possible for us. He is mighty to save. Thank you for praying for all of us.
I am still feeling weak. I am leaning on the Lord. In Psalm 46 we read, " The Lord is my refuge and strength and a very present help in the time of trouble". He is Almighty, and yet He is Eternally merciful.
One of the events that impresses me in the Old Testament is found in I Kings, where we are told about one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, Elijah.
Elijah was such a great prophet that to this day, Jewish people divide the Scriptures into the Law – represented by Moses – and the Prophets – represented by Elijah. Part of the reason Elijah is so highly regarded is because he courageously confronted one of the most wicked kings and queens in the history of Israel, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. When you visit Mt. Carmel in Israel today you will see a giant starue of prophet Elijah on the mount Carmel. He stood on Mount Carmel and challenged the false prophets of the wicked Jezebel to a contest. He soundly defeated the prophets of Baal, but as soon as Jezebel heard about Elijah’s victory, she threatened his life, and Elijah literally fell apart. He was overcome with fear and he ran away. Finally, (in exhaustion) stopping under a broom tree, humiliated by his fear and overcome with self-loathing and grief, Elijah asked God to let him die.
In that fateful moment, Elijah came to grips with his own humanity, frailty, and weakness, and he could not handle it. In the depths of Elijah's misery, what did God do to help him? God sent him to Mt. Sinai where the Israelites had seen the terrifying light show of God's presence years before. God did just about the same thing with Elijah He had done with those Israelites, but with a twist: “The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”1 Kings 19:11-13
God treated Elijah to a gale-force wind, but God was not in the wind.
Then God shook the ground with a terrifying earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then God sent a devastating fire, but God was not in the fire. Last of all, Elijah heard a “gentle whisper”, a still small voice. Basically, God was telling Elijah, "I have the power to destroy anything on the face of this earth, and there is nothing that can stand against me. I am mighty and holy and righteous
I’M BIGGER THAN YOU ARE. I’m bigger than Jezebel, or any other ruler or force on the face of the earth." That’s what the wind, the earthquake, and the fire were all about.
In that gentle whisper, God was reaffirming Elijah, telling him yet again that:
I am very powerful… but
I care for you.
I know you’re frail
I know you’re weak
But I love you, and I care for you.
And I am big enough and powerful enough to protect you and care for you in your weakness.
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-11-10
Praise the Lord for many Christian theologians who love the Lord and His Word. They are the scholars, who are the believers.. I am blessed by the writings of Dr Dallas Williard . Dr Williard has authored several books on Christian faith, including: The Spirit of the Disciplines, Understanding How God Changes Lives, The Divine Conspiracy, and rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God .
In his web page on discipleship Dallas Williard wrote this: "Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus." He goes on to argue that disciples are people who understand every part of their lives as a working relationship with God. Another author I have found helpful on discipleship is Richard Peace, one of the founders of the African Enterprise mission organization. In his article on discipleship in The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity Peace suggests that discipleship involves what he calls "conscious intentionality". "The contemporary challenge", says Peace, "is to conduct our whole lives as conscious disciples of Jesus." But in a society whose dominant value is to "shop until you drop", where everything is just a "lifestyle choice", not easy to live intentionally as a Christian is it? Do you find that the busyness of modern life is the greatest enemy of being an intentional disciple?
John Wesley was one of the great reformers of the church and one of the most effective Christian evangelists of the 18th-Century or any other century. During his ministry he rode over 225 000 miles on horseback across Europe and North America to preach the good news about Jesus. Wesley had lists of over 20 questions he would use to examine himself each day and to help keep himself spiritually accountable (see A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day of the Week, published 1733). He also gave them to members of his discipleship groups. Some people would perhaps find them somewhat negative? Jesus told his first disciples: "I came so you can have real and eternal life, more and better life than you ever dreamed of" (John 10:10; The Message translation). Jesus came so we can have real and eternal life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of.
