Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of February. We are all pretty much snowed in here in Southern Tier of New York. Praise the Lord that Spring is not far away. I talked to some of family members in Orissa, India this morning, where it has almost Spring-like weather now. The mango trees are in full bloom. Some of the perennial wild flowers with divergent brilliant colors decorate the hills and the mountains. The bird cuckoo is the harbinger of Spring season in India. Spring birds serenade the hills and the valleys with their sweet music, thus praising the Lord God, the maker of heaven and earth. Praise the Lord that He is the Lord of all seasons and He is the Lord in every season.
A story was told by Dr. Calvin Miller. His story follows:
Once upon a time, a traveler, walking through the night, saw ahead of him in the dim, rainy mist a monastery with the lights on rising above the horizon. Cold and inclement was the weather, so he stopped and knocked on the door. When the abbot came, he said, “May I come in?”
The abbot said, “Not only may you come in, but you may eat with us.” The food was wonderful; the monks were warm; it was a beautiful evening, safe and dry and warm inside, but because the weather was so bad outside, they asked him to stay the night. He agreed provided that they would supply him with a few things. “What is it you want?” they asked.
He said, “If I spend this night with you, I must have in my own room for myself alone this night a pound of butter, a pair of rubber pants, a poker, a cricket bat, and a bass saxophone.” It was an unusual request, but they scurried around the monastery and found it all. Then as they went to sleep that night, they heard the most awful progression of halftones and squeaks and squawks coming from his room. The next day, the weather continued to be bad, so the monks invited the traveler to stay another night. He agreed to do so, again provided that they let him have that mysterious list of the same things he had the night before: a pound of butter, a pair of rubber pants, a poker, a cricket bat, and a bass saxophone.
Each night the traveler requested those same things, and each night the monks heard the awful noises, until finally it was time for him to leave. The old abbot walked him to the door and said, “We were glad to supply all of those things, but would you mind telling me why you asked for them?”
The stranger said, “Well, it is a family secret. It has been in our family for years and years, but if you promise not to tell another living soul, I’ll tell you.” And so he told the old abbot all his heart, and the abbot, being a man of his word, never told another living soul. And so we shall never know. (Calvin Miller, “The Mind of a Servant,” (I was with Dr Calvin Miller in a conference a few years ago in Birmingham Alabama. It was great blessing to be with him. He has an adopted grandson from Orissa, India.)
It is like this with life itself. We don’t always know the reason why the Lord works the way He does, but Christ calls us to follow Him, serve Him and serve one another. The best way to live in uncertain and dangerous times is simply to trust Christ as our Savior. Follow Him as our Lord. Obey Him as our Sovereign.
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know “thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er & o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more! --Louisa Stead
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd3YG6VZ0WQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSw7CcAXPWk
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-25-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the world we live in. Praise the Lord for the Beauty of the earth. Praise the Lord for the way our Lord makes all things beautiful. We are anticipating lots of snow here in New York, perhaps 10 to 20 inches. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas on this 25th day of February. The schools are closing for the day (my wife is loving this) . . . and possibly for a second day tomorrow if the storm continues through tonight (as predicted), with wind causing drifting and white-out conditions.
In the midst of life's tragedies we see the redeeming presence of Jesus. I read about Richard and Rowena Pet, a young Dutch couple who wanted to adopt Arno from Haiti. They had struggled with infertility for years before deciding to adopt. As they awaited the adoption of Arno, Rowena became pregnant. Last August she gave birth to Jim, who was left in the care of relatives as Richard and Rowena flew to Haiti in January to claim Arno and complete the adoption process.
The story of Arno's adoption is movingly told by reporter David Charter of The Times [London]. As he reported, "Arno was shy at first but within 30 minutes of meeting his adoptive parents he reached for Rowena’s hand and took the Dutch couple on a tour of the orphanage in Port-au-Prince where he had spent most of his short life. He began to call them Mummy and Daddy." They took him to one of the hotels in the district of Port-au-Prince. That is where they were when the earthquake came. And that is where they died together.
