Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this first day of October. It is going to be very blessed weekend, for our Lord has ordained it. This evening there will be a great gathering for celebration and thanksgiving at Davis College. Governor Mike Huckabee will be the keynote Speaker.
Those who live in the area join us for our weekly TV outreach on Time Warner Cable Channel 4 at 7 PM. Some of our people will be involved in the luncheon ministry tomorrow at noon at the First United Methodist Church, Endicott. We will meet for coffee and fellowship at 6 PM and for worship at 6 PM at the First UMC Endicott. Pastor Terry Steenburg will be preaching. Dave Berry and the team will be involved in the music ministry. There will be special ministry for the children and the youth. On Sunday we will meet for worship at 8:30 and 11:00 at Union Center UMC and at 9:30AM at the Wesley UMC.
Our granddaughter Micah loves to sing Hymns and praise songs. One of the hymns she sings is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". This hymn has some very big words. The first verse reads, “Come thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount--I’m fixed upon it--Mount of thy redeeming love." It continues (though Micah doesn't know these words yet), "Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by thy help I’m come. And I hope by thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home.”
That line from the hymn, the name Ebenezer, comes from a single Old Testament verse. I hope that after today, whenever you are overwhelmed by life or tempted to give up in discouragement, you will repeat this strange word to yourself—Ebenezer! People may think you are crazy, but I guarantee if you can say Ebenezer with meaning you will never be the same. To mark the occasion of the great military victory and the day of their great return to faith, Samuel raised a memorial marker. From that day on, whoever saw the marker would be reminded of the great events of the day. Samuel gave the marker a name. He called it Ebenezer, a term that meant “the help of the Lord.” “Thus far has the LORD helped us,” he said.
Memory is an amazing thing. Psychologists tell us that we never really forget anything. Every experience, both good and bad, is filed securely in our mental memory banks. Sometimes we forget where we put it, but it is still there. The memories of the hard times remain. So can the memory of God’s faithfulness. That was Samuel’s challenge. He wanted his people to not only remember what they had been through, but he also wanted them to never forget the Lord who had seen them through it.
God has helped us. He was helping us in the good times. He was with us in the hard times. He will continue to come alongside and help us in all the times of our lives if we remember Him.
Robert Louis Stevenson, in one of his stories, tells of a passenger ship crossing the Atlantic. It encountered a harsh storm that threatened to overwhelm the ship. The captain ordered the passengers below while the crew battled the storm above. At one point, the passengers grew impatient. They hadn’t heard a word from the bridge in the longest time. Finally, a volunteer ventured out to see how things were going. A short time later, the man returned to the huddled passengers. “Did you see the captain? What did he say? Are we going to make it?” The messenger responded, ‘I didn’t talk to the captain. But I saw him. He looked at me and smiled. All is well!” And that was enough!
In the midst of our heartache and loss, the God of heaven smiled. The storm still raged, but our Captain smiled. All is well. Here we raise our Ebenezer. Thus far, the Lord has helped us.
One of the Old Testament Psalms sang of this help. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121)
Here we raise our Ebenezer. Thus far, the Lord has helped us!
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG5ZhFN1DXk
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 9-30-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last day of September. Fall foliage has been beautiful, and glorious. Today, up to four inches have been forecast to fall across northeastern Pennsylvania and in New York's southern tier. The deluge is anticipated to bring flash flooding to some of the smaller streams in the area. Feast or famine . . . we had quite a hot, dry, summer and now we are getting the showers of blessing to replenish the earth.
Alice and I have been invited to attend the dinner gathering at Davis College, this coming Friday at 6PM, where Governor Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker. Please pray for all of the organizers and participants. Also, pray for the Saturday evening outreach service at First UMC Endicott at 6:30 PM. Pastor Terry Steenburg will be preaching, and Dave Berry and company will be leading the music.