John Wesley’s questions for self-examination
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V84STSWVp3g
Hi Pastor,
Right now, I am praising God for the wonderful blessing of a beautiful granddaughter. Her name is Joyanna Mae Krause and she was born at 2:32 this morning (2/11/10). Teagen had a rough time, and ended up having a cesarian section, but she is fine. Because of the diabetes, Joyanna was taken to the NICU to be monitored probably until later today. She weighed 6 pounds and 12 ounces, and when they brought her out of the operating room, her eyes were wide open and she was very alert. I just read your blog about Joy meaning "gladness, bliss and celebration" and "Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances.", and I thought about how perfect this beautiful little baby's name is, because she is all of these things. She is a joyful blessing that can only come from our glorious Father. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you for your love, phone calls, and prayers. God bless you and your family as you prepare for Jessie and Tom's wedding, I am praying for all of you and I am praying for the quick renewal of your strength and health.
Blessings!
In his web page on discipleship Dallas Williard wrote this: "Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus." He goes on to argue that disciples are people who understand every part of their lives as a working relationship with God. Another author I have found helpful on discipleship is Richard Peace, one of the founders of the African Enterprise mission organization. In his article on discipleship in The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity Peace suggests that discipleship involves what he calls "conscious intentionality". "The contemporary challenge", says Peace, "is to conduct our whole lives as conscious disciples of Jesus." But in a society whose dominant value is to "shop until you drop", where everything is just a "lifestyle choice", not easy to live intentionally as a Christian is it? Do you find that the busyness of modern life is the greatest enemy of being an intentional disciple?
John Wesley was one of the great reformers of the church and one of the most effective Christian evangelists of the 18th-Century or any other century. During his ministry he rode over 225 000 miles on horseback across Europe and North America to preach the good news about Jesus. Wesley had lists of over 20 questions he would use to examine himself each day and to help keep himself spiritually accountable (see A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day of the Week, published 1733). He also gave them to members of his discipleship groups. Some people would perhaps find them somewhat negative? Jesus told his first disciples: "I came so you can have real and eternal life, more and better life than you ever dreamed of" (John 10:10; The Message translation). Jesus came so we can have real and eternal life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of.
John Wesley’s questions for self-examination
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V84STSWVp3g
Hi Pastor,
Right now, I am praising God for the wonderful blessing of a beautiful granddaughter. Her name is Joyanna Mae Krause and she was born at 2:32 this morning (2/11/10). Teagen had a rough time, and ended up having a cesarian section, but she is fine. Because of the diabetes, Joyanna was taken to the NICU to be monitored probably until later today. She weighed 6 pounds and 12 ounces, and when they brought her out of the operating room, her eyes were wide open and she was very alert. I just read your blog about Joy meaning "gladness, bliss and celebration" and "Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances.", and I thought about how perfect this beautiful little baby's name is, because she is all of these things. She is a joyful blessing that can only come from our glorious Father. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you for your love, phone calls, and prayers. God bless you and your family as you prepare for Jessie and Tom's wedding, I am praying for all of you and I am praying for the quick renewal of your strength and health.
Blessings!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-10-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this good day, a gift from the Lord. Praise the Lord for the way He diffuses joy into our lives through His grace. Praise the Lord for the joy of knowing Him and serving Him. Thank you for praying for me. I am feeling a little better. For those who live in the area , our Mid-week service has been canceled for today. We will meet next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, with a very special gathering and a communion service.
One of my favorite hymns is, "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee", attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.
Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but his loved ones know.
Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
and through eternity.
Joy throbs throughout Scripture as a profound, compelling, quality of life that transcends the events and disasters which may dog God’s people. Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances. The Hebrew word means, “to leap or spin around with pleasure.” In the New Testament the word refers to “gladness, bliss and celebration.”
Psalm 16 is a Psalm of delight. David used the words "delight," "pleasant," "glad," and "joy" in this Psalm. There are no trials or tribulations mentioned here. David simply delighted in his life. What was his secret?
He delighted in the Lord’s person
He delighted in the Lord’s people
He delighted in the Lord’s portion
He delighted in the Lord’s principles
He delighted in the Lord’s protection
"Apart from you I have no good thing", David said. I like the way David said it. Apart from the Lord I have no good thing. How true this is for us all! All good gifts come from the Lord, and apart from the Lord there is nothing that is truly good.
