Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this awesome Autumn day the Lord has made. It is getting to be colorful and brilliant all around. Jesus makes all things colorful and magnificent. Wish you were here. It is breath taking to gaze around and ponder how our Lord changes the seasons. Best of all, He changes our lives. He makes them beautiful and colorful in His time.
Sir Isaac Newton’s “First Law of Motion” states, “Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it!” I think we all recognize within ourselves the need for change. Yet we also recognized that the change we need is often hard to achieve.
There is a very important story about change recorded in John 5. Jesus had gone up from Cana, in the Galilee region, to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the great religious feasts. When he had entered the city, he came to the pool of Bethesda where, lying all around the pool, were sick and paralyzed people. They were there because of a legend that an angel would from time to time come and stir up the waters of the pool, and the first one to enter the pool after the angel stirred the water would be healed. It was probably a mere superstition, but it was the last hope for many of these people. It was not unlike what is still found in many parts of the world today. Lourdes, in southern France, has a spa which many believe has healing capacities. The shrine of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, is another such place were thousands have gone hoping for a healing.
Jesus moved into the midst of such a group of hopefuls, but Jesus did not indiscriminately heal everyone at that the pool that day. Instead, as He moved among the blind and the lame, he was drawn to one particular man who had been ill for 38 years. Out of all these people Jesus chose to heal one man. It could have been because Jesus knew that the man had been lying there for 38 years, but there may have been other reasons that Jesus had compassion on him. One thing we do know from this scripture is that it was not because the man sought Jesus’ help. In fact, he did not even know who Jesus was.
“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
This seems a strange question to ask a man who has been sick and an invalid for nearly forty years. Yet, Jesus never asked a foolish question in his life; therefore it is obviously it was important for this man to answer, at least to himself, the question, “Do I really want to be changed?” It is entirely possible that he does not “really” want to be changed.
For thirty-eight years this man was a beggar who lived by the pity of others. If he were to be healed he would lose all of this. He would be venturing out into the unknown, lose all his present securities, and need to be responsible for himself. He would have to find work, and in so doing he would be entering a whole new world. It would be the equivalent today of asking a person who had lived on welfare if they were willing to give it up in order to be well. To be healed meant to enter in a completely new life, one with wonderful possibilities, but also with risk.
This man was not unlike many people in our own day who are paralyzed in heart and mind. Though their lives are dysfunctional, they have never considered that God might have something for them. They have learned to live dysfunctionally, not recognizing that there is more to life. They have become satisfied with subsisting. They do not seek God or call out to him. It is as though they are sick and unaware of it. Or, if they are aware of it, it seems normal to them.
For many, even after we are saved, we continue to be confronted by issues in our lives that need to be changed, like bitterness, unresolved conflicts and things that have lie hidden within us for years. The question is, “Do we really want to change?” The question that Jesus asked the paralyzed man, that seemed unnecessary or even ridiculous, was relevant for him and for us!
“The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
He did not answer Jesus’ question. Instead, he dismissed Jesus’ question and merely complained about his condition. He told of his misfortune and rehearsed his list of troubles.
We are all familiar with the term, “victimization.” It what happens when a person always sees themselves as a victim, a victim of society, or a victim of their upbringing. They are the people who continue to see themselves as been a dealt a lousy hand of cards in life rather than setting about to rectify the situation. Dr. William Glasser, founder of “Reality Therapy,” stated that, “Healthy people do not make excuses." He used as an example the tendency people have to make excuses when they are late for an appointment. They will say traffic was heavy, they got a last-second phone call, a crisis came up at the office and so on. Dr. Glasser argued that those kinds of excuses cover up the real issue. If you’re late, it is because you are incompetent to run your own life. He suggested that instead of making a lame excuse the next time you’re late, simply say, “I’m sorry. I guess I am incompetent to run my own life.” It is only when we stop making excuses that we discover that we have the power to be on time.
“Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.”
Jesus did not discuss the pool or its alleged abilities to provide a cure, He simply told the man to get up, take up your bed and walk. The man was healed, but he was not healed by water.
