Good morning,
Praise the Lord, for it is Friday. The Lord has given us some mild weather, especially when compared with the last week. We are just under a month before our daughter Jessica's wedding. Alice and Laureen are driving down to Philadelphia tomorrow to attend a bridal shower for Jessica there. Sunita is flying to Jerusalem today with her work, and she is taking Andy with her this time. We are living in an exciting time of world history to proclaim Jesus and His Good News in word and deed.
Without Christ many live constantly in fear and anguish. Praise the Lord, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7). Praise the Lord for the men and women who are sold out to Jesus. Jim Elliott said, "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". Praise the Lord for the way Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. all lived with passion and fearlessness. Martin Luther was among the most fearless men who ever lived. When he set out on his journey to Worms to face the questions and controversies his teaching had created, he said, "You can expect from me everything save fear or recantation. I shall not flee, much less recant." His friends warned of the dangers; some begged him not to go. But Luther would not hear of it. "Not go to Worms!", he said. "I shall go to Worms though there were as many devils as tiles on the roofs."
When Luther appeared there before the court of Emperor Charles V, he was shown a stack of his writings and called upon to recant. Luther replied, "Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds of reasoning, then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience." A few days before his death, Luther recalled that day. "I was afraid of nothing: God can make one so desperately bold."
One of the descriptions of the Holy Spirit in the Bible is "the Comforter". He is also the power source that will give you the boldness and courage you need to overcome fear. We read in Acts 4:13, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”
As we walk with Christ under His authority today, May He infuse us with His Holy boldness and courage.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acspX34Guu4
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 1-14-10
Good morning,
Life has a way of putting us to sleep so that we lose our passion and our vision.
Sometimes things happen and we get discouraged, or we may even get the breath knocked out of us. One problem we may struggle with is problem of depression. Many people are beset with massive depression. Sometimes we get discouraged when our expectations are not met. When this happens our faith becomes weak and there is a tendency to slip into a kind of spiritual slumber or sleep.
One of the salient truths of the Bible is that the Lord God, revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord, loves to bless His people. In the Genesis account we read that the Lord God, the maker of heaven and earth, created Adam and Eve and He blessed them. (Gen 1: 27-28) Jesus came to the earth blessing people. In Ephesians 1 Paul wrote that we are blessed beyond belief in Jesus Christ. We are blessed and we are chosen to bless each other. Whenever we are in the presence of the Lord in a intimate way we are moved and we are blessed; we are provoked and we are stirred.
Michal, the daughter of Saul and wife of David, was unmoved in the presence of God and his plan. According to the book of Samuel, all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, gathered to take part in bringing the ark of the Covenant, God's presence, into the midst of his people in the new capitol, Jerusalem. They escorted it into the city with rejoicing, shouting, dancing, blowing on trumpets, and similar undignified pursuits. King David himself danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing nothing but a linen ephod. But one person was conspicuous by her absence from this picture. Michal, Saul's daughter and Jonathan's sister, was not there. She looked out from her window with scorn and disapproval. She saw David's extreme joy and despised him for its expression. So, even an awareness of God's presence is not enough.
We often ponder the divine plan for our lives. Paul put the whole plan into a context of blessing, saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He said that all of this plan is working to the praise of God's glory, and that we are now to live to the praise of God's glory. How do we do that? The Psalmist says that those who will stand in God's holy place will be those with clean hands and pure hearts, those who do not seek what is false, those who do not swear deceitfully. We know, because we know of the Father's plan, that the Father has gifted us lavishly with his grace and destined us to be holy and blameless before him in love. So, in that knowledge and with faith in God's grace, let us strive live our lives in love with clean hearts and pure hands. May we imitate David in his dance of joy, however undignified and unkingly. Let us not be as Michal in ignoring God's presence and scorning those who rejoice in it.
We are all touched by the tragedy of immense magnitude that has occurred in Haiti. Our Lord is the Man of sorrows. As such He is deeply touched by the massive grief and the sorrow of His people. We are calling our church people to give generously and sacrificially to help those who are hurting and in great need. If the Lord leads to participate in this ministry of sharing and caring you can send your gift for this ministry. Make your check payable to the Union Center United Methodist Church, with the memo note, "Haiti Relief Fund". The entirety of our gifts will be sent to Haiti through UMCOR, the relief Agency of our church. 100% will be used in the relief Effort. You also can send your checks to World Vision. You can find their address on World Vision.org
May the Lord provoke us to care and share. May Jesus Christ be glorified in our lives as we will come alongside the people of Haiti in ministry.
