Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Friday. Praise the Lord for Sunday that is coming. Those of you who live in the area, join us for our Friday evening TV outreach this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner Channel 4. We started this ministry in 1993 with the help of our friend, Michael Paul Callahan, who with his family have settled now in the Oswego area. Michael and Connie Callahan's oldest son, Aaron Christian, has been chosen to attend a leadership conference in Washington, DC. Aaron Christian was dedicated at our church here in Union Center 17 years ago. Praise the Lord for all our children and the youth. May Jesus our Lord anoint them and bless them wonderfully that they would grow to be His servants and ambassadors for His Kingdom on earth.
I am continuing look at the sermon on the Mount. Jesus came to turn the world upside down and right-side up. According to Matthew 5:40, Jesus said, “And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.” If he’s that desperate, freely give up your basic rights, such as ownership. We are bit to demand our personal rights all the time. This kind of thinking goes absolutely contrary to our instinctive behavior. Self-protection is inborn. Many of us go way beyond self-protection, and believe in getting even. This is not the Lord's way.
What Jesus our Lord is saying is we must not always insist on "our rights".
Chuck Swindoll mentions four "rights" in his commentary on this passage:
1). The “right” to dignity … to be treated without insult
2). The “right” to comfort … to cling to what pleases me
3). The “right” to privacy … to do only what I prefer
4). The “right” to possessions … to keep all I wish.
Jesus siad that, as His followers, we shouldn’t focus so much on our rights, but rather on our responsibilities as His subjects in the kingdom of God. Eugene Peterson paraphrases this passage in The Message: “If someone sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it.”
I recently read a story about a traveler who, between flights at an airport, bought a small package of cookies. She then sat down in the busy snack shop to glance over the newspaper. As she read she became increasingly aware of a rustling noise. Peeking over her newspaper, she was shocked to see a well-dressed gentleman sitting across from her, helping himself to her cookies. Half-angry and half-embarrassed, she reached over and gently slid the package closer to her as she took one out and began to munch on it. A minute or so passed before she heard more rustling. The man had gotten another cookie! By now there was only one left in the package. Though beside herself, she didn’t want to make a scene so she said nothing. Finally, as if to add insult to injury, the man broke the remaining cookie into two pieces, pushed one piece across the table to her with a frown, gulped down his half and left without even saying thank you. She sat there dumbfounded. “Of all the nerve!”
Some time later when her flight was announced, the woman opened her handbag to get her ticket. To her shock, there in her purse was her package of cookies, still unopened. Somewhere in that airport another traveler was still trying to figure out how that strange woman could have been so forward and insensitive! But he didn’t insist on his right to eat the cookies he bought. He shared with someone who demanded that she eat them.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-DNlvXPfU4
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-11-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. It is almost Spring, and it is going to be a glorious day. Our friends Jerry and Barb have started their spring ritual, tapping their maple trees for making maple syrup, one of the simple gifts of the Lord. Barb said she has seen robins, a sure sign of Spring, back in New York. Others in the group shared that they have seen flocks of geese flying North in v-formation. I spoke to some of friends and family members in India yesterday, where it is almost like summer. The mango trees and cotton trees are in full bloom.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful evening of fellowship and Bible study yesterday. For our Bible Study we looked once again in Matthew 5. The Lord spoke about integrity and honesty.
There is a story of a wealthy businessman who lay upon his deathbed. His pastor came to visit and talked about God’s healing power, and then prayed for his parishioner. When the preacher was done, the businessman said, “Preacher, if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars.” Miraculously, the businessman got better and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital.
Several months later, the preacher bumped into this businessman on the sidewalk
and said, “You know, when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven’t received it as of yet.”
The businessman replied, “Did I say that? I guess that goes to show how sick I
really was!”
A few years back two men Doug Sherman and William Hendricks, interviewed thousands of people, and they published their findings in a book called, "The Day America Told the Truth". Of those surveyed by the two men,
a. 91% said that they lie on a regular basis.
b. 86% said they lie to their parents regularly.
c. 75% said they lie to their friends.
d. 69% said they lie to their spouses.
e. 50% said they regularly called in to work sick when they weren’t .
