Brown's Daily Word 6/15/17

Praise the Lord for another fabulous day in His Kingdom.  It is filled with His promises and paved with his grace, surrounded with His loving kindness and tender mercies.  We were able to face time with Sunita  in Bangkok several times.  The Lord blessed her time with His favor.  She is flying back Washington today, and will be back home tomorrow morning. One of our young friends, Ben, is retiring today from law enforcement services.  I married him with his bride and baptized and confirmed their children, who love the Lord.  One of them is in university and the other one is entering college this fall.  Praise the Lord for the way He endues with talents and gifts that we can use on earth to serve Him and glorify His name.

     I read a story about a rich American businessman who, while vacationing in Mexico, was disturbed to find a fisherman just sitting lazily beside his boat.  "Why aren't you out there fishing?", he asked.  "Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisher-man.  "Why don't you catch more fish than you need?", the rich man asked.  "What would I do with them?"  "You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish.  You could purchase better nets, catch even more fish, and make more money.  Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me." The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"  "You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist.  "What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied.

     In the Book of Ecclesiastes we read about the quest for life and  pleasure.  Ecclesiastes is an autobigraphical narrative of king Solomon, the wisest king who ever lived.  It is a self disclousre by the wisest king about his hunger, thirst, and daily issues.  The first chapter revealed Solomon as he looked for the meaning of life. Solomon described the search that he was going through.  He was searching for relief from the futility of life through pleasure.  He actually catalogued for us the different ways in which he pursued pleasure.  He pursued possibilities that he investigated: alcohol, comedy, self-motivated building projects, entertainment, servants, music, and sex.  Solomon had everything necessary to carry out his grand experiment.  He had almost unlimited resources, money, and time.

     “So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.  Also my wisdom remained with me.  Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.    I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.”  “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.”

     Solomon eventually faced up to his situation and his life as it really was, and he found it only transitory and meaningless.  He found no lasting satisfaction.  That is how God designed us in that if we were able to find lasting satisfaction in earthly pleasure, we would never recognize our need for God.  Ecclesiastes is in the Bible, not to make us depressed or discourage us but to drive us back to God.

     According to the Word of the Lord, the invitation is to turn from drinking from the “broken cisterns that can hold no water” unto the Lord, “the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:23).  The promise given by the Lord is that if one drinks from him, the water that quenches our thirst will go on forever, a spring welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14)

     The wonderful good News is: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8-)  God adopts us as his own.  What Jesus promises is not temporary gratification but lasting joy.  He promises a place with Him, in whose presence is fullness of joy forever.

In Christ,

 Brown 

https://youtu.be/0fZ-tBR7LJ0?list=PLYVjGTi85afomJlOqephXresBhsSYZ0aF

Brown's Daily Word 6/14/17

Praise the Lord for another brilliant day.  The Lord has blessed us with another stunning spectacular sunrise.  I drove to the Triple Cities yesterday.  The breathtaking landscape along the I-81 corridor that connects South to North was spectacular.  The wild flowers all along the were way beautiful and, in fact, sometimes we wish some the beauty and blessing could continue for ever.  We are getting ready for planting our garden.  We bought 72 tomato plants and tens of other vegetable plants plus lots of seeds.  We are a bit late this year in planting but the Lord of the harvest will compensate.  Our strawberry plants are luxurious, with leaves as  large as my palm, we have strawberries ripening on the vines. and the garlic is prolific.  This is our brief garden report for the day.  Our weather report today is "He reigns."

     We are getting ready for our gathering this Saturday at 6:00 PM.  We will be celebrating dads moms, and grads.  There is a special banquet planned, and the menu includes prime rib. Our friends, Denny and Lynda Randall, are orchestrating this sweet event.  We are so blessed.  

     When I was just a little boy I heard the amazing story of prophet Elisha, and the poor widow and her son.  I heard this story from my uncle and I was fascinated and enthralled with the story.  It was summer time in Israel, and a time of drought and famine.  Even today the Lord is at work in seasons all over the world.  He transcends all trials and turbulence inn our lives, even the seasons of drought and famine and scarcities.  He prevails.  He rules and takes over.

     In her story, "A Little Pot of Oil", Jill Briscoe writes, "Sometimes it takes a crisis in our lives to test our faith, to show us the limits of our own strength and the sufficiency of our own strength and the sufficiency of God's provision.  But we don't learn that lesson if we just sit around and wait for God to take care of us.  We have to step out and pour out, trusting that the Holy Spirit will fill us and give us what we need to continue."

     It's generally easier to trust God when the weather is fair than when the rain is falling and the storm is raging.  It's easier to trust God when everything in life is moving in the right direction— But will you trust him when the bottom drops out, when the sky is falling in on you, when sorrow buffets you like a storm?

