Brown's Daily Word: 3/4/12

Friday, March 9, 2012

Brown's Daily Word 3-9-12

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
I am part of a small group of pastors that meets from time to time for study and prayer. We met yesterday for sharing and for prayer. One of the pastors prayed in his native language and he prayed also in English. It was a great time of being in the Lord's presence in prayer.
I have been reflecting on Romans 5, "Therefore, just as we have been justified, and we continue to remain justified, so we have obtained access into grace, and we continue to have access into this grace in which we stand." The author of Hebrews puts it this way, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. . . let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience..." Hebrews 10:19, 22).
Because of Justification we have access to the Throne of grace. Ephesians 3:12: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” The Bible teaches us about prayer, based on the fact that we have been given access to God the Father through his work of justification. First, our access to God is direct. We do not need human mediators in order to have access to God. Therefore, we can come to God directly at any time of day or in any place and know that He hears us, and that He will answer your prayers. Secondly, our access to God is effective. This truth is taught by Ephesians 3:12. as it emphasizes that through faith in Christ “we have boldness and access with confidence.” In what is our confidence? Obviously, we can be assured that He will hear us and answer our prayers according to his wise and perfect will. Many of us are praying for our family members, for our friends and loved ones. May we remain fervent and faithful in prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit. May He grant us His perfect peace that passes all understanding as we wrestle with the concerns and cares that assail us. We declare that our Lord is able to deliver us. We will keep on praying and praising the Lord. He rules and He reigns. May the Lord make us passionate in praying. May He make us zealous in worship. May He make us extravagantly generous in giving and sharing.
It is, of course, possible to pray wrongly, and we often do that. But when we pray according to the wise will of God, we can be confident that he will both hear us and answer our prayers.
My favorite story in this respect is about Martin Luther and his good friend and assistant Frederick Myconius. One day Myconius became sick and was expected to die within a short time. On his death bed he wrote a loving farewell note to Luther; but when Luther received it he sat down instantly and wrote this reply: “I command you in the name of God to live, because I still have need of you in the work of reforming the church. . . . The Lord will never let me hear that you are dead, but will permit you to survive me. For this I am praying. .” The words seem shocking to us, because we live in less fervent times, but Luther’s prayer was clearly of God and therefore effective. In fact, although Myconius had already lost the ability to speak when Luther’s letter came, in a short time he revived, and he lived six more years, surviving Luther by two months.
Can we be bold in prayer, as Luther was? There is a hymn by John Newton, the former slave trader and preacher, that puts it quite well:

Come, my soul, thy Suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer.
He himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring.
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.

Not only is our access to God direct, but it is also effective. That means that when we pray according to the wise will of God, we can be confident that he will both hear us and answer our prayers. Our approach to God is to be intimate. We know this because Jesus taught us to use the intimate term Father when we pray. It is the term Jesus used when praying, and it is the term he passed on to us: “Our Father who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
God is our King, which is why we can be bold in bringing large requests to him. But he is also our dear heavenly Father, and the access that we have as a result of our justification through the work of Christ has brought us into his home as beloved sons and daughters.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/CLAg2NDcOt4

Friday March 9, 2012
Television Outreach
Time Warner Cable Channel 4
Time 7:00 PM

Saturday Evening Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist Church

53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Special Music by Jane Hettinger. For information, call 607-748-6329

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Brown's Daily Word 3-8-12

Good morning,

Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a wonderful Wednesday Evening gathering. The food was once again very sumptuous, and the Study of the Word of the Lord was a great blessing. It was a great time of sharing and learning. The fellowship was sweet as always. The Lord blessed us with a very brilliant day yesterday. It was warm. My wife wanted to open the doors of the house. We have several flower patches around the Church grounds, which are adorned by a carpet of beautiful, luxuriant crocuses. I was delighted to see the bees that were swarming over the beautiful crocuses. Because I used to raise bees, it is a beautiful and very pleasant sight to see every spring, when the bees come out of their hibernation to welcome the Spring.