In Matthew 5:33-37 we read, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
This passage reveals some important reasons why we must live truthfully. The first is that dishonesty undermines our relationships. When we lie and fail to keep our promises it destroys the trust that healthy relationships are built upon. Honesty helps us to grow in our relationships with Christ and with others. In Ephesians 4:15 we read, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
Dishonesty is contrary to the character of God. God is a commitment-keeper
Numbers 23:19 states, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
It is quite the opposite with Satan, the father of lies. John 8:44 b states, regarding Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Being a follower of Christ means a commitment to truth. We need to be people of our word. As Christians, we need to be known as persons who keep our promises, no matter what. The world around us is watching, always waiting to point a finger at us, mock us, and say that Christians are not so different from anyone else.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km63bQinoJk
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. It is almost Spring, and it is going to be a glorious day. Our friends Jerry and Barb have started their spring ritual, tapping their maple trees for making maple syrup, one of the simple gifts of the Lord. Barb said she has seen robins, a sure sign of Spring, back in New York. Others in the group shared that they have seen flocks of geese flying North in v-formation. I spoke to some of friends and family members in India yesterday, where it is almost like summer. The mango trees and cotton trees are in full bloom.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful evening of fellowship and Bible study yesterday. For our Bible Study we looked once again in Matthew 5. The Lord spoke about integrity and honesty.
There is a story of a wealthy businessman who lay upon his deathbed. His pastor came to visit and talked about God’s healing power, and then prayed for his parishioner. When the preacher was done, the businessman said, “Preacher, if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars.” Miraculously, the businessman got better and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital.
Several months later, the preacher bumped into this businessman on the sidewalk
and said, “You know, when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven’t received it as of yet.”
The businessman replied, “Did I say that? I guess that goes to show how sick I
really was!”
A few years back two men Doug Sherman and William Hendricks, interviewed thousands of people, and they published their findings in a book called, "The Day America Told the Truth". Of those surveyed by the two men,
a. 91% said that they lie on a regular basis.
b. 86% said they lie to their parents regularly.
c. 75% said they lie to their friends.
d. 69% said they lie to their spouses.
e. 50% said they regularly called in to work sick when they weren’t .
In Matthew 5:33-37 we read, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
This passage reveals some important reasons why we must live truthfully. The first is that dishonesty undermines our relationships. When we lie and fail to keep our promises it destroys the trust that healthy relationships are built upon. Honesty helps us to grow in our relationships with Christ and with others. In Ephesians 4:15 we read, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
Dishonesty is contrary to the character of God. God is a commitment-keeper
Numbers 23:19 states, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
It is quite the opposite with Satan, the father of lies. John 8:44 b states, regarding Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Being a follower of Christ means a commitment to truth. We need to be people of our word. As Christians, we need to be known as persons who keep our promises, no matter what. The world around us is watching, always waiting to point a finger at us, mock us, and say that Christians are not so different from anyone else.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km63bQinoJk
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-10-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He made the Heavens and the earth. Praise the Lord for the beauty of this earth, and His splendors all around us.
"For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise."
I was awakened from a deep sleep by a serenade of "holy honks", as the geese flew over on their northward journey. It was 3 AM at the time. The sky was clear, a showcase for innumerable stars, praising Jesus with manifold witness. It is going to be a bright and beautiful day again.
We will meet tonight for our midweek supper, Bible study, and choir practice. The choir is preparing their Easter cantata, and welcomes any who would love to come and sing for the Lord. The cantata will be presented during both morning services on Palm Sunday, March 28. My "twin brother", Rodney Haines, will be the chef for this evening. In our Bible study we have been looking at the beatitudes of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5.
In the beatitudes our Lord Jesus honored and exalted many people who may enjoy few privileges in this life. To the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry, the persecuted, and the poor in spirit He offered assurance that their service, love, loyalty, and devotion will not go unrecognized. They will receive ample reward. To many Christians an emphasis on future rewards has fallen out of fashion. C. S. Lewis reminded us, "We dare not discount the value of future rewards." When we listen to the spirituals that were composed by American slaves, we are reminded of the future blessings and promises of Jesus. For example, they sang, "When I get to Heaven, gonna put on my shoes. I'm going to walk all over God's Heaven."
