Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this day, the last Friday of October, 2009. Tomorrow is Reformation Day and Sunday is All Saints Day. Praise the Lord for the special days in our calendar that we can celebrate and remember.
I spoke to Laureen yesterday. They drove through heavy snows from Colorado to New Mexico. The drive took many hours longer than they planned for, and they arrived at 6:45 PM for a 7 PM concert in Gallup, New Mexico, where it was snowing yesterday. Where is the "global warming"? The Continentals, in their worship and praise, focus on the Hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.
John Maxwell, in his book entitled, "Think on These Things", answered the question, “What does hope do for humankind?” by saying…
“Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.
Hope motivates when discouragement comes.
Hope energizes when the body is tired.
Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.
Hope sings when all melodies are gone.
Hope believes when evidence is eliminated.
Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.
Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.
Hope endures hardship when no one is caring.
Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.
Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.
Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.
Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.
Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.”
When we open ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory, then He enables us to open our lives to the real lives of others, we then have the opportunity to offer hope in even the most hopeless situations.
I read an account some time ago about a couple who traveled to the offices of an Adoption Society in England to receive a baby. They had been on the waiting list a long time. They had been interviewed and carefully scrutinized. Now, at last, their dreams were to be fulfilled. But their day of happiness was another’s pain.
Arriving at the offices of the Society they were led up a flight of stairs to a waiting room. After a few minutes they heard someone else climbing the stairs. It was the young student mother whose baby was to be adopted. She was met by the lady responsible for the adoption arrangements and taken into another room.
The waiting couple heard a muffled conversation and a few minutes later footsteps on the stairs as the young mother left. They heard her convulsive sobbing until the front door of the office was closed. Then, there was silence.
The lady in charge then conducted them next door. In a little crib was a six week old baby boy. On a chair beside it was a brown paper bag containing a change of clothes and two letters. One of these, addressed to the new parents, thanked them for providing a home for her baby and acknowledged that under the terms of the adoption each would never know the other’s identity. Then the young mother added one request. Would they allow her little son to read the other letter on his eighteenth birthday? She assured them that she had not included any information about her identity. The couple entrusted that letter to a lawyer and one day the young man will read the message which his mother wrote on the day when with breaking heart, she parted with him.
I wonder what she wrote? If we had to condense all that we feel about life and love into a few precious words what would we say? I believe we would have no time for trivia. We would not be concerned about economics, politics, the weather, the size of house, or the type of car. We would want to dwell on what life was all about and what things were absolutely essential.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and righteousness"
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 10-29-09
Good Morning,
We had torrential rains yesterday that left many of the local streams flooding. (The Bible Talks about autumn rains). It is going to be calm and beautiful today.
A few years ago I met Elizabeth Elliott, the wife of Jim Elliot. She worshipped at the Church to which Janice and Jeremy belong near Boston. Jim Elliott, Elizabeth Elliot's husband, was one of five brave hearts who were killed by the natives of Ecuador on Jan 8 1956( Jim Elliot was 28 years old). Jim Elliott was great orator and prolific writer. He said, "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can not lose". It was great blessing for me to have met Elizabeth Elliot. The lives of people like Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, who follow Christ with great abandonment, provoke me to love Jesus with great passion. Elizabeth Elliot is also great and inspiring writer. Whenever I read her book, "Through the Gates of Splendor", I am brought to tears.
Elizabeth Elliot told of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians. She wrote, "Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me, confident and, we think, well-informed and well equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?" She suggested that we often ask God for too little. "We know what we need, a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. What we really ought to have is the Guide himself. Maps, road signs, a few useful phrases are things, but infinitely better is someone who has been there before and knows the way."
Furthermore, Elizabeth Elliot, in her book "Let Me Be a Woman", records the story of Gladys Aylward, who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child she had two great sorrows. One was that, while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other was that, while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But, when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
We can trust our guide with every word, every step, every counsel.
He will never steer us wrong. Earthly wisdom is not adequate and is often governed by the flesh. We need to look to the Lord for Godly wisdom and counsel.
Isaiah 58:11, "The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. We don’t have to worry that our guide will take off on His own adventure or leave us stranded. He will never abandon us, even when we sin (Hebrews 13:5). Indeed, "He is the Way , the Truth and the Life".
Blessed be His Name,
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw
We had torrential rains yesterday that left many of the local streams flooding. (The Bible Talks about autumn rains). It is going to be calm and beautiful today.
A few years ago I met Elizabeth Elliott, the wife of Jim Elliot. She worshipped at the Church to which Janice and Jeremy belong near Boston. Jim Elliott, Elizabeth Elliot's husband, was one of five brave hearts who were killed by the natives of Ecuador on Jan 8 1956( Jim Elliot was 28 years old). Jim Elliott was great orator and prolific writer. He said, "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can not lose". It was great blessing for me to have met Elizabeth Elliot. The lives of people like Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, who follow Christ with great abandonment, provoke me to love Jesus with great passion. Elizabeth Elliot is also great and inspiring writer. Whenever I read her book, "Through the Gates of Splendor", I am brought to tears.