Our Church Address is:
Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, NY 13760
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Life has a way of putting us to sleep so that we lose our passion and our vision.
Sometimes things happen and we get discouraged, or we may even get the breath knocked out of us. One problem we may struggle with is problem of depression. Many people are beset with massive depression. Sometimes we get discouraged when our expectations are not met. When this happens our faith becomes weak and there is a tendency to slip into a kind of spiritual slumber or sleep.
One of the salient truths of the Bible is that the Lord God, revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord, loves to bless His people. In the Genesis account we read that the Lord God, the maker of heaven and earth, created Adam and Eve and He blessed them. (Gen 1: 27-28) Jesus came to the earth blessing people. In Ephesians 1 Paul wrote that we are blessed beyond belief in Jesus Christ. We are blessed and we are chosen to bless each other. Whenever we are in the presence of the Lord in a intimate way we are moved and we are blessed; we are provoked and we are stirred.
Michal, the daughter of Saul and wife of David, was unmoved in the presence of God and his plan. According to the book of Samuel, all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, gathered to take part in bringing the ark of the Covenant, God's presence, into the midst of his people in the new capitol, Jerusalem. They escorted it into the city with rejoicing, shouting, dancing, blowing on trumpets, and similar undignified pursuits. King David himself danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing nothing but a linen ephod. But one person was conspicuous by her absence from this picture. Michal, Saul's daughter and Jonathan's sister, was not there. She looked out from her window with scorn and disapproval. She saw David's extreme joy and despised him for its expression. So, even an awareness of God's presence is not enough.
We often ponder the divine plan for our lives. Paul put the whole plan into a context of blessing, saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He said that all of this plan is working to the praise of God's glory, and that we are now to live to the praise of God's glory. How do we do that? The Psalmist says that those who will stand in God's holy place will be those with clean hands and pure hearts, those who do not seek what is false, those who do not swear deceitfully. We know, because we know of the Father's plan, that the Father has gifted us lavishly with his grace and destined us to be holy and blameless before him in love. So, in that knowledge and with faith in God's grace, let us strive live our lives in love with clean hearts and pure hands. May we imitate David in his dance of joy, however undignified and unkingly. Let us not be as Michal in ignoring God's presence and scorning those who rejoice in it.
We are all touched by the tragedy of immense magnitude that has occurred in Haiti. Our Lord is the Man of sorrows. As such He is deeply touched by the massive grief and the sorrow of His people. We are calling our church people to give generously and sacrificially to help those who are hurting and in great need. If the Lord leads to participate in this ministry of sharing and caring you can send your gift for this ministry. Make your check payable to the Union Center United Methodist Church, with the memo note, "Haiti Relief Fund". The entirety of our gifts will be sent to Haiti through UMCOR, the relief Agency of our church. 100% will be used in the relief Effort. You also can send your checks to World Vision. You can find their address on World Vision.org
May the Lord provoke us to care and share. May Jesus Christ be glorified in our lives as we will come alongside the people of Haiti in ministry.
Our Church Address is:
Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, NY 13760
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 1-13-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He brings triumph out of tragedy. He transforms the tears of grief in to the tears of joy. We read in Psalm 30, "Weeping may endure for the night but Joy comes in the morning." The story of Joseph in the Old Testament is the story of tragedy and triumph. When I read that story I am reminded of Jacob and how his sons had brought Joseph's coat to him, dipped in blood, and asked him whose coat it was. Jacob looked at the coat and when he saw the blood his mind went crazy and his imagination went off the scale. Genesis 37:33, "And he knew it, and said, 'It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.'" For nearly 15 years Jacob played the scene of Joseph’s horrible death in his imagination. But the truth is that Jacob was wrong; Joseph was not dead, but very much alive. Jacob looked at the evidence in front of him and, based on the evidence, he wrote the rest of the story.
We can't judge a book by one chapter. You can't look at one chapter of one life and write the whole story.
In Acts 3:2-6 it is written that there was a lame man, a beggar who had never walked and who was a burden on society. That information is contained in verses 2-6. But in vs 8 He is walking and leaping and praising God. Then, in Vs 9-10, all the people saw him walking and praising God. "And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him."
