Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of April. I am up early morning to do my morning devotions, then I am planning to watch the royal wedding telecast from Westminster Abby, London. I have visited the Westminster Abby several times. I attended an international bicentennial celebration of British Baptist Missions and also of the Missionary trip of William Carey to India in 1793. The bicentennial celebration was held in 1992 at Westminster Abby. I was blessed to have worshipped at the Abby with hundreds of Christian leaders from around the globe. In July, 1981 I arose in the early morning to watch the wedding of Prince Charles and princess Diana. At the time I was attending a conference at Albright College in Reading, PA. That wedding was held at the St Paul's Cathedral in London.
I have been reading from Luke 24, the Emmaus experience. Some of the saddest words in our language begin with the letter D, such as disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, despair, and death. All of these are summed up in the words of Cleopas and his companion as they spoke to the stranger who joined them on the Emmaus road.
As the weary travelers made their weary way to Emmaus a stranger came along who walked beside them. It would to be one of the most wonderful walks in history! We know, of course, that it was the risen Jesus, although somehow they failed to recognize him. In fact Luke recorded that "they were kept from recognizing him." It was no accident that they did not comprehend who he really was. They were prevented from recognizing Jesus for a purpose. It was so that they might be in the same position that we find ourselves in some 2,000 years later.
The stranger asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" In response to this query they poured out their sad story to one who seemed so willing to listen. How wonderfully kind and compassionate is our Lord. The way that Jesus dealt with the situation is a lesson to all that are in a position to help those who have lost hope. Their spokesman, Cleopas, expressed surprise at even being asked what was worrying them, "Are you the only one living in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?" Jesus patiently asked, "What things?" "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
The two Emmaus bound disciples were correct in their theology as far as it went. They told the stranger that this Jesus "was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people". "He was ..." - notice the use of the past tense, which strongly implies that he wasn’t relevant to the present or otherwise they wouldn’t have been in their present downcast state of mind. Their experience of Jesus was in the past, and they thought they were alone. The Cross had taken him from them, and their minds had not yet made sense of the changed situation, or adjusted to it. The Cross was just a great negative to them.
We have all heard exciting testimonies of what Jesus has done in the past - but what about the present? Jesus is still there. He’s is still the unseen "stranger", walking with us, listening to us and, if we are willing to hear his voice, revealing himself to us. As the two disciples spoke of the Cross he took hold of their bewilderment and sorrow and gave them a heart lifting experience. He pointed them to God’s self-revelation in the Scriptures. Luke records, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." He expounded on the The Old Testament!
When Jesus intrudes into our lives, probing our thoughts, it is for the purpose of blessing us. Cleopas and his companion accepted the gentle rebuke that Jesus made when he said, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."
A famous picture painted of this scene, of Jesus knocking at a door, but the door has no handle. If there was a handle, it must have been on the inside! This is very much the situation in the Emmaus story. We are told that "Jesus acted as if he was going further." It was apparently a test to see if the disciples had more appetite for the things of God. They did. We are told, "They urged Jesus strongly, ‘Stay with us ...’" That’s the sort of invitation that Jesus cannot resist or refuse! "He went in to stay with them."
A meal was quickly prepared. The bread was on the table when the moment for Jesus’ disclosure has come. "He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them." It was the action of the breaking of bread. They saw his hands - so different from when he had broken bread at the Feeding of the Five Thousand, and at the Last Supper. They were the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. In an instant they knew him. Then an instant later he was gone.
I can imagine Cleopas and his friend standing in amazement; perhaps embracing in great joy, asking each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" Their world had come together again. That heart-burning experience is something that we all need. The Risen Lord deeply longs for each one of us to walk with Him in close fellowship so He can fulfill His plans for our lives. The two Emmaus disciples had no doubt walked this way many times before, yet this day would be different, for it was the time for a life-changing encounter with their Lord. Christ is risen from the dead! Christ is the Savior! Christ is the hope of the world! The two disciples lost no time in retracing their steps to Jerusalem to share the Good News. May that be our experience this Easter time and for the rest of our life.
In Christ the Risen One,
Brown
http://youtu.be/C-lY8VQpSTY
Friday 04.29.2011:7PM
TV outreach on Time Warner Cable ch 4
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church, 128, Maple Drive, Endicott
Saturday, April 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 4-28-11
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. It has been thundering and raining much of the night. The new day is dawning; praise the Lord, the author of Salvation. He blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday evening gathering. The fellowship and study are always a blessing.
