Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day, this Friday the thirteenth. It is going to be a wonderful day, for the Lord has made it. It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming, 60 degree temperatures and all, or so they say. Come and join us on the Lord's Day in His house with His people for His worship (8:30 and 11 AM here, and 9:30 at Wesley). Following the second service there will be a Thanksgiving meal with the trimmings, prepared with much love. All are welcome.
Those who live in the area, please join us in our television outreach. It is presented on Channel 4 at 7:00 PM on Time Warner Cable.
In his writings Rick Warren has said, "We are made for worship, and we grow stronger through worship." It is a great thrill to worship the risen Lord in spirit and in truth. So, plan to be in the house of the Lord on Sunday, and worship Him wherever you may be. When the saints sing the Savior's song, Satan trembles and demons flee.
It has often been said, "The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing!" Of course, the question is, "What is the Main thing"? For the church of Jesus Christ, without a doubt the "Main Thing" is worship. Several times in Scripture, we are given exhortations to worship God. For example, in both 1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 29:2 we have this exhortation, "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 99:5 says, "Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; He is holy."
In America we have adopted this way of thinking which attempts to place everyone on an equal plane. No one is better than anyone else, and thus no one has authority over anyone else - everyone has an equal say. We are opposed to hierarchy of any kind. It's interesting to me that many people want to be the boss, but few want to obey the boss.
Ultimately, we even bring God down to our level. Inscribed on our great American buildings is the saying, "The voice of the People is the voice of God." That may sound like an expression of a wonderful Democratic idea, but it is nearly blasphemy. However, we haven't only put our voices in place of God's, but we have come to the place where we think we have power over God - prayer has turned around to become our telling God what we expect Him to do for us, instead of listening to what He expects from us.
Jesus our Lord, speaks directly about worship when He answers the temptation put to Him by Satan in the wilderness. "Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10) The author of Hebrews wrote (in Chapter 10), "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together." The gathering together of Christians on a regular basis is not optional!
Thank you all for praying for Laureen. She will be back home in 10 days,I know that she has felt the prayers of the Lord's people carrying her through.
In Christ the Risen Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiy3_KRKNaQ
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 11-12-09
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Our grandchildren who live in Boston, live just a brisk 2 minute walk from the train station. They love to ride train. They are train savvy. I saw on the news yesterday a story about a woman who was drunk, standing on the platform in Boston, waiting for the train. She was very close the edge of the platform, and she fell on the track in front a on coming train. There were some caring passengers who stood on the edge of the platform waived frantically towards the oncoming train. It was a miracle that the train stopped just inches from hitting the woman who had fallen on the track. The fellow passengers did not jump to the tracks to retrieve the fallen passenger, they just waived at the oncoming train.
Presbyterian biblical scholar/ minister/author Carl Howie tells about an incident that took place in a New York subway on a wintry, and especially cold and bitter, night. Very few people were on the subway at that hour. At each station, the train would screech to a halt, open its doors, allowing a few people to come and go. At one station, a peculiar woman got on. Her clothes were ragged and dirty. She was either extremely tired or extremely drunk. As the train lurched forward, she stumbled and fell into a seat and was almost instantly fast asleep. Through the screeching and swaying of the train, she slept, her hands nestled inside two tattered worn-out gloves. It was hard to see how those gloves, full of holes, would help at all. How could she go anywhere in that bitter cold without freezing her hands? Few people in the train could take their eyes off this homeless person, asleep on the subway, her gloved hands without gloves.
Then a strange thing happened. A young Puerto Rican boy got up to get off the train as it slowed to a stop. He could have gone out the exit closest to him, but he went by the sleeping woman instead. He paused by her for a few moments, removed his gloves, laid them on her lap, and got off the train.
It is easy to judge everyone around us. After all we all have plenty of faults. Deliberate choosing to see everyone as an object of God's love in Jesus Christ, created in His image, will help me look past the homelessness, age, beauty, intelligence, opinions, the differences between myself and others. Really looking at God's children and really seeing them I can be more compassionate. I can be better responsive to needs and less responsive to my judgmental prejudices.