Jacob looked at the evidence and wrote Joseph off, but while Jacob was grieving over Joseph’s death, Joseph was ruling over Egypt. Jacob, looking at the evidence in front of him which was screaming disaster, death, and hopelessness, assumed the obvious. Yet, the evidence was misleading, Yes it was Joseph's coat, covered in blood, but it was not rent by a wild beast and it was not Joseph's blood.
The enemy wants to provide us with just enough evidence that we will believe what we see in the world more than what we see in the Heart of God through His Word. Joseph was not dead, but out of sight as the Lord God Omnipotent was at work, out of Jacob's sight. He was at work in the life of Joseph, performing His wonders and power. The Lord was restoring the years the locusts had eaten. He is at work even now in destroying the powers of the enemy who comes to steal and destroy.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkO-D0fatRQ
Praise the Lord for the way He brings triumph out of tragedy. He transforms the tears of grief in to the tears of joy. We read in Psalm 30, "Weeping may endure for the night but Joy comes in the morning." The story of Joseph in the Old Testament is the story of tragedy and triumph. When I read that story I am reminded of Jacob and how his sons had brought Joseph's coat to him, dipped in blood, and asked him whose coat it was. Jacob looked at the coat and when he saw the blood his mind went crazy and his imagination went off the scale. Genesis 37:33, "And he knew it, and said, 'It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.'" For nearly 15 years Jacob played the scene of Joseph’s horrible death in his imagination. But the truth is that Jacob was wrong; Joseph was not dead, but very much alive. Jacob looked at the evidence in front of him and, based on the evidence, he wrote the rest of the story.
We can't judge a book by one chapter. You can't look at one chapter of one life and write the whole story.
In Acts 3:2-6 it is written that there was a lame man, a beggar who had never walked and who was a burden on society. That information is contained in verses 2-6. But in vs 8 He is walking and leaping and praising God. Then, in Vs 9-10, all the people saw him walking and praising God. "And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him."
Jacob looked at the evidence and wrote Joseph off, but while Jacob was grieving over Joseph’s death, Joseph was ruling over Egypt. Jacob, looking at the evidence in front of him which was screaming disaster, death, and hopelessness, assumed the obvious. Yet, the evidence was misleading, Yes it was Joseph's coat, covered in blood, but it was not rent by a wild beast and it was not Joseph's blood.
The enemy wants to provide us with just enough evidence that we will believe what we see in the world more than what we see in the Heart of God through His Word. Joseph was not dead, but out of sight as the Lord God Omnipotent was at work, out of Jacob's sight. He was at work in the life of Joseph, performing His wonders and power. The Lord was restoring the years the locusts had eaten. He is at work even now in destroying the powers of the enemy who comes to steal and destroy.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkO-D0fatRQ
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 1-12-10
Good morning,
People are attracted to entertainment with dazzling special effects. In our modern culture, we are more prone to be amused than to be saved. Jesus came to the world not to amuse people, not to entertain them. He came to seek and to save the lost. One of the readings for last Sunday was taken from Acts 8. Simon the Sorcerer amazed the people of Samaria with his impressive tricks and dynamic personality. But when Philip and Peter came to the city, Simon encountered real power--unmistakable miraculous healings and speaking in tongues, which caught his attention. The big difference between Simon and the disciples is that they gave Christ the credit and attention, not themselves. Simon boastfully called himself the “Great Power” (vs 10).
Simon wanted to know how to tap into the power of the Spirit, which he recognized as superior to what he possessed. He thought that he could purchase this power. God’s power isn't for sale. We can't “cut a deal” with God. We can not buy love, we can not buy grace, and we can not buy peace. Each is a gift.
Peter confronted Simon using some pretty strong language, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God” (20-21). J. B. Phillips translates this verse, 'To hell with your money". Simon wanted the Holy Spirit, but not for love of the Lord or the Kingdom of God. The Spirit isn’t a commodity, but a Person.
Primitive religions use magic to try to control or manipulate God and to get what they want. Christian Gospel declares, that God is in control, and He chooses what’s best for us. Faith rests in God’s plan. The Holy Spirit is not a genie that pops out of a bottle awaiting our command. He is Lord and He commands us. Peter called on Simon to repent and the purpose of his confrontation was reconciliation. Simon then asked Peter to pray for him.