The three bodies, (were) found intertwined together, as if Rowena and Richard had tried to put protective arms around Arno as the masonry began to fall. The disaster cruelly destroyed the new family, creating its own orphan back in the Netherlands. Jim, just five months old, will be brought up by Rowena’s sister, who already has her own three-year-old boy.
The bodies of Richard and Rowena and Arno Pet were taken to the Netherlands together, just as they had been found together in the rubble of the Hotel Villa Therese. They had been a family for a few hours, but a family all the same. Arno had a tragically short life, but he ended that life in the arms of a mother and a father, who already loved him dearly as their own.
Who can read such an account without heartbreak and a heart warmed? Is there a heart so cold that it does not feel the pathos of this report, and sense the sentiment of this family's tragedy? At the same time, this is not a tragedy in the classic sense. The love of Richard, Rowena, and Arno Pet transcends tragedy. That is why The Times published this report, and why it stays with you so long after you read it. Of course, for the Christian there is far more to this story. In the story of Arno Pet we find a picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians: "But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a virgin, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying 'Abba! Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." [Galatians 4:4-7]
Adoption is one of the most powerful depictions of the Gospel found in the Bible. We are all orphans, born under the curse of sin. By the sheer grace and mercy of God, those who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are adopted as sons. Redeemed sinners are adopted as sons "through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise and glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." [Ephesians 1:5-6]
Arno Pet began life as an orphan, but he ended life as a son. He was abandoned at his birth, but he died in the arms of his parents. He did not die as Arno, he died as Arno Pet. In that rubble, we find a picture of the Gospel of Christ. The Bible declares with great audacity" As many as received Him( Jesus Christ) to them He gave the power and the authority to become the sons of God,even to them,that believe on His Name. John 1:12
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJGx_-ygNmY
Here is a link to some of the preparatory pictures of the wedding, taken by our daughter, Janice
www.achildsnature.com/jess_and_tom
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the world we live in. Praise the Lord for the Beauty of the earth. Praise the Lord for the way our Lord makes all things beautiful. We are anticipating lots of snow here in New York, perhaps 10 to 20 inches. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas on this 25th day of February. The schools are closing for the day (my wife is loving this) . . . and possibly for a second day tomorrow if the storm continues through tonight (as predicted), with wind causing drifting and white-out conditions.
In the midst of life's tragedies we see the redeeming presence of Jesus. I read about Richard and Rowena Pet, a young Dutch couple who wanted to adopt Arno from Haiti. They had struggled with infertility for years before deciding to adopt. As they awaited the adoption of Arno, Rowena became pregnant. Last August she gave birth to Jim, who was left in the care of relatives as Richard and Rowena flew to Haiti in January to claim Arno and complete the adoption process.
The story of Arno's adoption is movingly told by reporter David Charter of The Times [London]. As he reported, "Arno was shy at first but within 30 minutes of meeting his adoptive parents he reached for Rowena’s hand and took the Dutch couple on a tour of the orphanage in Port-au-Prince where he had spent most of his short life. He began to call them Mummy and Daddy." They took him to one of the hotels in the district of Port-au-Prince. That is where they were when the earthquake came. And that is where they died together.
The three bodies, (were) found intertwined together, as if Rowena and Richard had tried to put protective arms around Arno as the masonry began to fall. The disaster cruelly destroyed the new family, creating its own orphan back in the Netherlands. Jim, just five months old, will be brought up by Rowena’s sister, who already has her own three-year-old boy.
The bodies of Richard and Rowena and Arno Pet were taken to the Netherlands together, just as they had been found together in the rubble of the Hotel Villa Therese. They had been a family for a few hours, but a family all the same. Arno had a tragically short life, but he ended that life in the arms of a mother and a father, who already loved him dearly as their own.