We live in an incredibly selfish world. Even if we can look past or lay aside the judmentalism and anger we see in the world today, there is still an overwhelming sense of self-serving that is impossible to reconcile with Christian teaching.
Unfortunately, the self-centeredness that we see in the world at large is also present in our church congregations. For many today, there is a shopping mall mentality. We all know that consumers shop at the place where they can get the most services and goods for the least amount of money and with the greatest ease. It is the philosophy of Walmart…but not of the Bride of Christ!
Galatians 5:16-18 (The Message): "My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?"
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8
Praise the Lord for this new day. Our grandchildren who live in Boston, live just a brisk 2 minute walk from the train station. They love to ride train. They are train savvy. I saw on the news yesterday a story about a woman who was drunk, standing on the platform in Boston, waiting for the train. She was very close the edge of the platform, and she fell on the track in front a on coming train. There were some caring passengers who stood on the edge of the platform waived frantically towards the oncoming train. It was a miracle that the train stopped just inches from hitting the woman who had fallen on the track. The fellow passengers did not jump to the tracks to retrieve the fallen passenger, they just waived at the oncoming train.
Presbyterian biblical scholar/ minister/author Carl Howie tells about an incident that took place in a New York subway on a wintry, and especially cold and bitter, night. Very few people were on the subway at that hour. At each station, the train would screech to a halt, open its doors, allowing a few people to come and go. At one station, a peculiar woman got on. Her clothes were ragged and dirty. She was either extremely tired or extremely drunk. As the train lurched forward, she stumbled and fell into a seat and was almost instantly fast asleep. Through the screeching and swaying of the train, she slept, her hands nestled inside two tattered worn-out gloves. It was hard to see how those gloves, full of holes, would help at all. How could she go anywhere in that bitter cold without freezing her hands? Few people in the train could take their eyes off this homeless person, asleep on the subway, her gloved hands without gloves.
Then a strange thing happened. A young Puerto Rican boy got up to get off the train as it slowed to a stop. He could have gone out the exit closest to him, but he went by the sleeping woman instead. He paused by her for a few moments, removed his gloves, laid them on her lap, and got off the train.
It is easy to judge everyone around us. After all we all have plenty of faults. Deliberate choosing to see everyone as an object of God's love in Jesus Christ, created in His image, will help me look past the homelessness, age, beauty, intelligence, opinions, the differences between myself and others. Really looking at God's children and really seeing them I can be more compassionate. I can be better responsive to needs and less responsive to my judgmental prejudices.
We live in an incredibly selfish world. Even if we can look past or lay aside the judmentalism and anger we see in the world today, there is still an overwhelming sense of self-serving that is impossible to reconcile with Christian teaching.
Unfortunately, the self-centeredness that we see in the world at large is also present in our church congregations. For many today, there is a shopping mall mentality. We all know that consumers shop at the place where they can get the most services and goods for the least amount of money and with the greatest ease. It is the philosophy of Walmart…but not of the Bride of Christ!
Galatians 5:16-18 (The Message): "My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?"
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 11-11-09
Praise the Lord for this day and for all the days the Lord does give us on the earth. "Better is one day in your house, o Lord than a thousand elsewhere". We received an e-mail from Laureen yesterday. She said that the Lord is blessing their ministry in Bangkok tremendously. They are primarily presenting the Gospel in College and University settings. They were also able to visit a leprosy Colony. The Land is beautiful, the people are fascinating and very receptive to the Gospel, which moved her greatly. Laureen came down with the flu, which has been going through their team. Please keep on praying for the team that the Holy Spirit will give all the team members His fresh anointing and boldness that the team members and their testimony will be a great threat to the kingdom of darkness. As they sing the songs of Redemption, pray that Satan will tremble and that the people will rejoice.