John Polhill wrote, “The correct response to God’s gift of salvation is much more than simply a ‘what’s in it for me?’ approach. It involves genuine commitment in response to the work of God’s Spirit.” Superficial faith will be revealed by the test of time. For example, evangelist George Whitefield was once asked how many converts he had after a preaching event in New England. He answered, “Ask me again in five years.”
You have never seen the headline, “Psychic Wins the Lottery”. Nonetheless, so-called psychics still enjoy a thriving business. Today, Simon would have his own TV special. Slight of hand tricks entertain us, yet here’s a more sinister form of magic that many people get involved with--occult practices that are rooted in dark forces. People have an unhealthy fascination with the paranormal, which Paul describes as the “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). Mediums, psychics, channelers, palm readers, and witches are the devil’s counterfeits. We have no business engaging in séances, playing with Ouija boards or Tarot cards, consulting horoscopes, or other occult practices. These may seem harmless, yet they open the door to the “dark side”; it’s like inviting a conversation with the devil.
We may be tempted to call a psychic hotline, but doing so shows that we are not trusting God. Let us recognize that the power of God is something He controls. We do not control Him.
In Jesus Christ our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uzDJ6yQVPw
People are attracted to entertainment with dazzling special effects. In our modern culture, we are more prone to be amused than to be saved. Jesus came to the world not to amuse people, not to entertain them. He came to seek and to save the lost. One of the readings for last Sunday was taken from Acts 8. Simon the Sorcerer amazed the people of Samaria with his impressive tricks and dynamic personality. But when Philip and Peter came to the city, Simon encountered real power--unmistakable miraculous healings and speaking in tongues, which caught his attention. The big difference between Simon and the disciples is that they gave Christ the credit and attention, not themselves. Simon boastfully called himself the “Great Power” (vs 10).
Simon wanted to know how to tap into the power of the Spirit, which he recognized as superior to what he possessed. He thought that he could purchase this power. God’s power isn't for sale. We can't “cut a deal” with God. We can not buy love, we can not buy grace, and we can not buy peace. Each is a gift.
Peter confronted Simon using some pretty strong language, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God” (20-21). J. B. Phillips translates this verse, 'To hell with your money". Simon wanted the Holy Spirit, but not for love of the Lord or the Kingdom of God. The Spirit isn’t a commodity, but a Person.
Primitive religions use magic to try to control or manipulate God and to get what they want. Christian Gospel declares, that God is in control, and He chooses what’s best for us. Faith rests in God’s plan. The Holy Spirit is not a genie that pops out of a bottle awaiting our command. He is Lord and He commands us. Peter called on Simon to repent and the purpose of his confrontation was reconciliation. Simon then asked Peter to pray for him.
John Polhill wrote, “The correct response to God’s gift of salvation is much more than simply a ‘what’s in it for me?’ approach. It involves genuine commitment in response to the work of God’s Spirit.” Superficial faith will be revealed by the test of time. For example, evangelist George Whitefield was once asked how many converts he had after a preaching event in New England. He answered, “Ask me again in five years.”
You have never seen the headline, “Psychic Wins the Lottery”. Nonetheless, so-called psychics still enjoy a thriving business. Today, Simon would have his own TV special. Slight of hand tricks entertain us, yet here’s a more sinister form of magic that many people get involved with--occult practices that are rooted in dark forces. People have an unhealthy fascination with the paranormal, which Paul describes as the “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). Mediums, psychics, channelers, palm readers, and witches are the devil’s counterfeits. We have no business engaging in séances, playing with Ouija boards or Tarot cards, consulting horoscopes, or other occult practices. These may seem harmless, yet they open the door to the “dark side”; it’s like inviting a conversation with the devil.
We may be tempted to call a psychic hotline, but doing so shows that we are not trusting God. Let us recognize that the power of God is something He controls. We do not control Him.