Dr. S. D. Gordon told of an old Christian woman whose age began to tell on her memory. She had once known much of the Bible by heart. Eventually only one precious bit stayed with her. "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I committed unto him against that day." II Tim. 1:12. As time went on, she lost more of that verse. She would quietly repeat, "That which I have committed unto him." At last, as she hovered on the borderline between this and the spirit world, her loved ones noticed her lips moving. They bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over again to herself the one word of the text, "Him, Him, Him." She had lost the whole Bible, but one word. But she had the whole Bible in that one word.
We begin with Him and we end with Him. Our ultimate delight must always be in the Lord no matter what we have or do not have. The only way to find true delight in life on a daily basis is to find it in Him.
When actress Sophia Loren sobbed to her Italian movie director over the theft of her jewelry, he lectured her, "Listen to me, Sophia. I am much older than you and if there is one great truth I have learned about life, it is this--never cry over anything that can’t cry over you." People are far more important than material possessions. Jesus lived for us. He gave His life for us. He rose again from the grave for us. He is coming again for us..
When Lloyd Douglas, author of "THE ROBE", attended college, he lived in a boardinghouse. A retired, wheelchair-bound music professor lived on the first floor. Each morning Douglas would stick his head in the door of the teacher’s apartment and ask the same question, "Well, what’s the good news?" The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of his wheelchair and say, "That’s middle C! It was middle C yesterday; it will be middle C tomorrow; it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The piano across the hall is out of tune. The tenor upstairs sings flat. But, my friend, that is middle C."
We all need a middle C. Life changes, but Jesus never changes. Jesus is still the Christ, the Son of the living God! The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! Some say, "The Lord is my shepherd, and He is all I want!" Our delight must be found in Him.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEU8Z9VwJg
Praise the Lord for this good day, a gift from the Lord. Praise the Lord for the way He diffuses joy into our lives through His grace. Praise the Lord for the joy of knowing Him and serving Him. Thank you for praying for me. I am feeling a little better. For those who live in the area , our Mid-week service has been canceled for today. We will meet next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, with a very special gathering and a communion service.
One of my favorite hymns is, "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee", attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.
Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but his loved ones know.
Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
and through eternity.
Joy throbs throughout Scripture as a profound, compelling, quality of life that transcends the events and disasters which may dog God’s people. Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances. The Hebrew word means, “to leap or spin around with pleasure.” In the New Testament the word refers to “gladness, bliss and celebration.”
Psalm 16 is a Psalm of delight. David used the words "delight," "pleasant," "glad," and "joy" in this Psalm. There are no trials or tribulations mentioned here. David simply delighted in his life. What was his secret?
He delighted in the Lord’s person
He delighted in the Lord’s people
He delighted in the Lord’s portion
He delighted in the Lord’s principles
He delighted in the Lord’s protection
"Apart from you I have no good thing", David said. I like the way David said it. Apart from the Lord I have no good thing. How true this is for us all! All good gifts come from the Lord, and apart from the Lord there is nothing that is truly good.
Dr. S. D. Gordon told of an old Christian woman whose age began to tell on her memory. She had once known much of the Bible by heart. Eventually only one precious bit stayed with her. "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I committed unto him against that day." II Tim. 1:12. As time went on, she lost more of that verse. She would quietly repeat, "That which I have committed unto him." At last, as she hovered on the borderline between this and the spirit world, her loved ones noticed her lips moving. They bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over again to herself the one word of the text, "Him, Him, Him." She had lost the whole Bible, but one word. But she had the whole Bible in that one word.
We begin with Him and we end with Him. Our ultimate delight must always be in the Lord no matter what we have or do not have. The only way to find true delight in life on a daily basis is to find it in Him.
When actress Sophia Loren sobbed to her Italian movie director over the theft of her jewelry, he lectured her, "Listen to me, Sophia. I am much older than you and if there is one great truth I have learned about life, it is this--never cry over anything that can’t cry over you." People are far more important than material possessions. Jesus lived for us. He gave His life for us. He rose again from the grave for us. He is coming again for us..
When Lloyd Douglas, author of "THE ROBE", attended college, he lived in a boardinghouse. A retired, wheelchair-bound music professor lived on the first floor. Each morning Douglas would stick his head in the door of the teacher’s apartment and ask the same question, "Well, what’s the good news?" The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of his wheelchair and say, "That’s middle C! It was middle C yesterday; it will be middle C tomorrow; it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The piano across the hall is out of tune. The tenor upstairs sings flat. But, my friend, that is middle C."
