Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of October. We are just less than two months away from Christmas! It is a wonderful way to end the year as we celebrate All Saints Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Advent season, and Christmas, and then enter the new year with the season of Epiphany. Praise the Lord for the way His perfect plans and purposes for our lives culminate in Christ Jesus our Lord, who is the Alpha and Omega, and in Him all things hold together. He is the Super Glue of the Universe.
We have full weekend of celebration and worship coming up, starting tomorrow morning. We will begin with a Breakfast Buffet, with all you can eat homemade pancakes, maple syrup, New York apple cider, fruit salad, eggs, ham, sausage, Columbian coffee, (picked by Juan Valdez, of course), and New York milk (and maybe some Florida orange juice). The women of the church cooking the breakfast with much love. The men will gather for worship and praise. Aric Phinney and the worship band will lead in worship. Terry Steenberg will bring the message. Then the men will be in motion with mission. They will be working in the church, moving some office furniture, doing some painting, and helping a needy family in winterizing the house. Some men will be changing oil and winterizing the cars of some of our single moms. We get energized by serving Christ and His people. We get excited about Jesus when we serve Him with Holy Hands and grateful hearts.
This Sunday we are planning for continued celebration and worship with our holy version of the October Feast. The Students from the Binghamton University those who meet at Wesley will be joining us for a feast and fellowship after the conclusion of the 11:00 worship service. Praise the Lord for His Faithfulness. Praise the Lord for His mercy that endures for ever. Praise the Lord for His Love never fails.
We've heard it said that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. It’s easy to agree when we like the plan. But, sometimes, God’s plan turns out to be different than what we were thinking it would or should be. The same thing is true of the Jewish people in Jeremiah 29. God is judging the nation of Judah because of their unfaithfulness. The Babylonians have attacked Jerusalem. They’ve taken 3000 prisoners back to Babylon. Including the king, the court officials, and the craftsmen. And the Jews are saying “This isn’t supposed to happen to us! We’re the chosen people! We’re the apple of God’s eye! What is going on?”
The Jewish people have a beautiful history of God coming through for them in times of crisis. In Exodus chapter 3:7, the Lord told Moses that “I have seen the misery of my people. I am concerned about their suffering at the hands of the Egyptians. So I’m going to bring them out of the land of Egypt.” And that’s exactly what happens. In Exodus 14, God brings them through the Red Sea. 40 years later in Joshua 24, the Israelites inherit the Promised Land. God’s plan was accomplished in the lives of His people.
In 2 Kings 19, the Assyrian army invaded the land of Judah. The people were scared. The commander of the Assyrian army said, “No one can deliver you out of the hand of the King of Assyria. Surrender to us now, and we will let you live!”
But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. And that very night, an angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 people in the Assyrian camp. Almighty God had come through once again! God’s word was accomplished in the lives of His people.
Thus, when the Babylonians invade the land of Judah in 597 BC, the captives are thinking, “This isn’t going to last long. God is going to come through for us like He always does! The prophet Hananiah said in Jeremiah 28 that in two years, God will break the yoke of the king of Babylon, and we will be free! We’re coming back home! Praise God!” But in Jeremiah 29:1-6, Jeremiah writes a letter to the captives in Babylon. And basically, he says “You’re not coming home for a while. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Be fruitful and multiply.” In other words, ‘You’re not ready to go home because I have plans for you right here in Babylon.”
Like the Jewish people in this story, we too are living in a world that is not our own. But we’re not ready to go home because God has plans for us right here in Babylon. He wants us to live for Him in this foreign land until he calls us home to the Promised Land.
Then in verse seven, Jeremiah says, “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Here the Jews would have been thinking, “You want us to pray for the community that carried us into captivity? Jeremiah, have you lost your mind? These people are the enemies of God! These are the people who ransacked the city of Jerusalem! How can you ask us to pray for these people?”
