Brown's Daily Word 6/10/15

Praise the Lord for this wonderful Wednesday. I woke up in the early morning, reflecting on the goodness and the grace of the Lord Jesus. We will be meeting for our Wednesday Evening gathering at 6:00 PM, with a very special dinner made by one of the sweet servants of Jesus. We will be looking at some of the passages from the letter of Paul to the Philippians for next few weeks. I will soon be finishing my days here in Endicott. I have two more Wednesdays and three more Sundays. We have been meeting for Wednesday gatherings since July, 1990. It has been both a blessing and blast. Somebody told me as I was beginning my ministry that those who love the church attend church on Sunday. Those who love the pastor attend Sunday Evening worship services. Those who love the Lord attend Wednesday Evening gatherings. We are excited for this evening's gathering and celebration and are looking forward to a great gathering on Saturday the 27th of June 2015 at 5:00 PM.
    I am a student of History. History was one of the subjects I studied for my undergraduate studies along with English literature. In 1858 a mighty revival swept across Philadelphia. No leader was more prominent in that move of God than a 29-year-old Episcopal minister named Dudley Tyng. He often spoke to large groups of men, encouraging them to stand firm in their faith. In April of that year, he suffered an accident while visiting a farm. His arm got caught in a corn-threshing machine, was badly mangled, and had to be amputated. An infection set in that would take his life. Knowing he was dying, he called for his family and a few close friends, exhorting them to “stand up for Jesus.” When those words were repeated at his funeral, they made an enormous impact on George Duffield, pastor of Temple Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The following Sunday he preached a message in honor of his fallen colleague. At the end of his sermon, he recited a poem he had written based on Dudley Tyng’s final words. The poem was later printed and put to music, eventually becoming a beloved gospel song. The first verse goes like this:
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
    But it’s a line in the third verse that catches our attention. Now that you know the story, you’ll never hear it the same way again:
    Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you—ye dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.
    Then the triumphant final verse that seems to summarize our text:
    Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, the next the victor's song. To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.
  Christian life is an invitation into a life of undisturbed joy and at the same time it is a life surrounded with unending battles. Jesus our Lord won the greatest battle when he died and rose again. God intends that we stand in victory at the end of the day, but that will not happen without a fight. The Christian life is both battleground, and a a playground. Christian faith is not for those who want to run and hide. It’s a faith for strong men and brave women. The evil day may be upon us, but we are not pessimissts. It’s time to put on the armor of God. Let’s put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Let’s make sure we’re wearing gospel shoes. Put on the helmet of salvation. Let’s pick up the shield of faith and the Sword of Spirit and head for the sound of battle. We were made for times like these. Stand firm in the evil day. Stand up for Jesus in the power of the Spirit and victory will be yours.
 In Jesus . Brown
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