Brown's Daily Word 4-4-11

Praise the Lord for the month of April. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful and full weekend. I performed a wedding ceremony Saturday afternoon. The Saturday Evening worship service was a huge blessing. We celebrated the Lord's supper during the morning worship services yesterday. The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from John 9. This is the 6th miracle or the sign according to the Gospel of John. Only seven miracles by our Lord are recorded in John; the seventh miracles is recorded in Chapter 11, the raising of Lazarus from the grave. Jesus restored sight to the man born blind in chapter 9. Max Lucado wrote about a man by the name of Bob Edens. "For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn’t see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. He found it overwhelming. 'I never would have dreamed that yellow is so…yellow,' he exclaimed. 'I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can’t believe red. I can see the shape of the moon—and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is.'" How many of us have ever had to place a blindfold on and have a friend lead us somewhere? It leaves us feeling helpless and unsure. Jesus taught that God had allowed the man to be born blind so that the works of God could be displayed in him. Too many times people falsely believe that they are suffering disease or hardship because of some sin in their life. The Lord Jesus said, "It was neither that this man sinned nor his parents, but he was born blind so that the power of God could be seen in him. All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us because there is little time left." (John 9:3,4) According to the Scriptures, the Lord at times allows hardship, handicaps or setbacks to come in to our lives so He can demonstrate His greater will through us. Jesus exposed the religious leaders for the skeptics they were through this encounter. The Pharisees immediately doubted and questioned the man saysing, "This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath. Others said, "But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs? So there was a deep division of opinion among them. They were skeptical of one another. Jesus says to us in our times of doubt, "Be it done to you according to your faith." "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world." When we doubt God’s mighty power, grace and love then we can expect to miss God’s blessings. Allow the Lord to do whatever He wants in order to work His greater works through you, regardless of what other critics, doubters, or immature Christians might have to say about your situation. Jesus showed how one man’s suffering provided a perceived need that led to an open door for the gospel. We need need to look for the perceived needs of people in order to maximize the effectiveness of our communication. Most people have mental filters that block messages,keeping them from penetrating to their heartfelt allegiances. The Lord wants us to speak to the felt needs of people so that they will begin to open the door of their values, beliefs, and perceptions of what is truly worth relying on. George Gallup, Jr., reported seven needs of the average American: 1. The need for shelter and food, 2. The need to believe life is meaningful and has a purpose, 3. The need for a sense of community and deeper relationships, 4. The need to be appreciated and respected, 5. The need to be listened to and to be heard, 6. The need to feel one is growing in faith, 7. The need for practical help in developing a mature faith. Jesus showed that the blind man did not need to know all of the answers to skeptics' questions in order to be used by God. The blind man said, "I don’t know whether he is a sinner. But I know this; I was blind and now I can see." The blind man showed a growing faith and knowledge of God as He obeyed Jesus. "When Jesus heard what had happened he found the man and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man? The man answered, Who is he, because I would like to. Jesus said, "You have seen him, and he is speaking to you." The man's response was "Yes, Lord I believe", and then He worshiped Jesus." Jesus said, "I have come to judge the world. I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." (John 9:35-39) Even though we may receive persecution for being a witness, obedience, faith, and worship of God will help us grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. (2 Pet. 3:18) The most fruitful and mature Christians are those who consistently share what God has given to them with those in need. Let us not just keep the faith, let us give to the others the great blessings God has bestowed upon us. The Pharisees remained spiritually blind because they chose not to see Jesus for who He was. They were hardened by their skepticism, cynicism, and religious piety. Stubbornness, stupidity, and selfishness tend to blind even the most sincere persons to the truth. In Christ, Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y Saturday evening worship service. Location: First United Methodist Church 53 McKinley Avenue Endicott Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church, 128, Maple Drive, Endicott Saturday, April 9, 2011 6 PM Coffee Fellowship 6:30 PM Worship Service Worship Music: Betty Phinney and the worship team Speaker: Jeff Vansycle