Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this fabulous Friday. Kelly Johnson, the feature speaker for the weekend's prayer Conference, flew in yesterday from Memphis. Sunita, Andy, and their friend drove in last night. Micah and Simeon will be coming in this evening. We have been visiting with Kelly and she has been sharing about how the Lord has been at her work so faithfully and wonderfully during last few years of her life. We are so excited for this weekend, anticipating rich blessings from the Lord. The prayer conference will commence with some authentic Indian and Italian cuisine this evening at 6 PM. Those who live in the area, join us. It is a great blessing to host people, particularly those who love hot and spicy Indian foods. Pray for our weekly Television Out reach this eve at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable Channel 4.
I have been blessed to have been able to attend several Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades over the years, starting in May, 1982 in Baltimore where I met Joni Earekson as a young woman. In every Billy graham Crusade, George Beverly Shea sang a special song before the preaching by Dr. Billy Graham. One of the Hymns he sang was "Amazing Grace". Every time that "Bev Shea" sang this sweet hymn he made a reference to the epitaph of John Newton. In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone with the inscription, “John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel amd Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.” You may not remember his name, but all of us know the song he wrote as a testimony of his life, “Amazing Grace.”
Amazing Grace finds it’s lasting legacy in the simplicity of the words & the universal understanding of man’s need for grace. This beloved song bears witness to a multitude of testimonies from all corners of the world and all types of sinners who found forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The list could go on and on. In my own ministry over the years I have seen alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves, homosexuals, adulterers, atheists, and motorcycle gang members give their lives to Christ.
The Bible records the conversions of the maniac at Gadara, the despised tax collector and traitor to his people, Matthew, blind Bartimaeus, the adulterous Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, the Roman centurion at the crucifixion, Cornelius, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, and Lydia, among others. Yet, of all the conversions ever recorded, none was more remarkable than that of Saul of Tarsus. This bitter enemy of the cause of Christ, in his own words "the foremost of all sinners", became the greatest evangelist and theologian the world has ever known. Acts 9, 22, 26, Galatians 1-2, Philippians 3, and 1 Timothy 1 all describe aspects of his conversion. Paul never lost the wonder that God could and did redeem someone like him. He viewed himself as the supreme example of God’s saving grace. Paul's story is very much our story. Every one of us was lost, each one of us was blind, but now we are found and now we see.
John Newton told often the story of his early life and conversion experience, and wherever he preached, large crowds gathered to hear the “Old Converted Sea Captain” as he was called. He is quoted, not long before he died, in a message saying, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember 2 things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”
As the apostle Paul wrote to his dear Timothy, he did not write this to show how bad he was, but rather how good God is! Paul’s testimony is nothing short of miraculous. Grace is used in the original Greek language to convey the idea of a free gift. It has at its root the concept of joy. It is a delight to receive something you do not deserve, but it’s even more joyful to give something to someone in this way. The theological impression of grace speaks of God’s loving forgiveness, which he gives freely to those deserving only condemnation and judgment, and transfers them from darkness to light, from death to life without any worthiness on their part, based on nothing they have done or failed to do.
The grace of God was especially vivid in Paul’s mind because of his past. As a great sinner, he knew that he needed great grace. In Acts 9:1, Luke describes Paul as “breathing out murderous threats against believers.” It’s as if he lived and breathed to destroy what he considered to be the enemy, like a warhorse who sniffed the smell of battle. He was a frightening, violent adversary. Further, he was a callous, pious, self-righteous, bigoted murderer hell-bent on a full-scale inquisition. Read how he later described his behavior to Agrippa, in the words of Acts 26:9-11.
In the middle of his wretchedness, Paul was met with the Lord's boundless compassion. He could say with the hymn writer, “And from my smitten heart with tears, two wonders I confess: The wonders of redeeming love & my unworthiness.”
In His Amazing Grace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJsBRFdrA0
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 11-04-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He ushers in a new day, with a bright new morning. Great is His faithfulness. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday evening gathering for delicious food and sweet fellowship and refreshing Bible Study. The Lord of the Church visits us with His refreshing Touch every time we come before Him. We looked into the Greatness Of the Forgiveness Jesus offers to us in His wonderful grace. There is something so amazing about His Grace and mercy. It is wonderful to be transferred to the grace-based culture from sin-based culture.