Elizabeth Elliot told of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians. She wrote, "Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me, confident and, we think, well-informed and well equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?" She suggested that we often ask God for too little. "We know what we need, a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. What we really ought to have is the Guide himself. Maps, road signs, a few useful phrases are things, but infinitely better is someone who has been there before and knows the way."
Furthermore, Elizabeth Elliot, in her book "Let Me Be a Woman", records the story of Gladys Aylward, who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child she had two great sorrows. One was that, while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other was that, while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But, when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
We can trust our guide with every word, every step, every counsel.
He will never steer us wrong. Earthly wisdom is not adequate and is often governed by the flesh. We need to look to the Lord for Godly wisdom and counsel.
Isaiah 58:11, "The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. We don’t have to worry that our guide will take off on His own adventure or leave us stranded. He will never abandon us, even when we sin (Hebrews 13:5). Indeed, "He is the Way , the Truth and the Life".
Blessed be His Name,
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 10-28-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Thank you for praying for Sunita. I heard from Sunita by e-mail yesterday. She is excited to be in Jerusalem, and she is very busy with her work. She is currently staying at the Hotel of Seven Arches, built on the Mount of Olives. Our group that visited Israel in 1998 stayed at this very Hotel. You have a spectacular view of the City of Jerusalem from steps of the Hotel, including a clear view of Temple Mount. Laureen and her team are heading West, with just a few more concerts in the US - including New Mexico, Arizona, and California. They will be in California this coming Sunday and flying to Bangkok on Monday from Los Angeles.
Praise the Lord that we can do life and death well, because of Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life. I have been visiting and praying with a woman who is in Hospice care. She shared with me with a smile that she has no fear of death, because she feels nearness to Jesus, who is her Lord and life. When we are very young we have fears of things like darkness, monsters, etc. In our teenage years we deal with fears of things like rejection, humiliation, and failure. Adulthood is also filled with possible fears of such things as disease, death, financial problems, broken relationships, loved ones being hurt, storms, failure, aging, crime, etc. I personally know what it is like to be filled with anxiety.
We are an anxiety-laden society, as the sales of many books on dealing with anxiety and the sales of calming drugs indicate. Fear is very unpleasant and it is very harmful physically, mentally, and even spiritually for as the Bible tells us in Matthew 13:22, fear or anxiety chokes out the word of God. Fear can be very displeasing and dishonoring God if we do not respond to it with faith in him. As the Bible says we will have anxieties but we are to "cast all of our anxieties on him." We all want solutions to the fear problem. We all want answers to anxiety. We look for something to relieve us from our fears and to reassure us. We look for some source of security that will instill a perfect confidence and peace within our hearts.
Some people look for that security in their possessions. Some seek that reassurance in a relationship. Others place their trust in the government, in the latest drug, in alcohol, etc. Not one of these things is a solution to anxiety and fear because none of them offer total security or absolute reassurance. No amount of money, success, or any position in life can truly give you peace in every situation. So the question becomes, "How can we have victory over fear?" That answer to this important question is given in Psalm 27 which says in effect "Focus on God and your fears will disappear!"
In Psalm 27:1-3 David expressed his confidence in God and an absence of fear though he found himself in a very fearful situation. He was fearless because he is focused on God as his Light, Salvation, and Stronghold. In verses 4-7 we see that David focused on God. David lived in the presence of God, looking at his beauty, and listening to his voice. Because of this focus on God and dwelling in his presence David could lift his head with confidence and sing with joy, as we see in verses 5,6. In verses 7-14 he again focused on God and prayed to him in the midst of this trouble, and he was reminded that God would never forsake him (vs. 10) and would always guide him (vs. 11), therefore even though he did not receive an immediate answer or relief he could still say in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
This is the consistent message of the Bible regarding fear. For example when Peter walked on water Peter’s fear was victorious only when he lost his focus on Jesus. In Isaiah 26:3 God has said "I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, who thoughts are fixed on me!" We also see the same idea and Philippians 4: 6-7 which says "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
There will be times when anxiety and fear come into our lives. In those times we must make a choice - we can choose to focus on the problem and be overcome with fear, or we can choose to focus on God and are fear will disappear. We can say with David, in verse 14, "I will wait for the Lord and I will be strong..."
One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. On this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods by himself... all night long. Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many of the young braves.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
Best of all, Jesus our Savior, the Prophet, the Priest, and the King is with us .
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAdgLR1ZGw
Praise the Lord for Chuck Loeffler who is celebrating his 90th birthday. Praise the Lord for Arlo Lawrence who is 94.
Dear friends of LeRoy and Peg Jones,
On Thursday morning at 9:15 I am scheduled for joint replacement surgery in my right hand, plus carpal tunnel correction, and a nerve in my right elbow which restricts my little finger on the same hand. The reason LeRoy and I made this decision at this time is that my desire is to serve the Lord through the musical (and other)gifts He has invested in me. In the present state of my right hand...... this is now impossible. The surgery will be performed at the Moses Cone Surgical Center, Greensboro, NC.