Jesus told him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." Obviously the man now could listen and ignore, listen and hope, or he could listen and obey. In his challenge to “take up his bed” the Lord is telling him (and all those who truly want to change), something very important. We must not make any provision to go back. According to verse fourteen later Jesus found this man in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Jesus has the authority over sickness, sin and Satan. He commanded the man to rise up and walk in the newness of life. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever. Blessed be His Name,
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 10-01-09
Good morning
Praise the Lord, for He is our life. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He came to set the world right side up and upside down. In John 12 He declared,“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
We need to stop trying to control, grasp, and hang on to our life and our security. We are called to place a higher value on eternal things than on the things on this earth. (Col 3:1-3) “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The truth is that each of us will lose everything that we associate with this life at some point; it just a matter of time. We cannot hold onto our youth no matter how hard we may try. We cannot hold onto our athletic ability (of course some of never had any athletic skills and abilities). We cannot hold on to our mental capacity. We cannot even hold on to our loved ones. It’s just a matter of time before they slip away from us. Jesus tells to start shifting our attention from things of earthly value now. We are not to focus on grabbing and keeping everything that comes within our reach. Corrie ten Boom said, “I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands.”
In one of his books Watchman Nee said that we approach God like little children with open hands, begging for gifts. Because he is a good God, he fills our hands with good things—life, health, friends, money, success, recognition, challenge, marriage, children, a nice home, a good job, all the things that we count at Thanksgiving when we count our blessings. Like children, we rejoice in what we have received and run around comparing what we have with each other. When our hands are finally full, God says, “My child, I long to have fellowship with you. Reach out your hand and take my hand. But we can’t do it because our hands are full. “God, we can’t,” we cry. “Put those things aside and take my hand,” he replied. “No, we can’t. It’s too hard to put them down.” “But I am the one who gave them to you in the first place.” “O God, what you have asked for is too hard. Please don’t ask us to put these things aside.” And God answers quietly, “You must.”
"God orchestrates the affairs of life—both the good and the bad—to bring us to the place where our faith will be in him alone. Slowly, but surely, as we go through life, he weans us away from the things of the world. At first the process touches only our possessions (which we can replace), but eventually it touches our relationships (which may not be replaced), then it touches our loved ones (who cannot be replaced), finally it touches life itself (which is never replaced) until finally, there is nothing left but us and God." (Dr. Ray Pritchard)
In Jesus our Lord and Life,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
Praise the Lord, for He is our life. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He came to set the world right side up and upside down. In John 12 He declared,“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
We need to stop trying to control, grasp, and hang on to our life and our security. We are called to place a higher value on eternal things than on the things on this earth. (Col 3:1-3) “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The truth is that each of us will lose everything that we associate with this life at some point; it just a matter of time. We cannot hold onto our youth no matter how hard we may try. We cannot hold onto our athletic ability (of course some of never had any athletic skills and abilities). We cannot hold on to our mental capacity. We cannot even hold on to our loved ones. It’s just a matter of time before they slip away from us. Jesus tells to start shifting our attention from things of earthly value now. We are not to focus on grabbing and keeping everything that comes within our reach. Corrie ten Boom said, “I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands.”
In one of his books Watchman Nee said that we approach God like little children with open hands, begging for gifts. Because he is a good God, he fills our hands with good things—life, health, friends, money, success, recognition, challenge, marriage, children, a nice home, a good job, all the things that we count at Thanksgiving when we count our blessings. Like children, we rejoice in what we have received and run around comparing what we have with each other. When our hands are finally full, God says, “My child, I long to have fellowship with you. Reach out your hand and take my hand. But we can’t do it because our hands are full. “God, we can’t,” we cry. “Put those things aside and take my hand,” he replied. “No, we can’t. It’s too hard to put them down.” “But I am the one who gave them to you in the first place.” “O God, what you have asked for is too hard. Please don’t ask us to put these things aside.” And God answers quietly, “You must.”
"God orchestrates the affairs of life—both the good and the bad—to bring us to the place where our faith will be in him alone. Slowly, but surely, as we go through life, he weans us away from the things of the world. At first the process touches only our possessions (which we can replace), but eventually it touches our relationships (which may not be replaced), then it touches our loved ones (who cannot be replaced), finally it touches life itself (which is never replaced) until finally, there is nothing left but us and God." (Dr. Ray Pritchard)
In Jesus our Lord and Life,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 9-30-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful and brilliant day. It is beginning to look like an Amazing Autumn. We have some friends from Louisiana who are visiting New York State for the first time. I took them to one of the local diners yesterday for lunch. The young lady who waited on us was named Spring. Then, I drove them toward Ithaca, and the great Taughannock Falls and city of Ithaca. The autumn colors were breathtaking. Some time ago we went to pick apples in one of the local apple orchards. The young lady who was working at the Orchard was named Autumn. Some time ago I met another young woman who was named India Brown. The names of people are fascinating.