Praise the Lord for the glorious promises we have from the Word of the Lord for our lives as live and serve the Lord day by day. Indeed our Lord is Almighty and all merciful. I love these words from the Book of Jude, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy . . .” Throughout the book we are told again and again of our Lord's capacity. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past"
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us"
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we can never and will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can do all of these things and more! “To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior. Glory describes his worth; majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is his. It belongs to him. Nothing and no one has a right to any of this.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority", through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Praise the Lord for this last day of September. Fall foliage has been beautiful, and glorious. Today, up to four inches have been forecast to fall across northeastern Pennsylvania and in New York's southern tier. The deluge is anticipated to bring flash flooding to some of the smaller streams in the area. Feast or famine . . . we had quite a hot, dry, summer and now we are getting the showers of blessing to replenish the earth.
Alice and I have been invited to attend the dinner gathering at Davis College, this coming Friday at 6PM, where Governor Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker. Please pray for all of the organizers and participants. Also, pray for the Saturday evening outreach service at First UMC Endicott at 6:30 PM. Pastor Terry Steenburg will be preaching, and Dave Berry and company will be leading the music.
Praise the Lord for the glorious promises we have from the Word of the Lord for our lives as live and serve the Lord day by day. Indeed our Lord is Almighty and all merciful. I love these words from the Book of Jude, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy . . .” Throughout the book we are told again and again of our Lord's capacity. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past"
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us"
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we can never and will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can do all of these things and more! “To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior. Glory describes his worth; majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is his. It belongs to him. Nothing and no one has a right to any of this.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority", through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 9-28-10
Praise the Lord for this awesome Autumn Day . Praise the Lord for the way He alone decorates His earth with beautiful and brilliant colors. Praise the Lord for His Church which the beautiful Bride of Christ. Somebody has well said that, " Volunteer is the language of the club; servant is the language of the Kingdom". May the Lord of the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit propel us to be His servants in His Kingdom. May the Lord grant us His abundant joy as we continue to worship and serve Him, through prayer, and through giving of our time, talent and treasure. Our Lord makes all things beautiful.
On Sunday, July 4, 2010, our dear friend Dave Coles preached a sermon based on Mary and Martha. We are called to remember why we are doing what we are doing. (Luke 10:41-42) In verse 41 Jesus responded to Martha, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Jesus responded with great tenderness. Notice first that Jesus did not rebuke her for making preparations for Him and the other guests. He did not reject Martha’s attempt to serve Him. Martha’s problem was not that she was preparing food for her guests to eat; this was necessary. However, she gave too much importance to it. Today we still have to be careful that we do not let the "necessary" things get out of balance and distort our lives.
The core of Martha’s problem was that she tried to impose her value system on Mary. Note that Jesus did not tell Martha to do what Mary was doing. It was Martha’s attitude that needed correction, but Martha’s work was both good and necessary. The reality is that as believers today we need to cultivate both the Martha and the Mary in each of us.
Martha came to Jesus because she wanted Him to lighten load that day. He did what she wanted but not in the way that she had expected. He lightened her load not by having Mary help her, but by giving her a new perspective on her work. When we forget why we are doing what we are doing we can get turned upside down, and we may end up feeling overworked and unappreciated. I heard Dr. Mark Hollingsworth make the statement, “If we forget God while serving God we will probably quit God!” When we keep our attitude right we find that God will enable us to do what “needs” to be done with joy and satisfaction. Unless we take time to spend time with Jesus personally and privately, we will soon end up like Martha - busy but not blessed.
Martha was not wrong nor was Mary. It was a case of where one did well and the other did better. The Christian life is learning to balance duty and devotion. Sitting without serving is powerless. Serving without sitting is directionless. Serving after sitting produces power and balance.
