Praise the Lord for
this wonderful Wednesday. We will meet for our Wednesday evening
gathering with a delicious meal at 6:00 PM followed by Bible Study at 6:30
PM. We will be looking at Acts 3. We talked yesterday with our
oldest daughter, Janice, who celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday in
Boston. She had a blast. She knows how to celebrate the simple
gifts of the Lord and life itself with her dear family and friends.
I
conducted a burial service for woman who was 97 years old. One of her
sons and his family cared for her at home. It was a beautiful service My sister's mother-in law passed
this week in Orissa, India. My sister and my brother-in-law are on their
way to India to attend the funeral services. My sister's mother-in-law was
a Hindu Convert and beautiful servant of Jesus. She was in her
nineties. We praise the Lord for her faith and witness.. I also had a lunch yesterday with one of Jesus' servants
and a partner in His mission. Alice I walked almost two miles under
the evening sky while the moon was brilliantly beaming with beauty and
grace. Alice has been busy making spaghetti sauces from the tomato
harvest from the garden.
The
Word of the Lord is the Life giving Word. It is the Life changing Word.
It is the Life powering Word. In His Word the Lord has called
us and challenges us to make the most of our lives because time
and tide can overtake us. In Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, we are
reminded that life is short and death is certain, so live in
the most meaningful way that you can. “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved
your works.” Throughout the Scriptures, wine and bread are frequently
representative of that which God gives us to comfort and cheer us. Even today they are symbols of the joy of the Lord and His
goodness and blessing. Thus, we are to receive God’s good
gifts with gratitude and celebrate life with hilarity and zeal. For
these reasons we should slow down and enjoy a meal with our family and
friends.
“God
has already approved your works.” This means
such celebration is God’s will for us. We are also called to be
wise stewards of all God entrusts to us. We are called to
balance gratefulness and generosity and, in the words of John Wesley,
making all we can, saving all we can, and giving away all we
can. “Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking
on your head.” In the Old Testament, births, weddings, and harvest
festivals were special occasions and required one to dress up and be fresh.
In Solomon’s day, black clothes and ashes on the head were a sign of
mourning. Conversely, white clothes and oil on the head were a sign of rejoicing. “Oil on your head”
is the ancient equivalent of perfume. So we are called to
dress every day as if we are on the way to a celebration of life.
“Whatever
your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or
knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” Work is a privilege that we will not have after we
die. We will be active in service in heaven, for example, but this will
not be work as we know it now (Rev 22:3). It is possible to say “Thank You, Lord! It
is another day to use the gifts and the strength and the mind You have given
me. What a gift You have given me that I may work and
serve.” Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, often worked
eighteen hours a day. Famous explorer and missionary, David Livingstone,
once asked him, “How do you manage to do two men’s work in a single day?”
Spurgeon replied, “You have forgotten that there are two of us.” Surgeon was right. We have the Holy Spirit working in and
through us. He can and should make work a pleasure, not a pain. "And whatsoever
ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:17
"You are the light of the
world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven. Mathew 5:14-16
In Christ,
Brown
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