I love to read some of the Christian Classics. One of the great Christian classics is "The Pilgrims Progress", written by John Bunyan (1628 - 1688). John Bunyan coined the word "backslid." In the story, the characters of "Christian" and "Hopeful" are on their spiritual pilgrimage. While on the journey, they begin to discuss an individual by the name of "Temporary." The character "Temporary" had started the pilgrimage; but, along the way he fell by the wayside; or, as John Bunyan worded it, he "backslid." The word "backslid" was picked up, particularly; but, not exclusively, by the Methodist denomination in early America and became a stock phrase - it referred to those once faithful individuals who had lost interest in their Christian pilgrimage!
There are some denominations that do not affirm the concept of backsliding - they believe in the concept once saved always saved! Many have not affirmed that concept because it implies that a person who becomes a Christian true believer loses his or her free will to turn away! The individual who was free to choose the way of Jesus, the Christ, is still free to turn his or her back upon it! Mankind - both male and female - can experience no level of grace that is beyond the possibility of falling!
The Biblical Old Testament character, Saul, the first king of Israel, began a promising career! There was not a man among the people of Israel who offered more potential in leadership! He represented more than a king; he represented hope! Yet, Saul was eaten up with jealousy when the young David appeared on the scene and stole the spotlight! Twice he attempted to have David killed! So, we see a life that was set for success and honor ending up in failure and tragedy!
The Biblical New Testament character, Demas, is only mentioned in the Bible three (3) times! The first instance was in the epistle to Philemon, when Paul introduced Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas and Lucas (or, Luke) as his fellow laborers. At that point in time, we can see that Demas was held in great esteem - he was equal with Luke, a fellow labourer, and is even mentioned before him! It is quite evident that at this point, Demas is a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The second time Demas was mentioned in Colossians 4:14 (KJV): "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you." Something seems to have changed! Luke is mentioned first rather than Demas! Not only that, but there are words of praise, "the beloved physician", for Luke, but Demas was mentioned only by name! Apparently, Demas was beginning to slow down!
Finally, in the third instance, the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:10 (KJV), has this to say, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;..." There you have it - the story of a man’s life in a few words! What started out with so much promise ended up in disappointment. Backsliding is not merely a problem for Biblical characters; it is an issue for the modern-day community of faith! How many times have you heard people in the church say, "You know, I haven’t seen so and so for a long time" or "So and so used to be active; but..."? There can be no argument about the reality of backsliding either in the Holy Bible or the local congregation!
We live in a time of "cheap grace". There are certain periods in our lives when we are more susceptible to backsliding - to turning back and no longer following Jesus Christ!
An overwhelming number of people backslide because their priorities get turned around. Increasingly, people resort to excuses as to why they cannot come to church! It may be an indication of a dwindling spiritual life as hobbies, jobs, and even family crowd God out of the picture! The road to backsliding) is paved with excuses! It will cripple the Christian life!
All living things can die through neglect. Gardens, friendships, and marriages all wither if they are not nourished! Individuals do not simply wake up one morning and announce that from now on they will not be Christians. It is more often true that people ease out of a once vital faith simply through neglect and inattention. The flame of faith is extinguished through neglect.
May the Lord grant us afresh and anew the commitment, discipleship, longsuffering, and faithfulness which are the marks of a committed Christian.
May the Lord provoke us to finish the race well.
In Jesus the pioneer and the perfector of our faith,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNbLtiG2dWU
I love to read some of the Christian Classics. One of the great Christian classics is "The Pilgrims Progress", written by John Bunyan (1628 - 1688). John Bunyan coined the word "backslid." In the story, the characters of "Christian" and "Hopeful" are on their spiritual pilgrimage. While on the journey, they begin to discuss an individual by the name of "Temporary." The character "Temporary" had started the pilgrimage; but, along the way he fell by the wayside; or, as John Bunyan worded it, he "backslid." The word "backslid" was picked up, particularly; but, not exclusively, by the Methodist denomination in early America and became a stock phrase - it referred to those once faithful individuals who had lost interest in their Christian pilgrimage!
There are some denominations that do not affirm the concept of backsliding - they believe in the concept once saved always saved! Many have not affirmed that concept because it implies that a person who becomes a Christian true believer loses his or her free will to turn away! The individual who was free to choose the way of Jesus, the Christ, is still free to turn his or her back upon it! Mankind - both male and female - can experience no level of grace that is beyond the possibility of falling!