We are gearing up for the weekend Prayer conference that commences tomorrow evening. Our friend Kelly Johnson is arriving from Memphis this afternoon. Sunita, Andy, and one of her friends are coming from Washington, DC
tonight.
We spoke to our grand daughter yesterday on her 5th birthday. She is 5 years now, and is a big girl. She is home-schooled in Boston. She and her brother Simeon are coming down to Endicott as "fresh air kids" from Boston. Alice is meeting up with Janice and Jeremy near Lee, Mass near the Great Berkshires in Massachusetts.
We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving Banquet this Saturday. We are planning to serve approximately 250 people. We are so blessed. Our people are excited in fixing and preparing the food with much love. We praise the Lord for the way He offers us His extravagant hospitality so that we can be the channels of His hospitality to others. Please pray for us that the Lord would bless the gathering and bless all the laborers in His Kingdom.
As part of the study from Mathew 18 and 19 we looked into that late great saint of the Christian Church, Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom (1892-1983). She testified that from the greatest hell man could create the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. She and her beloved sister, the late great Elisabeth "Betsie" ten Boom (1885-1944), paid the price for hiding Jewish people in the attic of their home in Holland! Through torture, humiliation, and pain, they turned to the Christ, who lived in them, and testified to His peace! Their witness was backed by credentials of a suffering that few of us have ever known! Betsie died in that concentration camp; Corrie was released as a result of a clerical error! In Betsie’s dying hours, she spoke of a message that her sister, Corrie, would carry around the world for nearly forty (40) years. Betsie said, "Tell them that there is no pit so deep but that God’s love is deeper still." Corrie and Betsie has tasted what it means to be "more than conquerors through Him who loved us!" The peace that Christ brings is that strong!
This is the Word of the Lord to all the combat veterans of the world, that is, the permanent cure to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is Jesus, the Christ - "by His stripes we are healed!" Excessive guilt and sorrow can only lead to depression, to despair, to defeat, and, sometimes, to destruction! Don’t let that happen to you; turn to the "Prince of Peace". Let Him take the guilt and sorrow away. It works. He did it for me!
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT) tells us, "And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His Will. May He produce in you, through the Power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to Him." Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an Everlasting Covenant, signed with His Blood. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhmrb3uFYwI
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Praise the Lord for the way He ushers in a new day, with a bright new morning. Great is His faithfulness. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday evening gathering for delicious food and sweet fellowship and refreshing Bible Study. The Lord of the Church visits us with His refreshing Touch every time we come before Him. We looked into the Greatness Of the Forgiveness Jesus offers to us in His wonderful grace. There is something so amazing about His Grace and mercy. It is wonderful to be transferred to the grace-based culture from sin-based culture.
We are gearing up for the weekend Prayer conference that commences tomorrow evening. Our friend Kelly Johnson is arriving from Memphis this afternoon. Sunita, Andy, and one of her friends are coming from Washington, DC
tonight.
We spoke to our grand daughter yesterday on her 5th birthday. She is 5 years now, and is a big girl. She is home-schooled in Boston. She and her brother Simeon are coming down to Endicott as "fresh air kids" from Boston. Alice is meeting up with Janice and Jeremy near Lee, Mass near the Great Berkshires in Massachusetts.
We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving Banquet this Saturday. We are planning to serve approximately 250 people. We are so blessed. Our people are excited in fixing and preparing the food with much love. We praise the Lord for the way He offers us His extravagant hospitality so that we can be the channels of His hospitality to others. Please pray for us that the Lord would bless the gathering and bless all the laborers in His Kingdom.