But God doesn’t want us to be bitter toward the non-Christian world. He wants us to be a blessing to the non-Christian world. He wants us to pray for people even if they’re different from us. Even if they don’t always treat us the way we deserve. In fact, Jesus gives us the same advice in Matthew 5:44 when He says “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Anyone can pray for their kids. Or for their friends. But praying for people we don’t get along with is what makes Christian love different from all other kinds of love.
In verse ten, God says something else that would have gotten the Jews riled up. He says “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place." When we read this verse, we think, “Wow, that’s beautiful. In seventy years, God is going to bring the people back to the Promised Land. That’s awesome!” But the Jews were thinking, “You mean we have to live in this rotten country for the next 70 years? Most of us are going to be dead by then! What kind of a plan is this, God?”
But if you look at the Old Testament, you will see that God accomplished great things in the lives of His people during those seventy years. Number one: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three of the captives that were taken to Babylon. And according to Daniel chapter one, they went on to become three of the best administrators that the country ever had. And they became role models for young people all over the world.
Daniel was another one of the captives that was taken to Babylon. And because Daniel was able to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, he was made ruler over the entire province of Babylon. With Daniel’s help, Nebuchadnezzar becomes a believer in God. In Daniel 4:37, he says, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.” This beautiful moment in the king’s life would probably not have happened if it were not for the presence of the Jewish people in the land of Babylon.
Because the Jewish people were able to live in peace under the leadership of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord gave them , some of the greatest books of the Old Testament. 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Psalm 137 . These were given, during this seventy year period.
Most important of all, during this 70 year period, the Jewish people were beginning to realize that they needed to get right with the Lord!
But there are times when we need to hear it. And this time, the Jewish people need to hear it. Because for years, they have been under the impression that because they are the chosen people, and because they are the guardians of the temple of the Lord, they can live their lives any way they please. And God says in Jeremiah 7:4, “Do not trust in deceptive words. If you reform your ways and change your actions, I will let you stay in the land.” But they didn’t listen. And God is using these seventy years of exile to show the Jewish people where they went wrong. And what they need to do to make things right.
So, when we look at the big picture, we can see that God is working behind the scenes in the hearts and in the lives of the Jewish people. Even though they can’t see it. God’s plan is always best. Even if we don’t understand it at the time. Even if we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if we would never have chosen this path for ourselves. God’s plan is not always the easiest plan. But it is the BEST plan.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.” I think if we knew everything that was going to happen to us ahead of time, we would go crazy. We would be doing everything in our power to change things to make them go the way we would want them to go. (And that’s probably why God doesn’t tell us everything at once.)
But verse 11 reminds us that even though we don’t know all the plans for our lives, GOD knows the plans He has for us. He sees our tomorrows before they become our ‘todays.’
If we were up in the Good Year blimp, and we were watching a parade, we could look down and see the entire parade. You could see the beginning of the parade. The end of the parade. And everything in between. That’s similar to the way that God sees our lives . He sees the beginning of your life. He sees the end of your life. And He sees everything in between. Psalm 139:16 says “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God knows the plans He has for you.
Then Jeremiah says that “God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” God has ‘plans to give you a hope and a future.’ For the Jewish people, that meant going back to the promised land. But for us, it means going UP to the Promised Land.
When we believe in Jesus Christ, and surrender our lives to Him with obedience, we, have a hope and a future that goes far beyond the parameters of this life. We have a hope and a future . We have the hope that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. We have the hope that God will someday be finished with the work He’s doing in our lives , and that we will reign with Christ forever and ever! We have a certain hope that God’s promises in our lives will come true.
Jeremiah 31:31, the Lord says “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. With this covenant, No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ’Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
God ratified this new covenant when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on that cross, we all have an opportunity to know the Lord for ourselves. We all have an opportunity to be forgiven! Proving once and for all that the word of the Lord always come true.
An Jeremiah 29:12-13 says “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Sometimes His plan for our lives is different than what we were thinking. But it is always the best plan.