One of the two greatest confessions concerning the person of Jesus Christ was given by Martha and recorded in John 11:27, the other was given by Peter recorded in Matthew 16:16. The setting for Martha’s confession was following the death of her brother Lazarus. Jesus had arrived and was seeking to comfort her and He told her, “I am the resurrection and the life and He who believe in me will never die.” In turn he asked Martha if she believed this. Her response was one of the greatest confessions of all time, for Martha replied, “ Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.” She evidently had overcome her propensity toward distraction long enough and had sat at the feet of Jesus enough to grow into a woman of profound faith.
We also have more recorded about her sister Mary. We meet Mary two more times, in Scripture, and each time she was at the feet of Jesus. In John chapter twelve in what is one of the most moving pictures of sacrificial worship recorded in scripture we are told, “Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany… (2) There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. (3) Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”
She was severely criticized by at least one apostle and possibly others for her action. Did she quit because of the criticism? No. She was one of the women at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection. When you sit at the feet of Jesus you learn not to quit because of hard feelings. You learn to turn the other cheek and go on. In Matthew 26:13 we find that Jesus had these words of compliment to say concerning this act of Mary, “… wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
These two passages, concerning Martha’s confession and Mary’s worship, give evidence that both these sisters achieved the balance between duty and devotion.
The question remains, “What about us?” Will we just take a moment to reflect? Where is our focus? Have we been giving ourselves to non-essentials – things that are here today but tossed out tomorrow?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X43XXpItGk0
Weekly: Saturday Evening Worship Service
To be held at: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinney Avenue
Endicott, New York
The Worship service is sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, NY
An evening worship services will be held on Saturday October 2 , 2010 at 6:30 PM. Rev. Terry Steinberg will preaching. Dave Berry and the team will minister in music . Ministry for the youth and children will be provided. We will gather for coffee and fellowship at 6 PM. The public is invited to join us. For information call: (607)-748-6329 or (607)-427-9098.
On Sunday, July 4, 2010, our dear friend Dave Coles preached a sermon based on Mary and Martha. We are called to remember why we are doing what we are doing. (Luke 10:41-42) In verse 41 Jesus responded to Martha, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Jesus responded with great tenderness. Notice first that Jesus did not rebuke her for making preparations for Him and the other guests. He did not reject Martha’s attempt to serve Him. Martha’s problem was not that she was preparing food for her guests to eat; this was necessary. However, she gave too much importance to it. Today we still have to be careful that we do not let the "necessary" things get out of balance and distort our lives.
The core of Martha’s problem was that she tried to impose her value system on Mary. Note that Jesus did not tell Martha to do what Mary was doing. It was Martha’s attitude that needed correction, but Martha’s work was both good and necessary. The reality is that as believers today we need to cultivate both the Martha and the Mary in each of us.
Martha came to Jesus because she wanted Him to lighten load that day. He did what she wanted but not in the way that she had expected. He lightened her load not by having Mary help her, but by giving her a new perspective on her work. When we forget why we are doing what we are doing we can get turned upside down, and we may end up feeling overworked and unappreciated. I heard Dr. Mark Hollingsworth make the statement, “If we forget God while serving God we will probably quit God!” When we keep our attitude right we find that God will enable us to do what “needs” to be done with joy and satisfaction. Unless we take time to spend time with Jesus personally and privately, we will soon end up like Martha - busy but not blessed.
Martha was not wrong nor was Mary. It was a case of where one did well and the other did better. The Christian life is learning to balance duty and devotion. Sitting without serving is powerless. Serving without sitting is directionless. Serving after sitting produces power and balance.
One of the two greatest confessions concerning the person of Jesus Christ was given by Martha and recorded in John 11:27, the other was given by Peter recorded in Matthew 16:16. The setting for Martha’s confession was following the death of her brother Lazarus. Jesus had arrived and was seeking to comfort her and He told her, “I am the resurrection and the life and He who believe in me will never die.” In turn he asked Martha if she believed this. Her response was one of the greatest confessions of all time, for Martha replied, “ Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.” She evidently had overcome her propensity toward distraction long enough and had sat at the feet of Jesus enough to grow into a woman of profound faith.
