Praise the Lord for this new day. Today is Friday the 13. It is going to be one of the glorious days. The Lord has made this day as a gift to us. It is full of His promises and marvelous grace. May we all live to to the fullest under His care and authority.
We read about an amazing catch of fish in Luke 5. Jesus is preaching from a boat on the Sea if Galilee, using the shoreline as a natural amphitheater. “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, 'Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.'” Simon had been washing and mending his nets, while keeping one ear listening to what Jesus was teaching. Jesus’ call for Simon to launch out into deeper water is an analogy of what He wanted to do in Simon’s life. Jesus would take Simon Peter to a deeper, more personal commitment to Himself.
Verse five reveals that Simon’s answer, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” By his reply he communicated that he and his partners were exhausted. The word translated “toiled” indicates very hard work, they had not slept all night and they had worked hard all night. The circumstances of the past evening have indicated that further fishing will be fruitless. Despite these circumstances, Jesus was asking them to take the freshly cleaned nets, row out to the deep water, and go through the strenuous process of letting out and taking in the nets all over again. They needed to learn that obedience to Jesus should not hinge upon favorable circumstances. We are tempted to be guided by our fears instead of following what God says. The greatest obstacle that we face in life is our own fear, the fear of being inadequate or the fear of failure. In Peter’s reply he revealed his respect when he calls Jesus, “Master” . This word means master or teacher and is the Greek equivalent of “rabbi.” Peter showed his love and respect for Christ by not letting his better judgment hinder his obedience.
How does Jesus take us from where we are to where he wants us to be? He pushes us or propels us. Perhaps doing thing our own way has left us empty, and it’s time to give God’s way a try. Maybe our own knowledge and skills have failed us and we need God’s power, God’s knowledge, and God’s skill. We need to do things God’s way. It is time for us today to obey God and try things His way, whether or not we understand where, why, or how it’s all going to work out. Launching out into the deeper water may be scary, and it is certainly less familiar, but it is where God’s blessings are to be found.
The results of the disciples' obedience are recorded in verses six and seven, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink."
As they harvested their catch, the two boats, each seven and half feet wide and over twenty-seven feet long, were filled to overflowing and began sinking. Several tons of fish were hauled ashore that day in the midst of roar of a delighted crowd.
The "New Call" would not only demand a greater commitment but it was also an invitation to greater intimacy. (verse 8) “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
At first this seems a strange reaction for, if we take it at face value, that he would ask Jesus to leave. We must, however, understand the scene in the light of what happened there. This new revelation of the power and glory of Jesus gave Peter an acute sense of his own sinfulness. Peter was not really trying to get rid of Jesus; he was simply overwhelmed by a sense of his own unworthiness. When he called Jesus, “Lord” it is an entirely different word than used previously in verse five. This word (kurios) is reserved by the Jews as a description of GOD. Peter’s reaction is what we often see in the Bible as man’s reaction to face-to-face confrontation with God.
When the prophet Isaiah “… saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” he declared, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:1, 5). Job had much the same experience; “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. (6) Therefore I abhor ( despise) myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6). John would write of his experience in Revelation 1: 17, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead….”
When we are first introduced to the power and majesty of the Lord we are immensely aware of our own sin, and do not know what to do but try to escape from his presence. Simon asked Jesus to leave him, not because he does not want to be in his presence but because he feels unworthy of being there. As our experience deepens, and we gain the knowledge that only in Him can we experience the forgiveness of our sins, then a consciousness of our sin drives us to Him. Every miracle had its purpose, without exception. Peter came to see Jesus in an entirely new light. He suddenly realized that Jesus is Lord and he was himself a sinful man. Peter realized his own reluctance to obey the Lord’s command to let down the nets as sin.
Peter confessed to being a sinner and testified to the greatness of His Lord. Jesus responded in the second half of verse ten by a command not to fear and promise that he is to be a fisher of men; “….And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/xGPS8sa-bRQ
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger,
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Brown's Daily Word 1-12-11
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the world we live in. Praise the Lord for His Word which is Eternal and trustworthy. The Lord blessed us with wonderful Wednesday gathering for fellowship and Bible Study. The fellowship was sweet and the study was a great blessing. We are studying the Gospel according St John. We looked at chapter 1 yesterday. The following are some of the notes I used for the study.
Christianity is not a philosophy, it is about a Person, and that Person is fundamental to our faith. John began his Gospel in an unusual manner. Unlike the Synoptic writers who began their accounts of Jesus in historical context, John opened his Gospel in eternity. Under divine inspiration, John was not content to begin his story as Mark did with the story of John the Baptist. Nor was it enough as Luke did to go back to the birth narratives of John and Jesus. John did not even go back with Matthew to the genealogy of Abraham and the roots of Israel, or with Luke to the beginning of the human race in Adam.