In Him,
Brown
Plan to visit the following Link: It is awesome
Please remember in prayer:
Sunita, Connie, Linda, Jack H. Jack B, Irving, Allan, JoAnne, Kathleen, Patsie, Linda A. Dr Doug Kerr and the team in Africa,
A short term Mission trip that is going to India in June 2008, The Continentals in tour in Great Britain now, The victims and workers at the California fires.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-25-07
Good Morning,
This morning I watched and listened to a music video of the hymn" Amazing Grace". It was amazing and stirring. Grace is the defining element of the Christian faith. Several years ago a symposium was held in Britain on comparative religions, with scholars coming from all around the world. They began to debate whether or not there was any belief which was unique to the Christian faith. Was there anything there which was not taught by the other great world religions? They discussed doctrines like the incarnation and the resurrection. But other religions spoke of gods appearing in human form and accounts of people returning after death, though they usually spoke of it in terms of reincarnation. C. S. Lewis wandered into the room as the debate was in full heat. He asked what all the arguing was about and was told that they were trying to discover if there was anything that was taught in Christianity that was not taught by other world religions. Lewis replied, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” There was some discussion about his remark, but finally the other scholars had to agree.
The idea that God’s love comes to us freely, without any strings attached and asking nothing in return, seemed to go against what was taught in all the other man-made religions of the world. The Buddhist’s eight-fold path was a religious walk based solely on the individual’s performance. Likewise, the Hindu doctrine of karma with its successive phases which determine a person’s destiny was based on certain things a person accomplished. The Muslim’s have the code of the law which must be followed precisely in order to enter into paradise. All of these are ways which a person must work to earn approval. Christianity alone makes God’s love and acceptance something which is offered to undeserving human beings without cost or condition. Indeed, it makes clear that it cannot be earned, it comes as a free gift.
The Bible says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:6_9). All the other religions with their gods and goddesses do count people’s sins against them. Reconciliation is a difficult, if not impossible, climb for them. But Christians understand that the true God of heaven is one who is full of compassion and mercy. . God’s love and forgiveness cannot be earned — it comes as a free gift.
Philip Yancey, in his book "What’s So Amazing About Grace?", tells the following story: “A vagrant lives near the Fulton Fish Market on the lower east side of Manhattan. The slimy smell of fish carcasses and entrails nearly overpowers him, and he hates the trucks that noisily arrive before sunrise. But midtown gets crowded, and the cops harass him there. Down by the wharves nobody bothers with a grizzled man who keeps to himself and sleeps on a loading dock behind a Dumpster.
“Early one morning when the workers are slinging eel and halibut off the trucks, yelling to each other in Italian, the vagrant rouses himself and pokes through the dumpsters behind the tourist restaurants. An early start guarantees good pickings: last night’s uneaten garlic bread and French fries, nibbled pizza, a wedge of cheesecake. He eats what he can stomach and stuffs the rest in a brown paper sack. The bottles and cans he stashes in plastic bags in his rusty shopping cart.
“The morning sun, pale through harbor fog, finally makes it over the buildings by the wharf. When he sees the ticket from last week’s lottery lying in a pile of wilted lettuce, he almost lets it go. But by force of habit he picks it up and jams it in his pocket. In the old days, when luck was better, he used to buy one ticket a week, never more. It’s past noon when he remembers the ticket stub and holds it up to the newspaper box to compare the numbers. Three numbers match, the fourth, the fifth - all seven! It can’t be true. Things like that don’t happen to him. Bums don’t win the New York Lottery.
“But it is true. Later that day he is squinting into the bright lights as television crews present the newest media darling, the unshaven, baggy pants vagrant who will receive $243,000 per year for the next twenty years. A chic-looking woman wearing a leather miniskirt shoves a microphone in his face and asks, “How do you feel?” He stares back dazed, and catches a whiff of her perfume. It has been a long time, a very long time, since anyone has asked him that question.
“He feels like a man who has been to the edge of starvation and back, and is beginning to fathom that he’ll never feel hunger again.”
What did that beggar to do deserve receiving several million dollars? Absolutely nothing! He had not even bought the winning ticket. All he did was pick it up and cash it in to receive his prize. Someone else had thrown it away as though it was useless, but he saw its potential worth. He had not worked for a long time. He did not earn the money. The check was given to him as a free gift, without conditions. He did not have a job or an education. He did not have to do anything but accept the check.
