Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the glorious hope we have in Jesus Christ. Since the dawn of civilization, men have borne the sorrow of suffering, poverty, war, and hatred. Is there a possibility of salvation from this type of day by day existence? Is there no "Balm in Gilead"?
The French artist, Luc Oliver Merson, painted an inspiring work, which he called "Repose in Egypt", in which the Holy Family just arrived at the Banks of Nile, following their flight from King Herod. The painting contains a night scene, when they were sleeping, Joseph resting by a small camp fire, with the donkey nearby.
Sweet and winsome Mary is depicted as holding the infant Jesus in her tender arms, sleeping quietly between the stone paws of a replica of the Sphinx, the light of the fire illuminated the face of the statue. One sees its lips of stone which have never uttered a word yet, there in the arms of the Sphinx rested a child who is the Word of God, in flesh revealed to the world.
Jesus Christ, in the fullness of time, "revealed to mankind the ultimate significance of life. In the Christ Child the questions of the ages find meaning. Because of him life is transformed from an enigma to a glorious affirmation. . . Christmas brings the fulfillment of centuries. For thousands of years men have searching - searching with honest reverence. Amid the fragrance of smoking incense, prayers have been made before stone idols by light of flickering lamps. Prayers uttered in the nighttime, only to have the wind answer. Such prayers have been heartfelt and sincere. There was nothing false, save the object of the incantation. Though the fervent pleading continued through long hours, no answer ever came. They experienced the hopeless waiting for a voice which was never heard - no promise - no answer - vain waiting. Unanswered prayer - unrealized dreams - futile hope." (Warren Thomas Smith - At Christmas)
In the fullness of time, according to the Bible, the Lord has come. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It is an exciting time to be alive, and to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Bishop, Marcus Matthews, of our new conference has challenged us to win a soul for Jesus Christ over the coming year. We are excited about serving Christ, sharing the good news, and making the love of Christ tangible to those around us.
We have begun to receive Christmas cards from various of our friends. Thank you to each one. My wife has begun to decorate the parsonage, set up trees, and deck them. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere.
Let us get excited about sharing, serving, and witnessing.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFxG6-WSnI
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 12-02-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for He comes to the world as The Prince of Peace. Occasionally we get glimpses of what the peace of Christ on earth looks and feels like… it does not happen often but it does happen and when it does we are reminded of what may be and what will one day be.
Before the days of modern warfare, which uses satellites, armed drone aircraft, inter-continental ballistic missiles, smart bombs, and all of that war was fought in the trenches. In WWII much of the war was fought as hand-to-hand trench warfare. Soldiers lived, fought, and died in trenches filled with mud, blood, and vermin. The trenches were dug in the fields of France and enemies could actually hear each other talking, so there was no need for satellites to locate the enemy. The enemy was right over there.
There is an old story that has been told and retold. (Though it has been embellished here and there) on a cold, moonlit Christmas Eve a British soldier with a beautiful tenor voice began to sing Silent Night, Holy Night. Then, from the German trenches, a soldier with a rich baritone voice joined in singing Silent Night, Holy Night in his German tongue. They sang and they sang and then there was stillness.
On Christmas morning some British soldiers climbed out of their trenches into the no-man’s-land that separated the enemy lines and began to kick a football about. Then some German soldiers climbed from their trenches and there, in the middle of a battlefield, enemies played a pickup football game on Christmas day.
Peace can happen and it does happen and one day it will be. Meanwhile it is in this Season of Advent that we are reminded to long for, hope for, pray for, and work for that day when Christ will judge between the nations and will settle the disputes for the many peoples. They will "beat their swords into plough shares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore, and every man will sit under his own vine and no one will make them afraid, and they all will walk in the light of the Lord."
May He make us instruments of His peace.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1vXATVF6I
Praise the Lord for He comes to the world as The Prince of Peace. Occasionally we get glimpses of what the peace of Christ on earth looks and feels like… it does not happen often but it does happen and when it does we are reminded of what may be and what will one day be.
