Brown's Daily Word 10-29-10

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of October. Please join us those of you live in the area for our Friday Evening TV outreach at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable Channel 4. Plan to be in the Lord's House this coming Sunday whereever you might be. It is a great blessing to come before the Lord in praise and prayer. "Better is one day in His House than a thousand elsewhere."
We will gather for our Saturday Evening Worship at the First United Methodist Church in Endicott this Saturday at 6 PM for coffee and Fellowship and for Worship at 6.30PM Jeff Vansyckle will be preaching. Jeff is a professor at Broome Community College. His wife Elizabeth is the Dean of Students at the Binghamton University. They both love Jesus. Our daughter Laureen will be leading the music. Sunday we will gather for worship at 8:30 and 11:00 at the Union Center UMC and at 9:30 at Wesley UMC.
Here in Union Center we love to eat lots meals together. We greet each other saying, "God be with you till we eat again". Our Lord Jesus talked about banquets. He ate common meals and special meals with His friends. Jesus told a story of a banquet in Luke 14, in which the attendance was refused. Large dinners were important social networking events of the day, and it was an honor to be invited. Like the enthusiastic guest of verse 15, we can hardly imagine anyone refusing to attend, yet some did. The invitations went out, and the host anticipated a positive response. In the parable the host represents God and the invitation is for the glories of Heaven. It was customary in Bible times to send out two invitations: an initial request, then a final summons when everything was made ready and it was time to gather. In that way the guests had plenty of notice and ample time to make arrangements.
The invitees offered feeble excuses to defend their abrupt change of plans. They had initially agreed and were expected to come…but then they backed down. This was a serious breach of etiquette. Had they been honest, they would have admitted they really had no intention to come. There’s nothing wrong with fields, oxen, or getting married, but there are no grounds for missing God’s banquet. Let’s briefly take the excuses, one at a time…
One invitee has purchased a field, which was a long and complicated process. The man would have had several opportunities to examine the property. No one would buy property without first carefully inspecting it. He did not need to “see” it at this time because he had already examined it. His field wasn’t going anywhere, so this was a lame excuse.
Buying livestock was far from an urgent matter; people bought animals all the time, and no one would have ever purchased a team of oxen without first “testing” them carefully to be sure they pulled together.
As for the man who was recently wed, getting married did not exempt people from social obligations. He did not even ask to be excused. Instead, he rudely told the host not to expect him. Some invitations nowadays read “regrets only.” This man did not even have the courtesy to “regretfully” decline.
People offer many excuses for rejecting what God has to offer, and God sees through them every one of them. People are too occupied with their lives to have God be part of their plans. They don’t see their need for God; they are not willing to commit to faith; they find the invitation inconvenient; perhaps they think the party won’t be fun. Yet, no excuse is valid when God calls us.
There’s more to it than the question of rejecting hospitality. This parable is also about the honor of God. We dishonor Him by choosing to refuse His mercy. God offers Heaven itself and people refuse it; for them Heaven would be Hell (or so they think). They make a free decision to remain alienated from God.
C.S. Lewis described the doors of Hell as locked on the inside. We make Hell for ourselves when we refuse Heaven and God and joy (Peter Kreeft).
The host was outraged over the lame rejections of the expected guests, but he turned his anger to grace. He refused to let the food go to waste, so he chose an unexpected option, telling his servant to invite the outcasts -- not the “beautiful people” but the so-called “unwashed masses” who offer no excuses (the kind of people Jesus was known to eat with). Matters such as real estate and livestock didn’t impede them, and many couldn’t afford to be married. They were told, “come on in; the food’s on the table!” They were welcomed to the Host’s hospitality.
This meal is not for the full, but the hungry. If we are full of the world, we will have no appetite for Heaven.
These outcasts regarded themselves as unworthy; they had to be reassured to attend the banquet. The host said, “Compel them to come in”. In the same way, we share the Gospel message with a great sense of urgency, eager to have people come join the party! We are servants of the Host and our mandate is to go and invite people to come to His table, and to let them know that they are most welcome. “The greatest favor we can do for any human being is to introduce them to Jesus Christ” (Paul Little).
What became of the original guest list? Those who snubbed the host would not get even a taste of the meal. The door was shut and the invitation withdrawn for those who refused to come. One commentator gets to the point of the host’s withdrawal, “They don’t know what they’re missing but it serves them right that they’re missing it!” None are excluded except those who exclude themselves. Who will miss out? Those who reject the invitation. We should let nothing stand in the way of accepting Christ’s invitation.
Jesus suggested to his fellow dinner-guest that they enjoying this fine meal because of the simple acceptance of the gracious host’s invitation. We need to accept God’s all-inclusive invitation to His table. Scripture warns, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7-8). There’s a peril in rejecting God. If we think we can live without God, we are indeed on our own, but without excuse. The offer has been given…dinner is served.
In Christ,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kX8xlW04jQ
Come Away With Me (A Time of Refreshing, Renewal & Meeting with Jesus)

When was the last time you were STILL enough to actually encounter Jesus?

No matter where you are on your Journey (Curious about Jesus or Been Walking w/Him for Yrs), This Weekend – He wants to Encounter YOU!



Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!

In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.

Saturday Evening Worship Service:October 30, 2010
Music by Laureen Naik and team
Preacher: Jeff Vansyckle

November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.