Having a relationship with God does not depend on how well we do or how perfect we are. It is based solely on the mercy and grace of God. This is good news for us who are failures. We read in the book of Titus: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5). Here is the unique message of the Christian faith. As it says in 2 Corinthians: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This frees us from guilt and legalistic perfectionism. We understand that we can never be perfect and that our relationship with God is based solely on grace. The Bible says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Phil Yancey writes, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more.... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” The guilt and condemnation is gone and a settled peace comes upon our hearts as we realize we don’t have to do anything to gain God’s acceptance — we already have it. Our relationship with God is not based on how good we are, but on the character of a gracious and forgiving God who loves us more than we can ever understand.
Grace inspires us to no longer live in sin. This grace changes us.
Augustine said, “Who can be good, if not made so by loving? . . . Love God and do as you please.” He could say that because he knew that when you love God, what pleases you will be what pleases God. Grace has put us in contact with the love of God and love has changed us.
If we were to scrutinize the thoughts, decisions and actions of our life on any given day, we would find that even the best of them would be filled with selfish purposes and wrong motivations. We never get to the place where we no longer need the grace of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
This morning I watched and listened to a music video of the hymn" Amazing Grace". It was amazing and stirring. Grace is the defining element of the Christian faith. Several years ago a symposium was held in Britain on comparative religions, with scholars coming from all around the world. They began to debate whether or not there was any belief which was unique to the Christian faith. Was there anything there which was not taught by the other great world religions? They discussed doctrines like the incarnation and the resurrection. But other religions spoke of gods appearing in human form and accounts of people returning after death, though they usually spoke of it in terms of reincarnation. C. S. Lewis wandered into the room as the debate was in full heat. He asked what all the arguing was about and was told that they were trying to discover if there was anything that was taught in Christianity that was not taught by other world religions. Lewis replied, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” There was some discussion about his remark, but finally the other scholars had to agree.
The idea that God’s love comes to us freely, without any strings attached and asking nothing in return, seemed to go against what was taught in all the other man-made religions of the world. The Buddhist’s eight-fold path was a religious walk based solely on the individual’s performance. Likewise, the Hindu doctrine of karma with its successive phases which determine a person’s destiny was based on certain things a person accomplished. The Muslim’s have the code of the law which must be followed precisely in order to enter into paradise. All of these are ways which a person must work to earn approval. Christianity alone makes God’s love and acceptance something which is offered to undeserving human beings without cost or condition. Indeed, it makes clear that it cannot be earned, it comes as a free gift.
The Bible says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:6_9). All the other religions with their gods and goddesses do count people’s sins against them. Reconciliation is a difficult, if not impossible, climb for them. But Christians understand that the true God of heaven is one who is full of compassion and mercy. . God’s love and forgiveness cannot be earned — it comes as a free gift.
Philip Yancey, in his book "What’s So Amazing About Grace?", tells the following story: “A vagrant lives near the Fulton Fish Market on the lower east side of Manhattan. The slimy smell of fish carcasses and entrails nearly overpowers him, and he hates the trucks that noisily arrive before sunrise. But midtown gets crowded, and the cops harass him there. Down by the wharves nobody bothers with a grizzled man who keeps to himself and sleeps on a loading dock behind a Dumpster.
“Early one morning when the workers are slinging eel and halibut off the trucks, yelling to each other in Italian, the vagrant rouses himself and pokes through the dumpsters behind the tourist restaurants. An early start guarantees good pickings: last night’s uneaten garlic bread and French fries, nibbled pizza, a wedge of cheesecake. He eats what he can stomach and stuffs the rest in a brown paper sack. The bottles and cans he stashes in plastic bags in his rusty shopping cart.
