Brown's Daily Word 11-05-10

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this fabulous Friday. Kelly Johnson, the feature speaker for the weekend's prayer Conference, flew in yesterday from Memphis. Sunita, Andy, and their friend drove in last night. Micah and Simeon will be coming in this evening. We have been visiting with Kelly and she has been sharing about how the Lord has been at her work so faithfully and wonderfully during last few years of her life. We are so excited for this weekend, anticipating rich blessings from the Lord. The prayer conference will commence with some authentic Indian and Italian cuisine this evening at 6 PM. Those who live in the area, join us. It is a great blessing to host people, particularly those who love hot and spicy Indian foods. Pray for our weekly Television Out reach this eve at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable Channel 4.
I have been blessed to have been able to attend several Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades over the years, starting in May, 1982 in Baltimore where I met Joni Earekson as a young woman. In every Billy graham Crusade, George Beverly Shea sang a special song before the preaching by Dr. Billy Graham. One of the Hymns he sang was "Amazing Grace". Every time that "Bev Shea" sang this sweet hymn he made a reference to the epitaph of John Newton. In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone with the inscription, “John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel amd Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.” You may not remember his name, but all of us know the song he wrote as a testimony of his life, “Amazing Grace.”
Amazing Grace finds it’s lasting legacy in the simplicity of the words & the universal understanding of man’s need for grace. This beloved song bears witness to a multitude of testimonies from all corners of the world and all types of sinners who found forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The list could go on and on. In my own ministry over the years I have seen alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves, homosexuals, adulterers, atheists, and motorcycle gang members give their lives to Christ.
The Bible records the conversions of the maniac at Gadara, the despised tax collector and traitor to his people, Matthew, blind Bartimaeus, the adulterous Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, the Roman centurion at the crucifixion, Cornelius, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, and Lydia, among others. Yet, of all the conversions ever recorded, none was more remarkable than that of Saul of Tarsus. This bitter enemy of the cause of Christ, in his own words "the foremost of all sinners", became the greatest evangelist and theologian the world has ever known. Acts 9, 22, 26, Galatians 1-2, Philippians 3, and 1 Timothy 1 all describe aspects of his conversion. Paul never lost the wonder that God could and did redeem someone like him. He viewed himself as the supreme example of God’s saving grace. Paul's story is very much our story. Every one of us was lost, each one of us was blind, but now we are found and now we see.
John Newton told often the story of his early life and conversion experience, and wherever he preached, large crowds gathered to hear the “Old Converted Sea Captain” as he was called. He is quoted, not long before he died, in a message saying, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember 2 things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”
As the apostle Paul wrote to his dear Timothy, he did not write this to show how bad he was, but rather how good God is! Paul’s testimony is nothing short of miraculous. Grace is used in the original Greek language to convey the idea of a free gift. It has at its root the concept of joy. It is a delight to receive something you do not deserve, but it’s even more joyful to give something to someone in this way. The theological impression of grace speaks of God’s loving forgiveness, which he gives freely to those deserving only condemnation and judgment, and transfers them from darkness to light, from death to life without any worthiness on their part, based on nothing they have done or failed to do.
The grace of God was especially vivid in Paul’s mind because of his past. As a great sinner, he knew that he needed great grace. In Acts 9:1, Luke describes Paul as “breathing out murderous threats against believers.” It’s as if he lived and breathed to destroy what he considered to be the enemy, like a warhorse who sniffed the smell of battle. He was a frightening, violent adversary. Further, he was a callous, pious, self-righteous, bigoted murderer hell-bent on a full-scale inquisition. Read how he later described his behavior to Agrippa, in the words of Acts 26:9-11.
In the middle of his wretchedness, Paul was met with the Lord's boundless compassion. He could say with the hymn writer, “And from my smitten heart with tears, two wonders I confess: The wonders of redeeming love & my unworthiness.”

In His Amazing Grace,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJsBRFdrA0
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.



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