Who can read such an account without heartbreak and a heart warmed? Is there a heart so cold that it does not feel the pathos of this report, and sense the sentiment of this family's tragedy? At the same time, this is not a tragedy in the classic sense. The love of Richard, Rowena, and Arno Pet transcends tragedy. That is why The Times published this report, and why it stays with you so long after you read it. Of course, for the Christian there is far more to this story. In the story of Arno Pet we find a picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians: "But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a virgin, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying 'Abba! Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." [Galatians 4:4-7]
Adoption is one of the most powerful depictions of the Gospel found in the Bible. We are all orphans, born under the curse of sin. By the sheer grace and mercy of God, those who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are adopted as sons. Redeemed sinners are adopted as sons "through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise and glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." [Ephesians 1:5-6]
Arno Pet began life as an orphan, but he ended life as a son. He was abandoned at his birth, but he died in the arms of his parents. He did not die as Arno, he died as Arno Pet. In that rubble, we find a picture of the Gospel of Christ. The Bible declares with great audacity" As many as received Him( Jesus Christ) to them He gave the power and the authority to become the sons of God,even to them,that believe on His Name. John 1:12
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJGx_-ygNmY
Here is a link to some of the preparatory pictures of the wedding, taken by our daughter, Janice
www.achildsnature.com/jess_and_tom
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-24-10
Good Morning.
We are bracing for a possible mega winter storm. They are forecasting heavy snows and wind for the region beginning late tonight. Tom and Jessy, the newlyweds, returned from Panama yesterday, safe and sound. Praise the Lord. Many of you have asked for wedding pictures , we will be sending some of them on your way very soon.
As we journey with Jesus, our Lord, to Jerusalem we see Jesus weep on two occasions. He wept with Mary and Martha as He shared their grief over the death of their brother Lazarus. He wept over the city of Jerusalem. He is the Man sorrows who is acquainted with our grief.
The father of one young woman who belongs to our church was killed by his housemate this past week. A young man was arrested in another setting for killing another young man in the city. . We see the random violence all around the world and all around us.
Dr. James Gilligan has written a fascinating book and study, titled, "VIOLENCE: A RISING NATIONAL EPIDEMIC". Dr. Gilligan works at the Center for the Study of Violence, located at Harvard University. Dr. Gilligan’s primary thesis is that our culture has become addicted to violence. Just as individuals can become addicted to heroine or cocaine, so also cultures can become addicted to violence. He cites the evidence that among the industrialized democracies of the world, the Unites States has two to twenty more times the rate of violence than these other advanced nations. He asks the question, "Why? Why is America so violent?" His answer is that we have become addicted to violence. Most of us know that the first reaction of an addict confronted with his or her addiction is denial. “That’s not me. That’s somebody else.” I believe that we are a society that has become addicted to violence, desensitized to violence, and in denial of our cultural addictions. Why is it that we watch TV news and programs that are interlaced with violence? It is because of our addictions. The reasons for a high levels of violence on TV news and other programming is that violence sells in America to a society that is addicted to violence.
I have in my library the collection by Will and Muriel Durant called, "THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION". The Durants made reference to Seneca, a Roman philosopher. Seneca was born in 4 BC, the same year when our Lord was born. Seneca is remembered for many of his sayings such as “all gutters lead to Rome.” But he also contrasted the games for Athens, Greece with the games of Rome, Italy. The Athenian games featured great athletes throwing the discus, the javelin, and the hammer. These great athletes were running and jumping, in Olympian style. On the other hand, the games in Nero’s Rome in the year 65 AD featured 400 wild bulls, wild elephants, and wild tigers thrown into the same ring. The animals would fight each other until there were pools and rivers of blood and the last animal standing would win. The crowd went wild in their cheering. Here was a culture of the distant past that had become addicted to violence just as our current American culture is addicted to violence. Like most addicts, we continue to deny how extensive this addiction is and how it is ruining our lives.
