Good morning,
Praise the Lord for His Word. Praise the Lord for the way He allowed for us to see the failures and frailties in the lives of His anointed and chosen ones such as the first king of Israel, Saul. What can we all learn from Saul and his dealing’s with David and Michal? We perceive that jealousy, when allowed to continue unchecked, will grow, fester, and eventually cause a person to make choices which otherwise would never be made. "Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?" (Prov. 27:4).
Jealousy and the Christian life are like oil and water — they cannot mix! You cannot experience the fullness of life in the Spirit while jealousy in stains your heart. The apostle Paul said, “because there is jealousy and quarreling among you, this shows that you are not spiritual.” (1 Cor. 3:3 — NCV). Jealousy may very well be one of the most divisive and successful tools in Satan’s toolbox. There are so many ways Satan can use jealousy against us.
For example, after young David killed giant Goliath, the arch enemy of the Israelites, David was propelled to place of prominence and fame, provoking King Saul in to psychotic jealousy. The Bible records in 1 Samuel, about the marriage between David and Michal, the daughter of Saul. David’s marriage into Saul’s family did nothing to ease or abate Saul’s jealousy over David's accomplishments. It is quite apparent from the Biblical record that Saul’s jealousy continued to grow to the point that he openly made an attempt upon David’s life.
We don't have to “read between the lines” to see Michal’s love for David. When she learned of her father’s plan to take her husband’s life (probably from Saul’s servants, still loyal to her) she informed David of the impending danger. Moreover, she helps him by offering a plan of escape, by letting David down through a window. Her love for David was strong even though Saul gave her to another man in marriage. It is probably safe to say that she didn't give him up over night, and that it may have taken years for her to accept her new husband and grow to love him. Years later, David turned her world upside down again and, it would appear, Michal came once again “under David’s control.”
David triumphed over all his foreign enemies and established Jerusalem as the political capital of the nation. He succeeded in bringing the ark of the covenant to they city of Jerusalem, making it the nation’s religious capital. David was filled with joy, rejoicing over his victory and bringing of the ark to Jerusalem. In his delight and celebration, he led the procession of priests who were carrying the ark through the streets, and for this, David had taken off his royal robes. Michal watched him from one of the palace windows, and as she watched she was overcome by feelings of bitterness and contempt. It is written that she despised him in her heart. When the opportunity presented itself, Michal condemned David’s action, stating that He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself! (vs. 20).
It is likely that this isolated event was not the sole cause of Michal’s bitterness and contempt. More than likely, it had been building up for years, beginning first when she was betrayed by her father, and climaxing when she was pulled away from her second husband, Paltiel. How betrayed she must have felt, to be treated as an object by both her father and her first love. How helpless she must have felt. She had no control over her own life and no trust in the men who had showed themselves so willing to misuse her. Yet the real tragedy was yet to come!
The real tragedy in Michal’s life is the fact that her bitterness became so intense that it separated her from God. The true tragedy is not that Michal became a victim of men but that, in her pain, Michal lost sight of God’s grace. Her bitterness, in the end, caused her to be childless. She likely lived the rest of her life in loneliness and bitterness, very unhappily.
We all know that oil and water don't mix. The same is true for bitterness and God - the two simply don't mix! There is simply no room in a Christian’s heart for bitterness. The Spirit and bitterness can't co-exist! Paul said, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Bitterness can separate us from God. Bitterness can separate us from God’s forgiveness. Bitterness can cause us a life of loneliness and despair. Bitterness can cost us our soul! "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled "(Hebrews 12:14-15).
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KsfwvpcQhY
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 6-3-10
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day!
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful and joyful gathering for our mid-week service last evening. We have started a summer children's ministry that meets simultaneously with the grown ups that meet for fellowship and study. Praise the Lord for the way we can live under His authority and serve Him as our Lord and Savior.
As we live our lives on earth we discover very quickly that this life is not a play- ground, but rather it is a battleground. The Good News that we have is that the battle belongs to the Lord. We all love the story of young David the giant Goliath as it is recorded in 1 Samuel 17.
We all have been to the place where we have found it necessary to deal with giants. We have faced such giants as worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, or insecurity. No matter which giants we have faced, we have wandered through dry valleys looking for answers, and sometimes we have come up empty. This leaves us feeling a lot like David as he stood in the intimidating shadow of Goliath. David physically faced the giant Goliath, but we face giants of our own all the time, whether they are mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature. David lived by a simple principle to defeat the giants in his life. HE HAD NOTHING TO PROVE AND NOTHING TO LOSE.