The promises of future rewards provoke us to live in hope and assurance. Terry Waite, an Anglican envoy, was taken hostage in the slums of Beirut and held captive, enchained for many days in a filthy apartment. Yet, the thoughts of family and friends, mercy and love, music and food, awaited him if he could find the strength to hang on just a bit longer. In the words of Philip Yancey, "To believe in future rewards is to believe that the long arm of the Lord bends toward justice, to believe that one day the proud will be overthrown and the humble raised up and the hungry filled with good things. . . I am convinced that for these neglected saints, who learned to anticipate and enjoy God in spite of the difficulties of their lives on earth, heaven will seem more like a long-awaited homecoming than a visit to a new place. In their lives, the Beatitudes have become true. To people who are trapped in pain, in broken homes, in economic chaos, in hatred and fear, in violence - to these, Jesus offers a promise of a time, far longer and more substantial than this time on earth, of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. A time of reward."
Standing in His promises.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P37bM87b9pg
Praise the Lord for the way He made the Heavens and the earth. Praise the Lord for the beauty of this earth, and His splendors all around us.
"For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise."
I was awakened from a deep sleep by a serenade of "holy honks", as the geese flew over on their northward journey. It was 3 AM at the time. The sky was clear, a showcase for innumerable stars, praising Jesus with manifold witness. It is going to be a bright and beautiful day again.
We will meet tonight for our midweek supper, Bible study, and choir practice. The choir is preparing their Easter cantata, and welcomes any who would love to come and sing for the Lord. The cantata will be presented during both morning services on Palm Sunday, March 28. My "twin brother", Rodney Haines, will be the chef for this evening. In our Bible study we have been looking at the beatitudes of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5.
In the beatitudes our Lord Jesus honored and exalted many people who may enjoy few privileges in this life. To the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry, the persecuted, and the poor in spirit He offered assurance that their service, love, loyalty, and devotion will not go unrecognized. They will receive ample reward. To many Christians an emphasis on future rewards has fallen out of fashion. C. S. Lewis reminded us, "We dare not discount the value of future rewards." When we listen to the spirituals that were composed by American slaves, we are reminded of the future blessings and promises of Jesus. For example, they sang, "When I get to Heaven, gonna put on my shoes. I'm going to walk all over God's Heaven."
The promises of future rewards provoke us to live in hope and assurance. Terry Waite, an Anglican envoy, was taken hostage in the slums of Beirut and held captive, enchained for many days in a filthy apartment. Yet, the thoughts of family and friends, mercy and love, music and food, awaited him if he could find the strength to hang on just a bit longer. In the words of Philip Yancey, "To believe in future rewards is to believe that the long arm of the Lord bends toward justice, to believe that one day the proud will be overthrown and the humble raised up and the hungry filled with good things. . . I am convinced that for these neglected saints, who learned to anticipate and enjoy God in spite of the difficulties of their lives on earth, heaven will seem more like a long-awaited homecoming than a visit to a new place. In their lives, the Beatitudes have become true. To people who are trapped in pain, in broken homes, in economic chaos, in hatred and fear, in violence - to these, Jesus offers a promise of a time, far longer and more substantial than this time on earth, of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. A time of reward."
Standing in His promises.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P37bM87b9pg
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-9-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. The Lord has given us a touch of springtime here in New York. It is going to be bright and bountiful with abundant sunshine today. The snow is melting quickly, and we have a patch of Crocus in full bloom on the south side of the parsonage. Praise the Lord for the way He dispels gloom and darkness. Praise the Lord that in and through Him we "do life" well.
According to the show, "Survivor", we succeed by being ruthless, conniving, and deceitful, following a pragmatic, win at all costs, ends-justify-the means mentality. In today’s world it seems like good guys finish last…or at least that’s what people would have us think. Winning, from God’s point-of-view, is different. In the end you may not wind up with a million dollars, but you have God’s approval. Joy in life comes from having a living relationship with Jesus our Savior. When we trust in the Lord we experience victory; we do not merely survive. We overcome the world through Jesus, who has overcome the world.