     Mother Teresa was sold out Jesus and for His cause.  She loved Him and served Him with full abandon and ministered among the poor in Calcutta, India.  One day, someone asked her why the "untouchable" class—the poorest of the poor—was so drawn to Jesus.  She said, "When Jesus is all you've got, you discover that Jesus is all you need."

     God does extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people who are simply willing to trust him with what they have.  He does extraordinary things in people who have little or nothing, just like this widow has, and who decide anyway, "I'm going to trust him.  I'm going to ask him.  I'm going to listen for his voice."

     God does extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people, people who are willing to trust him and give back to him what they have.  Moses returned from the desert after 40 years in exile in the deserts of Midian, with only a family and a staff.  God turned the staff into a snake before Pharaoh in his palace.  God used the staff to strike the Nile River and turn it into blood.  God uses an ordinary staff to divide the Red Sea and open up the way for the people of God.

     All David had was a slingshot, but with a slingshot, David slew the mighty Goliath.  David sent the entire Philistine army running for the hills, a little boy along the Sea of Galilee who had only a slingshot and a sack of stones.

     In 1990, a 26-year-old man robbed a bank at gunpoint in Ottawa, Canada. The young man was named Danny Simpson, and he was desperate for money.  He made it away with close to $6,000, but he was apprehended shortly thereafter by the police.  Upon his arrest, the gun he had used was confiscated by the police, and he was sent to jail for six years.  Later, the Ottawa police discovered that the pistol Simpson had used was not a typical handgun, but an antique. Simpson owned a .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic pistol, one of only 100 made by the Ross Rifle Company in Quebec City in 1918.  The pistol was worth upwards of $100,000, close to 20 times the amount he had stolen from the bank. If he had only known what he held in his hand, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess.

     What's in your hand?  Maybe all you have in your hand is a little pot of oil.  Maybe all you're holding onto is a handful of hope.  If God is who he says he is, and God can do what he says he'll do, then a little pot of oil, a handful of hope may be more than enough.above all His grace is sufficient  in all seasons.

In Him,

Brown

https://youtu.be/zSOjaBf_rpU

Brown's Daily Word 6/13/17

     Praise the Lord for this sweet summer day.  It is going to another sizzling and stunning day.  I love these long summer days. I spent  two weeks in Alaska during July a few years ago.  The temperature reached into the 90s there.  It was amazing to enjoy almost 19 hours of daylight and a brief night.  I love these days of summer when we have long days of daylight with a very short night.  I heard from several friends yesterday.  One of them who lives in Oklahoma sent a letter of encouragement.  She shared that the Lord gave her the ability to fix her own plumbing all by herself using a Youtube tutorial.  I am enclosing a brief portion from her letter.

      "Whatever they are saying…I believe the report of the LORD.  He still heals, parts red seas, removes mountains and leaves me in AWE!  I Praise Him because we are fearfully and wonderfully made!  Made in His very image. 

     "Our God Reigns!!  Over heaven and earth and all things therein!  I stand amazed by His Great Love!  Thank you Jesus for who you are and all you have done for us.

     "Lord, I believe you passed that power to us to do 'even greater things'  by the Power of the Holy Spirit residing in us!"

     I talked with another friend, who is one of the faithful and sweet servants of Jesus.  She was sharing about the mission program of the church they started attending.  I spoke to another woman who went to college along with her daughter,  and finished a degree in teaching. She is retired and lives in one of our Methodist Retirement campuses.  She is 97 years old.  She still drives her car.  Her husband died recently. They were married for 73 years.  She will be driving to Alice's retirement party.  What a country! One of my friends drove by to see me yesterday. who had been in a  nursing home few years ago.  The Lord restored him.  He is back in his own house.  He shared from Psalm 104.    I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 



     We are getting ready for Alice's retirement party.  I got hold of a farm from which we are getting the pig for the party. The farmers were kind. We got a big pig.  It will be all dressed out and ready for the BBQ pit.  The Lord is gracious and faithful in providing all that we need for the party.  We are so blessed.  Alice spent some time in the evening baking sup a storm.  She baked some her signature german rolls.  It is all sweet and all good.

     The Wall Street Journal featured a story about an 85-year-old man named Al Golden, who still chokes up when he talks about his twin brother Elliott, who recently died. The brothers shared a room growing up, graduated from the same college, and then married within a month of each other.  Yet, Al still remembers how their father often compared them, asking one or the other, "How come you got a B and your brother got an A?"  Elliott became a lawyer and eventually a state Supreme Court judge.  Al sold life insurance.  Al says he always envied his brother's status and secretly took pleasure in knowing at least he was a better fisherman and owned a bigger boat.  Even as adults, there was a lot of comparison and competition.  Then one day, Elliott accused Al of not doing enough to take care of their sick mother.  After that, Al didn't speak to his brother for more than a year.  Elliot repeatedly reached out to him, but Al ignored him.  Then one day, Al received an email from Elliot telling a story about two brothers who had a stream dividing their properties. One brother hired a carpenter to build a fence along the stream, but the carpenter built a bridge by mistake. Al thought about the email, then wrote back, "I'd like to walk over the bridge."

