Brown's Daily Word 4-8-11

Good morning,
Praise the Lord; it is Friday and Sunday is coming. It is going to be one of the ten best days of April. The fields and the lawns are rapidly getting greener. A profusion of daffodils and tulips are popping up all around us. The birds are singing ever so sweetly, praising the Lord God , the maker of heaven and earth. Those who live in the area, please join us for our weekly TV outreach this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner channel 4.
` As part of my Lenten devotions I have been listening to Handel's Messiah. I never get tired of listening to "Messiah". From the very beginning our Lord God knew what he was doing. We only get three chapters into the Bible before we are given a prophecy of what God was going to do. The plan was that Jesus would crush the devil and destroy his work (Genesis 3:15). The entire Old Testament rings with the excitement of the coming Messiah and God’s ultimate plan for the world. Peter wrote about Christ: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:20). The book of Revelation describes Jesus as, “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of what God had in mind, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). In the end Jesus Christ will reign and we will reign with him. He will overcome the world and reconcile everything to himself. God reveals his ultimate plan for us in the scripture that says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6-7). That is a wonderful end to a wonderful story.
I love to read John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". There is a a fascinating part in the epic drama where Interpreter leads Christian into a place where there is a perplexing sight. He sees a fire burning beside a wall. It continues to burn under extraordinary circumstances. There is someone standing beside the fire who is continually throwing water on the fire in an attempt to extinguish it. But instead of the fire going out, it only burns brighter and hotter. Then Interpreter takes him behind the wall and shows him what he could not see before. Behind the wall is another man who is continually feeding the fire with oil. Christian cannot understand the whole thing until Interpreter explains to him that the man putting water on the fire represents the devil. He is always trying to dampen and extinguish the work of God in the world. But what he and the others on that side of the wall cannot see is the man on the other side of the wall who represents Christ. He is continually fueling the fire with the oil of his Spirit, and the devil can never put it out.
The meaning is clear. Those of us on this side of the wall only see the discouraging signs of what the evil one is doing to extinguish the work of God in the world. What we do not see with our natural eyes is that Christ is stoking the fire of God and causing it to burn hotter and brighter in spite of all the enemy is trying to do.
God knows exactly what he is doing, and no one can put out the fire that God has begun in the world. He begins with things that look like nothing; things that seem to be easily defeated by the devil. The Bible says, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The more the devil tries to put out the fire of God, the more he is frustrated by what he is trying to do.
It is written in Philippians 2, “Jesus. . . Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11). In the end, every knee will bow — the knees of those who despised him, rejected him, and ignored him, along with those who loved and served him. Let us bow the knee now in love and obedience, or we will bow the knee later in fear and subjugation, those are the choices. In the end, every knee will bow. In the book of Revelation, John described his appearance when Christ returns, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:14-16).
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

In Christ,
Brown

Brown's Daily Word

Good morning, Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday Evening Gathering for our mid-week Service. The food was delicious. The fellowship was sweet and the study of the Word of God was inspiring. There are over three Hundred prophecies regarding Jesus Christ our Lord in the Old Testament. The book of Isaiah chapter 53 depicts graphically,Christ's suffering, His death, His burial and even His resurrection. Pascal, one of the greatest and most influential scientific minds of all time, wrote these meaningful words, "The greatest of the proofs of Jesus Christ are the prophecies. They are also what God has most provided for, for the event which has fulfilled them is a miracle of God." The observation of Pascal is definitively true. The fact of the Messiah’s extreme physical and spiritual suffering had been plainly prophesied. Yet, the Suffering Servant humbly endured them as God’s will for the sake of those who will be justified, or have their sins paid for, by Him. The Servant voluntarily assumed the role given Him by God and bore man’s injustice and iniquity victoriously in noble silence. The Servant did not rebel against evil man’s oppression or God's devastating assignment with His words or with His heart. The Servant, however, was not a helpless victim of circumstance, but One who in His submissiveness and innocence fulfilled the greater purposes of God. Thus, in the end, He will prosper and be victorious for His vicarious suffering was God’s plan to accomplish His purpose . The destiny of servant-hood to God is triumph even though its short-run experience may look like defeat. God’s ways are not man’s way. Our God is the God of eternity, and He is enacting an eternal plan according to His wisdom and power. There is no uncertainty as to who is described in these verses from Isaiah 53, for it was made crystal clear to us in the book of Acts. When Philip, by divine appointment, encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch on the road to Jerusalem in Acts 8, the Eunuch was reading these very verses. The Eunuch pointedly asked Philip about whom the prophet was speaking. Philip, from these very Scriptures, then preached Jesus to him (Acts 8:35). (It is clear that when the Ethiopian read this passage hundreds of years after they were written and learned to understand it, his life was changed, because he came to realize the Servant suffered for him. Acts 8:35-39) We need to reflect on the facts and let that the suffering of Jesus have a profound effect upon our lives. He died for us so that, because of Jesus’ death, we need never fear death. When the Ethiopian learned the meaning of this passage He immediately obeyed Christ by pronouncing Him as Lord and being baptized. Is there a need for this kind of obedience in our lives? In Christ, Brown http://youtu.be/BcpLZgCwcEE 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