I have been reading the Resurrection passages again about the first Easter people. One of the first Easter people is a woman named Mary. The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John’s gospel. The vignette ends with the mourner turned into a missionary, running to tell the others what she has just seen and heard.
Although Mary Magdalene played an important role in the life of Christ, we know surprisingly little about her. She is one of at least five different women named “Mary” in the New Testament; this much we know. The Lord had cast out seven deadly demons from her. When Christ set her free, he liberated her from the evil impulses that had kept her chained figuratively and perhaps literally. She became living proof that those whom the Son sets free are free indeed. Having been liberated from demonic bondage, she said to herself (and perhaps out loud), “I love him for what he did for me. I will follow him wherever he goes.” It has been often said that Mary Magdalene was “last at the cross and first at the tomb.” This is a high honor that can be said of none of the men who followed Jesus. She was the first to see him alive and the first to hear his voice. The irony of the story is that when she first saw him, she didn’t recognize him. Yet, when the truth hit home, she became the first evangelist in Christian history. Christ bestowed this great honor on her because she loved him so deeply and so devotedly.
Craig Barnes is pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In an article called “Easter in an Age of Terror” (you can find it online at www.christianitytoday.com), he points out that Easter is both good news and also terrifying news. It is good news that Jesus came back from the dead. It is terrifying news because Easter confronts us with the awful reality of death. The biblical accounts of the crucifixion stress that many people watched it from a distance. They wanted to see what would happen but they didn’t want to get too close. That’s how most of us handle death, by keeping it at arm’s length. We avoid going to funerals if possible and we never just drop by a funeral home to have a cup of coffee. We work out and lose weight and lower our cholesterol and we try to be careful so that death won’t come too close to us. However, sometimes death comes and knocks at the door. At other times death it breaks down the door and comes barging into the living room whether we like it or not. That’s what happened on September 11. Death entered every home in America. No one could escape the anger, the horror, the shock, and the terror. In one dark moment, all our illusions of security were utterly destroyed.
Death is never easy to deal with. Most of the time we can avoid it or postpone it or keep it far away from us. But sometimes death stares us in the face and we don’t know what to do or how to respond. That is why Mary was standing alone at the Garden Tomb about 6:30 AM on the first Easter Sunday.
“But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him’” (John 20:11-13).
Mary wept because the tomb is empty. She wept over an empty tomb; the very thing that should have been good news broke her heart! Today we say today that the empty tomb is one of the greatest proofs of the Resurrection. Yet Mary wept. We often do the same thing. When faced with trials and unexplainable tragedy, we often weep over our circumstances.
Note the question Jesus asked, “Who are you looking for?” He did not ask, “What are you looking for?” That is altogether a different question. Mary was looking for a what, a dead body. She was looking for something; Jesus pointed her to someone. The answer to our deepest needs is not something, but someone, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).
“Mary.” He still knows her name!
“Rabboni.” She calls him, “My Master!”
She knew his voice and he knew her name, so Mary went and told the disciples what she had seen and heard. The Greek is very vivid. Literally, “Mary came telling!” She couldn’t stop talking about her encounter with the risen Lord. The mourner became the missionary! So it is with all who meet the risen Lord. We are called to do as Mary did—to run and tell all who will listen that we have seen Jesus! Mary has firsthand knowledge and so do we.
Jesus asked Mary, "Why are you weeping?" The time for tears is over. The time to tell the Good News has come. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/yzzqhaLl_8w
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Praise the Lord for this new day. It has been thundering and raining much of the night. The new day is dawning; praise the Lord, the author of Salvation. He blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday evening gathering. The fellowship and study are always a blessing.
I have been reading the Resurrection passages again about the first Easter people. One of the first Easter people is a woman named Mary. The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John’s gospel. The vignette ends with the mourner turned into a missionary, running to tell the others what she has just seen and heard.