“The morning sun, pale through harbor fog, finally makes it over the buildings by the wharf. When he sees the ticket from last week’s lottery lying in a pile of wilted lettuce, he almost lets it go. But by force of habit he picks it up and jams it in his pocket. In the old days, when luck was better, he used to buy one ticket a week, never more. It’s past noon when he remembers the ticket stub and holds it up to the newspaper box to compare the numbers. Three numbers match, the fourth, the fifth - all seven! It can’t be true. Things like that don’t happen to him. Bums don’t win the New York Lottery.
“But it is true. Later that day he is squinting into the bright lights as television crews present the newest media darling, the unshaven, baggy pants vagrant who will receive $243,000 per year for the next twenty years. A chic-looking woman wearing a leather miniskirt shoves a microphone in his face and asks, “How do you feel?” He stares back dazed, and catches a whiff of her perfume. It has been a long time, a very long time, since anyone has asked him that question.
“He feels like a man who has been to the edge of starvation and back, and is beginning to fathom that he’ll never feel hunger again.”
What did that beggar to do deserve receiving several million dollars? Absolutely nothing! He had not even bought the winning ticket. All he did was pick it up and cash it in to receive his prize. Someone else had thrown it away as though it was useless, but he saw its potential worth. He had not worked for a long time. He did not earn the money. The check was given to him as a free gift, without conditions. He did not have a job or an education. He did not have to do anything but accept the check.
Having a relationship with God does not depend on how well we do or how perfect we are. It is based solely on the mercy and grace of God. This is good news for us who are failures. We read in the book of Titus: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5). Here is the unique message of the Christian faith. As it says in 2 Corinthians: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This frees us from guilt and legalistic perfectionism. We understand that we can never be perfect and that our relationship with God is based solely on grace. The Bible says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Phil Yancey writes, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more.... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” The guilt and condemnation is gone and a settled peace comes upon our hearts as we realize we don’t have to do anything to gain God’s acceptance — we already have it. Our relationship with God is not based on how good we are, but on the character of a gracious and forgiving God who loves us more than we can ever understand.
Grace inspires us to no longer live in sin. This grace changes us.
Augustine said, “Who can be good, if not made so by loving? . . . Love God and do as you please.” He could say that because he knew that when you love God, what pleases you will be what pleases God. Grace has put us in contact with the love of God and love has changed us.
If we were to scrutinize the thoughts, decisions and actions of our life on any given day, we would find that even the best of them would be filled with selfish purposes and wrong motivations. We never get to the place where we no longer need the grace of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-24-07
Good morning,
Praise the Lord. He is our Lord. His name is excellent all over the world. He is the Lord of miracles. He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary miracles. He uses the things which are earthly and mundane to demonstrate His divine power and celestial authority. He takes "nobodies" and makes them to "somebodies", who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In 2 Kings 4, we read that the wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
This widow had been the wife of a prophet who had died. She had reached the end of her rope and had nothing left. She was so poor her sons were being sold into slavery. She cried out to Elisha and he asked what she had in the house. Isn’t that a little strange? Instead of asking what she WANTED he asked what she HAD. He then took what she had and multiplied it.
This is how the Lord often works in our lives. Sometimes we can come to him and ask Him to make us something which we are not. When Jesus multiplied the bread and fish in John 6 (Feeding the 5000) he used what was given to Him. What do you have to offer the Lord. What has God already given you that you can give to him to multiply for His service?
A man was sitting on his porch in the Southern USA. He had recently retired from the post office, and he was sitting there when his first Social Security check was delivered. Very discouraged, He thought to himself, "Is this what life is going to be from now on--sitting on the porch waiting for my check to arrive?" He decided he wouldn’t settle for that, and so he made a list of all of the things he had going for him, including all the blessings and the capacities, the unique things that were in him. The list was long because he listed everything he could think of and in the list was the fact that he was the only person on earth who knew his mother’s recipe for fried chicken. It used eleven different herbs and spices. So he went to a nearby restaurant and asked if he could cook the chicken, and they said yes. It soon became the most popular item on the menu. Thus, he opened his own restaurant, and then others, and a string of restaurants. Eventually Harland Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise across all of America. He finally retired a second time (all this happened, you remember, after he had retired from the postal service), and he continued in the service of the company as a public relations representative for a quarter of a million dollars a year till his death.
