Brown's Daily Word 2-1-11

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this first day of February. It is snowing this morning, and heavy snow is also being forecast for tomorrow. All the schools around here (Binghamton, Vestal, U-E, M-E, etc.) are canceled for today, including my wife's school in Marathon. SNOW DAY! Janice called this morning from Boston, the new snow capitol of the North East, where the kids are still loving their winter activities. Spring has arrived in Orissa, India. The mango trees have started blossoming, along with cotton trees. The spring birds have started singing, praising the Lord for another season of spring. In the midst of global crisis and turmoil, the Lord is upon the throne and all is well. May Christ be praised.
When we look at the first miracle/ sign that our Lord performed according St. John, that is, turning water in to wine, we discover that our God is in the transformation business. When the water was turned to wine, the shame of the bridal family was turned to joy. The mood of the party was transformed. Even Jesus’ disciples were transformed. The Bible says, “He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”
Here is what Jesus really came to do. He came to transform people. He filled the jars with his new wine. Wine is the symbol of God’s grace that comes into our lives undeserved, and transforms us from the inside out. He says, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5). There is no limit to his grace. What Jesus gives is never just enough, it is always more than enough, with plenty left over. He did not give just enough life and joy; he gave more than enough. Jesus is in the business of turning water into wine, sinners into saints, fear into courage, sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, despair into hope and death into life.
There were six stone water jars containing between 20 and 30 gallons apiece. So, at the very least, the jars contained 120 gallons of wine, and as much as 180 gallons. That is a lot of wine. There is no way the guests could have consumed that much wine. Yet Jesus gave so much wine because He is an extravagant giver. He never gives just "enough";He always gives superabundantly. What the guests had tasted cautiously before, they now drank in abundance. This is the same thing Jesus did when he fed the multitude. He multiplied five loaves and two fish so that 5,000 men and their families were fed, and when everyone had eaten their fill there were twelve baskets of bread and fish left over. He gave them more than they could possibly eat. That is the way God gives.
Paul experienced this kind of extravagant grace, evidenced as he said, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:13-14). Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). We may be poor according to this world’s standards, but we are rich in the things of the Kingdom of God. We may have nothing, but have everything. We have an extravagant God who lavishes us with his blessings. I like the way The Message translates Psalm 145:16, saying, “Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.”
God’s grace means that He is generous to a fault. This means that you can ask Him for anything. The Bible says He gives “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). He loves to bless, or as the hymn says, “He comes to make his blessings flow.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-dYNttdgl0
Saturday evening worship service.
Location: First United Methodist Church. Endicott
53 McKinley Avenue, Endicott.
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church, 128, Maple Drive, Endicott


Saturday February 5 .2011 6 PM Gathering: Coffee.
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music by Laureen Naik,
Speakers:
Rev. Brown Naik, and the Rev Bill Turner