We all need a middle C. Life changes, but Jesus never changes. Jesus is still the Christ, the Son of the living God! The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! Some say, "The Lord is my shepherd, and He is all I want!" Our delight must be found in Him.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEU8Z9VwJg
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-9-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Please keep us in prayer for this week as we prepare for Jess and Tom's wedding on Sunday. I came down with an upper respiratory infection and went to the doctor yesterday, so for today I am taking antibiotics and resting. Pray for all the family and friends who will be traveling in for the weekend. The ceremony will take place at 3 PM Sunday, Valentine's Day. Alice and I would love to invite those who live in the area to join us for the wedding celebration and worship at 3 PM, followed by a light reception at the church. The wedding ceremony will be at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, located in Johnson City, near Wilson Hospital, on Main Street.
We are excited to have the whole family coming in for the wedding. Micah called the other day and asked if the swimming pool was still set up on the back patio. When I told her no, she said, "It's okay Grandpa. You can just fill it with hot water." She had been swimming the week before in a well-heated outdoor pool on a 20 degree day. She and Simeon have been taking swimming lessons every week this winter, and are loving the water. Janice and Jeremy are planning to drive to NY after this week's snow stops falling in Boston, perhaps coming in on Friday. Jessy and Tom must also wait for the storm to stop pummeling Philly before they journey in, and Sunita and Andy may have to "enjoy" another 12 to 20 inches before they can shovel out (again) in Washington.
In India, where I grew up, news of an upcoming wedding goes out by word of mouth only, and hundreds of people show up for the wedding. When my sister, Bana, got married in 1997 over two thousand came for the feast. Our Lord must love weddings. He showed up for a wedding at Cana of Galilee, where He performed His first miracle with grace, super abundance, and spectacular generosity.
The Gospel reading for last Sunday was taken from Luke 6:1-11, when Jesus showed up "at the beach" with sandals on, preaching and teaching the Word of God. The crowds pressed in upon Him to hear every word He uttered. Just picture Jesus walking through the press of the crowd over to Peter's empty boat, climbing into it, sitting down, and continuing to preach. Jesus did not ask permission. . . He just got into the boat. Christ has a prior claim on all of our lives and on all of our possessions. As we read the account, Peter and his fishing partners had worked all night, catching nothing. Peter confessed his frustrations and disappointments to Jesus. Yet, we know that in Christ our disappointments can become Christ's appointments. He turns our futilities into His fullness for our good and for His glory. He turns our failures into His fruitfulness. He proves His faithfulness in our times of frustration.
Michael D. Guinan, a Franciscan priest defined Christian life as "our life in the Spirit of God" or "the art of letting God’s Spirit fill us, work in us, guide us." It refers to the whole person, body and soul, living under the influence of God’s Spirit. Karen Sue Smith, a theologian said, Christian life, refers to one’s conscious relationship with God. It refers to the way we exercise our Christianity, our discipleship. Life in Christ, is our lifestyle in its broadest sense, affecting everything we do and all we are. Nothing—not our family, not our job, not our intellectual life, not our political or civic life, not our social life, and not our interior prayer or religious life—is left out of it. Alister McGrath, of The Kings's College, Londom, said, "Spirituality arises from a creative and dynamic synthesis of faith and life, forged in the crucible of the desire to live out the Christian faith authentically, responsibly, effectively, and fully."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nEtq28x5EQ
Praise the Lord for this new day. Please keep us in prayer for this week as we prepare for Jess and Tom's wedding on Sunday. I came down with an upper respiratory infection and went to the doctor yesterday, so for today I am taking antibiotics and resting. Pray for all the family and friends who will be traveling in for the weekend. The ceremony will take place at 3 PM Sunday, Valentine's Day. Alice and I would love to invite those who live in the area to join us for the wedding celebration and worship at 3 PM, followed by a light reception at the church. The wedding ceremony will be at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, located in Johnson City, near Wilson Hospital, on Main Street.