The prophet Nahum was one of the Minor prophets. He delivered a sober message of judgment to the city and people of Ninevah, but in the middle of his harsh prophecy he offered hope, vs 7: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” God knows us and wants to protect us. Nahum’s name means “comfort” or “consolation”. Nahum presented God as our refuge, a shelter in the time of storm.
Protection doesn’t mean that we will always live a carefree life. When trials come we trust in God and seek His refuge. Faith requires trust without full knowledge; it means living with uncertainty. I am reminded of an affirmation found written on a cellar wall in Germany, where Jews hid from the Nazis: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I am feeling it not. I believe in God even when He is silent.”
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTZFIcqnQMg
Prayer Needs:
Islamic Assailants Kill Hundreds of Christians Near Jos, Nigeria
Lekan Otufodunrin
Compass Direct News
March 9, 2010
LAGOS, Nigeria (CDN) — An uneasy calm prevailed in Plateau state, Nigeria today following the killing of hundreds of Christians early Sunday morning in three farming villages near Jos by ethnic Fulani Muslims.
The mostly ethnic Berom victims included many women and children killed with machetes by rampaging Fulani herdsmen. About 75 houses were also burned.
State Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong confirmed that about 500 persons were killed in the attacks, which took place mainly in Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Rastat villages.
"We were woken up by gunshots in the middle of the night, and before we knew what was happening, our houses were torched and they started hacking down people" survivor Musa Gyang told media.
The assailants reportedly came on foot from a neighboring state to beat security forces that had been alerted of a possible attack on the villages but did not act beforehand.
The attack on Sunday is the latest in several religious clashes in the state in recent months that have claimed lives and property. Plateau state is a predominantly Christian state in a country almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The Muslim minority has been contesting ownership of some parts of the state, leading to frequent clashes.
Bishop Andersen Bok, national coordinator of the Plateau State Elders Christian Fellowship, along with group Secretary General Musa Pam, described the attack as yet another "jihad and provocation on Christians."
"Dogo Nahawa is a Christian community," the Christian leaders said in a statement. "Eyewitnesses say the Hausa Fulani Muslim militants were chanting ‘Allah Akbar,' broke into houses, cutting human beings, including children and women with their knives and cutlasses."
Soon after the militants besieged Dogo Nahawa, the Christian leaders said, at 1:30 a.m. they contacted the military, which is in charge of security in the state.
"But we were shocked to find out that the soldiers did not react until about 3:30 a.m., after the Muslim attackers had finished their job and left," they stated. "We are tired of these genocides on our Christian brothers and state here that we will not let this go unchallenged."
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) President Ayo Oritsejafor decried the attack on the Christian community as barbaric and urged the federal government to stop the killing of innocent citizens or risk a total breakdown of law and order.
"I have just returned from a trip abroad," he said. "While I was away, I was inundated with reports of another catastrophe in the Jigawa state capital, where several churches were burnt, and just as I was trying to settle down and collate reports from the field, I am hearing of another on Sunday morning."
Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu said the Sunday killing in Jos is a major setback for the country's effort to gain the confidence of the international community.
"Do you know that because of things like these, anywhere Nigerians travel to they are subjected to dehumanizing scrutiny?" he said. "Any act of violence at this time is totally condemned, and the government should make haste to fish out all identified perpetrators of such heinous crimes against God so that we can move forward as a people united under one umbrella."
On Friday (March 5) the National Youth President of the PFN, Dr. Abel Damina, expressed concern over cases of clandestine killings of Christians in remote parts of Plateau state by Islamic extremists and called on the federal government to retrieve sophisticated weapons in their possession.
"Even as I speak to you now, I am receiving reports that some clandestine killings are still going on in the remote areas of Plateau State by the fundamentalists," Damina reportedly said. "They pounce on Christians and kill them without anybody knowing much of their identity except that they are Christians."
He added that recently he visited the governor in Jos regarding the crisis and secured photos of Christian victims.
"Young men, Christians, were going to their farm to harvest their produce and the fundamentalists pounced on them," he said. "They were called infidels. At the last conference, we received reports with photographs of the fundamentalists using AK-47 rifles to destroy our churches. Where did they get the arms from? We have reports of truck loads of arms that had been intercepted, and we did not hear anything about them."