Remember that God can use anything or anyone to accomplish His purposes. History is full of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God because they used what they had been given. What talent or experiences do you have that God can use? Do you know your spiritual gift – if not then you need to find out what that is.
According to legend, writes Zig Ziglar, a very wise old man lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice in Italy. It was reputed that he could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage. "Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?" The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands."
In the busyness of our Christian life it is easy to become so pre-occupied with other things that we become unavailable to be used by God. We can look busy but not really be hooked into Christ and His will for our lives. In order to be filled you must first be available. God often does not move through the most educated or gifted person but through the most available person He can find. Through the one who says, “here am I Lord, use me”.
The jars which the widow brought needed to be not just available but also empty. Jars that were full of something else would have been of little use. You cannot fill an already full thing.
When Jesus gave His sermon on the mount He began with “Blessed are the poor in Spirit”. That is because emptiness is the starting place for filling. In addition to making ourselves available to God we must also must be filled with His Spirit. To have full use and availability of the gifts that God has given we must hand over the control of our life to God.
Ephesians 5:17 "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God is looking for people who are “under the influence”, whose mind, heart and will is controlled by His Spirit. In the Greek verb “Be Filled” is interesting:
1. It is imperative (a command). This is a non negotiable. It is God’s plan for your life.
2. It is passive. It is not something you do but something that is done to you. God is the one who fills - you simply receive. It is not taking more from God but allowing God to have more of you. You received all of the Holy Spirit when you came to Christ. Now you need to allow that Spirit to have free reign in your life.
3. It is present. It is not something that happened once but something that is continuous. It requires constant attention (every day). The reason for this is that there is constant depletion. No matter how much you eat today you will be hungry tomorrow. No matter how much gas you put in your car, if you drive it eventually it will need more. No matter how much you are filled in a service you have to be filled again - sometimes even before you get to the parking lot. You constantly need to be filled because you are constantly being pulled back into the flesh. Moody was once asked by a woman why he always preached on being filled and why one filling was not enough. He replied "Because Madam, I leak". The more you "leak" the more and more frequently you need to fill.
When you give God control in your life He moves in and starts to change things. Priorities and attitudes change. Nobody can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth. And where there is no flowing forth, he is not there. -- Bishop William Temple
You have your gifts not so much for your own sake as for the sake of others. You are like an apple tree that produces fruit not for its own consumption but for the consumption of others. Your gifts are given so you can bless others by ministering to them. If even one gifted person fails to function, the body of Christ is deprived of a ministry it needs to function well.
Do you want to be used by God? It means identifying what the Lord has already given you in Christ. It means opening your life and making yourself available to God. It means giving over the control of your life and asking Jesus to use you. It begins with a prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ you can have all of me. I will do anything you ask of me, go anywhere you direct me, give anything you request of me, anytime.”
At the turn of the 20th century, there was a little girl who stood crying near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night praying and thinking of the children who had no place to learn about Jesus. Some two years later she died in a poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found clenched in her hand. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting, which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so MORE children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red purse to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. A Realtor had offered the church a new parcel of land worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not afford the property he read the newspaper article and he offered the land - for 57 cents – exactly what the little girl had saved.
Church members inspired by the child’s generosity made large contributions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 – a huge sum for that time. Today that small seed of faith has grown into a mighty tree. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. Next to it is Temple University.
We heard from Sunita, who has safely landed in Burundi. Pray for her trip there, that He will keep her safely in the palm of His hand and bless others through her.
In Christ,
Brown
“I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY”
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.
— Horatio Bonar,
Praise the Lord. He is our Lord. His name is excellent all over the world. He is the Lord of miracles. He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary miracles. He uses the things which are earthly and mundane to demonstrate His divine power and celestial authority. He takes "nobodies" and makes them to "somebodies", who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In 2 Kings 4, we read that the wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
This widow had been the wife of a prophet who had died. She had reached the end of her rope and had nothing left. She was so poor her sons were being sold into slavery. She cried out to Elisha and he asked what she had in the house. Isn’t that a little strange? Instead of asking what she WANTED he asked what she HAD. He then took what she had and multiplied it.