I am reading from Mark 9 once again. Jesus and his disciples were on a journey taking them through Galilee. As they walked along the way, Jesus became aware that some of his disciples were arguing among themselves.
When they reach their destination, he asked them about why they were arguing, and the disciples kept quiet. Of course they kept quiet because they possesses just enough spiritual maturity to know that what they had been talking about was inappropriate and that Jesus would not approve.
They had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. They were vying for top spot among Jesus' followers, but Jesus was not impressed. He turned their world upside down by saying, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He turns our world upside down in the same way even today. He used the moment as the opportunity to impart a most valuable principle of Christianity, that is, TO BE THE GREATEST MEANS TO BECOME A SERVANT. If we want to have real greatness – not the kind the world gives, but the kind God recognizes -- we need to learn to serve.
To the disciples this was an entirely new way of thinking. Even today it goes against the grain of what our society teaches. We always have the desire to be first. We want to have it all our way, all the time, with our will pre-eminent and our needs most important! Jesus, in stark contrast with the "me first" principle, said that he who seeks to be the greatest needs to become the last and must be the servant of all.
Most of us do not want to serve other people. We prefer to be served. We think very highly of ourselves. April 15, 1912, marks the 100 th year anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic. When the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage the world was filled with hope and awe. In just a few short days those emotions turned to horror and grief. We can read about the various stories that emerged from the sinking of the Titanic. I read about the stories about the engineers, who knew that their ship was sinking. Those men knew they were going to die. They could have deserted their posts and tried to find room on a life boat, but they stayed below keeping the engines working so that the ship would have electrical power. They knew that the longer the ship had electrical power the better the chances were that another ship would find them and come to the rescue. They knew that as long as the electrical power was working and the lights were on, there would be less panic among the passengers. Some of us would probably die for our husband or wife, our parent, or child. These people died for strangers. That is a sense of service your rarely find in this world today.
A story is told about Mother Teresa. A visitor to her hospital in Calcutta saw her tending to the cuts and bruises of a frail and impoverished AIDS patient. The visitor admitted to her, "I’d never do that for a million dollars!" Mother Teresa answered, "Neither would I. But I do it for Jesus for nothing."
To become great in the eyes of the world you must be successful in business, become rich, and own the best house and the best car. God's economy is different from our own. In the eyes of God, greatness comes to us when we put our own needs aside and become a servant, serving the King and ministering to those around us.

In Christ,

Brown
http://youtu.be/6IAz9artoBw

Friday March 9, 2012
Television Outreach
Time Warner Cable Channel 4
Time 7:00 PM

Saturday Evening Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist Church

53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Special Music by Jane Hettinger. For information, call 607-748-6329

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Brown's Daily Word 3-7-12

Good morning,

Thanks be to Jesus our Lord for this new day. It will be like a spring-like day, sunny and brilliant. I plan to be doing some bird watching --- The spring birds are returning, including the robins.

We will be gathering for our mid-week service this evening at 6 PM with a very special meal, prepared with much love. We will be studying from John 4 and 5. Our choir will meet to practice at 7:30 PM.

Jesus loved meeting people. One of the fascinating features of the Gospels is that we are able to listen into the interviews that Jesus had with a variety of people. He was always ready to listen to their problems, and to answer their questions as he walked the highways of Palestine. In Mark 10, we read about a Rich Young Ruler coming to Jesus. A young, rich professional person, he was keen. It is written, “he came running” and, even more impressive, he was apparently humble in that he threw himself “kneeling” before Jesus. Jesus welcomed him, but not more warmly than he received anyone else, because all humanity is regarded on equal terms. Whether we are rich or poor, sophisticated in the eyes of the world or members of the rank and file, young or old, we are all part of the same category of persons – all in need of a Savior.
We know little about the man except for three things. He was rich. He was young. He had some official position in the community. However, it’s more than likely that, as he thoughtfully reviewed his life, he had come to the conclusion that he had a problem. Although he enjoyed being rich, being young, and being a influential, he realized that one day, sooner or later, it would all have to end. Jesus dealt with this, gently but firmly. He looked at this young man and loved him. We might think that Jesus had a strange way of showing His love. There were no words of congratulations for the way the young man had lived so far, but an uncompromising demand for a complete revolution in his life. Jesus knew what He was doing. He answered the inquiry on his own terms. He told the young man to keep the Commandments. The young man was taken by surprise but quickly tried to regain the initiative by asking what kind of commandments Jesus meant. Jesus listed five of the Ten Commandments. These Commandments dealt, not with our duty to God, but with our duty to those around us. They are the Commandments that govern our personal relationships and our attitude to our fellow humanity.