It has been reported that crime rates in America are going down such crimes as larceny and robbery. For many crimes, America is as safe as at any time since the 1950s. However, the rate of any crime associated with drugs is going up. Some experts in our modern culture report that there are two drugs in particular that are destroying our society: crack cocaine and methamphetymines. Crack cocaine is the drug of preference for the black culture; methamphetymines are the drugs of preference for the white culture. Both drugs are lethal, and both drugs are associated with paranoia, agitation, and then violence. It takes twelve to eighteen hours for a person to come down from their drugs highs, and when a person comes down from these drugs, that person is very dangerous. It is as if they have no conscience. They become excessively violent, and would kill their own grandma to get these drugs. Because they often drink alcohol as they come down from their drug high, the public may think that their fighting is from drinking though the real culprits are the drugs. Crack and meth are enormously dangerous and contribute to the rising tide of violence found in American society.
We read in Luke 13 that Jesus wept over the holy city, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning the messengers from God. Behold, your house is forsaken.” We can imagine Jesus weeping over our city, our nation, and our world which has become so deeply addicted to violence as a means of solving conflict. In this Lenten season let us become intentional, determined to forget ourselves and concentrate on Jesus alone and let us invite both young and old to come to Jesus and live. May Jesus heal our land and turn us back to Him.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjZEDg9ZGKQ
We are bracing for a possible mega winter storm. They are forecasting heavy snows and wind for the region beginning late tonight. Tom and Jessy, the newlyweds, returned from Panama yesterday, safe and sound. Praise the Lord. Many of you have asked for wedding pictures , we will be sending some of them on your way very soon.
As we journey with Jesus, our Lord, to Jerusalem we see Jesus weep on two occasions. He wept with Mary and Martha as He shared their grief over the death of their brother Lazarus. He wept over the city of Jerusalem. He is the Man sorrows who is acquainted with our grief.
The father of one young woman who belongs to our church was killed by his housemate this past week. A young man was arrested in another setting for killing another young man in the city. . We see the random violence all around the world and all around us.
Dr. James Gilligan has written a fascinating book and study, titled, "VIOLENCE: A RISING NATIONAL EPIDEMIC". Dr. Gilligan works at the Center for the Study of Violence, located at Harvard University. Dr. Gilligan’s primary thesis is that our culture has become addicted to violence. Just as individuals can become addicted to heroine or cocaine, so also cultures can become addicted to violence. He cites the evidence that among the industrialized democracies of the world, the Unites States has two to twenty more times the rate of violence than these other advanced nations. He asks the question, "Why? Why is America so violent?" His answer is that we have become addicted to violence. Most of us know that the first reaction of an addict confronted with his or her addiction is denial. “That’s not me. That’s somebody else.” I believe that we are a society that has become addicted to violence, desensitized to violence, and in denial of our cultural addictions. Why is it that we watch TV news and programs that are interlaced with violence? It is because of our addictions. The reasons for a high levels of violence on TV news and other programming is that violence sells in America to a society that is addicted to violence.
I have in my library the collection by Will and Muriel Durant called, "THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION". The Durants made reference to Seneca, a Roman philosopher. Seneca was born in 4 BC, the same year when our Lord was born. Seneca is remembered for many of his sayings such as “all gutters lead to Rome.” But he also contrasted the games for Athens, Greece with the games of Rome, Italy. The Athenian games featured great athletes throwing the discus, the javelin, and the hammer. These great athletes were running and jumping, in Olympian style. On the other hand, the games in Nero’s Rome in the year 65 AD featured 400 wild bulls, wild elephants, and wild tigers thrown into the same ring. The animals would fight each other until there were pools and rivers of blood and the last animal standing would win. The crowd went wild in their cheering. Here was a culture of the distant past that had become addicted to violence just as our current American culture is addicted to violence. Like most addicts, we continue to deny how extensive this addiction is and how it is ruining our lives.