We live in an age of skepticism, unbelief and apathy. A poll taker asked a woman on the street, Ma’am, would you agree with the statement that the most common problems of our time are ignorance and apathy? She answered as she brushed past him, I don’t know, and I don’t care!
I was privileged to meet Dr. Calvin Miller during a conference in Birmingham Alabama two years ago. He shared with me that his grandson was born in Orissa, India, and adopted twenty years ago. Calvin Miller tells in one of his books about walking “…through Children’s Hospital in Omaha not too long ago, and I saw a little baby boy there, below two years of age, with tubes running in and out of his body—clearly very, very sick. I asked the nurse about him, and she said, 'I want to thank you for asking about him. He will die before he is 2 years of age, but the worst part is that his mother died in childbirth and his father’s in the penitentiary. Nobody comes; nobody asks about him much, and he lays there. You’re one of the first to even ask about him.' I walked out of the hospital that day thanking God that my two children are well and that it wasn’t my baby. Then it seemed like out of the very atmosphere around me, God said, 'Yeah, that is your baby.' If you’re a servant, the world you see and touch is yours." May it be that when He comes, He finds us holding the hand of the little ones, living out those words – feed my sheep, let the little ones come, go work in my field. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Praise the Lord for this beautiful and brilliant day. It is beginning to look like an Amazing Autumn. We have some friends from Louisiana who are visiting New York State for the first time. I took them to one of the local diners yesterday for lunch. The young lady who waited on us was named Spring. Then, I drove them toward Ithaca, and the great Taughannock Falls and city of Ithaca. The autumn colors were breathtaking. Some time ago we went to pick apples in one of the local apple orchards. The young lady who was working at the Orchard was named Autumn. Some time ago I met another young woman who was named India Brown. The names of people are fascinating.
We live in an age of skepticism, unbelief and apathy. A poll taker asked a woman on the street, Ma’am, would you agree with the statement that the most common problems of our time are ignorance and apathy? She answered as she brushed past him, I don’t know, and I don’t care!
I was privileged to meet Dr. Calvin Miller during a conference in Birmingham Alabama two years ago. He shared with me that his grandson was born in Orissa, India, and adopted twenty years ago. Calvin Miller tells in one of his books about walking “…through Children’s Hospital in Omaha not too long ago, and I saw a little baby boy there, below two years of age, with tubes running in and out of his body—clearly very, very sick. I asked the nurse about him, and she said, 'I want to thank you for asking about him. He will die before he is 2 years of age, but the worst part is that his mother died in childbirth and his father’s in the penitentiary. Nobody comes; nobody asks about him much, and he lays there. You’re one of the first to even ask about him.' I walked out of the hospital that day thanking God that my two children are well and that it wasn’t my baby. Then it seemed like out of the very atmosphere around me, God said, 'Yeah, that is your baby.' If you’re a servant, the world you see and touch is yours." May it be that when He comes, He finds us holding the hand of the little ones, living out those words – feed my sheep, let the little ones come, go work in my field. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 9-29-09
Good morning,
It is almost the end of September, 2009, with many great things coming along soon. Don't forget that the Continental Worship Band will be presenting a concert of worship and praise at the First Presbyterian Church in Endicott on October 12 at 7 PM. Please set aside the date, and come out to support Laureen and her team. You will be blessed.
The Book of Job is known for the suffering, trial and the tears of Job. Yet in the Book of Job we have these triumphant words, "I know that my redeemer lives". In Job 8:21 we read that God will “fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” Since God gives us the gift of laughter, I thought I would share some classic bulletin bloopers .
"The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy."
“Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands.”
"The pancake breakfast will be next Sunday. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the church would lend him their electric girdles."
"The sermon this morning: ’Jesus Walks on the Water.’ The sermon tonight: ’Searching for Jesus'."
"Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance."
"Mildred is recovering in the hospital following surgery. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of the pastor’s sermons."
"The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon."
"Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones."
"The pastor is speaking tonight on the reality of hell. Come early and listen to the choir practice!"