Instead of grounding his Gospel in the roots of humanity, John moved beyond human history. He started “in the beginning.” These words take us back to Genesis 1.1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John starts with God, before the inception of time and life as we know them. In the Bible, it is impossible to go any further back than God, and so that is where John began his narrative, in eternity past with God’s eternal purpose.
In the beginning was the Word. Recognize the significance of what John says here: In the beginning, from all eternity, the word has existed. In other words, the Word, Jesus, has eternally existed. John stated, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God.” In those few words, John informed us that the Word has existed throughout all eternity. At the beginning of time, the Word was there with God. The Word has existed eternally. He already “was” when time began. At creation, the Word was already present. Also, catch John's words as he stated that the Word was with God.
In verse 3, John turned from the Word’s relationship to the Father to His relationship with the creation. The apostle informed us that not only was the Word present at creation, He was also the agent of creation. “All things were made thru Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” Everything that exists owes its existence to the Word. He is the Creator. Apart from him, there is no existence. It is no accident John moves from the Word as God to the Word as Creator. As New Testament theologian Oscar Cullmann points out, “The self-communication of God occurs first of all in creation. That is why salvation and creation are very closely connected in the NT. Both of them have to do with God’s self-communication.” The two primary ways God has revealed Himself are through Creation (natural revelation) & through His Word (special revelation—Scriptures and Savior).
God’s revelation is tied to creation, and John informs us that all of creation owes its existence to the Son of God. Therefore, nothing is outside of his range of activity. He is in control of everything . He is Lord over everything. He is the Creator of the world. He holds the deed, the copyright. Colossians 1:15-17: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
John moved on from creation in general to the most significant element of creation, life itself. Life is one of the Gospel of John’s distinctive characteristics. John used the word life 36 times. Life is an important concept in the Gospel of John, and in the opening verses, the apostle reminded us that only in Christ is life obtained. He is the originator of life.
Jesus is also the originator of spiritual light. Light is also an important concept in John’s Gospel, especially as it is contrasted spiritually with darkness. Jesus identified Himself as the Light of the world (8.12). Light represents God’s deliverance for the sinful, darkened souls of humanity. In John 1:5 we read of the stark contrast between the light of God with the darkness of sinful humanity. The spiritual light cannot be extinguished by the darkness of this world. . . the darkness could not overcome/extinguish the light. We need to keep in mind the fact that John wrote this gospel after the resurrection. Because of this John knew well that Jesus Christ could not be overcome by the darkness of this world. He is the victor. The light shines (continual) in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://youtu.be/g5e3FynMX_4
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger,
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Praise the Lord for the world we live in. Praise the Lord for His Word which is Eternal and trustworthy. The Lord blessed us with wonderful Wednesday gathering for fellowship and Bible Study. The fellowship was sweet and the study was a great blessing. We are studying the Gospel according St John. We looked at chapter 1 yesterday. The following are some of the notes I used for the study.
Christianity is not a philosophy, it is about a Person, and that Person is fundamental to our faith. John began his Gospel in an unusual manner. Unlike the Synoptic writers who began their accounts of Jesus in historical context, John opened his Gospel in eternity. Under divine inspiration, John was not content to begin his story as Mark did with the story of John the Baptist. Nor was it enough as Luke did to go back to the birth narratives of John and Jesus. John did not even go back with Matthew to the genealogy of Abraham and the roots of Israel, or with Luke to the beginning of the human race in Adam.
Instead of grounding his Gospel in the roots of humanity, John moved beyond human history. He started “in the beginning.” These words take us back to Genesis 1.1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John starts with God, before the inception of time and life as we know them. In the Bible, it is impossible to go any further back than God, and so that is where John began his narrative, in eternity past with God’s eternal purpose.
In the beginning was the Word. Recognize the significance of what John says here: In the beginning, from all eternity, the word has existed. In other words, the Word, Jesus, has eternally existed. John stated, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God.” In those few words, John informed us that the Word has existed throughout all eternity. At the beginning of time, the Word was there with God. The Word has existed eternally. He already “was” when time began. At creation, the Word was already present. Also, catch John's words as he stated that the Word was with God.
In verse 3, John turned from the Word’s relationship to the Father to His relationship with the creation. The apostle informed us that not only was the Word present at creation, He was also the agent of creation. “All things were made thru Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” Everything that exists owes its existence to the Word. He is the Creator. Apart from him, there is no existence. It is no accident John moves from the Word as God to the Word as Creator. As New Testament theologian Oscar Cullmann points out, “The self-communication of God occurs first of all in creation. That is why salvation and creation are very closely connected in the NT. Both of them have to do with God’s self-communication.” The two primary ways God has revealed Himself are through Creation (natural revelation) & through His Word (special revelation—Scriptures and Savior).