Please pray for me, my surgical team, Dr. Robert Sypher and his assistant, Robert. and the approximate recovery time of 6 weeks. I need your prayers very much.
Down through these many years of ministry we have prayed for so many people for healing. Now we appeal to the same Healing Jesus for our present needs.
Thanks for praying and remembering LeRoy also during this time.
God bless you abundantly,
Peg
Praise the Lord for this new day. Thank you for praying for Sunita. I heard from Sunita by e-mail yesterday. She is excited to be in Jerusalem, and she is very busy with her work. She is currently staying at the Hotel of Seven Arches, built on the Mount of Olives. Our group that visited Israel in 1998 stayed at this very Hotel. You have a spectacular view of the City of Jerusalem from steps of the Hotel, including a clear view of Temple Mount. Laureen and her team are heading West, with just a few more concerts in the US - including New Mexico, Arizona, and California. They will be in California this coming Sunday and flying to Bangkok on Monday from Los Angeles.
Praise the Lord that we can do life and death well, because of Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life. I have been visiting and praying with a woman who is in Hospice care. She shared with me with a smile that she has no fear of death, because she feels nearness to Jesus, who is her Lord and life. When we are very young we have fears of things like darkness, monsters, etc. In our teenage years we deal with fears of things like rejection, humiliation, and failure. Adulthood is also filled with possible fears of such things as disease, death, financial problems, broken relationships, loved ones being hurt, storms, failure, aging, crime, etc. I personally know what it is like to be filled with anxiety.
We are an anxiety-laden society, as the sales of many books on dealing with anxiety and the sales of calming drugs indicate. Fear is very unpleasant and it is very harmful physically, mentally, and even spiritually for as the Bible tells us in Matthew 13:22, fear or anxiety chokes out the word of God. Fear can be very displeasing and dishonoring God if we do not respond to it with faith in him. As the Bible says we will have anxieties but we are to "cast all of our anxieties on him." We all want solutions to the fear problem. We all want answers to anxiety. We look for something to relieve us from our fears and to reassure us. We look for some source of security that will instill a perfect confidence and peace within our hearts.
Some people look for that security in their possessions. Some seek that reassurance in a relationship. Others place their trust in the government, in the latest drug, in alcohol, etc. Not one of these things is a solution to anxiety and fear because none of them offer total security or absolute reassurance. No amount of money, success, or any position in life can truly give you peace in every situation. So the question becomes, "How can we have victory over fear?" That answer to this important question is given in Psalm 27 which says in effect "Focus on God and your fears will disappear!"
In Psalm 27:1-3 David expressed his confidence in God and an absence of fear though he found himself in a very fearful situation. He was fearless because he is focused on God as his Light, Salvation, and Stronghold. In verses 4-7 we see that David focused on God. David lived in the presence of God, looking at his beauty, and listening to his voice. Because of this focus on God and dwelling in his presence David could lift his head with confidence and sing with joy, as we see in verses 5,6. In verses 7-14 he again focused on God and prayed to him in the midst of this trouble, and he was reminded that God would never forsake him (vs. 10) and would always guide him (vs. 11), therefore even though he did not receive an immediate answer or relief he could still say in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
This is the consistent message of the Bible regarding fear. For example when Peter walked on water Peter’s fear was victorious only when he lost his focus on Jesus. In Isaiah 26:3 God has said "I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, who thoughts are fixed on me!" We also see the same idea and Philippians 4: 6-7 which says "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
There will be times when anxiety and fear come into our lives. In those times we must make a choice - we can choose to focus on the problem and be overcome with fear, or we can choose to focus on God and are fear will disappear. We can say with David, in verse 14, "I will wait for the Lord and I will be strong..."
One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. On this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods by himself... all night long. Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many of the young braves.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
Best of all, Jesus our Savior, the Prophet, the Priest, and the King is with us .
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAdgLR1ZGw
Praise the Lord for Chuck Loeffler who is celebrating his 90th birthday. Praise the Lord for Arlo Lawrence who is 94.
Dear friends of LeRoy and Peg Jones,
On Thursday morning at 9:15 I am scheduled for joint replacement surgery in my right hand, plus carpal tunnel correction, and a nerve in my right elbow which restricts my little finger on the same hand. The reason LeRoy and I made this decision at this time is that my desire is to serve the Lord through the musical (and other)gifts He has invested in me. In the present state of my right hand...... this is now impossible. The surgery will be performed at the Moses Cone Surgical Center, Greensboro, NC.
Please pray for me, my surgical team, Dr. Robert Sypher and his assistant, Robert. and the approximate recovery time of 6 weeks. I need your prayers very much.
Down through these many years of ministry we have prayed for so many people for healing. Now we appeal to the same Healing Jesus for our present needs.
Thanks for praying and remembering LeRoy also during this time.
God bless you abundantly,
Peg
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