the Continental Singers will be in concert at the First United Methodist Church at 53 McKinley Avenue in Endicott. The program will be an energized, uplifting program bringing glory and honor to our Lord. Be there and be blessed.
Lost
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
Praise the Lord for this bright and beautiful, rain-washed morning. Alice arrived safely yesterday from Washington, DC. She had spent a few days there with our nieces, visiting Sunita and Andy.
We are happy to announce the engagement of our daughter, Jessica, to Tom Ross. They became engaged on Saturday. Jessica and Tom are both graduates of Grove City College, where they met and were friends. Jessica lives in an apartment in Philadelphia, which she shared with her cousin, Jovita, until recently. Tom shares a house with one of his buddies from college. Tom is a financial consultant with Vanguard Financial Services and Jessica is a special programs coordinator with Teach America, Inc. Both attend the Vineyard Church in Philadelphia. Jessica will be celebrating her 25th birthday tomorrow.
Janice and Jeremy celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary on June 25. Their little boy, Simeon, will be turning 2 one week from tomorrow. Janice and the kids are planning to join us this weekend to help celebrate Jess and Tom's engagement. We will also be having a little party to celebrate Simeon's birthday.
The reading for last Sunday was taken from Mark 5. This chapter contains the record of three miracles Jesus performed. One was in the gentile territory and the other two were in the Jewish region. Jesus cast out demons from a man who was possessed and tormented by many demons and who lived in the tombs. Jesus drove the demons away, into the sea, by His word of command. Later Jesus, our Lord, had returned to Capernaum, where a great crowd gathered around Him. A Jewish leader came and fell at the feet Jesus and begged Him to come to place His hands on his daughter who lay on her death bed.
Jesus was on the move, but He was interrupted by the touch of a woman who had suffered for 12 years. Suffering for 12 years she was probably very discouraged, very isolated, and bankrupt, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. As a last resort she came to Jesus . She touched the hem of His garment. According the Jewish ceremonial laws she was unclean and untouchable, yet she reached out and touched Jesus. In a deeper way Jesus, the great and winsome physician, touched her and made her whole again. He restored her. Jesus, the Christ, is still in the business of touching the untouchable! We may feel like we are too dirty or too wicked for Jesus, the Christ. May He touch us with His forgiveness today and cleansing today.
I read about a man living in London during the 19th Century, Joseph Carey Merrick, (1862 - 1890) who was terribly disfigured by neurofibromatosis. His own family rejected him because of his hideous appearance! Sir Frederick Treves (1853 - 1923), a prominent British surgeon found Joseph working in a circus as a sideshow freak! Dr. Treves, in August 1866, brought Joseph Carey Merrick to a London hospital and began to treat him as a person instead of some sideshow oddity! He provided books for Joseph and soon discovered that he was a kind, intelligent person. Joseph Carey Merrick lived in that London hospital until his death!
After a newspaper reported on Joseph’s progress, Dame Madge Kendal came to visit him. Dame Kendal (1848 - 1935), born Margaret Shafto Robinson, was a talented English actress and theater manage, a beautiful woman of high society, and a committed Christian. On one visit she presented Joseph Carey Merrick with a copy of William Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet." He felt like an ugly beast cowering before a fairy princess. He was at such a loss for words that he opened the book and began to read. His voice was squeaky and broken as he read the words from the Second Act: "See! How she leaned her cheek upon her hand that I might touch her cheek." As he read that line, Dame Madge Kendal slipped quietly into the seat beside him! She responded with the words of Juliet that she had memorized from her years in the theater. Joseph read and she recited the rest of the act together! When it was done, Dame Madge Kendal leaned over and kissed the swollen, leathery cheek of Joseph Carey Merrick! Dr. Frederick Treves later recorded that from that moment on, Joseph Carey Merrick was a changed man!
Though we may not have a physically disfiguring disease, sin has disfigured each and every one of us until even our righteousness is as filthy rags! Compared to the perfect holiness of Almighty God, our sinful lives are hideous and grotesque. However, the Lord Jesus Christ leaned over at Calvary and gifted us with the mercies of Heaven and since that day none of us have ever been the same!
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef9jKHwHueQ
This for those who live in our vicinity:Mark your calendars for a couple of very special events.
On Saturday, July 18, 2009 there will be a free and informative workshop called, "Heaven Now, A Marriage Seminar". The seminar will be from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and will be held at the First United Methodist Church at 53 McKinley Avenue in Endicott and sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church. The speaker for the event is Richard P. Larson, the Executive Pastor of the Sierra Bible Church in Sonora, California. Lunch will be provided, and there will be daycare for infants and children up to 12 years of age. Your are encouraged to pre-register by calling 748-6329.
On Thursday, July 23 at 7 PM the Continental Singers will be in concert at the First United Methodist Church at 53 McKinley Avenue in Endicott. The program will be an energized, uplifting program bringing glory and honor to our Lord. Be there and be blessed.
Lost
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
Monday, June 29, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-29-09
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the Good News that Jesus our Lord came to seek and save the least, the lost and the last. He came to rescue both rich and poor. In Mark 2:17 we read On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (NIV). Jesus befriended the despicable. In his book, The Kingdom of God Is a Party, Tony Campolo talks about an experience he had late one night in Hawaii. He was in one of those sleazy places that deserves the name “greasy spoon.” The fat guy behind the counter, came over and asked him, “What d’ya want?”
