Brown's Daily Word 8-27-10

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for these the last days of August. It is going to be brilliant and beautiful, both today and through the end of the month. Alice and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary on the 23 rd of August. We celebrated with Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, going out for Thai food. We spent the last few days in Boston with our most favorite grandchildren Micah and Simeon. Janice and Jeremy are expecting a little girl, who is expected to be born in January next year. We praise the Lord for all His blessings.
Getting to Boston we experienced torrential winds, downpours of rain, and hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. When we arrived 3 hours late, we saw that Micah had fallen asleep with her face on a book and her flashlight still shining. We spent some time riding the train in the city of Boston. Micah is city savvy and Simeon is fearless. Micah knows the train stations by name, in order. Micah and Simeon love to spend time visiting the Jamaica pond (where they walk around), Walden Pond (where they swim), the Boston Common, and the Public Garden. They love the beautiful children's parks and playgrounds, as well. They also love to visit the Children's Science Museum and the New England Aquarium. So, while we are in Boston, we get to visit these same places and see them through the eyes of the children.
Sunita and Andy will celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary on the first day of September. They are flying to Oregon today for few days of vacation, visiting dear friends whom them met in Africa.
We will gather for our monthly gathering at Grace Cafe (Wesley Church) tomorrow at 5:30 PM for food and fellowship. Our dear Brother in Christ, Dave Ring, will give his testimony. We will gather for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 at Union Center and at 9:30 AM at Wesley. Praise the Lord for the joy of worshipping Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
As human beings, we lay great store by last words. We cherish them and we may even write them down somewhere. We certainly store them in our hearts. In 1 Chronicles chapters 28-29 we have recorded for us the last words of King David. David has been on the throne for 40 years, many of which had been troublesome. At the end of his days he looked back over his life. He spoke to Solomon, his son and successor, and to the people of Israel for the last time. Standing before David were hundreds of officials, military men, and his sons. Each face would, no doubt, have brought back to David a memory. It may have been a memory of a battle fought, of a decision made, or of a child born. Yet, when he cast his mind back over his lifetime, one thing which came to the fore, that is that David desired with all his heart to build the Temple, a house of God for God. At the end of his life there lay this unfulfilled desire, this frustrated ambition still beating in his heart. Then very simply he stated, "But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'” David greatly desired to do a great thing for God. He dreamed of building a magnificent Temple, a place where the Ark of God could rest and God’s glory could be seen. Nowhere do we read that this was a selfish ambition on David's part. We never read that it was for his own glory or posterity that he desired to build the Temple.
What happens to our dreams when God says ‘No’ to them? What happens to our soul and our service when God says ‘No’ to our dreams/desires? It would have been very easy for David to allow this disappointment to eat into his heart and soul. It would have been almost a natural reaction for him to become bitter about it. It easily could have affected his service for God, but it didn’t and this very fact revealed his heart – a heart after God’s heart.
It is never easy to lay aside cherished dreams and ambitions or plans we have to do great things for the Lord. It is never easy to do all the preparation for someone else to carry out our dream (in David's case, to build the Temple), but David did it because it was God’s will. There is a blessing which comes from frustrated dreams. That blessing is knowing God’s will for your life. Through the experiences of his life David knew that the times were in God’s hands. Therefore the waves would not overwhelm him, the hurricanes would not uproot his soul, and the floods would not drown him because God was in control. Instead, the waves, the hurricane, and the floods would form and fashion his heart so that it desired to be obedient and faithful to God in any and every circumstance. That was the reward for frustrated dreams and desires. It was not easy but it was a blessing. David understood that God's timing is perfect. Results are not important. My name on the foundation stone of the Temple is not important. What is important is that I know God, I know his will for my life and I obey it. As Christians we must learn the blessings of frustrated dreams and desires. They are often frustrated by God to bring us closer to himself, to reveal his plan for our lives, and to shape and fashion our hearts so that they would be after his heart.

In Christ,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdUiKagWjU


Saturday Evening Worship Services.

Every Saturday at 6:30 PM
Beginning Saturday, September 18, 2010
Location: First United Methodist Church,
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, New York.
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church.
Pastor: Rev. Brown Naik

The first of our Saturday evening worship services will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 6:30 PM, with Rev. Earle Cowden will preaching. The Worship and Praise Band from Davis College will be leading in worship. Ministry for the youth and the children will be provided. The public is invited to join us. For information call: 607-748-6329. 607-427-9098