Although Mary Magdalene played an important role in the life of Christ, we know surprisingly little about her. She is one of at least five different women named “Mary” in the New Testament; this much we know. The Lord had cast out seven deadly demons from her. When Christ set her free, he liberated her from the evil impulses that had kept her chained figuratively and perhaps literally. She became living proof that those whom the Son sets free are free indeed. Having been liberated from demonic bondage, she said to herself (and perhaps out loud), “I love him for what he did for me. I will follow him wherever he goes.” It has been often said that Mary Magdalene was “last at the cross and first at the tomb.” This is a high honor that can be said of none of the men who followed Jesus. She was the first to see him alive and the first to hear his voice. The irony of the story is that when she first saw him, she didn’t recognize him. Yet, when the truth hit home, she became the first evangelist in Christian history. Christ bestowed this great honor on her because she loved him so deeply and so devotedly.
Craig Barnes is pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In an article called “Easter in an Age of Terror” (you can find it online at www.christianitytoday.com), he points out that Easter is both good news and also terrifying news. It is good news that Jesus came back from the dead. It is terrifying news because Easter confronts us with the awful reality of death. The biblical accounts of the crucifixion stress that many people watched it from a distance. They wanted to see what would happen but they didn’t want to get too close. That’s how most of us handle death, by keeping it at arm’s length. We avoid going to funerals if possible and we never just drop by a funeral home to have a cup of coffee. We work out and lose weight and lower our cholesterol and we try to be careful so that death won’t come too close to us. However, sometimes death comes and knocks at the door. At other times death it breaks down the door and comes barging into the living room whether we like it or not. That’s what happened on September 11. Death entered every home in America. No one could escape the anger, the horror, the shock, and the terror. In one dark moment, all our illusions of security were utterly destroyed.
Death is never easy to deal with. Most of the time we can avoid it or postpone it or keep it far away from us. But sometimes death stares us in the face and we don’t know what to do or how to respond. That is why Mary was standing alone at the Garden Tomb about 6:30 AM on the first Easter Sunday.
“But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him’” (John 20:11-13).
Mary wept because the tomb is empty. She wept over an empty tomb; the very thing that should have been good news broke her heart! Today we say today that the empty tomb is one of the greatest proofs of the Resurrection. Yet Mary wept. We often do the same thing. When faced with trials and unexplainable tragedy, we often weep over our circumstances.
Note the question Jesus asked, “Who are you looking for?” He did not ask, “What are you looking for?” That is altogether a different question. Mary was looking for a what, a dead body. She was looking for something; Jesus pointed her to someone. The answer to our deepest needs is not something, but someone, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).
“Mary.” He still knows her name!
“Rabboni.” She calls him, “My Master!”
She knew his voice and he knew her name, so Mary went and told the disciples what she had seen and heard. The Greek is very vivid. Literally, “Mary came telling!” She couldn’t stop talking about her encounter with the risen Lord. The mourner became the missionary! So it is with all who meet the risen Lord. We are called to do as Mary did—to run and tell all who will listen that we have seen Jesus! Mary has firsthand knowledge and so do we.
Jesus asked Mary, "Why are you weeping?" The time for tears is over. The time to tell the Good News has come. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/yzzqhaLl_8w
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 4-27-11
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Wednesday of April. It was a summer-like day yesterday, with the temperature reaching into the mid-eighties. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and study this evening at 6 PM.
We are living in the afterglow of Easter. Paul met the Risen Savior. His life was radically transformed by the Risen Lord. He passed on to life from death. He wrote "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Death is clearly the strongest predator on the face of the earth, relentlessly tracking down each victim, catching and wrestling him down to the rot and mire of the grave! Death is seen day and night going to and fro throughout the earth stalking his prey. He is seen lurking in the shadows, with the souls of men in his grasp. He is the terror of the night, who plays no favorites and is not prejudiced: He leaps upon young and old, man, woman, and child alike.
THE THE DAY DEATH DIED WASTHE DAY CHRIST AROSE FROM THE GRAVE!!!
"Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph oe’r His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose, He arose, HALLELUJAH, Christ Arose!!
The day Christ arose from the grave, Death (for the Christian) died. Scripture tells us:
- I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore ... and have the keys of hell and death. (Revelation 1:18)
- And having spoiled principalities and powers, he make a show of them openly triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15)
- ... Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory!!
Death need hold no more terror in our lives, for Christ "Tasted of Death" for us, and triumphed over it on that First Easter Morning. That first Easter morning will ever be know as THE DAY DEATH DIED!!!!