David realized that everything that he was and everything that he had belonged completely to God. Even as he stood on the battlefield, he was there under the authority and direction of God. He did not go there to impress Saul or Goliath, his brothers, or his friends. His purpose was not to prove anything to any of Saul’s soldiers who were probably bigger and stronger than he was. So, why was he there? David was there fighting that battle because someone was standing there disgracing the Living God. Only David was ready to stand against that. He had nothing to prove and nothing to lose.
The Israelites and Philistines had met in the Valley of Elah to wage battle. The Israelites were on one side of the valley and the Philistines on the other, and each had a battle line. If one side wanted to relay a message to the enemy or taunt them without having to attack them, they would send a soldier to the battle line to do that. Everyday for 40 days, a Philistine named Goliath would step out of his ranks, go to the battle line, and he would talk trash to Israel. Saul and his soldiers were terrified. For 40 days, twice a day, Goliath would put on a show, and Saul and his men, according to verses 23-24, ran away in fear. The way Saul approached this giant was entirely different from the way David would approach him.
There appears to be a sharp contrast in the prevailing attitudes about how to battle a giant. Notice that Saul kept putting it off, and the longer he delayed, the more intimidated he became. The more intimidated the Israelites became, the harder the problem became for them to handle. It’s the same when we battle our giants. We wake up every morning and walk to the battle line. We look across the valley and see the intimidating problem standing there. Day after day, the more we delay in battling the giant, the more intimidating the problem becomes, and the harder it is to handle later. David, however, showed up, surveyed the situation, saw a black-spot, and did some immediate housecleaning. By the next morning, the Israelites would not have that giant to worry about any longer.
David could fight this battle because he had nothing to prove and nothing to lose. David fully realized what was at stake in fighting Goliath. He knew that one wrong move could cost his life. Undoubtedly he was very nervous when he was walking down the hill and noticing that this giant appeared to be getting bigger and bigger. But David could not forget that Goliath was making a disgrace of God and His people, and David would not stand for that. You see, David did not go to the valley of Elah expecting a battle. He went because he was sent by his father to check up on his three older brothers who were soldiers in the army. David, more than likely, had no idea who Goliath was. Yet, that’s the way it is with giants that we must battle. We never expect them; they just show up. David fought with nothing to prove and nothing to lose.
Verses 45 ff tell us David and Goliath approached each other in battle, each with his own weapons. David four times expressed his trust in the Lord before, during, and after the battle. Finally, he defeated the giant because he trusted in God to show him the unique way that God wanted him to fight this battle. All of the odds had been against David, as he went against someone more than twice his size covered in full body armor, and all David had were five smooth stones and a slingshot. But NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ABILITY OF A HEART COMMITTED TO GOD. David was committed to the Lord and God used him in a way that would change him forever.
Senator Mark Hatfield wrote of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the “House of Dying.” It is a home where sick children are cared for in their last days and where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Hatfield watched Mother Teresa and her companions care for those who had been left by others to die and he remembers being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the suffering they faced everyday. Hatfield approached Mother Teresa and said, “How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?” Mother Teresa responded, “Senator, I’m not called to be successful. I’m simply called to be faithful.”
All of the giants that we battle are designed to bring us closer to God. We cannot go into battle to build up an impressive record of wins or go thinking that we’ll fight the battle under our own strength. This is simply a call from God to stand up to the giants in our lives, and to be faithful to him as we battle. We need to echo the call of David, “…the battle belongs to the Lord.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8U58vfOoc
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful and joyful gathering for our mid-week service last evening. We have started a summer children's ministry that meets simultaneously with the grown ups that meet for fellowship and study. Praise the Lord for the way we can live under His authority and serve Him as our Lord and Savior.
As we live our lives on earth we discover very quickly that this life is not a play- ground, but rather it is a battleground. The Good News that we have is that the battle belongs to the Lord. We all love the story of young David the giant Goliath as it is recorded in 1 Samuel 17.
We all have been to the place where we have found it necessary to deal with giants. We have faced such giants as worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, or insecurity. No matter which giants we have faced, we have wandered through dry valleys looking for answers, and sometimes we have come up empty. This leaves us feeling a lot like David as he stood in the intimidating shadow of Goliath. David physically faced the giant Goliath, but we face giants of our own all the time, whether they are mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature. David lived by a simple principle to defeat the giants in his life. HE HAD NOTHING TO PROVE AND NOTHING TO LOSE.