As part of the study from Mathew 18 and 19 we looked into that late great saint of the Christian Church, Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom (1892-1983). She testified that from the greatest hell man could create the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. She and her beloved sister, the late great Elisabeth "Betsie" ten Boom (1885-1944), paid the price for hiding Jewish people in the attic of their home in Holland! Through torture, humiliation, and pain, they turned to the Christ, who lived in them, and testified to His peace! Their witness was backed by credentials of a suffering that few of us have ever known! Betsie died in that concentration camp; Corrie was released as a result of a clerical error! In Betsie’s dying hours, she spoke of a message that her sister, Corrie, would carry around the world for nearly forty (40) years. Betsie said, "Tell them that there is no pit so deep but that God’s love is deeper still." Corrie and Betsie has tasted what it means to be "more than conquerors through Him who loved us!" The peace that Christ brings is that strong!
This is the Word of the Lord to all the combat veterans of the world, that is, the permanent cure to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is Jesus, the Christ - "by His stripes we are healed!" Excessive guilt and sorrow can only lead to depression, to despair, to defeat, and, sometimes, to destruction! Don’t let that happen to you; turn to the "Prince of Peace". Let Him take the guilt and sorrow away. It works. He did it for me!
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT) tells us, "And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His Will. May He produce in you, through the Power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to Him." Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an Everlasting Covenant, signed with His Blood. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhmrb3uFYwI
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 11-3-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day, the morning after the mid-term elections in this America, the Beautiful. Jesus is Lord. We will gather for our Mid-week fellowship and Study today at 6 PM.
Our favorite grand daughter Micah,celebrates her 5th birthday to day in Boston . We praise the Lord for her. Our Lord reigns and He rules. He is upon the Throne. We worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords. May the Lord of all the nations heal our land and turn us back to Him. One of the beautiful cities I visited few years ago is Copenhagen, Denmark. Outside the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Parliament building, there are three stone figures guarding the entrance. They represent the earache, the headache, and the stomach ache. They were placed there to suggest that if you enter politics, you will have all three.
I think that most of us would agree that entering politics is likely to cause a great deal of stress. David gives us the Lord’s prescription for dealing with the stress in our lives...
Psalm 4:1-8, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; The Lord hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord. Many are saying, 'Who will show us any good?' Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord! You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety."
Many scholars believe that David wrote Psalm 4 as he was about to retire for the evening. He could not do much about the war around him, but he could do something about the war within him. Instead of lying in bed fretting, stewing and worrying, he committed himself and his situation to the Lord. Psalm 4:1, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer."
He started by saying, "O God of my righteousness!" David was praising God for who He is. It is important sometimes for us to take our eyes off ourselves and realize the goodness and greatness of our God. "Be gracious to me and hear my prayer." In these words, David asked for grace in his situation. Perhaps David realized that his trouble was, at least in part, a result of his past sins. Sometimes deliverance from our distress is as simple as saying, "God, if I brought this trouble on myself. I am asking You to forgive me." It is truly amazing how gracious God is willing to be to us, if only we would ask Him.
Psalms 4:6-8 (MSG)
6 Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God’s more-than-enough,
7 More joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.
8 At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together.
David indicated the intensity of this search by repeating it over and over. “More, more, more, more.” We see the answer at the end of verse 6. “I have God’s more-than-enough.” The way out of the more-more cycle is to receive and celebrate God’s more-than-enough. A main theme throughout scripture is our Lord's absolute sufficiency, the fact that if He who is our Emmanuel, is with us, and that is all we will ever need. In verse 7 the Psalmist assigned a word to this “more-than-enough” presence of God. He called it “joy.” Joy is an awareness of God’s more-than-enough presence in our lives.
There is more joy in one ordinary day serving Jesus than we can ever get in all our shopping sprees. Jesus is indeed our Eternal Joy.
Blessed be His Name.
In Him,
Brown
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
• Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
• 6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
• Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
• 9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
• 5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
• 6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
• Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
• 12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Praise the Lord for this new day, the morning after the mid-term elections in this America, the Beautiful. Jesus is Lord. We will gather for our Mid-week fellowship and Study today at 6 PM.
Our favorite grand daughter Micah,celebrates her 5th birthday to day in Boston . We praise the Lord for her. Our Lord reigns and He rules. He is upon the Throne. We worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords. May the Lord of all the nations heal our land and turn us back to Him. One of the beautiful cities I visited few years ago is Copenhagen, Denmark. Outside the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Parliament building, there are three stone figures guarding the entrance. They represent the earache, the headache, and the stomach ache. They were placed there to suggest that if you enter politics, you will have all three.