Jesus loved this young man. There was something attractive about his earnestness in keeping the law as he saw it. Jesus admired his humble determination to find a conclusion to his search. The gospel writer tells us, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” The young enquirer after the Kingdom really had no idea of his spiritual deficiency before God. In all likelihood he thought he was much better than most of his contemporaries. He believed he had kept the Law of Moses. In a narrow legal sense that might be true, but in a spiritual sense it wasn’t true, because his attitude to his fellow men was wrong. That is why Jesus confronted him with the challenge to sell all and give to the poor. This man was so shackled to his possessions that nothing less than radical surgery was required. His achievements were a chain, which bound him.

We, too, have to face up to spiritual realities, and ask ourselves, “What are the chains that bind us, preventing a living relationship with God, and entry into and progress in his Kingdom?” Jesus didn’t pause to correct him but, as it were, went straight to the heart of the matter. There was something missing in his life, some priority that was in the wrong order preventing him from entering the kingdom.

He had asked the question and he got the answer! “If you wish to be complete, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me!” The rich young ruler was expecting to be told, “Yes, you’ve done well so far, and all you need is to carry on as you’re doing to the end of your life. Then you’ll receive eternal life as your reward.” No, nothing like that! Jesus invited him to do something contrary to the previous direction of his whole life. “Go, sell everything you have.” Jesus had put his finger on what he prized most, his wealth, no doubt gathered by his own hard work and effort.

The candidate for the Kingdom was being asked to loosen the grip of that which he trusted – his wealth. Without that step he wasn’t keeping two other Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me” and “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything…” (Ex 20:3,4). His wealth was his goal; he had made money an idol. He, like everyone else, was a sinner. The disciples were perplexed at the hard line they thought Jesus was taking in telling this sincere, rich, young man to sell everything and give to the poor. Jesus wasn’t denouncing wealth as such, but rather wealth in the form of money, status, achievements or race when it acts as a form of self-righteousness and becomes an obstacle to entrance into his Kingdom.
If the young man had repented and followed Jesus he would have found the redemption purchased by the Lord Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. In the words written to the Corinthians, "God was reconciling the world unto himself in Christ ... God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:19,21). That is the message of salvation. Jesus was already putting into practice what he asked the young ruler to do - "Sell all and give to the poor." He had left heaven and was on the way to the Cross for the young man - for me, for you.
The Christian is one who centres his every hope on the Lord Jesus. Whatever has happened in the past, he now has peace because he knows that his sins were laid upon Jesus when he died on the Cross. He knows that Christ has borne them and carried them away. John Bunyan pictured this so well in his "Pilgrim’s Progress". Pilgrim is shown carrying a heavy burden of his sins, but when he came to the Cross and believed in Jesus, he was miraculously freed of the burden. In the words of a hymn, "My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose went forth and followed thee." The rich, young ruler had a lot going for him, but he knew he lacked something. When Jesus confronted him with the reality of his position he had to make a choice between the riches of this world and entrance into God’s Kingdom. Jesus wasn’t saying that riches are wrong because sometimes he entrusts people with money so that it can be used in his service. But for the young man kneeling before Jesus it was a straight choice – riches or the Kingdom. “Go, sell everything … give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” There follows some tragic words, “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad.” His desire for eternal life was outweighed by his desire to keep his economic position in this life. To his eternal shame it was riches that won! His treasure remained firmly on earth. The young man’s sincerity was blown open. What Jesus asked for was more than he was prepared to give. He preferred public approval and social standing to eternal life. He and Jesus would have to part company.