We also have more recorded about her sister Mary. We meet Mary two more times, in Scripture, and each time she was at the feet of Jesus. In John chapter twelve in what is one of the most moving pictures of sacrificial worship recorded in scripture we are told, “Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany… (2) There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. (3) Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”
She was severely criticized by at least one apostle and possibly others for her action. Did she quit because of the criticism? No. She was one of the women at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection. When you sit at the feet of Jesus you learn not to quit because of hard feelings. You learn to turn the other cheek and go on. In Matthew 26:13 we find that Jesus had these words of compliment to say concerning this act of Mary, “… wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
These two passages, concerning Martha’s confession and Mary’s worship, give evidence that both these sisters achieved the balance between duty and devotion.
The question remains, “What about us?” Will we just take a moment to reflect? Where is our focus? Have we been giving ourselves to non-essentials – things that are here today but tossed out tomorrow?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X43XXpItGk0
Weekly: Saturday Evening Worship Service
To be held at: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinney Avenue
Endicott, New York
The Worship service is sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, NY
An evening worship services will be held on Saturday October 2 , 2010 at 6:30 PM. Rev. Terry Steinberg will preaching. Dave Berry and the team will minister in music . Ministry for the youth and children will be provided. We will gather for coffee and fellowship at 6 PM. The public is invited to join us. For information call: (607)-748-6329 or (607)-427-9098.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 9-27-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Monday in September. The Lord blessed with a full weekend of worship, witness, and fellowship. The Lord blessed us during our Saturday Evening worship. As one man struggling with drug addiction walked in to the church, our people welcomed him. He said he needed a miracle then and there. Our people prayed with him, trusting in the power of Jesus to set the captives free. One of the young man gave the testimony yesterday during morning worship that he has been free of drugs for one year. This young man also has been dabbling with Eastern religions like the Hare Krishna movement. He has recommitted his life to Christ. You can see the Joy of Jesus in him. The Lord has freed him and has cleansed him. Praise the Lord.
Thank you for praying for us for the Saturday evening services at the historic First United Methodist church in down town Endicott. We praise the Lord for the way He is raising laborers in His vineyard. Our Lord is so faithful.
The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from Luke 16:19 ff, the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The Lord tells the story of the rich man who never met his neighbor. He might have seen him from a distance, but never noticed him and never took time to really meet him.
Erwin Lutzer, pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago wrote a book entitled, “One Minute After You Die”. In it he said, “One minute after you slip behind the parted curtain you will either be enjoying a personal welcome from Christ or catching your first glimpse of gloom as you have never known it. Either way, your future will be irrevocably fixed and eternally unchangeable…. those who find themselves in heaven will be surrounded with friends whom they have known on earth… Every description of heaven they have heard will pale in the light of reality. All this, forever.
"Others – indeed many others - will be shrouded in darkness, a region of deprivation, and unending regret. There, with all their memories and feeling fully intact, images of their life on earth will return to haunt them. They will think back to their friends, family and relatives; they will brood over opportunities they squandered and intuitively know that their future is both hopeless and unending. For them death will be far worse then they imagined.
"And so while relatives and friends plan your funeral – deciding on a casket, a burial plot, and who the pallbearers will be – you will be more alive than you have ever been. You will either see God on His throne surrounded by His angels and redeemed humanity, or you will be feel an indescribable weight of guilt and abandonment. There is no destination midway between these two extremes; just gladness and gloom.” [ Erwin W. Lutzer. “One Minute After You Die.” (Chicago: Moody, 1997) pp. 9-10]
In Luke 16 beginning with verse nineteen we find the story of rich man and Lazarus. Jesus tells a story that gives us a glimpse into life on the other side of death. This story is unique to the Book of Luke and is the only one where we find these characters. There is a huge contrast being drawn here between the life of the Rich Man and Lazarus. These two men have nothing in common during their lives. The Rich Man is extremely wealthy, with his wardrobe consisting of only the finest clothes. He would also have had a large home. The fact that he had a gate (v. 20) would likely make his home some type of mansion. The Rich man lived in luxury everyday, flamboyant and flashy with his wealth. The Rich Man is assumed to be healthy because there is no mention of any kind of physical problems. Like many today he lived his life without ever thinking about what would happen when life came to an end. It is ironic that it is the Rich Man who remains the unknown in this story. His name is not mentioned for the specific reason that he had no relationship with God.