It has been reported that crime rates in America are going down such crimes as larceny and robbery. For many crimes, America is as safe as at any time since the 1950s. However, the rate of any crime associated with drugs is going up. Some experts in our modern culture report that there are two drugs in particular that are destroying our society: crack cocaine and methamphetymines. Crack cocaine is the drug of preference for the black culture; methamphetymines are the drugs of preference for the white culture. Both drugs are lethal, and both drugs are associated with paranoia, agitation, and then violence. It takes twelve to eighteen hours for a person to come down from their drugs highs, and when a person comes down from these drugs, that person is very dangerous. It is as if they have no conscience. They become excessively violent, and would kill their own grandma to get these drugs. Because they often drink alcohol as they come down from their drug high, the public may think that their fighting is from drinking though the real culprits are the drugs. Crack and meth are enormously dangerous and contribute to the rising tide of violence found in American society.
We read in Luke 13 that Jesus wept over the holy city, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning the messengers from God. Behold, your house is forsaken.” We can imagine Jesus weeping over our city, our nation, and our world which has become so deeply addicted to violence as a means of solving conflict. In this Lenten season let us become intentional, determined to forget ourselves and concentrate on Jesus alone and let us invite both young and old to come to Jesus and live. May Jesus heal our land and turn us back to Him.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjZEDg9ZGKQ
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-23-10
Good morning,
We can rightly assume that Jesus must love common people, because He made so many of them. He loved to spend time with ordinary people like Mary and Martha of Bethany. As Luke told the story, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). For the rest of Luke's Gospel, Jesus steadfastly headed toward his death and resurrection. He twice told his disciples that he will soon die. We can feel the shadow of Jerusalem hanging over this story.
The way Luke told the story, Jesus' visit in this home would have been shocking to his contemporaries in many ways. First of all, the woman Martha is presented as the homeowner and as the person in charge. There is no indication at this point that her sister Mary, nor her brother Lazarus, lived with her. Verse 38 says simply, "…a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home." It is surprising that Martha seems to have owned the home - it was "her home," not "their home." Luke did not mention Lazarus at all; and we are not told that Mary lived there either.
Many questions come to mind about this scene. How did this woman become the head of the household in a patriarchal society? Why did she own the house when she clearly had a brother? Luke's account does not answer all our questions, but clearly makes a statement in the way Luke told the story. He apparently loved to defy social expectations.
The next shocking aspect of the story involves the actions of Mary. Social expectations would place Mary in the traditional female activities around the home. (Martha clearly expected Mary's help with the household chores, as well.) The last place we expect this women to be is at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. For most people of the time, that seems to have been a man's place. The Jewish Mishnah says, "Let thy house be a meeting-house for the Sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst… (but) talk not much with womankind." While Martha busied herself with many tasks (a traditional female role), Mary sat at the Lord's fee and received his teaching (a traditional male role).
Then Luke turned his attention to Martha and said, "But Martha was distracted by her many tasks…" . The literal translation says she was distracted by many tasks, and the word used for "tasks" is diakonian. It is the root word for deacon. It is commonly used for "waiting tables" and essentially means "service."
The story is told with such brevity that we can only guess at the reasons behind the behaviors of the two women. William Barclay has suggested that there may have been a difference in the temperament between the two women. That often happens in families. One sister may have been more compulsive about the housework than the other. One sister may have been more interested in the spiritual than the other. Whatever her activity, Martha was clearly disturbed that Mary was not helping her. She was shouldering the responsibility of caring for her guests, and felt she was carrying more that her fair share of the burden. We can hardly blame her for getting upset at her sister.
Martha was so upset that she decided to take the matter directly to Jesus. It is interesting that she did not confront Mary directly, but interrupted Jesus' teaching to ask him to intervene on her behalf. In verse 40, Martha says, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." She addressed Jesus as "Lord," but in the same breath rebuked him. "Do you not care?" Then, in her frustration she appealed Jesus to "Tell her then to help me". Martha, focused on her own agenda, asked Jesus to align himself and Mary to that agenda. Martha is seen trying to tell Jesus what he should do, while Mary listened as Jesus tells her what to do.