The Biblical Old Testament character, Saul, the first king of Israel, began a promising career! There was not a man among the people of Israel who offered more potential in leadership! He represented more than a king; he represented hope! Yet, Saul was eaten up with jealousy when the young David appeared on the scene and stole the spotlight! Twice he attempted to have David killed! So, we see a life that was set for success and honor ending up in failure and tragedy!
The Biblical New Testament character, Demas, is only mentioned in the Bible three (3) times! The first instance was in the epistle to Philemon, when Paul introduced Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas and Lucas (or, Luke) as his fellow laborers. At that point in time, we can see that Demas was held in great esteem - he was equal with Luke, a fellow labourer, and is even mentioned before him! It is quite evident that at this point, Demas is a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The second time Demas was mentioned in Colossians 4:14 (KJV): "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you." Something seems to have changed! Luke is mentioned first rather than Demas! Not only that, but there are words of praise, "the beloved physician", for Luke, but Demas was mentioned only by name! Apparently, Demas was beginning to slow down!
Finally, in the third instance, the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:10 (KJV), has this to say, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;..." There you have it - the story of a man’s life in a few words! What started out with so much promise ended up in disappointment. Backsliding is not merely a problem for Biblical characters; it is an issue for the modern-day community of faith! How many times have you heard people in the church say, "You know, I haven’t seen so and so for a long time" or "So and so used to be active; but..."? There can be no argument about the reality of backsliding either in the Holy Bible or the local congregation!
We live in a time of "cheap grace". There are certain periods in our lives when we are more susceptible to backsliding - to turning back and no longer following Jesus Christ!
An overwhelming number of people backslide because their priorities get turned around. Increasingly, people resort to excuses as to why they cannot come to church! It may be an indication of a dwindling spiritual life as hobbies, jobs, and even family crowd God out of the picture! The road to backsliding) is paved with excuses! It will cripple the Christian life!
All living things can die through neglect. Gardens, friendships, and marriages all wither if they are not nourished! Individuals do not simply wake up one morning and announce that from now on they will not be Christians. It is more often true that people ease out of a once vital faith simply through neglect and inattention. The flame of faith is extinguished through neglect.
May the Lord grant us afresh and anew the commitment, discipleship, longsuffering, and faithfulness which are the marks of a committed Christian.
May the Lord provoke us to finish the race well.
In Jesus the pioneer and the perfector of our faith,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNbLtiG2dWU
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 11-10-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He has created us, redeemed us, and set us in this world as people of purpose. He has also provided every blessing we need to fulfill our purpose and enjoy Him all of the days of our lives. Every aspect of our lives is a gift from God, from life itself to the air we breathe to the relationships we enjoy to the health we are experiencing to the beauty of His creation. God’s grace is truly amazing! God’s grace is a constant reminder of His love for you and for me.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, I would like to bring before you in prayer the need of suffering Christians in Orissa, India. It has been over year since violence and persecution broke out against defenseless and innocent Christians in Phulbani, Orissa, India. Over 100 Christians were murdered. 70,000 Christians were made homeless and refugees. My mom, my brother Patel (who was jailed for 13 months), and his two children lost the house and everything that they owned. The house and the farm had been in the family for generations, but after they were forced out, they could not cultivate the fields. Remarkably, there are still 15 girls living in the children's home.
Sunita visited the area during her recent visit to Orissa, India. She also visited the village. There are currently two refugee camps where thousands of people are still living in tents. Sunita visited one of the camps. We would like to bless the people who are still living in the tents. They will be celebrating their second Christmas in the tents. I would like to invite to share in the ministry of sharing and caring. If you are being led by the Lord please make a check payable to Union Center United Methodist Church, making a note on the memo line, for the Orissa Project, and mail to:
Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, New York 13760
Whatever the amount you give will be a huge blessing to the our brothers and sisters in Orissa, India.