In Jesus Christ our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uzDJ6yQVPw
Monday, January 11, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 1-11-10
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful weekend. Laureen, Janice, and Sunita, along with their mom, gave a bridal shower for Jess our youngest daughter, who is getting married on February 14, 2010. It was a great time of celebration and joy and the table settings were beautiful. Some who came said that it looked like something out of the magazines - now, that's a compliment. Family and friends came to bless Jess, including Tom's mother, who drove in from near Philadelphia with a friend of hers. Tom's Mom, along with the family and friends are also planning for another Bridal shower for Jess in Philadelphia this coming Saturday. Alice and Laureen will be driving down this weekend to Philly to share the joy and the blessing. One of the added blessings for our weekend was to have Micah and Simeon along with their parents to spend a few days with us. It has been a very frigid weekend, but the Lord gave us a very blessed and brilliant weekend. Sunita was able drive up from Washington for the weekend, and returned safely yesterday.
The Old Testament reading for yesterday was taken from Isaiah 42. I was reading from today(Isaiah 43:2) today. "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression (A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body), you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." In other words, God promises to be with us in whatever trouble we go through in life.
Dave Dravecky lost not only a game but a career, a livelihood, his pitching arm, and his shoulder, when he was stricken with cancer many years ago. He has energetically rebuilt his life and looks forward to whatever tomorrow might bring. He now runs Outreach of Hope non-profit organization to help people that are suffering.
Is it possible for someone to be physically, emotionally, or financially abused and come out as an extraordinary person? Is it possible for someone to have wealth, popularity, and power and be miserable? (Romans 5:3-5) states, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
(James 1:2-4) "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Some of the world’s greatest men and women have been saddled with various disabilities and adversities, but have managed to overcome them. Cripple him, and you may have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell, and you may have a John Bunyan. Deafen a genius composer, and you may have a Ludwig von Beethoven. Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyze him from the waist down when he is four, and you may have an incomparable concert violinist, such as Itzhak Perlman. Call him a slow learner, even "retarded," and write him off as uneducable, and you have may have an Albert Einstein.
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18) For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
When spring came to England after the devastating bombing raids of 1941 by Nazi Germany, a strange thing occurred. It brought a beautiful, botanical resurrection. The explosions brought to the surface seeds of plants which were thought to be extinct. Some 95 different flowers and shrubs were found suddenly growing and blooming in the bomb-pocked landscape of England. Likewise, adversity in life often turns up unexpected and undeveloped parts of our lives. The bombs of adversity and suffering often resurrect long-dormant flowers.
(Joel 2:25a) The LORD says, "I will give you back what you lost to the stripping locusts, the cutting locusts, the swarming locusts, and the hopping locusts."
(Isaiah 26:3) "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"
In Grace and Peace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jEXDPzqo2g
The Old Testament reading for yesterday was taken from Isaiah 42. I was reading from today(Isaiah 43:2) today. "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression (A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body), you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." In other words, God promises to be with us in whatever trouble we go through in life.
Dave Dravecky lost not only a game but a career, a livelihood, his pitching arm, and his shoulder, when he was stricken with cancer many years ago. He has energetically rebuilt his life and looks forward to whatever tomorrow might bring. He now runs Outreach of Hope non-profit organization to help people that are suffering.
Is it possible for someone to be physically, emotionally, or financially abused and come out as an extraordinary person? Is it possible for someone to have wealth, popularity, and power and be miserable? (Romans 5:3-5) states, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
(James 1:2-4) "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Some of the world’s greatest men and women have been saddled with various disabilities and adversities, but have managed to overcome them. Cripple him, and you may have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell, and you may have a John Bunyan. Deafen a genius composer, and you may have a Ludwig von Beethoven. Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyze him from the waist down when he is four, and you may have an incomparable concert violinist, such as Itzhak Perlman. Call him a slow learner, even "retarded," and write him off as uneducable, and you have may have an Albert Einstein.
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18) For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
When spring came to England after the devastating bombing raids of 1941 by Nazi Germany, a strange thing occurred. It brought a beautiful, botanical resurrection. The explosions brought to the surface seeds of plants which were thought to be extinct. Some 95 different flowers and shrubs were found suddenly growing and blooming in the bomb-pocked landscape of England. Likewise, adversity in life often turns up unexpected and undeveloped parts of our lives. The bombs of adversity and suffering often resurrect long-dormant flowers.
(Joel 2:25a) The LORD says, "I will give you back what you lost to the stripping locusts, the cutting locusts, the swarming locusts, and the hopping locusts."
(Isaiah 26:3) "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"
In Grace and Peace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jEXDPzqo2g
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