We have in the story of the Rich Young Ruler a Candidate Presented for the Kingdom; we see the Conditions Required and how that Compromise is Rejected, and most important of all, that Conversion is Required. We may not be called upon to give up our possessions, but we are called to surrender any obstacle that would prevent us entering the Kingdom. Hear the words of Jesus, “Come, follow me!”

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/h1BwfQURWJ8

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Brown's Daily Word 3-6-12

Good morning,

Praise the Lord for this brand new day to live in Christ and to serve Him in this world, in this life. It is going to be one of the ten best days of March. I have been reading in Mark, Chapters 8, 9, and 10. "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34 (KJV). In Mark 10:45 Jesus declared, "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many".
It is difficult for most people to think like a servant, because we are taught and conditioned to be a director, the chair, the supervisor. We are told to figure out how to do it better…, then we get the bonus or the promotion.

Jesus was talking about His coming departure to Jerusalem and about His coming passion and death. While Jesus disclosed His heart to them about the death His on the cross, the disciples arrgued about who was "number one". Jesus asked them, "Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Mark 10:38 James and John said they were willing to face any trial that Jesus faced. They said that they would endure any suffering, any persecution Jesus would meet.
Living a Christian life is not easy; it is not without cost and it is not without sacrifice. During one of our Wednesday Evening gatherings I asked some of the members present about their favorite hymns. Our brother Jerry A said, "Are Ye Able". The song, “Are Ye Able” is a response to these words of Jesus with James and John. It was written by Earl Bowman Marlatt (1892-1976), the son of a Methodist minister. (He also taught philosophy of religion and religious literature at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University from 1846-1957.)
During this same time period another Methodist, John Mott (1865-1955), ( Graduate of Cornell University who received Nobel Piece Prize in 1946) wrote a book titled, "The Evangelization of the World in This Generation”. (United Methodist Bishop John Wesley Hardt, former Bishop in Residence at Perkins School of Theology, places the hymn “Are Ye Able” in the context of its time along with the book “The Evangelization of the World in This Generation” byJohn Mott. ) John Mott wrote, "Imagine with me…, dream with me…, I have a vision of a college campus with thousands of teenagers, and someone stands at the front of a youth rally and shouts, “Evangelize the World, In This Generation” And someone from the back shouts, “We are able.” And again someone from the front says, “Evangelize the World, in This Generation.” And someone over here softly cries, “Are we Able?” And the people shout back “Lord, We are able!” Amen? ."
Beginning in the 1930’s and for the next three decades that song was a rally cry for young Methodist and Evangelicals on college campuses and seminaries and in youth revivals around the world. (Then came John Mott’s, The Evangelization of the World in This Generation.) And someone has to ask, “Are we Able?”
And the people shout back, “LORD, WE ARE ABLE!”
Have we ever dreamed this kind of dream? Do we have this kind of vision? Can we really make a difference in the community where we live? Can we find that spirit again? Are we able?--- Can we declare with zeal and fervor “Lord, We are Able!” We are able by His grace to serve in such time as this.
What does servanthood look like? I was reading about a couple named Barbara and Fred. After Fred’s father died in the nursing home, Barbara and Fred would still go once a week to visit the nursing home. They would read the Bible to the residents. They would bring their dirty clothes home and wash them and take them back. They would sit and help feed people who did not have anyone else to come and visit them.
What does servanthood look like? I heard about Donald and Ruth. Ruth loves to go to yard sales, Donald is a retired pastor. Donald and Ruth go to yard sales and flea markets to buy bargain clothes and toys. They give them to missions and local ministries. Sometimes they take them to give to families and children who live in poverty.
A real servant knows that God is the giver and master of everything. God has just entrusted us to be stewards for a very short time. The question I have to ask is how am I handling the blessings and gifts that God has given me?
In 1928 Don and Marguerete McCrossman wrote a song titled, "On The Jericho Road."