We are excited to have the whole family coming in for the wedding. Micah called the other day and asked if the swimming pool was still set up on the back patio. When I told her no, she said, "It's okay Grandpa. You can just fill it with hot water." She had been swimming the week before in a well-heated outdoor pool on a 20 degree day. She and Simeon have been taking swimming lessons every week this winter, and are loving the water. Janice and Jeremy are planning to drive to NY after this week's snow stops falling in Boston, perhaps coming in on Friday. Jessy and Tom must also wait for the storm to stop pummeling Philly before they journey in, and Sunita and Andy may have to "enjoy" another 12 to 20 inches before they can shovel out (again) in Washington.
In India, where I grew up, news of an upcoming wedding goes out by word of mouth only, and hundreds of people show up for the wedding. When my sister, Bana, got married in 1997 over two thousand came for the feast. Our Lord must love weddings. He showed up for a wedding at Cana of Galilee, where He performed His first miracle with grace, super abundance, and spectacular generosity.
The Gospel reading for last Sunday was taken from Luke 6:1-11, when Jesus showed up "at the beach" with sandals on, preaching and teaching the Word of God. The crowds pressed in upon Him to hear every word He uttered. Just picture Jesus walking through the press of the crowd over to Peter's empty boat, climbing into it, sitting down, and continuing to preach. Jesus did not ask permission. . . He just got into the boat. Christ has a prior claim on all of our lives and on all of our possessions. As we read the account, Peter and his fishing partners had worked all night, catching nothing. Peter confessed his frustrations and disappointments to Jesus. Yet, we know that in Christ our disappointments can become Christ's appointments. He turns our futilities into His fullness for our good and for His glory. He turns our failures into His fruitfulness. He proves His faithfulness in our times of frustration.
Michael D. Guinan, a Franciscan priest defined Christian life as "our life in the Spirit of God" or "the art of letting God’s Spirit fill us, work in us, guide us." It refers to the whole person, body and soul, living under the influence of God’s Spirit. Karen Sue Smith, a theologian said, Christian life, refers to one’s conscious relationship with God. It refers to the way we exercise our Christianity, our discipleship. Life in Christ, is our lifestyle in its broadest sense, affecting everything we do and all we are. Nothing—not our family, not our job, not our intellectual life, not our political or civic life, not our social life, and not our interior prayer or religious life—is left out of it. Alister McGrath, of The Kings's College, Londom, said, "Spirituality arises from a creative and dynamic synthesis of faith and life, forged in the crucible of the desire to live out the Christian faith authentically, responsibly, effectively, and fully."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nEtq28x5EQ
Monday, February 8, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-8-10
Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this new day. Jessica flew back to Philly Friday night as the heavy snow was starting in earnest there, but she got back to Philly safely. Praise the Lord for His protective hand upon her. Their church was canceled yesterday due to snow. Sunita and Andy both came to their home Friday at about noon, as Washington closed at noon Friday because of blizzard force snow. Their church was also closed yesterday because of snow. Their street, which received over 36 inches snow for the weekend, was not plowed Sunday. Sunita shared with me that they made a big breakfast yesterday and invited their neighbors to share it with them. They 11 for a pancake breakfast and for a prayer meeting. Laureen drove down to Lancaster Saturday afternoon to see some for her friends. She got semi-stuck when she left the highway, but finally got to her friends much later. Janice and Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, were safe in Boston wishing for enough snow to take the kids out to do some sledding. My wife, Alice, was envious that all the snow fell in Washington and Philly. We had a snowless and semi-sunny weekend.
It was wonderful to be in the House of the Lord yesterday. The Old Testament reading was taken from Isaiah 6, and Isaiah was in the temple. Isaiah’s temple scene sounds a little bit like a courtroom scene as the Lord, exalted on his throne, and vested in a grand robe, was surrounded by angels at his service. Isaiah used the Hebrew word for Lord (verse 1) that emphasizes his power and authority. In fact, in Isaiah's account, even the holy angels were so humbled in the presence of God that they could not bear to look at him. With faces hidden, they called him three-times holy. The Hebrew word “holy” in the Old Testament has the idea of something that is set apart and divinely unique. Put all the details together, and we have the picture of an almighty, transcendent, majestic God.