Before the days of modern warfare, which uses satellites, armed drone aircraft, inter-continental ballistic missiles, smart bombs, and all of that war was fought in the trenches. In WWII much of the war was fought as hand-to-hand trench warfare. Soldiers lived, fought, and died in trenches filled with mud, blood, and vermin. The trenches were dug in the fields of France and enemies could actually hear each other talking, so there was no need for satellites to locate the enemy. The enemy was right over there.
There is an old story that has been told and retold. (Though it has been embellished here and there) on a cold, moonlit Christmas Eve a British soldier with a beautiful tenor voice began to sing Silent Night, Holy Night. Then, from the German trenches, a soldier with a rich baritone voice joined in singing Silent Night, Holy Night in his German tongue. They sang and they sang and then there was stillness.
On Christmas morning some British soldiers climbed out of their trenches into the no-man’s-land that separated the enemy lines and began to kick a football about. Then some German soldiers climbed from their trenches and there, in the middle of a battlefield, enemies played a pickup football game on Christmas day.
Peace can happen and it does happen and one day it will be. Meanwhile it is in this Season of Advent that we are reminded to long for, hope for, pray for, and work for that day when Christ will judge between the nations and will settle the disputes for the many peoples. They will "beat their swords into plough shares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore, and every man will sit under his own vine and no one will make them afraid, and they all will walk in the light of the Lord."
May He make us instruments of His peace.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1vXATVF6I
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 12-1-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the first day of December. Many of you know that I have been ill with shingles for about two weeks now. Thank you for praying for me. I praise the Lord for the many members of the church who are caring for the various ministry needs of the church family.
Our mid-week services will meet tonight, beginning at 6:00 PM with soup supper. Linda Geer will lead the Bible study. The choir will be practicing for the Christmas cantata at 7:30 PM.
Plan to attend the concert by the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble on Saturday at 6:30 PM. The doors will open at 6:00 PM. Dave and Jane Hettinger, Lou and Terri Pasquale, Earle and Bonnie Cowden, and Shawn and Lynn Rosenbarker are the ministry team in charge of the service (and concert) this Saturday. For information, call (607)748-1358 or (607)748-6329. Come and be blessed.
Praise the Lord for the Advent season in the life of the church. One of the readings for last Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, was taken from Isaiah 2. Isaiah 2:1-4 gives us a wonderful picture of God’s peace. Verse 4 poetically states that the weapons of war will be transformed into items that are constructive. Swords will beaten into plowshares. Spears will be beaten into pruning hooks. At that time, nations will no longer train their militaries for war any more. These weapons as instruments designed to kill are transformed into tools that are used in farming. They become instruments that support life, not death.
It is God who gives us the fruits of the field. It is also God who makes peace possible. German theologian Karl Barth once said that in Christ both creation and humanity are reconciled.
It is written so powerfully and beautifully, "the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains." This speaks of Mt. Moriah in northern Jerusalem, where the temple sat in Old Testament times. That mountain was the gathering place for God’s people. It was where the Israelites went to hear God’s word, to sing God’s praises and to bring him sacrifices. It became a symbol for the gathered people of God -- for what we know today as God’s Church.
Mt. Moriah is not very high, but it is really just a big hill. Even so Isaiah said that in the last days it will suddenly be raised up until it’s the highest mountain on earth. That’s a poetic way of saying that God’s Church--the gathering of God’s people--will be lifted up, glorified and exalted.
The Church’s ruler, Jesus, has ascended to God’s right hand. Jesus said, in the book of John, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." Jesus is reigning over the Church with his love, his wisdom, and his power. The Church, that is, the people of God, is now as solid and immovable as a mountain, and as glorious and beautiful as a mountain is high.
The truly amazing thing about this mountain, the Church, is that rivers flow into it. Rivers normally flow down a mountain, but these flow up. The reason, of course, is that these aren’t rivers of water. They are, in fact, rivers of people. "All nations will stream to God’s mountain", Isaiah says. "The word of the LORD goes out" from the mountain. The good news about Jesus goes out from the Church to the far corners of the earth. People hear it, and they respond. "A Savior? Forgiveness for my sins? Sounds good to me!" They say to each other, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."