This is how the Lord often works in our lives. Sometimes we can come to him and ask Him to make us something which we are not. When Jesus multiplied the bread and fish in John 6 (Feeding the 5000) he used what was given to Him. What do you have to offer the Lord. What has God already given you that you can give to him to multiply for His service?
A man was sitting on his porch in the Southern USA. He had recently retired from the post office, and he was sitting there when his first Social Security check was delivered. Very discouraged, He thought to himself, "Is this what life is going to be from now on--sitting on the porch waiting for my check to arrive?" He decided he wouldn’t settle for that, and so he made a list of all of the things he had going for him, including all the blessings and the capacities, the unique things that were in him. The list was long because he listed everything he could think of and in the list was the fact that he was the only person on earth who knew his mother’s recipe for fried chicken. It used eleven different herbs and spices. So he went to a nearby restaurant and asked if he could cook the chicken, and they said yes. It soon became the most popular item on the menu. Thus, he opened his own restaurant, and then others, and a string of restaurants. Eventually Harland Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise across all of America. He finally retired a second time (all this happened, you remember, after he had retired from the postal service), and he continued in the service of the company as a public relations representative for a quarter of a million dollars a year till his death.
Remember that God can use anything or anyone to accomplish His purposes. History is full of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God because they used what they had been given. What talent or experiences do you have that God can use? Do you know your spiritual gift – if not then you need to find out what that is.
According to legend, writes Zig Ziglar, a very wise old man lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice in Italy. It was reputed that he could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage. "Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?" The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands."
In the busyness of our Christian life it is easy to become so pre-occupied with other things that we become unavailable to be used by God. We can look busy but not really be hooked into Christ and His will for our lives. In order to be filled you must first be available. God often does not move through the most educated or gifted person but through the most available person He can find. Through the one who says, “here am I Lord, use me”.
The jars which the widow brought needed to be not just available but also empty. Jars that were full of something else would have been of little use. You cannot fill an already full thing.
When Jesus gave His sermon on the mount He began with “Blessed are the poor in Spirit”. That is because emptiness is the starting place for filling. In addition to making ourselves available to God we must also must be filled with His Spirit. To have full use and availability of the gifts that God has given we must hand over the control of our life to God.
Ephesians 5:17 "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God is looking for people who are “under the influence”, whose mind, heart and will is controlled by His Spirit. In the Greek verb “Be Filled” is interesting:
1. It is imperative (a command). This is a non negotiable. It is God’s plan for your life.
2. It is passive. It is not something you do but something that is done to you. God is the one who fills - you simply receive. It is not taking more from God but allowing God to have more of you. You received all of the Holy Spirit when you came to Christ. Now you need to allow that Spirit to have free reign in your life.
3. It is present. It is not something that happened once but something that is continuous. It requires constant attention (every day). The reason for this is that there is constant depletion. No matter how much you eat today you will be hungry tomorrow. No matter how much gas you put in your car, if you drive it eventually it will need more. No matter how much you are filled in a service you have to be filled again - sometimes even before you get to the parking lot. You constantly need to be filled because you are constantly being pulled back into the flesh. Moody was once asked by a woman why he always preached on being filled and why one filling was not enough. He replied "Because Madam, I leak". The more you "leak" the more and more frequently you need to fill.
When you give God control in your life He moves in and starts to change things. Priorities and attitudes change. Nobody can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth. And where there is no flowing forth, he is not there. -- Bishop William Temple
You have your gifts not so much for your own sake as for the sake of others. You are like an apple tree that produces fruit not for its own consumption but for the consumption of others. Your gifts are given so you can bless others by ministering to them. If even one gifted person fails to function, the body of Christ is deprived of a ministry it needs to function well.