In James 5: 13 it is written, "Is any merry, let him sing Psalms. I was reading about the style of worship in England in 1400s. The men sat on one side of the aisle the women sat on the opposite. There were no hymn books. There were no praise choruses. The congregation sang the psalms. There is always deep joy in the presence of the Lord.
We experience celebratory joy always in the context of fellowship. I attended a conference where Bill Hybel was one of the speakers. He spoke about the need for celebration and joy in the life of the church. Whenever we come before the very presence of the Risen Lord He dispels my sadness and depression, and fills us with His joy. We can declare, " You have turned our mourning into dancing, O Lord".
It’s good to laugh. It’s good to be encouraged. It’s good to be together. That’s why I believe in the communion of the saints. I believe in the importance of fellowshipping with each other and loving each other and encouraging each other. 1 Corinthians 12:21 says that “the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you,' and the hand cannot say to the foot 'I don’t need you.' Each part of the body needs the other parts. And each part of the body of Christ needs the other parts.
We can and must, as the body of Christ, experience communion and fellowship with one another.
1 John 4:7 says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” The word for love is agapao. It means “to show affection, to demonstrate our love with our actions.” There are several things that we can do to show love for one another. First of all, we can encourage each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We all have times when we need the affirmation, encouragement, and love.
of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Maybe you could be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
Another thing we can do to show love for one another is by serving one another. 1 Peter 4:10 says “Use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”
Rick Warren said in "The Purpose Driven Life" that “the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because you’re giving something you can never get back.”
If you give someone ten dollars, you may get it back someday. But if you give three hours of your time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon you are giving the most valuable resource you have. That’s what it means to love one another, and that’s what the communion of the saints is all about.
When we say “I believe in the communion of saints,” we are affirming, “I believe in the fellowship of all Christians. I believe that God has called us to encourage one another, pray for each other, and serve each other."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4
It is almost the end of September, 2009, with many great things coming along soon. Don't forget that the Continental Worship Band will be presenting a concert of worship and praise at the First Presbyterian Church in Endicott on October 12 at 7 PM. Please set aside the date, and come out to support Laureen and her team. You will be blessed.
The Book of Job is known for the suffering, trial and the tears of Job. Yet in the Book of Job we have these triumphant words, "I know that my redeemer lives". In Job 8:21 we read that God will “fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” Since God gives us the gift of laughter, I thought I would share some classic bulletin bloopers .
"The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy."
“Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands.”
"The pancake breakfast will be next Sunday. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the church would lend him their electric girdles."
"The sermon this morning: ’Jesus Walks on the Water.’ The sermon tonight: ’Searching for Jesus'."
"Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance."
"Mildred is recovering in the hospital following surgery. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of the pastor’s sermons."
"The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon."
"Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones."
"The pastor is speaking tonight on the reality of hell. Come early and listen to the choir practice!"
In James 5: 13 it is written, "Is any merry, let him sing Psalms. I was reading about the style of worship in England in 1400s. The men sat on one side of the aisle the women sat on the opposite. There were no hymn books. There were no praise choruses. The congregation sang the psalms. There is always deep joy in the presence of the Lord.
We experience celebratory joy always in the context of fellowship. I attended a conference where Bill Hybel was one of the speakers. He spoke about the need for celebration and joy in the life of the church. Whenever we come before the very presence of the Risen Lord He dispels my sadness and depression, and fills us with His joy. We can declare, " You have turned our mourning into dancing, O Lord".
It’s good to laugh. It’s good to be encouraged. It’s good to be together. That’s why I believe in the communion of the saints. I believe in the importance of fellowshipping with each other and loving each other and encouraging each other. 1 Corinthians 12:21 says that “the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you,' and the hand cannot say to the foot 'I don’t need you.' Each part of the body needs the other parts. And each part of the body of Christ needs the other parts.
We can and must, as the body of Christ, experience communion and fellowship with one another.
1 John 4:7 says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” The word for love is agapao. It means “to show affection, to demonstrate our love with our actions.” There are several things that we can do to show love for one another. First of all, we can encourage each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We all have times when we need the affirmation, encouragement, and love.
of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Maybe you could be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
Another thing we can do to show love for one another is by serving one another. 1 Peter 4:10 says “Use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”
Rick Warren said in "The Purpose Driven Life" that “the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because you’re giving something you can never get back.”