In verse 41 Jesus responded, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." Jesus repeated Martha's name as a gentle rebuke, then noted Martha's distraction rather than her hospitality. He did not say the many things were wrong. Certainly he welcomed food, but he encouraged discipleship even more. On the road to Jerusalem and the cross, this was his final visit recorded by Luke to the home of these dear friends. Martha and Mary needed Jesus, and Martha's busyness distanced her from him. Jesus needed Martha and Mary, too. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem, and he needed good friends in His dark hour more than He needed good food.
Mary chose the better part, because she chose the "Chosen One." Jesus added that this "will not be taken away from her." Mary was the kind of person who keeps her priorities straight. Apparently, She was like the man who takes a week off from work to attend a conference on spiritual growth. She was like the woman who devotes an hour every week to leading a Bible study at a homeless shelter. She was like the family that makes a commitment to be in worship every Sunday morning … even on a Sunday in the middle of the winter.
Some scholars say that it is no accident that this story immediately follows the parable of the Good Samaritan. The point of the Samaritan's story is to "go and do likewise." There is a time to go and do; there is a time to listen and reflect. Knowing which time we are in is a matter of spiritual discernment.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
We can rightly assume that Jesus must love common people, because He made so many of them. He loved to spend time with ordinary people like Mary and Martha of Bethany. As Luke told the story, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). For the rest of Luke's Gospel, Jesus steadfastly headed toward his death and resurrection. He twice told his disciples that he will soon die. We can feel the shadow of Jerusalem hanging over this story.
The way Luke told the story, Jesus' visit in this home would have been shocking to his contemporaries in many ways. First of all, the woman Martha is presented as the homeowner and as the person in charge. There is no indication at this point that her sister Mary, nor her brother Lazarus, lived with her. Verse 38 says simply, "…a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home." It is surprising that Martha seems to have owned the home - it was "her home," not "their home." Luke did not mention Lazarus at all; and we are not told that Mary lived there either.
Many questions come to mind about this scene. How did this woman become the head of the household in a patriarchal society? Why did she own the house when she clearly had a brother? Luke's account does not answer all our questions, but clearly makes a statement in the way Luke told the story. He apparently loved to defy social expectations.
The next shocking aspect of the story involves the actions of Mary. Social expectations would place Mary in the traditional female activities around the home. (Martha clearly expected Mary's help with the household chores, as well.) The last place we expect this women to be is at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. For most people of the time, that seems to have been a man's place. The Jewish Mishnah says, "Let thy house be a meeting-house for the Sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst… (but) talk not much with womankind." While Martha busied herself with many tasks (a traditional female role), Mary sat at the Lord's fee and received his teaching (a traditional male role).
Then Luke turned his attention to Martha and said, "But Martha was distracted by her many tasks…" . The literal translation says she was distracted by many tasks, and the word used for "tasks" is diakonian. It is the root word for deacon. It is commonly used for "waiting tables" and essentially means "service."
The story is told with such brevity that we can only guess at the reasons behind the behaviors of the two women. William Barclay has suggested that there may have been a difference in the temperament between the two women. That often happens in families. One sister may have been more compulsive about the housework than the other. One sister may have been more interested in the spiritual than the other. Whatever her activity, Martha was clearly disturbed that Mary was not helping her. She was shouldering the responsibility of caring for her guests, and felt she was carrying more that her fair share of the burden. We can hardly blame her for getting upset at her sister.
Martha was so upset that she decided to take the matter directly to Jesus. It is interesting that she did not confront Mary directly, but interrupted Jesus' teaching to ask him to intervene on her behalf. In verse 40, Martha says, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." She addressed Jesus as "Lord," but in the same breath rebuked him. "Do you not care?" Then, in her frustration she appealed Jesus to "Tell her then to help me". Martha, focused on her own agenda, asked Jesus to align himself and Mary to that agenda. Martha is seen trying to tell Jesus what he should do, while Mary listened as Jesus tells her what to do.
In verse 41 Jesus responded, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." Jesus repeated Martha's name as a gentle rebuke, then noted Martha's distraction rather than her hospitality. He did not say the many things were wrong. Certainly he welcomed food, but he encouraged discipleship even more. On the road to Jerusalem and the cross, this was his final visit recorded by Luke to the home of these dear friends. Martha and Mary needed Jesus, and Martha's busyness distanced her from him. Jesus needed Martha and Mary, too. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem, and he needed good friends in His dark hour more than He needed good food.