I think that most of us would agree that entering politics is likely to cause a great deal of stress. David gives us the Lord’s prescription for dealing with the stress in our lives...
Psalm 4:1-8, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; The Lord hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord. Many are saying, 'Who will show us any good?' Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord! You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety."
Many scholars believe that David wrote Psalm 4 as he was about to retire for the evening. He could not do much about the war around him, but he could do something about the war within him. Instead of lying in bed fretting, stewing and worrying, he committed himself and his situation to the Lord. Psalm 4:1, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer."
He started by saying, "O God of my righteousness!" David was praising God for who He is. It is important sometimes for us to take our eyes off ourselves and realize the goodness and greatness of our God. "Be gracious to me and hear my prayer." In these words, David asked for grace in his situation. Perhaps David realized that his trouble was, at least in part, a result of his past sins. Sometimes deliverance from our distress is as simple as saying, "God, if I brought this trouble on myself. I am asking You to forgive me." It is truly amazing how gracious God is willing to be to us, if only we would ask Him.
Psalms 4:6-8 (MSG)
6 Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God’s more-than-enough,
7 More joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.
8 At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together.
David indicated the intensity of this search by repeating it over and over. “More, more, more, more.” We see the answer at the end of verse 6. “I have God’s more-than-enough.” The way out of the more-more cycle is to receive and celebrate God’s more-than-enough. A main theme throughout scripture is our Lord's absolute sufficiency, the fact that if He who is our Emmanuel, is with us, and that is all we will ever need. In verse 7 the Psalmist assigned a word to this “more-than-enough” presence of God. He called it “joy.” Joy is an awareness of God’s more-than-enough presence in our lives.
There is more joy in one ordinary day serving Jesus than we can ever get in all our shopping sprees. Jesus is indeed our Eternal Joy.
Blessed be His Name.
In Him,
Brown
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
• Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
• 6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
• Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
• 9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
• 5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
• 6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
• Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
• 12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 11-2-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day when the USA goes to vote in the Mid-Term elections. Those who live in this great Land, plan to cast your votes today faithfully and prayerfully. May the Lord of all nations heal our land turn us back to Him. May the Lord bless His Church throughout the world to proclaim the Good News of His Eternal Kingdom. Let us pray for the Witness if the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Baghdad, inAfghanistan, in Iraq. May the Lord provoke us to live our lives in joy and boldness.
When Paul met Jesus , his life was transformed dramatically. He declared that he could do things through Christ, who strengthened him. When Jesus met Zacchaeus, and when He received Him gladly, his life was changed dramatically for the good. Jesus brought him a life of joy and generosity beyond compare.
Some time ago I read the story of Wilma Rudolph. Wilma was the 20th of 22 children. She was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, weighing only 4 1/2 pounds. The bulk of her childhood was spent in bed. She suffered from double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and later she contracted polio. After losing the use of her left leg, she was fitted with metal leg braces when she was 6.
At the age of 9, she removed the metal leg brace and began to walk without it. By the age of 13 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was something of a miracle. That same year she decided she wanted to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last place. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she actually won a race, and then another, and another, and another. Eventually this little girl, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals in track. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became "the fastest woman in the world" and the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She won the 100- and 200-meter races and anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4 x 100-meter relay, breaking records along the way.
Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer at age 54 on Nov. 12, 1994 in Nashville. Her extraordinary calm and grace are what people remember most about her. Bill Mulliken, a 1960 Olympics teammate, said of Wilma Rudolph, "She was beautiful, she was nice, and she was the best."
Wilma Rudolph once said, "My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces."
Psalm 20:4 "May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
Prov. 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village and walking past an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" The old man replied, "Nope, only babies."
When Pablo Casals reached 95, a young reporter threw him a question, "Mr. Casals, you are 95 and the greatest cellist who ever lived. Why do you still practice six hours a day?" Mr. Casals answered, "Because I think I’m making progress."
Some people give up far too soon on work, especially when it comes to working for the Lord. It pays to grow old serving the Lord. God blesses His serving people even in their old age. Growing old does not mean that we have to "grow cold" in our work for the Lord.