If you give someone ten dollars, you may get it back someday. But if you give three hours of your time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon you are giving the most valuable resource you have. That’s what it means to love one another, and that’s what the communion of the saints is all about.
When we say “I believe in the communion of saints,” we are affirming, “I believe in the fellowship of all Christians. I believe that God has called us to encourage one another, pray for each other, and serve each other."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4
Monday, September 28, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 9-28-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day a gift from the Lord. I trust that you had a blessed and beautiful weekend. One of the blessings of this past weekend was the a visit of Doyle and Caroline Valentine, a pastoral couple from Louisiana. They, along with few others, went to India with us on a short term mission in July, 1996. That was the year our whole family went to India. My wife, Alice, and our daughter, Laureen, came down with malaria after returning back the States. One of the team members was a young man Joshua. When he returned back to the States, he came down with malaria and nearly died. Thanks be to Jesus, the Lord, who restored him back to health. He is currently an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church, serving in Louisiana. The whole team stayed in the house where I was born, which was burned down last year by Hindu Radicals. The Rev.'s Valentine drove up here to see us. It has been great blessing to see them and converse with them again. Praise the Lord for the communion of saints.
The Lord blessed us wonderfully in His House yesterday. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from James 5: 13ff. This is a portion of the message I shared yesterday. The whole of the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God, the good and the bad, manifested by prayer. In verse 13 we see the praying Christian. It gets harder later on but James' message here is very clear: in every circumstance of life, pray. The whole of the Christian life is to be lived in the communion with God. The good and the bad in the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God. The joyful and the heartbreaking in the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God. That communion with God in good times and in bad times is to be manifested by prayer. It is written, “Is anyone among you suffering?” (What do you suppose is the response to that?) "Then let him pray." “Is anyone cheerful", (are things going well, has God blessed you beyond you imagination? What’s the proper response?) “Let him sing praises.” The Christian life is to be consecrated to God by prayer so that every pleasure is hallowed and every pain is sanctified. We are to so live the Christian life that every pleasure is made holy by our acknowledging that it comes from the hand of our loving heavenly Father. In every season of rejoicing it is to be hallowed with praise.
James clearly doesn't indicate that praise and prayer are to be reserved for seasons of rejoicing. He says that we are to pray to the Lord in those seasons of suffering. Calvin said it beautifully, “There is no time in which God does not invite us to Himself.” This is exactly the point that James is making. Even in the extremes of life, whether in cheerfulness and in unbearable sorrow, we are to go to the Lord in prayer. God wants us to talk to Him at all times. In trouble He is our comforter; in joy He is the giver of all joy, and in going to Him in prayer we hallow every pleasure and we sanctify every pain.
Alec Motyer beautifully wrote, “Our whole life should be so angled towards God that whatever strikes upon us, whether sorrow or joy, should be deflected upwards at once into His presence.”
James is further reminding us in verses 14 and 15 that the Christian life is a life of community. It's about believers who help one another, who assist one another, who encourage one another to love and good deeds, who pray with and for one another and who are seeking to live together as heirs of the grace of life. Since the Christian life is one of community it makes sense that there are certain times when you don't simply need another Christian to pray with you, but you need the communion of saints to be represented, praying with and for you.
Furthermore, the Christian life is dependent upon the Lord and upon the work of the Spirit. What better way to manifest that reliance on the one hand in the communion of the saints, and on the other hand on the Lord, than to call the elders together to pray for you in a very serious circumstance. James' word is in verse 14. If you are seriously ill, what should you do? You are to call for the elders to pray for you. He links this healing, prayer, the elders, and God's divine intervention. The Christian must believe that God is able and that prayer is his instrument.
Finally, James knows that praying in times of suffering, remembering to praise God in good times, praying when we are gravely ill, and praying in the case of a broken personal relationship, can tax our faith in God, and so in verses 16 through 18 he gives a picture of the praying prophet Elijah. Elijah was a fallible person, even as we are, and that fallibility is very apparent in Scripture. Yet, when Elijah prayed, it didn't rain in the country where he was for three and a half years. Then, when he prayed again, it poured. The point James makes is this, “Don't ever discount prayer, don't ever underestimate the power of prayer.”
Tony Campolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Campolo prayed boldly for the man’s healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man’s wife. She said, "You prayed for my husband. He had cancer." Campolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said, "He died." Campolo felt terrible. But she continued, "Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.