Lazarus, however, lived an extremely different life. He was poor beyond our ability to comprehend. Lazarus was also very sick, unable to work. Lazarus was forced to beg, because he had no means to support himself. He was dependent each day on what the good will of others or he would have had nothing to eat that day. We are told that he was so hungry that he was willing to eat the burnt, broken and discarded pieces of bread from the rich man’s table. Yet Lazarus was blessed in one key way; he apparently knew God. The name Lazarus means “God is my helper.” There is a direct connection between his name and the result of his eternity.
The rich man and Lazarus lived totally different lives, but they had one thing in common. They both died. Yet, death is not the end of existence. At death the invisible part of who we are moves out of the body and enters into a new existence. Lazarus was a man who had a relationship with God. When he died he was escorted by the angels into the presence of God. It would clearly seem that there was no waiting period for him to enter eternity. Lazarus lived on after he died. Death was not the end for him and there was a life that was waiting for him to enter. Lazarus moved on because the angels came and took him to heaven. Lazarus carried on his new life with the comfort of heaven.
The rich man also died but no angels carried him into God’s presence, a split second after he died he woke up in a terrifying inferno called Hell.
First, One Minute After You Die All Earthly Prosperity or Earthly Suffering is Ended. (vv. 19-21)
Second, One Minute After You Die Your Eternity Will Begin! (vv. 22-23)
Third, One Minute After You Die Your Eternity Will Be Set Forever. (vv. 24-31)
The story of Lazarus and the rich man caused a man with three doctoral degrees (one in medicine, one in theology, one in philosophy) to leave civilization with all of its culture and amenities and depart for the jungles of darkest Africa. This story induced that same man, who was recognized as one of the best concert organists in all of Europe, go to a place where there were no organs to play. This story so intensely motivated him that he gave up a teaching position in Vienna, Austria to go and deal with people who were so deprived that they were still living in the superstitions of the dark ages for all practical purposes. The man who I am talking about was, of course, Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Dr. Schweitzer, along with so many, heard the call of Jesus and followed in to the outer parts of the with Good News Jesus our Lord.
May the story told by our Lord do something new afresh in us today and do something beautiful and merciful through us today.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Praise the Lord for this last Monday in September. The Lord blessed with a full weekend of worship, witness, and fellowship. The Lord blessed us during our Saturday Evening worship. As one man struggling with drug addiction walked in to the church, our people welcomed him. He said he needed a miracle then and there. Our people prayed with him, trusting in the power of Jesus to set the captives free. One of the young man gave the testimony yesterday during morning worship that he has been free of drugs for one year. This young man also has been dabbling with Eastern religions like the Hare Krishna movement. He has recommitted his life to Christ. You can see the Joy of Jesus in him. The Lord has freed him and has cleansed him. Praise the Lord.
Thank you for praying for us for the Saturday evening services at the historic First United Methodist church in down town Endicott. We praise the Lord for the way He is raising laborers in His vineyard. Our Lord is so faithful.
The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from Luke 16:19 ff, the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The Lord tells the story of the rich man who never met his neighbor. He might have seen him from a distance, but never noticed him and never took time to really meet him.
Erwin Lutzer, pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago wrote a book entitled, “One Minute After You Die”. In it he said, “One minute after you slip behind the parted curtain you will either be enjoying a personal welcome from Christ or catching your first glimpse of gloom as you have never known it. Either way, your future will be irrevocably fixed and eternally unchangeable…. those who find themselves in heaven will be surrounded with friends whom they have known on earth… Every description of heaven they have heard will pale in the light of reality. All this, forever.