Psalm 37:25, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Paul wrote, in II Tim. 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Paul fought the good fight of the faith to the end of his life. He kept running the race all his life. Some people quit the faith race far too soon.
According to Revelation 2:10 (KJV), Jesus said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We need to live out the faith all the days of our lives.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNbLtiG2dWU
Come Away With Me (A Time of Refreshing, Renewal & Meeting with Jesus)
When was the last time you were STILL enough to actually encounter Jesus?
No matter where you are on your Journey (Curious about Jesus or Been Walking w/Him for Yrs), This Weekend – He wants to Encounter YOU!
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
• Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
• 6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
• Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
• 9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
• 5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
• 6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
• Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
• 12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Praise the Lord for this new day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day when the USA goes to vote in the Mid-Term elections. Those who live in this great Land, plan to cast your votes today faithfully and prayerfully. May the Lord of all nations heal our land turn us back to Him. May the Lord bless His Church throughout the world to proclaim the Good News of His Eternal Kingdom. Let us pray for the Witness if the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Baghdad, inAfghanistan, in Iraq. May the Lord provoke us to live our lives in joy and boldness.
When Paul met Jesus , his life was transformed dramatically. He declared that he could do things through Christ, who strengthened him. When Jesus met Zacchaeus, and when He received Him gladly, his life was changed dramatically for the good. Jesus brought him a life of joy and generosity beyond compare.
Some time ago I read the story of Wilma Rudolph. Wilma was the 20th of 22 children. She was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, weighing only 4 1/2 pounds. The bulk of her childhood was spent in bed. She suffered from double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and later she contracted polio. After losing the use of her left leg, she was fitted with metal leg braces when she was 6.
At the age of 9, she removed the metal leg brace and began to walk without it. By the age of 13 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was something of a miracle. That same year she decided she wanted to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last place. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she actually won a race, and then another, and another, and another. Eventually this little girl, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals in track. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became "the fastest woman in the world" and the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She won the 100- and 200-meter races and anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4 x 100-meter relay, breaking records along the way.
Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer at age 54 on Nov. 12, 1994 in Nashville. Her extraordinary calm and grace are what people remember most about her. Bill Mulliken, a 1960 Olympics teammate, said of Wilma Rudolph, "She was beautiful, she was nice, and she was the best."
Wilma Rudolph once said, "My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces."
Psalm 20:4 "May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
Prov. 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village and walking past an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" The old man replied, "Nope, only babies."
When Pablo Casals reached 95, a young reporter threw him a question, "Mr. Casals, you are 95 and the greatest cellist who ever lived. Why do you still practice six hours a day?" Mr. Casals answered, "Because I think I’m making progress."
Some people give up far too soon on work, especially when it comes to working for the Lord. It pays to grow old serving the Lord. God blesses His serving people even in their old age. Growing old does not mean that we have to "grow cold" in our work for the Lord.
Psalm 37:25, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Paul wrote, in II Tim. 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Paul fought the good fight of the faith to the end of his life. He kept running the race all his life. Some people quit the faith race far too soon.
According to Revelation 2:10 (KJV), Jesus said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We need to live out the faith all the days of our lives.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNbLtiG2dWU
Come Away With Me (A Time of Refreshing, Renewal & Meeting with Jesus)
When was the last time you were STILL enough to actually encounter Jesus?
No matter where you are on your Journey (Curious about Jesus or Been Walking w/Him for Yrs), This Weekend – He wants to Encounter YOU!
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
• Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
• 6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
• Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
• 9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
• 5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
• 6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
• Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
• 12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 11-01-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this first day of November. Today is "All Saints' Day" in the Church Calendar. It was the Reformation Day yesterday.. Praise the Lord that He came to seek and save the lost. He came to transform sinners into saints. The Lord blessed us with a soul full weekend starting with a very special Saturday Evening worship service at the First United Methodist Church. We are so blessed to be part of what the Lord of the Church is doing. He is calling us to join Him in His ongoing work of grace and redemption. Thank you for praying for us. We praise the Lord for those participate with joy and gladness and with holy anticipation every weekend. We are planning for a full weekend of prayer and outreach this coming weekend, starting this coming Friday evening at 6 PM. Please uphold us in prayer.