Mary chose the better part, because she chose the "Chosen One." Jesus added that this "will not be taken away from her." Mary was the kind of person who keeps her priorities straight. Apparently, She was like the man who takes a week off from work to attend a conference on spiritual growth. She was like the woman who devotes an hour every week to leading a Bible study at a homeless shelter. She was like the family that makes a commitment to be in worship every Sunday morning … even on a Sunday in the middle of the winter.
Some scholars say that it is no accident that this story immediately follows the parable of the Good Samaritan. The point of the Samaritan's story is to "go and do likewise." There is a time to go and do; there is a time to listen and reflect. Knowing which time we are in is a matter of spiritual discernment.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Monday, February 22, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 2-22-10
Praise the Lord for the Day of the Lord, the Day of Resurrection, worship, and witness. The Lord gave us a brilliant and sunny Sunday. I can see the tops of daffodils, tulips, and crocus, as they are popping up by the eastern wall of parsonage. The readings for the First Sunday in Lent were taken from Luke 4 and Psalm 91.
Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. (He sounds like a character of Hollywood cowboy movies.) From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoaches. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard.
Today fear & terror have another name - Al Qaeda & terrorism - as they attempt to paralyze their victims with FEAR!
36 years ago researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported that the greatest fears of elementary school children were:
1. Animals (We know this one well, as Micah is afraid of cats and deer)
2. Being in a dark room (Secretly, many adults are still afraid of the dark)
3. High places
4. Strangers (Often this is a very healthy fear)
5. Loud noises.
Today, kids list their top fears as
1. Terrorism (Al Qaeda)
2. War
3. Disease
4. Divorce
5. Death
In today’s world there is evidence of terrorists flying planes into sky scrapers. We fear that there may be suicide (or homicide) bombers on the buses where we ride, or in the malls where we shop. Yet, despite the terrors of the day (or night) in the world around us, Psalm 91:1-16 states, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you; no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91 teaches all of us a crucial life lesson, a lesson we need to live by whether we are at war against terrorism or whether we are enjoying a period of peace, whether we are experiencing economic prosperity or whether we are struggling waiting for economic recovery, whether our family life is terrific or whether we find our home torn in conflict . THE truth we need to remember, THE truth we must have to live in victory is that when we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised:
1. SHELTER (v. 1-2)
(v. 1-2) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Shelter. . . Refuge. . . Fortress. . . These are vital words. The Hebrew word for "shelter" means "a place to hide from your enemies." The Hebrew word for "Refuge" means, "A place to run to for safety." The Hebrew word for Fortress (which is also translated "stronghold") means "the one who keeps me above the non-believers." These words remind us that during times of trouble, we can run to God and he will take care of us.
When we abide in our place of security and shelter, then we find REST (v. 1) “He...will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Our relationship with God is, in itself, a retreat. We can run to him anytime and find rest for our souls. Jesus’ exact words to us are, “Come to me all who weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God is our place of shelter. When the bad news of the world piles up, with heartaches and sorrows, you can run to Him, and He will give you rest. God is our source. He is our SHELTER and He gives us rest.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER and…:2. STRENGTH (v. 5-8) The Scriptures state, "When I am weak, then I am very strong". In Christ alone we find strength for the day and hope for the morrow.
When we place our TRUST in God alone, we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, and…: 3. SECURITY (v .9-10) The question each of us must ask ourselves is, "Who is our source of our SECURITY?” We know that even if we have the greatest government on earth, the source of safety is not in our government. Even if we were yo have the most powerful military on earth, our source of safety is not in the armed forces. There is ONLY ONE TRUE LIVING God, and God alone is our source of SECURITY. David said, (v. 9-10) “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” (v.11-12) “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot upon a stone.”