MAX LUCADO, in his book, "Six Hours One Friday", told the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away—across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.
That’s exactly what Jesus did! He told the people of His day that they need not fear the river of death, but they wouldn’t believe. He touched a dead boy and called him back to life. They still didn’t believe. He whispered life into the body of a dead girl and got the same result. He let a dead man spend four days in a tomb and then called him out and the people still didn’t believe Him. Finally, He entered the river of death and came out on the other side. No wonder we celebrate the Resurrection!
In Christ,
Brown
This video is from Lebanon/ Easter Morning.
http://youtu.be/o0ZS9o6NLnM
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Praise the Lord for this last Wednesday of April. It was a summer-like day yesterday, with the temperature reaching into the mid-eighties. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and study this evening at 6 PM.
We are living in the afterglow of Easter. Paul met the Risen Savior. His life was radically transformed by the Risen Lord. He passed on to life from death. He wrote "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Death is clearly the strongest predator on the face of the earth, relentlessly tracking down each victim, catching and wrestling him down to the rot and mire of the grave! Death is seen day and night going to and fro throughout the earth stalking his prey. He is seen lurking in the shadows, with the souls of men in his grasp. He is the terror of the night, who plays no favorites and is not prejudiced: He leaps upon young and old, man, woman, and child alike.
THE THE DAY DEATH DIED WASTHE DAY CHRIST AROSE FROM THE GRAVE!!!
"Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph oe’r His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose, He arose, HALLELUJAH, Christ Arose!!
The day Christ arose from the grave, Death (for the Christian) died. Scripture tells us:
- I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore ... and have the keys of hell and death. (Revelation 1:18)
- And having spoiled principalities and powers, he make a show of them openly triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15)
- ... Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory!!
Death need hold no more terror in our lives, for Christ "Tasted of Death" for us, and triumphed over it on that First Easter Morning. That first Easter morning will ever be know as THE DAY DEATH DIED!!!!
MAX LUCADO, in his book, "Six Hours One Friday", told the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away—across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.
That’s exactly what Jesus did! He told the people of His day that they need not fear the river of death, but they wouldn’t believe. He touched a dead boy and called him back to life. They still didn’t believe. He whispered life into the body of a dead girl and got the same result. He let a dead man spend four days in a tomb and then called him out and the people still didn’t believe Him. Finally, He entered the river of death and came out on the other side. No wonder we celebrate the Resurrection!
In Christ,
Brown
This video is from Lebanon/ Easter Morning.
http://youtu.be/o0ZS9o6NLnM
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 4/26/11
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for His Resurrection from death and the grave. He is the Resurrection and the Life. It is going to be a brilliant spring day. Many of the spring flowers are in full bloom. I walked over three miles yesterday in one of the local parks gazing at the beauty the Lord displays all around us with so much love and grace.
In Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book", Mowgli, the man cub, asks the animals to name the most feared thing in the jungle. He is told that when two animals meet on a narrow path that one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wants to know what kind of animal would that be? One tells him it’s an elephant. Another tells him it’s a lion. Finally the wise old owl exclaims, “The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one.”
We find that statement to be so true. It doesn’t matter how physically strong, financially rich, fantastically popular, or overwhelmingly powerful one might be. Death is an absolute truth for each and every one of us. No one is exempt from death
Hebrews 9:27 states, "It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment." In Ecclesiastes 7:2 it is stated " …for death is the destiny of every man."
Death, however, was not the final destiny of Jesus Christ. Since He was God in the flesh, death had to step aside for him.
Luke's account follows from Luke 24:1-8 – On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
As a coward steps aside for the brave, death cowered in the presence of the power of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:9 – "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him."
John Maxwell told a story about a blazer that he bought from Nordstrom. "About a year and a half ago, I bought a new navy blazer at Nordstrom. It was one of those cases you may have gone through where you buy an item of clothing and the more you wear it, the more you realize you don’t like it. My blazer wasn’t the right color, and to make matters worse, it attracted lint like it was going out of style. After wearing it pretty regularly for six months or so, I stuck it in my closet and didn’t wear it for a long time.