     This reminds me of something said in the Book of Proverbs: "When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them" (Prov. 16:7).  We should pray we might walk in peace and have favor with those around us.  It is inevitable that disagreements, disputes, and times of animosity will come between us and our brothers and sisters, but our prayer should be that we'll be the first to seek reconciliation and be quick to forgive.  Romans 12:18 says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Ephesians says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you" (4:32).

     I have been struck lately, in reading my Bible, how often the spiritual blessings we have are called our "riches in Christ."  In Ephesians, we read of the "riches of his grace" and "the boundless riches of Christ" (2:7; 3:8).  In Romans, we read of the "riches of his kindness" and the "riches of his glory" (2:4; 9:23).

      The Bible says our "enemy prowls the devil around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8), but what we learn here is that God will give us strength to resist him.  God's strength will come to us daily, as we need it.  We do not get strength from God for tomorrow's trials, but we get it for today's trials.

 " Indeed we are more than conquerors through Him who loved and still loves."

In Him,

 Brown

https://youtu.be/r5L6QlAH3L4

Brown's Daily Word 6/12/17

Praise the Lord for sweet summer.  The Lord blessed in House yesterday.  It was indeed sizzling summer Sunday.  It is always a special blessing to be in His House with His people - in worship, praise and witness.  After the morning worship we had some family and friends join us for a special spicy Sunday dinner.  Last evening, as the daytime heat was diminishing, we went for a one mile walk around beautiful Marathon.  

     We heard from Sunita, who flew to Bangkok, Thailand Saturday morning to attend a World Vision conference.  Sunita has been appointed as Senior Regional Engagement Manager of the ministry of World Vision.  Her field  includes India, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines and other regional countries.  Sunita has been given special status as a Person of Indian Origin so she will not require any visa to travel to India. We had a phone call from Sunita this morning from her hotel room in Bangkok.  We heard from Janice in Boston yesterday, and she said the Lord blessed their family in the worship Sunday morning.  After Sunday brunch they were excited to spend time swimming at the Walden Pond.  Micah, Simeon, and Ada are becoming avid swimmers.  Laureen shared that she spent the weekend with her entire church family camping and worshipping outdoors at a camp in Virginia.  They spent time in worship and in team building, including a talent show.  Jessica and her family spent spent time at home after morning worship.  Jessica is due to give birth to her second child in early August.

     It is going to be another scorching day here in central New York.  Praise the Lord for the wonderful summer season.  We are getting ready for planting our garden this week.  We are also getting ready for the special banquet gathering this coming Saturday for dads, grads and moms.  The banquet will start at 6:00 PM followed by special music.  I woke up early morning before the birds.  It is wonderful to be alive and to be living under the grace and mercy of Jesus day by day and moment by moment.  May Jesus continue to come upon all of in our celebrations, in our jubilation, in our recreations, in our journey of worship and fellowship with Him.  May He also continue in our daily sojourning through sufferings, battles, and trials.  Praise the Lord for His divine assurance and promise that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and still loves us."Now thanks be to God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the aroma of his knowledge by us in every place. " 2 Corinthians 2:14

Many of you have seen the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the George Lucas film starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. In the story line, Jones and his father are in search of the Holy Grail — the cup supposedly used by Christ at the Last Supper, and then used to catch his blood on the cross. After a long series of near-death adventures in their search, they come to the passage that leads to the cave where the Holy Grail was kept, but the passage opens to reveal a great abyss — a 100 foot deep crevice which is 100 feet wide.  On the other side there appears to be only a stony cliff wall.  As he looks down, Indy says, “It’s a leap of faith.  Oh, God.”  His father calls to him and says, “You must believe, boy. You must believe.”  Then he does it; he lifts one foot high in the air and brings it down, even though he sees nothing.  He steps into space and his foot rests on something, even though he appears to be in midair.  He has taken the step of faith, and as he did, the path became solid under his feet.  This is a metaphor of how Christians exercise the gift of faith.  They take steps without seeing where their feet are going to land, and as they step out in faith, God provides the path.  As the Bible says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

In Jesus the Victor.

  Brown

https://youtu.be/HcnfT4arZtI?list=PLWvahZRxLnLPV5ECCHvmLuus6Tjmv4Oir