David realized that everything that he was and everything that he had belonged completely to God. Even as he stood on the battlefield, he was there under the authority and direction of God. He did not go there to impress Saul or Goliath, his brothers, or his friends. His purpose was not to prove anything to any of Saul’s soldiers who were probably bigger and stronger than he was. So, why was he there? David was there fighting that battle because someone was standing there disgracing the Living God. Only David was ready to stand against that. He had nothing to prove and nothing to lose.
The Israelites and Philistines had met in the Valley of Elah to wage battle. The Israelites were on one side of the valley and the Philistines on the other, and each had a battle line. If one side wanted to relay a message to the enemy or taunt them without having to attack them, they would send a soldier to the battle line to do that. Everyday for 40 days, a Philistine named Goliath would step out of his ranks, go to the battle line, and he would talk trash to Israel. Saul and his soldiers were terrified. For 40 days, twice a day, Goliath would put on a show, and Saul and his men, according to verses 23-24, ran away in fear. The way Saul approached this giant was entirely different from the way David would approach him.
There appears to be a sharp contrast in the prevailing attitudes about how to battle a giant. Notice that Saul kept putting it off, and the longer he delayed, the more intimidated he became. The more intimidated the Israelites became, the harder the problem became for them to handle. It’s the same when we battle our giants. We wake up every morning and walk to the battle line. We look across the valley and see the intimidating problem standing there. Day after day, the more we delay in battling the giant, the more intimidating the problem becomes, and the harder it is to handle later. David, however, showed up, surveyed the situation, saw a black-spot, and did some immediate housecleaning. By the next morning, the Israelites would not have that giant to worry about any longer.
David could fight this battle because he had nothing to prove and nothing to lose. David fully realized what was at stake in fighting Goliath. He knew that one wrong move could cost his life. Undoubtedly he was very nervous when he was walking down the hill and noticing that this giant appeared to be getting bigger and bigger. But David could not forget that Goliath was making a disgrace of God and His people, and David would not stand for that. You see, David did not go to the valley of Elah expecting a battle. He went because he was sent by his father to check up on his three older brothers who were soldiers in the army. David, more than likely, had no idea who Goliath was. Yet, that’s the way it is with giants that we must battle. We never expect them; they just show up. David fought with nothing to prove and nothing to lose.
Verses 45 ff tell us David and Goliath approached each other in battle, each with his own weapons. David four times expressed his trust in the Lord before, during, and after the battle. Finally, he defeated the giant because he trusted in God to show him the unique way that God wanted him to fight this battle. All of the odds had been against David, as he went against someone more than twice his size covered in full body armor, and all David had were five smooth stones and a slingshot. But NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ABILITY OF A HEART COMMITTED TO GOD. David was committed to the Lord and God used him in a way that would change him forever.
Senator Mark Hatfield wrote of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the “House of Dying.” It is a home where sick children are cared for in their last days and where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Hatfield watched Mother Teresa and her companions care for those who had been left by others to die and he remembers being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the suffering they faced everyday. Hatfield approached Mother Teresa and said, “How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?” Mother Teresa responded, “Senator, I’m not called to be successful. I’m simply called to be faithful.”
All of the giants that we battle are designed to bring us closer to God. We cannot go into battle to build up an impressive record of wins or go thinking that we’ll fight the battle under our own strength. This is simply a call from God to stand up to the giants in our lives, and to be faithful to him as we battle. We need to echo the call of David, “…the battle belongs to the Lord.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8U58vfOoc
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 6-2-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. It is going to be brilliant today, with bountiful sunshine. Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon spent a few days in Vermont with our friends Warren and Linda Ayer. Janice and Jeremy ran part of the Burlington Marathon. Even little Micah ran a half mile race for four to seven-year-olds. Her parents are teaching her about rock climbing. Alice and Laureen joined them for few days, and then I drove up on Sunday and joined them for a couple of days. The Lord blessed us wonderfully.
The reading for last Sunday was taken from Romans 5:1-5. The first result of receiving God's justification is that the sinner secures peace with God. It should be noted that this peace is not like worldly peace. It does not mean some quiet atmosphere or the absence of trouble. The peace that is secured by being justified, leads to having the sense and knowledge one's relationship with God has indeed been restored. Having been counted righteous by faith in Christ, man now knows that he is no longer alienated and separated from God; he is now accepted by the Father as His child. This peace with God includes being freed from fearing God’s wrath and judgment, knowing that as he continues in faith he remains pleasing to God.