The lady continued, “After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing.” And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, "He wasn’t cured, but he was healed."
Jesus answers prayers of His people.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1FQqSGxBso
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day a gift from the Lord. I trust that you had a blessed and beautiful weekend. One of the blessings of this past weekend was the a visit of Doyle and Caroline Valentine, a pastoral couple from Louisiana. They, along with few others, went to India with us on a short term mission in July, 1996. That was the year our whole family went to India. My wife, Alice, and our daughter, Laureen, came down with malaria after returning back the States. One of the team members was a young man Joshua. When he returned back to the States, he came down with malaria and nearly died. Thanks be to Jesus, the Lord, who restored him back to health. He is currently an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church, serving in Louisiana. The whole team stayed in the house where I was born, which was burned down last year by Hindu Radicals. The Rev.'s Valentine drove up here to see us. It has been great blessing to see them and converse with them again. Praise the Lord for the communion of saints.
The Lord blessed us wonderfully in His House yesterday. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from James 5: 13ff. This is a portion of the message I shared yesterday. The whole of the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God, the good and the bad, manifested by prayer. In verse 13 we see the praying Christian. It gets harder later on but James' message here is very clear: in every circumstance of life, pray. The whole of the Christian life is to be lived in the communion with God. The good and the bad in the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God. The joyful and the heartbreaking in the Christian life is to be lived in communion with God. That communion with God in good times and in bad times is to be manifested by prayer. It is written, “Is anyone among you suffering?” (What do you suppose is the response to that?) "Then let him pray." “Is anyone cheerful", (are things going well, has God blessed you beyond you imagination? What’s the proper response?) “Let him sing praises.” The Christian life is to be consecrated to God by prayer so that every pleasure is hallowed and every pain is sanctified. We are to so live the Christian life that every pleasure is made holy by our acknowledging that it comes from the hand of our loving heavenly Father. In every season of rejoicing it is to be hallowed with praise.
James clearly doesn't indicate that praise and prayer are to be reserved for seasons of rejoicing. He says that we are to pray to the Lord in those seasons of suffering. Calvin said it beautifully, “There is no time in which God does not invite us to Himself.” This is exactly the point that James is making. Even in the extremes of life, whether in cheerfulness and in unbearable sorrow, we are to go to the Lord in prayer. God wants us to talk to Him at all times. In trouble He is our comforter; in joy He is the giver of all joy, and in going to Him in prayer we hallow every pleasure and we sanctify every pain.
Alec Motyer beautifully wrote, “Our whole life should be so angled towards God that whatever strikes upon us, whether sorrow or joy, should be deflected upwards at once into His presence.”
James is further reminding us in verses 14 and 15 that the Christian life is a life of community. It's about believers who help one another, who assist one another, who encourage one another to love and good deeds, who pray with and for one another and who are seeking to live together as heirs of the grace of life. Since the Christian life is one of community it makes sense that there are certain times when you don't simply need another Christian to pray with you, but you need the communion of saints to be represented, praying with and for you.
Furthermore, the Christian life is dependent upon the Lord and upon the work of the Spirit. What better way to manifest that reliance on the one hand in the communion of the saints, and on the other hand on the Lord, than to call the elders together to pray for you in a very serious circumstance. James' word is in verse 14. If you are seriously ill, what should you do? You are to call for the elders to pray for you. He links this healing, prayer, the elders, and God's divine intervention. The Christian must believe that God is able and that prayer is his instrument.
Finally, James knows that praying in times of suffering, remembering to praise God in good times, praying when we are gravely ill, and praying in the case of a broken personal relationship, can tax our faith in God, and so in verses 16 through 18 he gives a picture of the praying prophet Elijah. Elijah was a fallible person, even as we are, and that fallibility is very apparent in Scripture. Yet, when Elijah prayed, it didn't rain in the country where he was for three and a half years. Then, when he prayed again, it poured. The point James makes is this, “Don't ever discount prayer, don't ever underestimate the power of prayer.”
Tony Campolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Campolo prayed boldly for the man’s healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man’s wife. She said, "You prayed for my husband. He had cancer." Campolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said, "He died." Campolo felt terrible. But she continued, "Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.
The lady continued, “After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing.” And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, "He wasn’t cured, but he was healed."
Jesus answers prayers of His people.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1FQqSGxBso
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