Brown's Daily Word 11-1-11

 

Good morning,

    Praise be to Jesus for this new day.  Alice and I walked for about four miles late last evening.  Praise the Lord He gives us the strength to walk almost every evening.  It is getting colder, but it is always invigorating. 

    It is All Saints Day in the church Calendar.  Looking at the wonderful working of our Lord in the lives of His people in Salvation History, we discover that previously God had used “the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night” as symbols of his leading, presence and protection.  God then chose to lead the people in a new way, by the “Ark of the covenant.”  The ark has fascinated people for over three thousand years.  The ark symbolized the presence and power of God with His people.
    The presence of the Ark represented the person and promises of God.  Having it lead the way pointed to the fact that as the people of Israel set out to cross the Jordan, to invade and possess the land, they must do so not in their own strength, but in God’s.  It was God Himself who was going before them as their source of victory.
    When we face times of crisis or when we need direction in life, we need to learn to be sensitive to the movement of the Lord in and around us.  When God is at work among us and around us we cannot help but expect to hear the call to go forward.  When God is at work, we are sometimes moved right out of our comfort zones into the path of new opportunities.
    If we  are facing a raging Jordan today, it may be our river of opportunity.  How many times has God called then waited for us to step out in faith?  He waits for us to be willing to get our feet wet.  Most of us, however, are not risk takers.  We don’t like it much when we face the truly defining moments, when God asks us to cross over.  We as humans like to hold on to the familiar, but God wants us to be people who are willing to grow and expand, and claim new territory.
    There are plenty of crossover times in life. Along with hope and joy there are also problems, which we simply have neither the strength nor the wisdom to meet.
In their minds some people consider a particular age to be a crossover point.  Sometimes people think that at some magical age we will be more alive than we are today.  On the contrary, we will never be more alive in this life than we are at this moment.  
    Disease and sickness can be very dramatic crossover events.  Although these can be new and frightening pathways, nothing is new to God.  God has promised to never leave us or abandon us. 

    The most life-changing crossover is the moment we make the spiritual decision to open our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ; to recognize the destructiveness of our lives and to turn to him and receive his forgiveness.
    Death is the ultimate crossover moment.  Death is also the final cross-over moment.  The apostle Paul called it the last great enemy, but the reality is that Christ has promised us that He has taken the sting out of death.  The victory is His. Christ walks with us even through “that” Jordan.
    Again, today is All Saints day in our Church Calendar.  Praise the Lord for all the saints who have gone before us and have crossed the river Jordan and stepped on to the Eternal City, the Promised Land, the New Jerusalem.  Remember as we stand to face our crossover moments whatever they may be, as we are confronted and challenged with what is frightening but also thrilling in terms of opportunity that crossovers create new opportunities and broadened horizons.  The end result of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River was that God was magnified; Joshua was exalted, the people were energized and motivated, and the people of Canaan were terrorized.

 In Christ,

  Brown

    http://youtu.be/3qEjRLlL9iE

 Saturday , November 5.2011

                       Praise and worship service:

                        First United Methodist Church , Endicott

                            Sponsored by  Union Center UMC

                        6PM Gathering- Coffeee- Fellowship

                        6.30PM  Worship

                         Music:  Laureen  Naik                        

                        Speaker:  Rev William  Turner          

Brown's Daily Word 10-31-11

 

Good morning,

    The Lord blessed us with a Spirit-filled weekend.  The Evening of music and celebration on Saturday Evening at the Historic First United Methodist Church in Endicott was anointed and powerful.  Various musicians presented numbers on grand piano, grand organ, guitar, and voice.  It was great blessing.  The Lord blessed us with a joyful and celebrative day in His House yesterday.  It is a great thrill and joy to worship the Living Lord. 

    One of the readings for yesterday  was taken from Joshua 3, the story of a group of people who refused to be paralyzed by the dangers of the times in which they lived.  Many people are familiar with the crossing of the Red Sea, but not as many are familiar with this crossing of the Jordan river when the people of Israel came into the promised land.  Yet, it was the dramatic story in their history of God’s deliverance from Egypt and parting the Red Sea that gave them the faith to be able to cross the Jordan.  It was God’s powerful hand of deliverance in the past that gave them the faith to face the challenges in their future.  They knew they were going to face dangers in the future, but they knew they were going to face them with God — a God who makes a way even when there is no way.  There had been no way through the Red Sea, and there was no way through the Jordan during flood season.  In spite of the apparent impossibilities, God made a way.