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. The Lord has given us a touch of springtime here in New York. It is going to be bright and bountiful with abundant sunshine today. The snow is melting quickly, and we have a patch of Crocus in full bloom on the south side of the parsonage. Praise the Lord for the way He dispels gloom and darkness. Praise the Lord that in and through Him we "do life" well.
According to the show, "Survivor", we succeed by being ruthless, conniving, and deceitful, following a pragmatic, win at all costs, ends-justify-the means mentality. In today’s world it seems like good guys finish last…or at least that’s what people would have us think. Winning, from God’s point-of-view, is different. In the end you may not wind up with a million dollars, but you have God’s approval. Joy in life comes from having a living relationship with Jesus our Savior. When we trust in the Lord we experience victory; we do not merely survive. We overcome the world through Jesus, who has overcome the world.
The prophet Nahum was one of the Minor prophets. He delivered a sober message of judgment to the city and people of Ninevah, but in the middle of his harsh prophecy he offered hope, vs 7: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” God knows us and wants to protect us. Nahum’s name means “comfort” or “consolation”. Nahum presented God as our refuge, a shelter in the time of storm.
Protection doesn’t mean that we will always live a carefree life. When trials come we trust in God and seek His refuge. Faith requires trust without full knowledge; it means living with uncertainty. I am reminded of an affirmation found written on a cellar wall in Germany, where Jews hid from the Nazis: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I am feeling it not. I believe in God even when He is silent.”
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTZFIcqnQMg
Prayer Needs:
Islamic Assailants Kill Hundreds of Christians Near Jos, Nigeria
Lekan Otufodunrin
Compass Direct News
March 9, 2010
LAGOS, Nigeria (CDN) — An uneasy calm prevailed in Plateau state, Nigeria today following the killing of hundreds of Christians early Sunday morning in three farming villages near Jos by ethnic Fulani Muslims.
The mostly ethnic Berom victims included many women and children killed with machetes by rampaging Fulani herdsmen. About 75 houses were also burned.
State Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong confirmed that about 500 persons were killed in the attacks, which took place mainly in Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Rastat villages.
"We were woken up by gunshots in the middle of the night, and before we knew what was happening, our houses were torched and they started hacking down people" survivor Musa Gyang told media.
The assailants reportedly came on foot from a neighboring state to beat security forces that had been alerted of a possible attack on the villages but did not act beforehand.
The attack on Sunday is the latest in several religious clashes in the state in recent months that have claimed lives and property. Plateau state is a predominantly Christian state in a country almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The Muslim minority has been contesting ownership of some parts of the state, leading to frequent clashes.
Bishop Andersen Bok, national coordinator of the Plateau State Elders Christian Fellowship, along with group Secretary General Musa Pam, described the attack as yet another "jihad and provocation on Christians."
"Dogo Nahawa is a Christian community," the Christian leaders said in a statement. "Eyewitnesses say the Hausa Fulani Muslim militants were chanting ‘Allah Akbar,' broke into houses, cutting human beings, including children and women with their knives and cutlasses."
Soon after the militants besieged Dogo Nahawa, the Christian leaders said, at 1:30 a.m. they contacted the military, which is in charge of security in the state.
"But we were shocked to find out that the soldiers did not react until about 3:30 a.m., after the Muslim attackers had finished their job and left," they stated. "We are tired of these genocides on our Christian brothers and state here that we will not let this go unchallenged."
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) President Ayo Oritsejafor decried the attack on the Christian community as barbaric and urged the federal government to stop the killing of innocent citizens or risk a total breakdown of law and order.
"I have just returned from a trip abroad," he said. "While I was away, I was inundated with reports of another catastrophe in the Jigawa state capital, where several churches were burnt, and just as I was trying to settle down and collate reports from the field, I am hearing of another on Sunday morning."
Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu said the Sunday killing in Jos is a major setback for the country's effort to gain the confidence of the international community.
"Do you know that because of things like these, anywhere Nigerians travel to they are subjected to dehumanizing scrutiny?" he said. "Any act of violence at this time is totally condemned, and the government should make haste to fish out all identified perpetrators of such heinous crimes against God so that we can move forward as a people united under one umbrella."