We will send the gifts in their entirety to bless the children in the Children's home, to bless some pastors who are serving the Lord under a great threat, and also to 175 nursing students and the staff ay the Moorshead Memorial Christian Hospital, and also give food and some winter clothing to the people who are still living in the refugee centers. Thank you for sharing and caring and participating in making a difference and bringing joy to many.
As we ponder the joy of giving, let us reflect on 2 Corinthians 8:1 ff.
"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7 NIV)
Paul said that it was God’s grace shed upon the church in Macedonia that enabled them to give, joyfully give, even in an extremely difficult situation. What set the Macedonian church apart from so many other churches in Paul’s day and ours is that they were willing to allow God’s grace to flow through them and be turned into action.
There is something that jumps out at me as I study 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. In the midst of the Macedonians extreme poverty and severe trial you find that they possessed overflowing joy.
In Jesus the diffuser of His Joy,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO_bKR2Wzhk
Praise the Lord for the way He has created us, redeemed us, and set us in this world as people of purpose. He has also provided every blessing we need to fulfill our purpose and enjoy Him all of the days of our lives. Every aspect of our lives is a gift from God, from life itself to the air we breathe to the relationships we enjoy to the health we are experiencing to the beauty of His creation. God’s grace is truly amazing! God’s grace is a constant reminder of His love for you and for me.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, I would like to bring before you in prayer the need of suffering Christians in Orissa, India. It has been over year since violence and persecution broke out against defenseless and innocent Christians in Phulbani, Orissa, India. Over 100 Christians were murdered. 70,000 Christians were made homeless and refugees. My mom, my brother Patel (who was jailed for 13 months), and his two children lost the house and everything that they owned. The house and the farm had been in the family for generations, but after they were forced out, they could not cultivate the fields. Remarkably, there are still 15 girls living in the children's home.
Sunita visited the area during her recent visit to Orissa, India. She also visited the village. There are currently two refugee camps where thousands of people are still living in tents. Sunita visited one of the camps. We would like to bless the people who are still living in the tents. They will be celebrating their second Christmas in the tents. I would like to invite to share in the ministry of sharing and caring. If you are being led by the Lord please make a check payable to Union Center United Methodist Church, making a note on the memo line, for the Orissa Project, and mail to:
Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, New York 13760
Whatever the amount you give will be a huge blessing to the our brothers and sisters in Orissa, India.
We will send the gifts in their entirety to bless the children in the Children's home, to bless some pastors who are serving the Lord under a great threat, and also to 175 nursing students and the staff ay the Moorshead Memorial Christian Hospital, and also give food and some winter clothing to the people who are still living in the refugee centers. Thank you for sharing and caring and participating in making a difference and bringing joy to many.
As we ponder the joy of giving, let us reflect on 2 Corinthians 8:1 ff.
"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7 NIV)
Paul said that it was God’s grace shed upon the church in Macedonia that enabled them to give, joyfully give, even in an extremely difficult situation. What set the Macedonian church apart from so many other churches in Paul’s day and ours is that they were willing to allow God’s grace to flow through them and be turned into action.
There is something that jumps out at me as I study 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. In the midst of the Macedonians extreme poverty and severe trial you find that they possessed overflowing joy.
In Jesus the diffuser of His Joy,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO_bKR2Wzhk
Monday, November 9, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 11-09-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a glorious weekend, with plenty of warmth and sunshine. Today, it is predicted, will be unseasonably mild. (The record for this date - in 1975 - was 66). Jessica and Tom came for the weekend. They were able to care for several wedding related matters, such as meeting with the cake lady, getting together with a couple of florists, and tasting foods at the reception center.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful day in His house yesterday. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Hebrews 9. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (28) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Some body has said: “Heaven Is Better Than You Think” and “Hell is Forever and It’s Not Funny.” You've probably heard the old saying, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” I’m not so sure that statement is absolutely true, though. I’m guessing that with enough deductions, loopholes, and “creative” accounting, some people avoid paying most, if not all, of their taxes. So, there is no guarantee about the taxes. However, that still leaves us with death.