"Tucked away in the back of my mind all the while was that famous Nordstrom unconditional-return policy. I thought, I’ve had this thing for a year and a half. I’ve worn it lots of times, and there’s just no way they’re going to take it back. About two weeks ago I decided I had nothing to lose. I pulled the blazer out, threw a lot of lint on it to make it look bad, and took it down to Nordstrom’s men’s department. I walked in, and immediately I felt nervous. I felt like I was about to pull a scam of some sort, but I played it straight. I walked right up to the first salesman I saw and gave this little prepared speech. I said, 'I am about to put your famous unconditional-return policy to its ultimate test. I have here a blazer. I’ve worn it lots. I’ve had it for a year and a half. I don’t like it. It’s the wrong color, and it attracts lint like it’s going out of style. But I want to return this blazer for another blazer that I like.' Then I stood there.
"I couldn’t believe it. This guy with a big handlebar mustache just looked at me and shook his head. He said, 'For heaven’s sake, what took you so long? Let’s go find you a blazer.' Ten minutes later I walked out with another blazer that was marked seventy-five dollars more than I paid for the one that I brought in. It was perfect for me. Didn’t cost me a penny."
In a very small way, the Nordstrom Department Store is a lot like God. They are willing to back up their promises. (Preaching Today)
I think that at Easter, more than any other time of the year, we realize that God has made all sorts of outlandish promises. They seem so outlandish that some of us cannot bring ourselves to believe that they could possibly be true. Easter is about the promises that God has made to us: the promise of forgiven sins, the promise of eternal life, and the promise of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/HPBmFwBSGb0
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Praise the Lord for His Resurrection from death and the grave. He is the Resurrection and the Life. It is going to be a brilliant spring day. Many of the spring flowers are in full bloom. I walked over three miles yesterday in one of the local parks gazing at the beauty the Lord displays all around us with so much love and grace.
In Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book", Mowgli, the man cub, asks the animals to name the most feared thing in the jungle. He is told that when two animals meet on a narrow path that one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wants to know what kind of animal would that be? One tells him it’s an elephant. Another tells him it’s a lion. Finally the wise old owl exclaims, “The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one.”
We find that statement to be so true. It doesn’t matter how physically strong, financially rich, fantastically popular, or overwhelmingly powerful one might be. Death is an absolute truth for each and every one of us. No one is exempt from death
Hebrews 9:27 states, "It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment." In Ecclesiastes 7:2 it is stated " …for death is the destiny of every man."
Death, however, was not the final destiny of Jesus Christ. Since He was God in the flesh, death had to step aside for him.
Luke's account follows from Luke 24:1-8 – On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
As a coward steps aside for the brave, death cowered in the presence of the power of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:9 – "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him."
John Maxwell told a story about a blazer that he bought from Nordstrom. "About a year and a half ago, I bought a new navy blazer at Nordstrom. It was one of those cases you may have gone through where you buy an item of clothing and the more you wear it, the more you realize you don’t like it. My blazer wasn’t the right color, and to make matters worse, it attracted lint like it was going out of style. After wearing it pretty regularly for six months or so, I stuck it in my closet and didn’t wear it for a long time.
"Tucked away in the back of my mind all the while was that famous Nordstrom unconditional-return policy. I thought, I’ve had this thing for a year and a half. I’ve worn it lots of times, and there’s just no way they’re going to take it back. About two weeks ago I decided I had nothing to lose. I pulled the blazer out, threw a lot of lint on it to make it look bad, and took it down to Nordstrom’s men’s department. I walked in, and immediately I felt nervous. I felt like I was about to pull a scam of some sort, but I played it straight. I walked right up to the first salesman I saw and gave this little prepared speech. I said, 'I am about to put your famous unconditional-return policy to its ultimate test. I have here a blazer. I’ve worn it lots. I’ve had it for a year and a half. I don’t like it. It’s the wrong color, and it attracts lint like it’s going out of style. But I want to return this blazer for another blazer that I like.' Then I stood there.
"I couldn’t believe it. This guy with a big handlebar mustache just looked at me and shook his head. He said, 'For heaven’s sake, what took you so long? Let’s go find you a blazer.' Ten minutes later I walked out with another blazer that was marked seventy-five dollars more than I paid for the one that I brought in. It was perfect for me. Didn’t cost me a penny."