His majesty is accentuated by his holiness. Angels call to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”
Isaiah knew that this was the holy God on his righteous throne—and Isaiah realized that he did not belong there. “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”
At this point in Isaiah’s vision, something else comes to our attention: the altar. This was one of the chief items a person would see in the temple. The altar had sacrifices burning on it constantly—all pointing forward to the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to end all sacrifices. The altar suddenly became a focal point in Isaiah’s vision, and Isaiah received a personal object lesson connected to that altar. “One of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” Think about what that altar meant. The continual sacrifices were a symbol of the great Sacrifice which was yet to come in Jesus Christ. For now that picture of the great Sacrifice to come is carried to Isaiah and touched to his lips—the same lips that he had just called “unclean.” The coming sacrifice of Jesus Christ would take his guilt away, remove his sin from the record, and make him at one again with God.
Of all the characteristics of God, could there be any characteristic greater than God’s forgiving nature? Could there be any greater news for souls to hear? You and I come before God with unclean lips and hearts and lives, and yet God comes to us in the person of his pure and sinless Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus not only becomes one of us but he even becomes sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. This same Jesus now comes to us with the very forgiveness accomplished by his death on Calvary’s cross. His Word touches our hearts with that forgiveness, and Jesus seals it all with a permanent promise of forgiveness sealed by his resurrection that has opened the gate to everlasting life.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iK0Miq2xNo
Praise the Lord for this new day. Jessica flew back to Philly Friday night as the heavy snow was starting in earnest there, but she got back to Philly safely. Praise the Lord for His protective hand upon her. Their church was canceled yesterday due to snow. Sunita and Andy both came to their home Friday at about noon, as Washington closed at noon Friday because of blizzard force snow. Their church was also closed yesterday because of snow. Their street, which received over 36 inches snow for the weekend, was not plowed Sunday. Sunita shared with me that they made a big breakfast yesterday and invited their neighbors to share it with them. They 11 for a pancake breakfast and for a prayer meeting. Laureen drove down to Lancaster Saturday afternoon to see some for her friends. She got semi-stuck when she left the highway, but finally got to her friends much later. Janice and Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, were safe in Boston wishing for enough snow to take the kids out to do some sledding. My wife, Alice, was envious that all the snow fell in Washington and Philly. We had a snowless and semi-sunny weekend.
It was wonderful to be in the House of the Lord yesterday. The Old Testament reading was taken from Isaiah 6, and Isaiah was in the temple. Isaiah’s temple scene sounds a little bit like a courtroom scene as the Lord, exalted on his throne, and vested in a grand robe, was surrounded by angels at his service. Isaiah used the Hebrew word for Lord (verse 1) that emphasizes his power and authority. In fact, in Isaiah's account, even the holy angels were so humbled in the presence of God that they could not bear to look at him. With faces hidden, they called him three-times holy. The Hebrew word “holy” in the Old Testament has the idea of something that is set apart and divinely unique. Put all the details together, and we have the picture of an almighty, transcendent, majestic God.
His majesty is accentuated by his holiness. Angels call to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”
Isaiah knew that this was the holy God on his righteous throne—and Isaiah realized that he did not belong there. “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”
At this point in Isaiah’s vision, something else comes to our attention: the altar. This was one of the chief items a person would see in the temple. The altar had sacrifices burning on it constantly—all pointing forward to the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to end all sacrifices. The altar suddenly became a focal point in Isaiah’s vision, and Isaiah received a personal object lesson connected to that altar. “One of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” Think about what that altar meant. The continual sacrifices were a symbol of the great Sacrifice which was yet to come in Jesus Christ. For now that picture of the great Sacrifice to come is carried to Isaiah and touched to his lips—the same lips that he had just called “unclean.” The coming sacrifice of Jesus Christ would take his guilt away, remove his sin from the record, and make him at one again with God.
Of all the characteristics of God, could there be any characteristic greater than God’s forgiving nature? Could there be any greater news for souls to hear? You and I come before God with unclean lips and hearts and lives, and yet God comes to us in the person of his pure and sinless Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus not only becomes one of us but he even becomes sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. This same Jesus now comes to us with the very forgiveness accomplished by his death on Calvary’s cross. His Word touches our hearts with that forgiveness, and Jesus seals it all with a permanent promise of forgiveness sealed by his resurrection that has opened the gate to everlasting life.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iK0Miq2xNo
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