I had an e-mail from the office of Canon Andrew White, who is the rector of St. Georges Church in Baghdad. He shared in the mail that several Christians have been killed in the hostage takeover of the Church in Baghdad. We need to claim Revelation 12:1, 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from Luke 19:1-10. My wife preached at Wesley yesterday. She had a slightly different take on this account which is recorded only in Luke. We are introduced to a man named Zacchaeus, whose name meant “righteous on,.” How ironic it is that he was an unscrupulous tax collector. Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were little more than government sanctioned crooks, and in the Gospels they were linked with “sinners” and “prostitutes.”
When Jesus Comes It Does Not Matter What Tree You Climb (vv. 4-5)
“So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector, was a part of the crowd trying to see Jesus. Zacchaeus being a short man, was unable to see, so he climbed a tree. A nice part about being filthy rich is that he did not care what people thought. Zacchaeus, being a very wealthy man, was free to do something others might think was silly, like climb a tree.
It may be that he had heard of Jesus through the acquaintance of another tax collector, Levi (also called Matthew), who had also been a tax collector prior to becoming a disciple of Jesus (Luke 5:27-31). Perhaps Matthew, reaching out to his former circle of friends, had told Zacchaeus about Jesus and what a change he had made in his life.
It is very likely that Zacchaeus was tired of being hated. When people hassled him, he deserved what he got, but it no doubt made him miserable. In short, Zacchaeus was probably tired of living his sad little life. In verse five we read, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.'"
When Jesus stopped under the sycamore tree in which Zacchaeus had hidden himself, he would have naturally tensed, perhaps even broken out in a sweat. Terror is likely to have grasped Zacchaeus’ heart as he braced himself to be made a spectacle for ridicule by Jesus. Jesus, however, called him by name and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home. Notice that Jesus did not say “I would like to stay at your home,” but he said, “I must stay at your home.” “Must” is a translation of the Greek word (dei) meaning it was necessary. This meeting was ordained before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). I believe that Jesus came to Jericho for the purpose of seeking Zacchaeus.
When Jesus Invites You No Other Answer but “Yes” Will Do. (v. 6) “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
Have you ever wondered why out of all the city of Jericho that Jesus zeroed in on Zacchaeus. Though Zacchaeus may have seemed like the least honest or religious person, it is possible that he was the most hungry of a new life that only Christ could give him. In the eyes of the world, Zacchaeus was a traitorous, despised nobody, but in the eyes of Jesus he was a precious lost sinner.
This was Zacchaeus’ moment. He scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good fortune, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Think of all the people who, like Zacchaeus, have had their lives changed by coming out of the tree, so to speak.
Third, When Jesus Moves In Some Will Not Like It. (v. 7) “But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
The reaction to Jesus’ choice of a host did not meet with popular approval. The religious leaders judged that Jesus had chosen to be “… a guest with a man who is a sinner" and “they all complained.” Although it is not stated, I believe that Jesus sat down to dinner with Zacchaeus. Sometime, probably after dinner, verse eight discloses that “… Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
Let’s give Zacchaeus his due, because when Zacchaeus got saved, he got saved all over. When he got saved, he immediately put his faith into practice. Yet, it is easy to misunderstand Zacchaeus’ actions. The text says that Zacchaeus says, “… if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation,” but in the original Greek it is a first class condition meaning “it is true, I have cheated.” Roman law dictated that if you defrauded someone you were to repay them fourfold. He was only meeting the requirements of the law, where he went beyond the law was his willingness to give away half of all his goods. He in effect placed his entire fortune in jeopardy in an effort to make things right. That was entirely voluntary.