As you travel along on the Jericho Road
does the world seem all wrong and heavy load?
Just bring it to Christ your sins all confess
on the Jericho Road your heart He will bless

On the Jericho Road there’s room for just two
no more and no less, just Jesus and you
each burden He’ll bear, each sorrow he’ll share
there’s never a care for Jesus is there

So, Jesus and his disciples reached Jericho, and he began to teach them, that he would go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man would be “delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death,” Mark 10:33 (KJV) Jesus calls us and commands us to carrying our cross toward Jerusalem… It is a vow, a promise, a life commitment to worship, to magnify the Lord, and to exalt his Holy name together. It is a complete giving of ourselves, so that we can help and benefit someone else. It is fellowship, it is commitment, it is servant hood.

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/VeZD7nMdEOA

Friday March 9, 2012

Television Outreach

Time Warner Cable Channel 4

Time 7:00 PM

Saturday Evening Worship Service:

Location: First United Methodist Church

53 McKinley Avenue

Endicott, NY

Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church

Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship

6:30 PM Worship Service

Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012

Speaker: Dave Hettinger

Special Music by Jane Hettinger. For information, call 607-748-6329

Monday, March 5, 2012

Brown's Daily Word 3-5-12

Thank God it is Monday. This is one of the favorite sayings for preachers. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful, sunny, Sunday. Many have reported that they have seen and heard the robins. We have also seen and heard the flocks of Geese returning North with Holy Honks. Sweet Spring is here. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful weekend of worship, witness, and fellowship.

I conducted two funeral services last week, one on Monday and the other on Saturday. We proclaim the comfort and peace of Jesus during times of grief and loss. We proclaim the Good News of Resurrection in the face of death. Jesus our Lord faced death headlong and proclaimed with great audacity, "I am the Resurrection and Life". He also wept before the death of his friend. Best of all, Jesus has overcome death. He is the Alpha and Omega.

During the Lenten Season we focus on His passion and death culminating in His victorious Resurrection. One of the readings for Sunday was taken from Psalm 116. Psalm 116:15 is at once both beautiful and startling. It provides a measure of comfort and assurance, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” This verse is not universal. It does not claim to apply to every death or every person. That is very clear. Note that it speaks of the death His SAINTS. Jesus made it very clear that not everyone should look forward to death. “I tell you the truth, whoever has my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live” (John 5:24-25). The Psalm speaks only of the death of the saints. "Saints" refers not to angels or perfect people or the rare heroes of the church. A saint is one who belongs to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Those are the ones whose death is precious. The Bible promises, “Blessed are those who die in the Lord for they rest from their labors” (Rev 14:11).

Johann Sebastian Bach has composed a powerful piece named " Come Sweet Death".
Charles Spurgeon, the great English Victorian preacher, wrote of the death of Richard Baxter, the great Puritan preacher. As Baxter lay dying some friends came to see him. They asked him what we all asked at times like that, “How are you doing?” Baxter was weak and obviously near death, but with great effort he answered, “I am almost well.” Spurgeon explained, “Death cures; it is the best medicine, for they who die are not only almost well, but healed forever. You will see, then, that the statement of our text implies that the aspect of death is altogether altered from that appearance in which men commonly behold it. Death, to the saints, is not a penalty, it is not destruction, it is not even a loss.

Psalm 116 is really about life, not death. It speaks of the protection the Lord provides in times of trouble and danger. It is a reminder about how much God values us in life and death. Psalm 116 begins. “I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!” The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints because God does not take our life or our death lightly. Our God values us so much that he sent Jesus Christ to be our Savior regardless of who we are, where we live, what we have, or what we’ve done. He offers us the free gift of forgiveness and life everlasting though faith in Jesus Christ. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/9yvfso4Q8xg

Friday March 9, 2012

Television Outreach

Time Warner Cable Channel 4

Time 7:00 PM

Saturday Evening Worship Service:

Location: First United Methodist Church

53 McKinley Avenue

Endicott, NY

Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church