According Hebrews 9: 28, the only things guaranteed in life are death and the judgement. People have used and continue to use some unusual methods to attempt to peer past the portal of death into the afterlife. People who say they have had “Near Death Experiences” write books to tell what they say eternity will be like. Books like Betty Eadie’s “Embraced by the Light” tells of her supposed “death” and her visit to heaven. Others attempt to find out about the afterlife by so called “psychic research”, such as attempts to contact the dead through mediums. The only sure word concerning life after death is the Word of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 the Apostle Paul says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”
Some folks say that death is the end of existence. Others insist that when people die, they are "reincarnated" into something or someone else. If you ever see reincarnation in its rawest form such as in India where Hinduism has a firm hold, you will understand that Hindus see reincarnation as a hopeless cycle of endless misery. Reincarnation as it is presented today has been “Americianized” – that means changed to suit the needs of the American culture. When you hear someone in this country talk about reincarnation, it is always talk about coming back in another human form. It is interesting that it seems that they almost always were some important or famous historical figure in a previous life. But in India the people understand reincarnation to be an endless cycle whose only hope is to finally enter into Nirvana – the place of nothingness. Death almost always catches us by surprise. Sometimes death comes when it’s generally expected – after we have lived a long and full life. But at other times death comes abruptly – far too soon in our way of viewing things.
Death is no respecter of persons. It marches into the mansions of the rich and the squalor of the slums. It doesn't matter how well you feel or how in shape you are. No one escapes the certainty of death. In Hebrews 9:27 we are told, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The word of God tells us that after death each of us will certainly face judgment. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
The best is yet to be for those believe in Christ, those who belong to Him and those who serve Him with joy and obdience.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRxyO2e0DYU
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a glorious weekend, with plenty of warmth and sunshine. Today, it is predicted, will be unseasonably mild. (The record for this date - in 1975 - was 66). Jessica and Tom came for the weekend. They were able to care for several wedding related matters, such as meeting with the cake lady, getting together with a couple of florists, and tasting foods at the reception center.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful day in His house yesterday. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Hebrews 9. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (28) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Some body has said: “Heaven Is Better Than You Think” and “Hell is Forever and It’s Not Funny.” You've probably heard the old saying, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” I’m not so sure that statement is absolutely true, though. I’m guessing that with enough deductions, loopholes, and “creative” accounting, some people avoid paying most, if not all, of their taxes. So, there is no guarantee about the taxes. However, that still leaves us with death.
According Hebrews 9: 28, the only things guaranteed in life are death and the judgement. People have used and continue to use some unusual methods to attempt to peer past the portal of death into the afterlife. People who say they have had “Near Death Experiences” write books to tell what they say eternity will be like. Books like Betty Eadie’s “Embraced by the Light” tells of her supposed “death” and her visit to heaven. Others attempt to find out about the afterlife by so called “psychic research”, such as attempts to contact the dead through mediums. The only sure word concerning life after death is the Word of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 the Apostle Paul says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”
Some folks say that death is the end of existence. Others insist that when people die, they are "reincarnated" into something or someone else. If you ever see reincarnation in its rawest form such as in India where Hinduism has a firm hold, you will understand that Hindus see reincarnation as a hopeless cycle of endless misery. Reincarnation as it is presented today has been “Americianized” – that means changed to suit the needs of the American culture. When you hear someone in this country talk about reincarnation, it is always talk about coming back in another human form. It is interesting that it seems that they almost always were some important or famous historical figure in a previous life. But in India the people understand reincarnation to be an endless cycle whose only hope is to finally enter into Nirvana – the place of nothingness. Death almost always catches us by surprise. Sometimes death comes when it’s generally expected – after we have lived a long and full life. But at other times death comes abruptly – far too soon in our way of viewing things.
Death is no respecter of persons. It marches into the mansions of the rich and the squalor of the slums. It doesn't matter how well you feel or how in shape you are. No one escapes the certainty of death. In Hebrews 9:27 we are told, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The word of God tells us that after death each of us will certainly face judgment. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
The best is yet to be for those believe in Christ, those who belong to Him and those who serve Him with joy and obdience.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRxyO2e0DYU
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