I like what Kent Hughes says concerning this verse, “Jesus said over and over that it is useless to talk about loving him and trusting him and having the sweet assurance of forgiveness and the glorious hope of Heaven unless it makes a difference in our material attachments…. Jesus’ repeated emphasis is that, though generosity is not the means of redemption, it is an evidence of redemption. In fact, generosity and giving are pillars of discipleship.” [Kent R. Hughes. Luke: That You Might Know the Truth Volume 2 (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1998) p. 226]
Zacchaeus was not saved because he promised to do good works. He was saved because he responded by faith to Christ’s gracious words to him. The apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace have you been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” The deliverance that comes to us in the form of Jesus Christ is truly life changing.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWlMV-UmueM
Come Away With Me (A Time of Refreshing, Renewal & Meeting with Jesus)
When was the last time you were STILL enough to actually encounter Jesus?
No matter where you are on your Journey (Curious about Jesus or Been Walking w/Him for Yrs), This Weekend – He wants to Encounter YOU!
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
Saturday Evening Worship Service:October 30, 2010
Music by Laureen Naik and team
Preacher: Jeff Vansyckle
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Praise the Lord for this first day of November. Today is "All Saints' Day" in the Church Calendar. It was the Reformation Day yesterday.. Praise the Lord that He came to seek and save the lost. He came to transform sinners into saints. The Lord blessed us with a soul full weekend starting with a very special Saturday Evening worship service at the First United Methodist Church. We are so blessed to be part of what the Lord of the Church is doing. He is calling us to join Him in His ongoing work of grace and redemption. Thank you for praying for us. We praise the Lord for those participate with joy and gladness and with holy anticipation every weekend. We are planning for a full weekend of prayer and outreach this coming weekend, starting this coming Friday evening at 6 PM. Please uphold us in prayer.
I had an e-mail from the office of Canon Andrew White, who is the rector of St. Georges Church in Baghdad. He shared in the mail that several Christians have been killed in the hostage takeover of the Church in Baghdad. We need to claim Revelation 12:1, 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from Luke 19:1-10. My wife preached at Wesley yesterday. She had a slightly different take on this account which is recorded only in Luke. We are introduced to a man named Zacchaeus, whose name meant “righteous on,.” How ironic it is that he was an unscrupulous tax collector. Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were little more than government sanctioned crooks, and in the Gospels they were linked with “sinners” and “prostitutes.”
When Jesus Comes It Does Not Matter What Tree You Climb (vv. 4-5)
“So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector, was a part of the crowd trying to see Jesus. Zacchaeus being a short man, was unable to see, so he climbed a tree. A nice part about being filthy rich is that he did not care what people thought. Zacchaeus, being a very wealthy man, was free to do something others might think was silly, like climb a tree.
It may be that he had heard of Jesus through the acquaintance of another tax collector, Levi (also called Matthew), who had also been a tax collector prior to becoming a disciple of Jesus (Luke 5:27-31). Perhaps Matthew, reaching out to his former circle of friends, had told Zacchaeus about Jesus and what a change he had made in his life.
It is very likely that Zacchaeus was tired of being hated. When people hassled him, he deserved what he got, but it no doubt made him miserable. In short, Zacchaeus was probably tired of living his sad little life. In verse five we read, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.'"
When Jesus stopped under the sycamore tree in which Zacchaeus had hidden himself, he would have naturally tensed, perhaps even broken out in a sweat. Terror is likely to have grasped Zacchaeus’ heart as he braced himself to be made a spectacle for ridicule by Jesus. Jesus, however, called him by name and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home. Notice that Jesus did not say “I would like to stay at your home,” but he said, “I must stay at your home.” “Must” is a translation of the Greek word (dei) meaning it was necessary. This meeting was ordained before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). I believe that Jesus came to Jericho for the purpose of seeking Zacchaeus.
When Jesus Invites You No Other Answer but “Yes” Will Do. (v. 6) “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
Have you ever wondered why out of all the city of Jericho that Jesus zeroed in on Zacchaeus. Though Zacchaeus may have seemed like the least honest or religious person, it is possible that he was the most hungry of a new life that only Christ could give him. In the eyes of the world, Zacchaeus was a traitorous, despised nobody, but in the eyes of Jesus he was a precious lost sinner.
This was Zacchaeus’ moment. He scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good fortune, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Think of all the people who, like Zacchaeus, have had their lives changed by coming out of the tree, so to speak.