    Though God made a way, it was not a guarantee that it would be easy. God is always faithful, but doing his will is not always easy.  The Lord says to us what he said to Joshua, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).  He says to us what he said to Isaiah, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3).  There will be high waters and hot fires, but the Lord will be with us and save us.
    Over and over in the book of Joshua we hear the words, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Be strong and courageous.”  God is calling us today to be strong and courageous.  The Israelites of the previous generation passed through the Red Sea after God parted the waters and the dry ground appeared, but in crossing the Jordan the water did not part until the priests actually placed their feet in the water.  Not only was there water in the river, but it was at flood stage.  The water was raging.  The priests came closer and closer to the swirling water’s edge, but nothing happened until they actually stepped into the flood.  God is helping us  to understand that the dangers and difficulties ahead are to be an adventure in faith.  He says to us, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
    One of the hymns we sang yesterday was "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing".   There is a strange word " Ebenezer' in the hymn, which refers to "the stone of Help".  Maybe each of us needs to set up an Ebenezer, a “stone of help” as a reminder of the Lord's help for us in our lives.  It could be in the form of a writing, a plaque, a picture, a marking, an object, a trip, a celebration.  Think of some creative way that you can mark a significant event in your life where you say, “This far has the Lord helped us, and we know he will take us the rest of the way.” Let it be a permanent testimony to those who come after us .
    Hudson Taylor was the missionary who founded China Inland Mission.  In his home he kept a plaque with these Hebrew Words on it: EBENEZER, meaning “Stone of help,” and JEHOVAH JIREH: “The Lord is my Provider.”  One of the plaques looked back at what God had done and how he had helped in the past, and the other looked forward to how he believed God would provide in the future. One reminded him of God’s help and faithfulness, and the other helped him to focus on God’s provision and assurance of help in the days to come.
    As we begin this brand new week and (tomorrow) a brand new month, let’s raise an Ebenezer to God’s faithfulness in the past, and let’s believe that God is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.

   In Christ,

     Brown

 http://youtu.be/FG5ZhFN1DXk

 

 Saturday , November 5.2011

                       Praise and worship service:

                        First United Methodist Church , Endicott

                            Sponsored by  Union Center UMC

                        6PM Gathering- Coffeee- Fellowship

                        6.30PM  Worship

                         Music:  Laureen  Naik                        

                        Speaker:  Rev William  Turner    

Brown's Daily Word 10-28-11

Good morning,
This is the day the Lord has made. We had some wet snow fall in our area yesterday. A few of the Autumn colors are still looking resilient and vibrant. Please pray for our Friday evening television outreach this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable channel 4. We will gather for an evening of great music and worship this Saturday at 6:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 53 McKinley Avenue, Endicott. Those who live in the area join us. This will be a great treat and a big blessing. Our daughter Sunita returned from Israel yesterday. She called me and shared that it was great trip. She was able to visit Hebron along with many other sites. Our grand daughter Micah also called me yesterday and reminded me that she will have a birthday next week. I had posted some photographs of the Beautiful Autumn in New York, and had so many comments on them. Our Lord makes all things colorful and glorious in His time.
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday Evening gathering. We looked at Hosea chapters 3 and 4. After reading the passages some of the group members commented on the nature of our God as revealed in the Word of the Lord and in the Person of Jesus Christ. Our Lord is forgiving. He is faithful and trustworthy. Faithfulness speaks of the solid trustworthiness and reliability of the person of integrity. It’s one of those characteristics that used to be highly prized. These days, unfortunately, it’s fallen by the wayside to a large degree as people in general become more and more self-centered, as they become people of the moment rather than people of the future and eternity.
Loyalty, or kindness, is that characteristic of God that is often translated ’steadfast love’ or ’loving kindness’. It is the sort of kindness and love that we have seen from God in this book of Hosea so far. It should also be found in his followers. It is a love that seeks the good of the other and results in good deeds done for the other. Knowledge of God, of course, is the key. There’s a cognitive element to godliness that forms the basis for its practical outworking. This is a knowledge of God that implies a grasp of just how great God is. If we truly know God, in all his power, glory, and awesome wonder could we possibly turn away from him to false gods? When we truly know God in his faithfulness and loving kindness, we become more like Him. The failure of faithfulness and loyalty to God and knowledge of Him results in such behaviors as swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, and bloodshed which follows bloodshed. When people turn away from godliness the result is social breakdown.
Just as it was with the nation of Israel at the time of Hosea, faithfulness, loyalty, and knowledge of God are rare characteristics in our world. This not only affects relationships between people, but it also affects the land itself. "3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing." We rarely connect the ecological troubles of the world with the moral failings of our culture, but here we see a close connection. "Therefore the land mourns." When people are more interested in their own prosperity and well-being than anyone else’s, this is what happens. The earth is pillaged. Damage is done to the environment.
The Word of the Lord always offers grace and an invitation. 1. With these ironically prophetic words the people call one another to worship God again: "Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3 Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth."
If only the people had understood the reality of what Hosea foretold, of Jesus Christ who would die and in three days rise again.
In Christ,
Brown


http://youtu.be/HsCp5LG_zNE


Saturday OCT. 29,2011 at 6:30 PM at First United Methodist Church, Endicott, there will be a special evening of musical praise and worship. Various Christian musicians will participate in this special evening as they offer their gifts and talents to the Lord. A love offering will be received to benefit needy families in the community. Some of the musicians are Aric Phinney, Grant DeGaramo, Vin Rosenbarker, Dianne Glann, Laureen Naik, Yancey Moore, Emma Bronson and others.