Brown's Daily Word 4-6-11

Good morning, Praise the Lord for the gift this new day. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and study this Evening starting at 6 PM with choir practice at 7:30 PM. Praise the Lord for the gift of time that we might live under His wonderful care by worshipping Him and serving Him day by day. It has been determined that In a lifetime the average North American will spend: Six months sitting at stoplights Eight months opening junk mail One year looking for misplaced objects 2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls 5 years waiting in line 6 years eating 21 years watching television. An article was once published entitled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days To Live.” The article went on to contend that when you subtract the time you spend sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, eating, traveling, doing chores, attending to personal hygiene, and add in the miscellaneous time stealers, in the next 36 years you will have only 500 days to spend as you wish. Think about how you spend your time. When all of the necessary things are done, how much time is left? God did not give all of us the same amount of talent, nor the same amount of wealth, but He has given each of us the same amount of time. Imagine that a bank credits your account each morning with $86,400. No balance is carried over from day to day. Any balance is deleted each evening. What would you do when you knew that you would not use all your daily balance? You would withdraw every penny, of course! You have such a bank and so have I. The name of our bank is TIME. Every day we are credited with 86,400 seconds. Every night, that which we have not used is debited from our account. The TIME bank allows no overdraft, there is no going back for a second chance. The TIME bank does not allow borrowing from tomorrow and of course, and there are no leftovers. The clock ticks away, never waiting for anyone to catch up. Because we value time so much, we usually try to SAVE it & MANAGE it. We save time by using microwaves and automatic dishwashers. We also save time by taking non-stop flights. Stephen Covey "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", said that “Time Management” is really a misnomer – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.” It is interesting that when we look at the Bible, we do not find a lot of emphasis on saving time or managing time, though we are called to be good “stewards” of all that God has given us, and that includes time. More than that, in the words of the apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5 and again in Colossians 4:5, we are called to REDEEM the time. The word “redeeming” can be translated as buying up or purchasing. "Time” is not the Greek word "chronos" which means clock time that is measured in hours, minutes and seconds, but it is the Greek word "kairos" which is a better translation. In other words, rather than being called to be good time managers, we are called to be good opportunity managers. It is not just the time, but also the timing that matter. It is not a matter of counting the minutes, hours, days, months and years, but of making the minutes, hours, day, months and years count. Tomorrow we will be given more hours, but we may never have the same opportunities again. Author Terry Muck told of a letter he received from a man who used to have absolutely no interest in spiritual things. He lived next door to a Christian, and they had a casual relationship as neighbors often do. Then the non-Christian’s wife was stricken with cancer, and died three months later. The letter follows: “I was in total despair. I went through the funeral preparations and the service like I was in a trance. And after the service I went to the path along the river and walked all night. But I did not walk alone. My neighbour - afraid for me, I guess - stayed with me all night. He did not speak; he did not even walk beside me. He just followed me. When the sun finally came up over the river he came over to me and said, "Let’s go get some breakfast." I go to church now. My neighbour’s church. A religion that can produce the kind of caring and love my neighbour showed me is something I want to find out more about. I want to be like that. I want to love and be loved like that for the rest of my life.” What made the difference in this man’s life? It was that one Christian dared to make the most of the opportunity he had to reveal Christ to his friend. There were few words . . . but the message came through. He had learned how to REDEEM THE TIME. Carl Sandburg has written, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Jonathan Edwards said, "Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live." One day our time on earth will come to an end and we will be asked to give an account of how we invested the gift of time that was given to us. We will not be asked how well we did in SAVING TIME. We will not be asked to prove how well we did in MANAGING TIME. We will be asked how well we did in REDEEMING THE TIME, in making the most of the opportunities that God sent our way. The apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” From one of the beloved hymns of the church by Isaac Watts: "A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares, Are carried downwards by the flood, And lost in foll’wing years. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the op’ning day. In Christ who is the Alpha and Omega, Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTqDuOvayKw 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

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