God’s revelation is tied to creation, and John informs us that all of creation owes its existence to the Son of God. Therefore, nothing is outside of his range of activity. He is in control of everything . He is Lord over everything. He is the Creator of the world. He holds the deed, the copyright. Colossians 1:15-17: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
John moved on from creation in general to the most significant element of creation, life itself. Life is one of the Gospel of John’s distinctive characteristics. John used the word life 36 times. Life is an important concept in the Gospel of John, and in the opening verses, the apostle reminded us that only in Christ is life obtained. He is the originator of life.
Jesus is also the originator of spiritual light. Light is also an important concept in John’s Gospel, especially as it is contrasted spiritually with darkness. Jesus identified Himself as the Light of the world (8.12). Light represents God’s deliverance for the sinful, darkened souls of humanity. In John 1:5 we read of the stark contrast between the light of God with the darkness of sinful humanity. The spiritual light cannot be extinguished by the darkness of this world. . . the darkness could not overcome/extinguish the light. We need to keep in mind the fact that John wrote this gospel after the resurrection. Because of this John knew well that Jesus Christ could not be overcome by the darkness of this world. He is the victor. The light shines (continual) in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://youtu.be/g5e3FynMX_4
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger,
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Brown's Daily Word 1-11-12
Good morning,
Praise the Lord. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and Bible study starting at 6 PM. Special menu for Wednesday evening meal is Chicken parmesan prepared with much love. We will be studying in the Gospel according St John, chapter 1. Choir practice is at 7.30 PM.
I love the New Year – there’s something great about being able to turn that calendar page and start anew and afresh. It’s a great time to reflect on the past, and look forward to the new and exciting things the Lord wants to do in our lives in 2012…
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: What resolutions will be made for 2012?
The top 5 resolutions people make last year were:
• 5. stop smoking
• 4. make more money
• 3. improve relationships
• 2. exercise more
• 1. lose weight (the number one resolution!)
“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:1-2)."
• There may be floods and storms in this New Year, but the Lord is with you!
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
• God is getting ready to do new things in our midst.
• He says: Choose to forget about the former (old things from last year)!
• He wants to bring rivers into your desert experiences and bring you refreshing!
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Over 30 times in the Bible God tells us to be strong and courageous. Several times God spoke this to Joshua as he was getting ready to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land:
Joshua 1:6: Be strong and of good courage. 1:7: Only be strong and very courageous. 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. “but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b).
“God has given gifts to each of us from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.” (1 Peter 4:10, NLT). God wants us to discover and develop our gifts and use them to bless others. Are we using our gifts? Are we serving the Lord with our talents, treasures and time? He is calling us to go deep, grow strong, and bear fruit. Let’s forget the past, and press forward into all of the new and wonderful things the Lord has for us in 2012!
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://youtu.be/g5e3FynMX_4
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger,
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
Praise the Lord. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and Bible study starting at 6 PM. Special menu for Wednesday evening meal is Chicken parmesan prepared with much love. We will be studying in the Gospel according St John, chapter 1. Choir practice is at 7.30 PM.
I love the New Year – there’s something great about being able to turn that calendar page and start anew and afresh. It’s a great time to reflect on the past, and look forward to the new and exciting things the Lord wants to do in our lives in 2012…
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: What resolutions will be made for 2012?
The top 5 resolutions people make last year were:
• 5. stop smoking
• 4. make more money
• 3. improve relationships
• 2. exercise more
• 1. lose weight (the number one resolution!)
“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:1-2)."
• There may be floods and storms in this New Year, but the Lord is with you!
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
• God is getting ready to do new things in our midst.
• He says: Choose to forget about the former (old things from last year)!
• He wants to bring rivers into your desert experiences and bring you refreshing!
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Over 30 times in the Bible God tells us to be strong and courageous. Several times God spoke this to Joshua as he was getting ready to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land:
Joshua 1:6: Be strong and of good courage. 1:7: Only be strong and very courageous. 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. “but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b).
“God has given gifts to each of us from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.” (1 Peter 4:10, NLT). God wants us to discover and develop our gifts and use them to bless others. Are we using our gifts? Are we serving the Lord with our talents, treasures and time? He is calling us to go deep, grow strong, and bear fruit. Let’s forget the past, and press forward into all of the new and wonderful things the Lord has for us in 2012!
Blessed be His Name.
Brown
http://youtu.be/g5e3FynMX_4
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger,
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
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