On Friday (March 5) the National Youth President of the PFN, Dr. Abel Damina, expressed concern over cases of clandestine killings of Christians in remote parts of Plateau state by Islamic extremists and called on the federal government to retrieve sophisticated weapons in their possession.
"Even as I speak to you now, I am receiving reports that some clandestine killings are still going on in the remote areas of Plateau State by the fundamentalists," Damina reportedly said. "They pounce on Christians and kill them without anybody knowing much of their identity except that they are Christians."
He added that recently he visited the governor in Jos regarding the crisis and secured photos of Christian victims.
"Young men, Christians, were going to their farm to harvest their produce and the fundamentalists pounced on them," he said. "They were called infidels. At the last conference, we received reports with photographs of the fundamentalists using AK-47 rifles to destroy our churches. Where did they get the arms from? We have reports of truck loads of arms that had been intercepted, and we did not hear anything about them."
Monday, March 8, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-8-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. It is going to be one of the ten best days or, as Rodney indicated yesterday, maybe one of the five best. The Lord blessed us with His rich blessings yesterday in His House. Better is one day in His house than thousands elsewhere.
One of the readings for yesterday was Psalm 63. It is a is a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. We only know of two times that David was in the desert of Judah. The first was when he was on the run from Saul, and the second was when he was on the run from his own son, Absalom. Psalm 63 clearly describes the latter exile. In the midst of trouble King David remembers God’s consistent protection in the past, praises Him for His anticipated provision now, and renews his own trust in God’s loving providence for the future. He declares in Psalm 63 that he seeks for God, he thirsts for God, he longs for God, because His loving-kindness is better than life itself.
Psalm 63 is a song about satisfying the soul. Here it teaches us about true joy, the impeccable character of God, our confidence in Him, and how faith grows.
We notice that believers find their help and satisfaction in God, and in God alone (vv.1-2). “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth after thee, in a barren and dry land where no water is.”
We notice from Psalm 63 that believers make it a habit to praise the provision, protection, power, and providence of God (vv. 3-8). This praise involves recalling and retelling God’s mighty acts of redemption in the past, (verse 8) “Because thou hast been my helper; therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” This praise involves realizing God’s mighty acts of redemption, provision, protection now, (verse 5) “As long as I live I will magnify thee…and lift up my hands in thy name.” Furthermore, this habit of praise anticipates God’s mighty acts of rescue for the future, (verse 6) “My soul shall be satisfied…when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.”
One of our troubles is that we have forgotten what we were created and redeemed for. We tend to think that our purpose is to serve ourselves, that we are here for ourselves, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. We are here for Him. St. Paul reminds us in II Corinthians 5:15 that Christ died to save us so that we would live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again.
We further notice that believers are to exercise trust in the future faithfulness of the Lord (Psalm 63:9-12). It is the process of stepping out in faith. It is also known as living by faith and not by sight. David declared that, come what may, his fortunes would be tied to God: “My soul hangeth upon thee” (v. 9). God is faithful to His covenantal promises and will always, always, always do what He says He will do. In David’s case, it meant deliverance from his enemies. “These also that seek the hurt of my soul, they shall go under the earth” (v. 10). Even though things looked bad, David reasoned, he was still going to trust the Lord to deliver him. The Lord would deliver, not because of anything intrinsically valuable about David, but because God had sworn to protect him, and God always, always, always keeps His promises. David didn’t worry. He knew his enemies were near, yet he anticipated deliverance, and praised God for it in advance, because He knew God never fails.
In Romans we are reminded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus reminded us that in this world we have trouble, but we are not to fret because He has overcome the world. He also reminded us that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and that He would be with us always, even unto the end of the ages.
Job was able to say with confidence, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job. 13:15). Where does that kind of confidence in God come from? It comes, first of all, from knowing that the Lord always has the best in mind for each of us. It comes, secondly, from knowing that there is a life after this one in which all, including those things that I cannot make out now, will be clear. Third, it comes from knowing God never fails.