In a very small way, the Nordstrom Department Store is a lot like God. They are willing to back up their promises. (Preaching Today)
I think that at Easter, more than any other time of the year, we realize that God has made all sorts of outlandish promises. They seem so outlandish that some of us cannot bring ourselves to believe that they could possibly be true. Easter is about the promises that God has made to us: the promise of forgiven sins, the promise of eternal life, and the promise of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/HPBmFwBSGb0
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Monday, April 25, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 4/25/11
Good morning,
Happy Easter. The Lord is Risen indeed. It has been a glorious weekend. We had worship services Saturday Evening at the First United Methodist Church, and yesterday we had Easter celebrations at Union Center UMC and the Wesley UMC. Each service was filled with live Easter music of victory and triumph. Praise the Lord for so many who came join these worship services.
Our daughter Jessica and our son-in law Tom came home from Philly for the weekend. Laureen was home and offered special music during the morning worship services. Janice and her family in Boston attended Easter Worship in their church in Cambridge, and then they went for a hike in the afternoon. Janice said that on their way for hiking they passed by a church full of Eater worshippers just getting out of worship. It is always a holy scene when people of the Lord come into the House of the Lord for worship. It is also a very holy scene when the people of the Lord redeemed by Blood are leaving THE PLACES OF WORSHIP, SCATTERING BACK INTO THE WORLD TO SERVE the Risen Savior. Sunita and Andy attended a sunrise service at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. It reached the mid-eighties in Washington, DC, on Sunday. Sunita reported that it was one of the warmest Easter sunrise services at the Lincoln Memorial in recent times.
The gospel reading for Resurrection Sunday was taken from John 20. According to the Scripture, the tomb was empty, and so were the hearts of Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and John. They had no idea that it was Resurrection Sunday; they simply thought that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. Notice Peter's and John’s transformations in just a few verses of Scripture. Though they “ran” to the tomb, once they saw that it was empty they just went back to their homes. Very possibly Peter and John were much like the men who were walking on the road of Emmaus, away from Jerusalem, after Jesus’ death – dejected, faces downcast, and all hope gone.
After the men left, Mary just stood outside the tomb crying. Not only was Jesus dead, but someone had played a cruel joke on those who loved Jesus so much…they had stolen His body. All she could do was cry. Mary just couldn’t believe that it was true. Jesus had changed her life, she was just getting to really know Him, but now He was gone…He couldn’t be gone. Like a loved one going back to the casket for one more look, Mary bent down just to make sure. John's Gospel records that, as she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb "and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she said, 'and I don’t know where they have put him.' At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 'Woman,' he said, 'why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?' Thinking he was the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). (John 20:11-16 NIV)
Mary looked at Jesus. Jesus spoke to Mary. At this time Mary still did not realize that it is Resurrection Sunday. Mary was broken, and she was still frantic over the fact that someone has stolen the body of her Lord and Savior. Did she not recognize Jesus because she had been crying so hard that she couldn’t see clearly? Did Jesus look different than the last time Mary had seen Him hanging on the cross? Was it Jesus’ resurrected body that led her to believe that He was just the gardener? We do not know for certain why Mary could not comprehend, but when Jesus said, “Mary”, she knew that she was in the presence of her Lord. It was only one word.
To this day it takes just one word. When Jesus calls us by name the tears of anguish are changed into tears of joy. When Jesus calls us by name the depths of devastation are changed into the rejoicing of resurrection. When Jesus calls us by name the stone is rolled away and we are free to come out of our tomb of sin, shame, and despair. When Jesus calls our name we are freed from the prison of trying to fit in, trying to stack up, trying to get ahead, trying to make a name for ourselves, trying to prove our worth and value to society.
God desires to speak our name and have us realize that Friday is over and Sunday has come, condemnation has been swallowed up by salvation – if we would only believe and trust in the One who came to save us. John wrote and said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV) Those who hear Him call our name and cry out like Mary did will see salvation break forth in our lives like the morning sunrise, but those who reject His voice are condemned already because of the hardness of our hearts.
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. To his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?", he asked.
Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
Mary ran away from the Empty Tomb and told others about the Risen Lord. As we go in to the world, the Good Friday World, let us proclaim that the Lord who was crucified dead and buried is Risen. He is alive and He is in the world rolling away the stones of unbelif , bondage and sorrow. We proclaim again and again , our Savior lives.
