Praise the Lord
for this fabulous Friday, the last Friday of October, 2016. We will be gathering
for an "Octoberfest" of music and celebration this evening at 7:00 PM
at the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, Marathon. Our friend, Aric
Phinney, will be presenting a beautiful and anointed piano concert. Those
of you who live in the area, please join us for an evening of musical
celebration. You'll be blessed. We will receive a love
offering.
We have had our first snowfall this week. Alice loves
snow. She walked in the snow with jubilant feet (and careful steps)
yesterday.
Please join me in praying for my friend Sue, who had surgery
this week and is now recovering. Sue lives in England, but she was born
in India, the daughter of medical missionaries. She loves the Lord and,
following in the footsteps of her parents, has served Jesus.
Also, please pray for our friend Chris, who has been
hospitalized for almost a month. Pray for a young man, Steven, who has
severe heart problems and is awaiting transplant surgery. Also, pray for
baby Madeleine, who had a heart transplant and needs much prayer as her body
adjusts to the new heart.
Thank you for praying for us. We will be headed back to
Boston this weekend for further treatment. One of the blessings of this
trip is that we will be able to see our grandchildren in Boston. Our
oldest granddaughter will be celebrating her 11th birthday this coming week, so
we will be able to celebrate with her.
Please plan to be in the Lord's House this Sunday, wherever you
are, in worship, celebration, praise, and thanksgiving. I am prayerfully
planning to be preaching this Sunday. Sunday school meets at 9:30 AM and
worship at 10:30 AM.
I will be posting brief updates from time to time on Facebook
over the next couple of weeks. I have begun to post brief video messages
on Facebook and Youtube. On Youtube, search under "Brown
Naik". May Jesus be praised!
I read a
story that many years ago there was a young man who had a tremendous ability to
sing. His father was a minister and, growing up, the young man often sang
in church. One day he was offered the opportunity to sing for a living at
a radio station. Such an opportunity would be the envy of many,
especially for someone who grew up during the Great Depression. Although
he took the job, he never felt comfortable singing secular songs. He
wanted to sing of His Savior. Finally, many years later, he was given the
opportunity to sing on the Moody Radio station in Chicago. While there he
was invited by a local pastor to become a regular part of a Sunday evening
program called “Songs in the Night”. A few years later when that young
preacher became an evangelist, this same young man was invited to join him in
his world-wide crusades. In case you haven’t guessed, that young preacher
was Billy Graham and the singer was George Beverly Shea.
One
of the first songs George Beverly Shea ever recorded was “I’d Rather Have
Jesus.”
I’d Rather Have Jesus
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
I’d rather have Jesus than
men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name
Refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
(Mrs. Rhea F. Miller)
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
(Mrs. Rhea F. Miller)
I have
been privileged to attend several Billy Graham Crusades through the
years. Invariably, in every crusade, George Beverly sang. The
Lord used his voice and songs to reverberate through the huge stadiums and to
resonate in the hearts and minds of those who attended. His songs
were anointed and brought honor to Jesus. George Beverly Shea holds a
world record that most likely no one will ever break. During his lifetime
it is estimated that he sang live to a cumulative audience of over 220 million
people. It is written in Philippians 3:8-10:
"Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I
may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."
In Christ,
Brown
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