Third, When Jesus Moves In Some Will Not Like It. (v. 7) “But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
The reaction to Jesus’ choice of a host did not meet with popular approval. The religious leaders judged that Jesus had chosen to be “… a guest with a man who is a sinner" and “they all complained.” Although it is not stated, I believe that Jesus sat down to dinner with Zacchaeus. Sometime, probably after dinner, verse eight discloses that “… Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
Let’s give Zacchaeus his due, because when Zacchaeus got saved, he got saved all over. When he got saved, he immediately put his faith into practice. Yet, it is easy to misunderstand Zacchaeus’ actions. The text says that Zacchaeus says, “… if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation,” but in the original Greek it is a first class condition meaning “it is true, I have cheated.” Roman law dictated that if you defrauded someone you were to repay them fourfold. He was only meeting the requirements of the law, where he went beyond the law was his willingness to give away half of all his goods. He in effect placed his entire fortune in jeopardy in an effort to make things right. That was entirely voluntary.
I like what Kent Hughes says concerning this verse, “Jesus said over and over that it is useless to talk about loving him and trusting him and having the sweet assurance of forgiveness and the glorious hope of Heaven unless it makes a difference in our material attachments…. Jesus’ repeated emphasis is that, though generosity is not the means of redemption, it is an evidence of redemption. In fact, generosity and giving are pillars of discipleship.” [Kent R. Hughes. Luke: That You Might Know the Truth Volume 2 (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1998) p. 226]
Zacchaeus was not saved because he promised to do good works. He was saved because he responded by faith to Christ’s gracious words to him. The apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace have you been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” The deliverance that comes to us in the form of Jesus Christ is truly life changing.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWlMV-UmueM
Come Away With Me (A Time of Refreshing, Renewal & Meeting with Jesus)
When was the last time you were STILL enough to actually encounter Jesus?
No matter where you are on your Journey (Curious about Jesus or Been Walking w/Him for Yrs), This Weekend – He wants to Encounter YOU!
Once You Encounter Jesus – You Will Never Be The SAME!!
In Zechariah 4:6 it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." As we approach the end of the year, the Lord has placed before us many open doors - for worship, for ministry, and for service. We have been blessed to have many prayer warriors in the life of the church, who are faithfully and joyfully engaged in lives of fervent prayer.
Sunita and Andy's church in Washington, DC goes on retreat together twice a year. Sunita always returns from these events blessed, refreshed, and inspired. We attempted to have our church's prayer retreat at Sky Lake, but scheduling conflicts prohibited it, so we are planning to have our upcoming prayer retreat at our own church here in Union Center. We invite all of you to come and be a part of this event. Keep praying for the Lord to refresh our hearts and renew our minds.
Praise the Lord for each one who has offered his or her time, talents, and treasures to make the upcoming prayer weekend possible. The schedule follows:
Friday, November 5 - 6 PM Supper, with Indian and Italian dishes. A love offering will be received.
6:30 PM The Prayer Conference convenes.
Saturday, November 6, 8:30 AM breakfast, prepared by Kathy Dence and team. A love offering will be received.
9:00 AM - 13 noon The Prayer Conference continues.
5 PM Thanksgiving Banquet, held at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue. The menu includes homemade pies, rolls, turkey, and the trimmings. Lou Pasquale is the head chef, together with Rodney Haines as his sous chef. Sign-up sheets for the banquet are located in the Narthex, or reservations can be confirmed by calling the church office at 748-6329.
6:30 PM Worship service in the sanctuary at First UMC, Endicott. Music will be provided by Aric Phinney and the team. The speaker will be Kelly Johnson.
Sunday morning worship services will be at UCUMC at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 9:50 AM. Kelly Johnson will be speaking to a combined Adult Sunday School at that time. Worship service will be held at Wesley UMC at 9:30 AM.
12:30 PM There will be a meal immediately following the 11:00 AM service. Chefs for the meal are Jeremy and Matt Smith. The menu includes Carribean pork, braised chicken, candied sweet potatoes, salad, green beans, and rolls.
Saturday Evening Worship Service:October 30, 2010
Music by Laureen Naik and team
Preacher: Jeff Vansyckle
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