Do you recognize this verse? It is the very verse Satan misquoted to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness. Satan misquoted this verse to tempt Jesus to take it out of context and apply it where it was not meant to apply. This verse is about God’s ultimate protection.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, 3. SECURITY and finally 4. SALVATION David concluded Psalm 91 with the very words of God, (v.15-16) “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
HE IS OUR SHELTER, OUR STRENGTH, OUR SECURITY, and OUR SALVATION. He gives us rest in the midst of our greatest trials; He gives us courage in the face of terrorism; He protects us in the midst of danger; He saves us from evil that is within and without. He is our peace. He is our salvation. Blessed be His Name.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWndDW_271g
Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. (He sounds like a character of Hollywood cowboy movies.) From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoaches. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard.
Today fear & terror have another name - Al Qaeda & terrorism - as they attempt to paralyze their victims with FEAR!
36 years ago researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported that the greatest fears of elementary school children were:
1. Animals (We know this one well, as Micah is afraid of cats and deer)
2. Being in a dark room (Secretly, many adults are still afraid of the dark)
3. High places
4. Strangers (Often this is a very healthy fear)
5. Loud noises.
Today, kids list their top fears as
1. Terrorism (Al Qaeda)
2. War
3. Disease
4. Divorce
5. Death
In today’s world there is evidence of terrorists flying planes into sky scrapers. We fear that there may be suicide (or homicide) bombers on the buses where we ride, or in the malls where we shop. Yet, despite the terrors of the day (or night) in the world around us, Psalm 91:1-16 states, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you; no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91 teaches all of us a crucial life lesson, a lesson we need to live by whether we are at war against terrorism or whether we are enjoying a period of peace, whether we are experiencing economic prosperity or whether we are struggling waiting for economic recovery, whether our family life is terrific or whether we find our home torn in conflict . THE truth we need to remember, THE truth we must have to live in victory is that when we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised:
1. SHELTER (v. 1-2)
(v. 1-2) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Shelter. . . Refuge. . . Fortress. . . These are vital words. The Hebrew word for "shelter" means "a place to hide from your enemies." The Hebrew word for "Refuge" means, "A place to run to for safety." The Hebrew word for Fortress (which is also translated "stronghold") means "the one who keeps me above the non-believers." These words remind us that during times of trouble, we can run to God and he will take care of us.
When we abide in our place of security and shelter, then we find REST (v. 1) “He...will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Our relationship with God is, in itself, a retreat. We can run to him anytime and find rest for our souls. Jesus’ exact words to us are, “Come to me all who weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God is our place of shelter. When the bad news of the world piles up, with heartaches and sorrows, you can run to Him, and He will give you rest. God is our source. He is our SHELTER and He gives us rest.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER and…:2. STRENGTH (v. 5-8) The Scriptures state, "When I am weak, then I am very strong". In Christ alone we find strength for the day and hope for the morrow.
When we place our TRUST in God alone, we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, and…: 3. SECURITY (v .9-10) The question each of us must ask ourselves is, "Who is our source of our SECURITY?” We know that even if we have the greatest government on earth, the source of safety is not in our government. Even if we were yo have the most powerful military on earth, our source of safety is not in the armed forces. There is ONLY ONE TRUE LIVING God, and God alone is our source of SECURITY. David said, (v. 9-10) “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” (v.11-12) “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot upon a stone.”
Do you recognize this verse? It is the very verse Satan misquoted to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness. Satan misquoted this verse to tempt Jesus to take it out of context and apply it where it was not meant to apply. This verse is about God’s ultimate protection.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, 3. SECURITY and finally 4. SALVATION David concluded Psalm 91 with the very words of God, (v.15-16) “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
HE IS OUR SHELTER, OUR STRENGTH, OUR SECURITY, and OUR SALVATION. He gives us rest in the midst of our greatest trials; He gives us courage in the face of terrorism; He protects us in the midst of danger; He saves us from evil that is within and without. He is our peace. He is our salvation. Blessed be His Name.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWndDW_271g
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