The good news about Jesus pulls people in from every land, nation, tribe, and people under the sun. You can be sure this news shocked many of the Israelites at Isaiah’s time, but these people who are gathering on God’s mountain aren’t just Jews. They come from every race and color imaginable. They include the young and old, rich and poor. They come from different backgrounds and speak different languages. Yet, the same good news, the good news of a Savior, has brought in every one of them.
We who are Christians belong to a world that is really changed. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. We are part of it. It is part of us. When the king returns, it will be here for all to see.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO_bKR2Wzhk
Praise the Lord for the first day of December. Many of you know that I have been ill with shingles for about two weeks now. Thank you for praying for me. I praise the Lord for the many members of the church who are caring for the various ministry needs of the church family.
Our mid-week services will meet tonight, beginning at 6:00 PM with soup supper. Linda Geer will lead the Bible study. The choir will be practicing for the Christmas cantata at 7:30 PM.
Plan to attend the concert by the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble on Saturday at 6:30 PM. The doors will open at 6:00 PM. Dave and Jane Hettinger, Lou and Terri Pasquale, Earle and Bonnie Cowden, and Shawn and Lynn Rosenbarker are the ministry team in charge of the service (and concert) this Saturday. For information, call (607)748-1358 or (607)748-6329. Come and be blessed.
Praise the Lord for the Advent season in the life of the church. One of the readings for last Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, was taken from Isaiah 2. Isaiah 2:1-4 gives us a wonderful picture of God’s peace. Verse 4 poetically states that the weapons of war will be transformed into items that are constructive. Swords will beaten into plowshares. Spears will be beaten into pruning hooks. At that time, nations will no longer train their militaries for war any more. These weapons as instruments designed to kill are transformed into tools that are used in farming. They become instruments that support life, not death.
It is God who gives us the fruits of the field. It is also God who makes peace possible. German theologian Karl Barth once said that in Christ both creation and humanity are reconciled.
It is written so powerfully and beautifully, "the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains." This speaks of Mt. Moriah in northern Jerusalem, where the temple sat in Old Testament times. That mountain was the gathering place for God’s people. It was where the Israelites went to hear God’s word, to sing God’s praises and to bring him sacrifices. It became a symbol for the gathered people of God -- for what we know today as God’s Church.
Mt. Moriah is not very high, but it is really just a big hill. Even so Isaiah said that in the last days it will suddenly be raised up until it’s the highest mountain on earth. That’s a poetic way of saying that God’s Church--the gathering of God’s people--will be lifted up, glorified and exalted.
The Church’s ruler, Jesus, has ascended to God’s right hand. Jesus said, in the book of John, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." Jesus is reigning over the Church with his love, his wisdom, and his power. The Church, that is, the people of God, is now as solid and immovable as a mountain, and as glorious and beautiful as a mountain is high.
The truly amazing thing about this mountain, the Church, is that rivers flow into it. Rivers normally flow down a mountain, but these flow up. The reason, of course, is that these aren’t rivers of water. They are, in fact, rivers of people. "All nations will stream to God’s mountain", Isaiah says. "The word of the LORD goes out" from the mountain. The good news about Jesus goes out from the Church to the far corners of the earth. People hear it, and they respond. "A Savior? Forgiveness for my sins? Sounds good to me!" They say to each other, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."
The good news about Jesus pulls people in from every land, nation, tribe, and people under the sun. You can be sure this news shocked many of the Israelites at Isaiah’s time, but these people who are gathering on God’s mountain aren’t just Jews. They come from every race and color imaginable. They include the young and old, rich and poor. They come from different backgrounds and speak different languages. Yet, the same good news, the good news of a Savior, has brought in every one of them.
We who are Christians belong to a world that is really changed. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. We are part of it. It is part of us. When the king returns, it will be here for all to see.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO_bKR2Wzhk
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