Brown's Daily Word 5-5-11

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday evening gathering. The fellowship was sweet. The study and sharing were provoking and challenging In Hebrews 9:11-14 it is written, "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) served the Lord faithfully in his generation as did King David in his generation. Each one of us is called serve the Lord here and now. Jonathan Edwards was a brilliant theologian whose sermons had an overwhelming impact on those who heard him. One in particular, his famous ’Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," moved hundreds to repentance and salvation. That single message helped to spark the revival known as ’The Great Awakening" (1734-1744). From a human standpoint, it seems incredible that such far-reaching results could come from one message. Edwards did not have a commanding voice or impressive pulpit manner. He used very few gestures, and he read from a manuscript. Yet the Holy Spirit moved on his hearers with great conviction and power.
Few know the spiritual preparation involved in that sermon. John Chapman gives us the story. "For 3 days Edwards had not eaten a mouthful of food; for 3 nights he had not closed his eyes in sleep. Over and over again he was heard to pray, ’O Lord, give me New England! Give me New England!’ When he rose from his knees and made his way into the pulpit that Sunday, he looked as if he had been gazing straight into the face of God. Even before he began to speak, tremendous conviction fell upon his audience." Holiness was Jonathan Edwards’ heart’s desire in life. So should it be in ours but it won’t happen without work, without preparation.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (who was a justice on the Supreme Court, nominated by Theodore Roosevelt) said, "To reach the port of heaven we must sail, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail and not drift, nor lie at anchor."
We must sail, not drift. Drifting will get us nowhere. The Christian life is a life of action, doing, working, and serving. Because of this action, we are called to prepare ourselves; to prepare our minds, our bodies and our hearts for serving the Lord. I Tim. 1:15-17, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
In Christ,
Brown

http://youtu.be/bMlsifnlQN8
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, May 7, 2011
6 PM Coffee Fellowship

6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Jane Hettinger, Mary Haskel
Speaker: Dave Hettinger