"Others – indeed many others - will be shrouded in darkness, a region of deprivation, and unending regret. There, with all their memories and feeling fully intact, images of their life on earth will return to haunt them. They will think back to their friends, family and relatives; they will brood over opportunities they squandered and intuitively know that their future is both hopeless and unending. For them death will be far worse then they imagined.
"And so while relatives and friends plan your funeral – deciding on a casket, a burial plot, and who the pallbearers will be – you will be more alive than you have ever been. You will either see God on His throne surrounded by His angels and redeemed humanity, or you will be feel an indescribable weight of guilt and abandonment. There is no destination midway between these two extremes; just gladness and gloom.” [ Erwin W. Lutzer. “One Minute After You Die.” (Chicago: Moody, 1997) pp. 9-10]
In Luke 16 beginning with verse nineteen we find the story of rich man and Lazarus. Jesus tells a story that gives us a glimpse into life on the other side of death. This story is unique to the Book of Luke and is the only one where we find these characters. There is a huge contrast being drawn here between the life of the Rich Man and Lazarus. These two men have nothing in common during their lives. The Rich Man is extremely wealthy, with his wardrobe consisting of only the finest clothes. He would also have had a large home. The fact that he had a gate (v. 20) would likely make his home some type of mansion. The Rich man lived in luxury everyday, flamboyant and flashy with his wealth. The Rich Man is assumed to be healthy because there is no mention of any kind of physical problems. Like many today he lived his life without ever thinking about what would happen when life came to an end. It is ironic that it is the Rich Man who remains the unknown in this story. His name is not mentioned for the specific reason that he had no relationship with God.
Lazarus, however, lived an extremely different life. He was poor beyond our ability to comprehend. Lazarus was also very sick, unable to work. Lazarus was forced to beg, because he had no means to support himself. He was dependent each day on what the good will of others or he would have had nothing to eat that day. We are told that he was so hungry that he was willing to eat the burnt, broken and discarded pieces of bread from the rich man’s table. Yet Lazarus was blessed in one key way; he apparently knew God. The name Lazarus means “God is my helper.” There is a direct connection between his name and the result of his eternity.
The rich man and Lazarus lived totally different lives, but they had one thing in common. They both died. Yet, death is not the end of existence. At death the invisible part of who we are moves out of the body and enters into a new existence. Lazarus was a man who had a relationship with God. When he died he was escorted by the angels into the presence of God. It would clearly seem that there was no waiting period for him to enter eternity. Lazarus lived on after he died. Death was not the end for him and there was a life that was waiting for him to enter. Lazarus moved on because the angels came and took him to heaven. Lazarus carried on his new life with the comfort of heaven.
The rich man also died but no angels carried him into God’s presence, a split second after he died he woke up in a terrifying inferno called Hell.
First, One Minute After You Die All Earthly Prosperity or Earthly Suffering is Ended. (vv. 19-21)
Second, One Minute After You Die Your Eternity Will Begin! (vv. 22-23)
Third, One Minute After You Die Your Eternity Will Be Set Forever. (vv. 24-31)
The story of Lazarus and the rich man caused a man with three doctoral degrees (one in medicine, one in theology, one in philosophy) to leave civilization with all of its culture and amenities and depart for the jungles of darkest Africa. This story induced that same man, who was recognized as one of the best concert organists in all of Europe, go to a place where there were no organs to play. This story so intensely motivated him that he gave up a teaching position in Vienna, Austria to go and deal with people who were so deprived that they were still living in the superstitions of the dark ages for all practical purposes. The man who I am talking about was, of course, Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Dr. Schweitzer, along with so many, heard the call of Jesus and followed in to the outer parts of the with Good News Jesus our Lord.
May the story told by our Lord do something new afresh in us today and do something beautiful and merciful through us today.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
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