Brown's Daily Word 2-1-10

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He inflates us with boldness and courage through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, our Lord, is known as the fearless prophet. "He is the Lion of Judah who breaks every chain, and gives us victory over and over again."
Sergeant Juanita Wilson was on patrol outside Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded beneath her vehicle. She was trying to help her driver after the explosion when she felt something unusual. When she looked down, her hand was gone. Less than two years after her injury, she is demonstrating her commitment to her country once again. CBS News featured her on their American Hero series. Wilson has learned to function with her prosthetic left hand and is back at work at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington — the same hospital where she did her own recovery and rehabilitation. She has a Purple Heart for her bravery, and Wilson has reenlisted in the Army Reserves. She told the interviewer, “Many may say that I’ve sacrificed quite a bit. I don’t really look at it that way. I don’t think I’ve sacrificed enough. I don’t think that you can sacrifice enough for the freedoms of America.” She said, “I’m a soldier. I love what I do. I love serving my country.”
It takes courage to march with confidence into the face of danger. As we read the New Testament, we see Jesus, our Lord, doing this over and over. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Luke 4: 22ff. Our Lord had gone back to Nazareth, where He was raised. While there He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath as His custom was. He read the passage from Isaiah 61, making it His personal Mission Statement. When He began to minister to the people of his hometown, they became offended at him. The general feeling was, “Who does he think he is?” Their irritation escalated to anger and they began to think He should not be allowed to live any longer. They dragged Him to the edge of a cliff, intending to throw him over, but Jesus was completely unintimidated. He simply and confidently walked through the mob that was intent on killing him. He saw danger and walked right through it.
At another time, while Jesus was teaching the crowds again became angry. The Bible says, “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:59). When He told the truth it often threw people into a frenzy. Thomas Sowell had it right when he wrote, “It’s amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites.”
In another instance, Jesus was in a boat during a storm. The Bible records the event: “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet Be still’. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” (Mark 4:37-40). The storm was raging, and Jesus was peacefully sleeping. Others were in full panic mode, he was unshaken. The storm did not define the moment, he did.
Later, another storm arose, and the disciples were alone in the boat. Jesus came walking toward them on the water, and they were frozen with fear. Their screams went out across the water. But he said to them, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” And it says, “Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:50-52). Jesus knew who He was. He said, “Take courage It is I.”
Julian of Norwich was fond of saying, “All is well and all manner of things will be well.” When our minds are set on God, there is a realization that all things are well, and all manner of things will be well. The Bible says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).
The Heidelberg Catechism has the follower of Christ say, “In life and in death, I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” Our mind is set on God because He is faithful and trustworthy. The Bible says, “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
In His Faithfulness,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQwNKV6HrYk