Blessed be His Name.
He is Risen.
Halleljujah!
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/NyPBVwOCYmM
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
Happy Easter. The Lord is Risen indeed. It has been a glorious weekend. We had worship services Saturday Evening at the First United Methodist Church, and yesterday we had Easter celebrations at Union Center UMC and the Wesley UMC. Each service was filled with live Easter music of victory and triumph. Praise the Lord for so many who came join these worship services.
Our daughter Jessica and our son-in law Tom came home from Philly for the weekend. Laureen was home and offered special music during the morning worship services. Janice and her family in Boston attended Easter Worship in their church in Cambridge, and then they went for a hike in the afternoon. Janice said that on their way for hiking they passed by a church full of Eater worshippers just getting out of worship. It is always a holy scene when people of the Lord come into the House of the Lord for worship. It is also a very holy scene when the people of the Lord redeemed by Blood are leaving THE PLACES OF WORSHIP, SCATTERING BACK INTO THE WORLD TO SERVE the Risen Savior. Sunita and Andy attended a sunrise service at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. It reached the mid-eighties in Washington, DC, on Sunday. Sunita reported that it was one of the warmest Easter sunrise services at the Lincoln Memorial in recent times.
The gospel reading for Resurrection Sunday was taken from John 20. According to the Scripture, the tomb was empty, and so were the hearts of Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and John. They had no idea that it was Resurrection Sunday; they simply thought that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. Notice Peter's and John’s transformations in just a few verses of Scripture. Though they “ran” to the tomb, once they saw that it was empty they just went back to their homes. Very possibly Peter and John were much like the men who were walking on the road of Emmaus, away from Jerusalem, after Jesus’ death – dejected, faces downcast, and all hope gone.
After the men left, Mary just stood outside the tomb crying. Not only was Jesus dead, but someone had played a cruel joke on those who loved Jesus so much…they had stolen His body. All she could do was cry. Mary just couldn’t believe that it was true. Jesus had changed her life, she was just getting to really know Him, but now He was gone…He couldn’t be gone. Like a loved one going back to the casket for one more look, Mary bent down just to make sure. John's Gospel records that, as she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb "and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she said, 'and I don’t know where they have put him.' At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 'Woman,' he said, 'why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?' Thinking he was the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). (John 20:11-16 NIV)
Mary looked at Jesus. Jesus spoke to Mary. At this time Mary still did not realize that it is Resurrection Sunday. Mary was broken, and she was still frantic over the fact that someone has stolen the body of her Lord and Savior. Did she not recognize Jesus because she had been crying so hard that she couldn’t see clearly? Did Jesus look different than the last time Mary had seen Him hanging on the cross? Was it Jesus’ resurrected body that led her to believe that He was just the gardener? We do not know for certain why Mary could not comprehend, but when Jesus said, “Mary”, she knew that she was in the presence of her Lord. It was only one word.
To this day it takes just one word. When Jesus calls us by name the tears of anguish are changed into tears of joy. When Jesus calls us by name the depths of devastation are changed into the rejoicing of resurrection. When Jesus calls us by name the stone is rolled away and we are free to come out of our tomb of sin, shame, and despair. When Jesus calls our name we are freed from the prison of trying to fit in, trying to stack up, trying to get ahead, trying to make a name for ourselves, trying to prove our worth and value to society.
God desires to speak our name and have us realize that Friday is over and Sunday has come, condemnation has been swallowed up by salvation – if we would only believe and trust in the One who came to save us. John wrote and said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV) Those who hear Him call our name and cry out like Mary did will see salvation break forth in our lives like the morning sunrise, but those who reject His voice are condemned already because of the hardness of our hearts.
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. To his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?", he asked.
Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
Mary ran away from the Empty Tomb and told others about the Risen Lord. As we go in to the world, the Good Friday World, let us proclaim that the Lord who was crucified dead and buried is Risen. He is alive and He is in the world rolling away the stones of unbelif , bondage and sorrow. We proclaim again and again , our Savior lives.
Blessed be His Name.
He is Risen.
Halleljujah!
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/NyPBVwOCYmM
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 30, 2011
5 PM Indian Buffet at the First UMC, Endicott
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik, Emma Bronson
Speaker: Rev Bill Turner
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