The second result of justification is the blessing of having access into the grace of God. In this passage grace is looked upon as a place or a position. Grace is a place to which we are brought, a position in which we are placed. It is the place of God’s presence where we are positioned in Christ and His salvation. It is in that place of grace that we stand in the favor, the privileges, and all the promises of God.
The third result of justification is hope. The text says that "the hope of the believer is for the glory of God." When Scripture speaks of the believer’s hope, it does not mean what the world means by hope. The hope of the world is desire, expectation, and want for whatever can be possessed. The hope of the believer is a guarantee; it is a perfect assurance, confidence and knowledge. Moreover, the believer’s hope is sustained as an inward possession by the presence of God’s Spirit who dwells within each true believer. The hope of glory is provided only by the Spirit of God, as He abides in the one who believes in Jesus Christ. The hope of glory will see the dying person take his last few breaths in this life with a smile of joy; he knows beyond any doubt that in the twinkling of an eye he will be present with the Lord upon his passing.
The fourth result of justification is the ability to glory in trials and sufferings. When a man is truly justified, he is no longer defeated by trials and sufferings. Trials and sufferings no longer discourage and swamp him, no longer cast him down into the dungeon of despair and hopelessness. The very opposite is true. Trials and sufferings become purposeful and meaningful, in that the believer understands that they are allowed by God for the purpose of refining faith and producing character. As the storm of any trial begins to rage, the believer remains confident that his life and welfare remain in God’s sovereign care and under His watchful eye. He perceives trials and testing as the means in which perseverance, character, and hope are both sustained and strengthened.
It is written in Romans 1:5, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." The man or woman who has been justified enjoys the continuous experience of God’s love through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God in our hearts; He matures us in the love of God, and He increases our understanding of what God has done and is doing for us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMCOyY0Rlus
Praise the Lord for this new day. It is going to be brilliant today, with bountiful sunshine. Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon spent a few days in Vermont with our friends Warren and Linda Ayer. Janice and Jeremy ran part of the Burlington Marathon. Even little Micah ran a half mile race for four to seven-year-olds. Her parents are teaching her about rock climbing. Alice and Laureen joined them for few days, and then I drove up on Sunday and joined them for a couple of days. The Lord blessed us wonderfully.
The reading for last Sunday was taken from Romans 5:1-5. The first result of receiving God's justification is that the sinner secures peace with God. It should be noted that this peace is not like worldly peace. It does not mean some quiet atmosphere or the absence of trouble. The peace that is secured by being justified, leads to having the sense and knowledge one's relationship with God has indeed been restored. Having been counted righteous by faith in Christ, man now knows that he is no longer alienated and separated from God; he is now accepted by the Father as His child. This peace with God includes being freed from fearing God’s wrath and judgment, knowing that as he continues in faith he remains pleasing to God.
The second result of justification is the blessing of having access into the grace of God. In this passage grace is looked upon as a place or a position. Grace is a place to which we are brought, a position in which we are placed. It is the place of God’s presence where we are positioned in Christ and His salvation. It is in that place of grace that we stand in the favor, the privileges, and all the promises of God.
The third result of justification is hope. The text says that "the hope of the believer is for the glory of God." When Scripture speaks of the believer’s hope, it does not mean what the world means by hope. The hope of the world is desire, expectation, and want for whatever can be possessed. The hope of the believer is a guarantee; it is a perfect assurance, confidence and knowledge. Moreover, the believer’s hope is sustained as an inward possession by the presence of God’s Spirit who dwells within each true believer. The hope of glory is provided only by the Spirit of God, as He abides in the one who believes in Jesus Christ. The hope of glory will see the dying person take his last few breaths in this life with a smile of joy; he knows beyond any doubt that in the twinkling of an eye he will be present with the Lord upon his passing.
The fourth result of justification is the ability to glory in trials and sufferings. When a man is truly justified, he is no longer defeated by trials and sufferings. Trials and sufferings no longer discourage and swamp him, no longer cast him down into the dungeon of despair and hopelessness. The very opposite is true. Trials and sufferings become purposeful and meaningful, in that the believer understands that they are allowed by God for the purpose of refining faith and producing character. As the storm of any trial begins to rage, the believer remains confident that his life and welfare remain in God’s sovereign care and under His watchful eye. He perceives trials and testing as the means in which perseverance, character, and hope are both sustained and strengthened.
It is written in Romans 1:5, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." The man or woman who has been justified enjoys the continuous experience of God’s love through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God in our hearts; He matures us in the love of God, and He increases our understanding of what God has done and is doing for us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMCOyY0Rlus
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