Tony Campolo ordered some coffee and a donut, and while he was sitting there at 3:30 in the morning, to his discomfort, in marched 8 or 9 rowdy prostitutes. Their talk was loud and crude, and he felt completely out of place. He was just about to make his exit when he overheard the woman beside him say, “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m going to be 39.”
When Tony heard that, he made a decision. Instead of leaving, he sat and waited until the women had left. Then he called over the fat guy behind the counter, and asked him, “Do they come in here every night?”
“Yeah!” he answered.
“The one right next to me, does she come here every night?”
“Yeah!” he said. “That’s Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why d’ya wanta know?”
And then Tony Campolo told him, “I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday,” and he suggested that they throw a birthday party for her. He promised to return at 2:30 the next morning and decorate the place. The man and his wife, the cook, liked the idea and decided to bake a birthday cake.
So at 2:30 the next morning, Tony Campolo was back at the diner. He had picked up some crepe-paper and had made a sign out of big pieces of cardboard that read, “Happy Birthday, Agnes!” Word must have gotten out on the street, because by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in the place.
At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open, and in came Agnes and her friend, and they all screamed, “Happy birthday!” Agnes was stunned. Her mouth fell open. Her legs began to buckle, and her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to sit on one of the stools along the counter, they all sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Then they brought out the birthday cake, and that’s when Agnes just lost it and openly cried.
Unable to compose herself, she excused herself and went home with the cake. When the door closed, there was a stunned silence in the place, and Tony Campolo, not knowing what else to do, broke the silence by saying, “What do you say we pray?”
So he prayed for Agnes, and when he was finished, Harry, the fat man behind the counter, leaned over and with a trace of hostility in his voice, he said, “Hey! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?”
Tony replied, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning.”
Harry waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered, “No you don’t. There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. I’d join a church like that!” Well, that’s the kind of church Jesus came to create – a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning? (Tony Campolo, The Kingdom of God Is a Party, Word, 1990)
Jesus calls us to touch the untouchable, forgive the unforgivable, and befriend the despicable.
As the song-writer (Charles F. Brown) put it…
Reach out and touch a soul that is hungry;
Reach out and touch a spirit in despair;
Reach out and touch a life torn and dirty,
A man who is lonely – if you care!
Reach out and touch that neighbor who hates you;
Reach out and touch that stranger who meets you;
Reach out and touch the brother who needs you;
Reach out and let the smile of God touch through you.
Jesus help us,
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhoZYci-_ro
Doctor, take a look at me . .
This woman rushes to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out. She rattles off, "Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were bloodshot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's wrong with me, Doctor?"
The doctor looks her over for a couple of moments, then calmly says, "Well, I can tell you one thing...there ain't nothing wrong with your eyesight."
Tony Campolo ordered some coffee and a donut, and while he was sitting there at 3:30 in the morning, to his discomfort, in marched 8 or 9 rowdy prostitutes. Their talk was loud and crude, and he felt completely out of place. He was just about to make his exit when he overheard the woman beside him say, “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m going to be 39.”
When Tony heard that, he made a decision. Instead of leaving, he sat and waited until the women had left. Then he called over the fat guy behind the counter, and asked him, “Do they come in here every night?”
“Yeah!” he answered.
“The one right next to me, does she come here every night?”
“Yeah!” he said. “That’s Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why d’ya wanta know?”
And then Tony Campolo told him, “I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday,” and he suggested that they throw a birthday party for her. He promised to return at 2:30 the next morning and decorate the place. The man and his wife, the cook, liked the idea and decided to bake a birthday cake.
So at 2:30 the next morning, Tony Campolo was back at the diner. He had picked up some crepe-paper and had made a sign out of big pieces of cardboard that read, “Happy Birthday, Agnes!” Word must have gotten out on the street, because by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in the place.
At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open, and in came Agnes and her friend, and they all screamed, “Happy birthday!” Agnes was stunned. Her mouth fell open. Her legs began to buckle, and her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to sit on one of the stools along the counter, they all sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Then they brought out the birthday cake, and that’s when Agnes just lost it and openly cried.
Unable to compose herself, she excused herself and went home with the cake. When the door closed, there was a stunned silence in the place, and Tony Campolo, not knowing what else to do, broke the silence by saying, “What do you say we pray?”
So he prayed for Agnes, and when he was finished, Harry, the fat man behind the counter, leaned over and with a trace of hostility in his voice, he said, “Hey! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?”
Tony replied, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning.”
Harry waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered, “No you don’t. There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. I’d join a church like that!” Well, that’s the kind of church Jesus came to create – a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning? (Tony Campolo, The Kingdom of God Is a Party, Word, 1990)
Jesus calls us to touch the untouchable, forgive the unforgivable, and befriend the despicable.
As the song-writer (Charles F. Brown) put it…
Reach out and touch a soul that is hungry;
Reach out and touch a spirit in despair;
Reach out and touch a life torn and dirty,
A man who is lonely – if you care!
Reach out and touch that neighbor who hates you;
Reach out and touch that stranger who meets you;
Reach out and touch the brother who needs you;
Reach out and let the smile of God touch through you.
Jesus help us,
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhoZYci-_ro
Doctor, take a look at me . .
This woman rushes to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out. She rattles off, "Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were bloodshot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's wrong with me, Doctor?"
The doctor looks her over for a couple of moments, then calmly says, "Well, I can tell you one thing...there ain't nothing wrong with your eyesight."
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