C. S. Lewis wrote: "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
C. Samuel Storms, in an article entitled, “Is Jesus Really Enough?” (Discipleship Journal, Issue 65) said, “I am persuaded that all of our problems are conceived and born in the sinful belief that something or someone other than Jesus Christ can quench the thirst of our souls.”
My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth for thee,
In a barren and dry land where no water is.
Whether we are in the land of Canaan or the desert of Judah, there is only one help, and only one being that can satisfy our agonizing thirst for significance. That one is the Lord who made heaven and earth.
In Jesus our Lord.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdUiKagWjU
Praise the Lord for this new day. It is going to be one of the ten best days or, as Rodney indicated yesterday, maybe one of the five best. The Lord blessed us with His rich blessings yesterday in His House. Better is one day in His house than thousands elsewhere.
One of the readings for yesterday was Psalm 63. It is a is a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. We only know of two times that David was in the desert of Judah. The first was when he was on the run from Saul, and the second was when he was on the run from his own son, Absalom. Psalm 63 clearly describes the latter exile. In the midst of trouble King David remembers God’s consistent protection in the past, praises Him for His anticipated provision now, and renews his own trust in God’s loving providence for the future. He declares in Psalm 63 that he seeks for God, he thirsts for God, he longs for God, because His loving-kindness is better than life itself.
Psalm 63 is a song about satisfying the soul. Here it teaches us about true joy, the impeccable character of God, our confidence in Him, and how faith grows.
We notice that believers find their help and satisfaction in God, and in God alone (vv.1-2). “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth after thee, in a barren and dry land where no water is.”
We notice from Psalm 63 that believers make it a habit to praise the provision, protection, power, and providence of God (vv. 3-8). This praise involves recalling and retelling God’s mighty acts of redemption in the past, (verse 8) “Because thou hast been my helper; therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” This praise involves realizing God’s mighty acts of redemption, provision, protection now, (verse 5) “As long as I live I will magnify thee…and lift up my hands in thy name.” Furthermore, this habit of praise anticipates God’s mighty acts of rescue for the future, (verse 6) “My soul shall be satisfied…when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.”
One of our troubles is that we have forgotten what we were created and redeemed for. We tend to think that our purpose is to serve ourselves, that we are here for ourselves, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. We are here for Him. St. Paul reminds us in II Corinthians 5:15 that Christ died to save us so that we would live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again.
We further notice that believers are to exercise trust in the future faithfulness of the Lord (Psalm 63:9-12). It is the process of stepping out in faith. It is also known as living by faith and not by sight. David declared that, come what may, his fortunes would be tied to God: “My soul hangeth upon thee” (v. 9). God is faithful to His covenantal promises and will always, always, always do what He says He will do. In David’s case, it meant deliverance from his enemies. “These also that seek the hurt of my soul, they shall go under the earth” (v. 10). Even though things looked bad, David reasoned, he was still going to trust the Lord to deliver him. The Lord would deliver, not because of anything intrinsically valuable about David, but because God had sworn to protect him, and God always, always, always keeps His promises. David didn’t worry. He knew his enemies were near, yet he anticipated deliverance, and praised God for it in advance, because He knew God never fails.
In Romans we are reminded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus reminded us that in this world we have trouble, but we are not to fret because He has overcome the world. He also reminded us that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and that He would be with us always, even unto the end of the ages.
Job was able to say with confidence, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job. 13:15). Where does that kind of confidence in God come from? It comes, first of all, from knowing that the Lord always has the best in mind for each of us. It comes, secondly, from knowing that there is a life after this one in which all, including those things that I cannot make out now, will be clear. Third, it comes from knowing God never fails.
C. S. Lewis wrote: "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
C. Samuel Storms, in an article entitled, “Is Jesus Really Enough?” (Discipleship Journal, Issue 65) said, “I am persuaded that all of our problems are conceived and born in the sinful belief that something or someone other than Jesus Christ can quench the thirst of our souls.”
My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth for thee,
In a barren and dry land where no water is.
Whether we are in the land of Canaan or the desert of Judah, there is only one help, and only one being that can satisfy our agonizing thirst for significance. That one is the Lord who made heaven and earth.
In Jesus our Lord.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdUiKagWjU
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