Do you want to be used by God? It means identifying what the Lord has already given you in Christ. It means opening your life and making yourself available to God. It means giving over the control of your life and asking Jesus to use you. It begins with a prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ you can have all of me. I will do anything you ask of me, go anywhere you direct me, give anything you request of me, anytime.”
At the turn of the 20th century, there was a little girl who stood crying near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night praying and thinking of the children who had no place to learn about Jesus. Some two years later she died in a poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found clenched in her hand. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting, which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so MORE children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red purse to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. A Realtor had offered the church a new parcel of land worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not afford the property he read the newspaper article and he offered the land - for 57 cents – exactly what the little girl had saved.
Church members inspired by the child’s generosity made large contributions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 – a huge sum for that time. Today that small seed of faith has grown into a mighty tree. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. Next to it is Temple University.
We heard from Sunita, who has safely landed in Burundi. Pray for her trip there, that He will keep her safely in the palm of His hand and bless others through her.
In Christ,
Brown
“I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY”
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.
— Horatio Bonar,
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-23-07
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and for righteousness." All good and perfect gifts we have, are given to us by our Lord and Savior. He calls us and invites us to become giving and generous people.
American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital." The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000." Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in."
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God has given everything for our living, in this life and He has given us what it takes to make it to eternity. The greatest of all gifts is the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross. Giving doesn’t get any better than that. No matter how much we give back to God through the church or missions or by any others means, we will never outdistance His giving.
W.A. Criswell a great pastor and preacher of Texas of the last century, told of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he had promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, because it had become too costly.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, and then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Have you ever heard of Jon M. Huntsman? He is a billionaire who gave $100 million dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Huntsman has gone through two bouts of cancer himself. He had prostate cancer in 1992 and then cancer of the mouth in 1993. It has been said that Huntsman could be a poster boy for old-fashioned values. He grew up in what he describes as a “humble and modest” home in Blackfoot, Idaho, the second of three sons of a schoolteacher and his wife.
HOW DID HE MAKE HIS BILLION DOLLARS? One thing was the “Big Mac” plastic burger box for McDonald’s. I think prior to that it was the egg carton and then came plastic bowls and plates for hospital use. His companies are in 23 different countries. Huntsman said, “I never dreamed that I would be in this position financially someday, nor did our family ever expect it, nor do I think, frankly, that we deserve it.”
“But it’s unfolded in such an incredible way, I feel maybe the good Lord intended me to utilize it for the betterment of human-kind. There’s no better explanation for someone to have picked potatoes as a kid and suddenly have a $4 to $5 billion dollar company in one lifetime.”
Huntsman has done a good thing. His giving has apparently been motivated by a gracious God. And so must our giving be. It’s been said that when we give we are most like God. This may very well be. Giving is one of the hardest things for most people to do, because we are taking away from ourselves, and self is very strong in all of us. SELF OFTEN DOMINATES AND CONTROLS.
Therefore, when it comes to giving in any form, let’s think in terms of becoming more like Christ who has given His all for us and to us.
Some years ago it was reported that Christians in America give 4 billion dollars a year to their churches. SOUND GOOD? It is good, and it sounds very good until you hear that those same Christian people spend something like 34 billion dollars a year on diet and exercise products.
I am reminded of the story about the wealthy, but very selfish lady who died and went to heaven. She was told that she would be taken to the house, which had been prepared for her. She passed by many beautiful mansions and saw in them, people whom in this life had been very poor and somewhat rejected by others. Finally, on the very outskirts of heaven she was shown a very small, rundown house and was told it was hers. She complained and protested, but she was told, “We’re sorry, but this is all we could do for you with the materials you sent up.”
I Timothy 6:18-19 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
What will our giving do? Apparently, we have some kind of account in heaven. The important thing is to make deposits and we do this by giving, not by saving or hoarding. Proverbs 11:24-25, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Goodness and kindness will always come back to you! They have a boomerang effect. What you sow is what you will reap. God will always take care of those who give to others.
J. L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who gave approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
The Lord loves a hilarious giver. Give with a joyful spirit, because all that we have and all that we are is from our good and gracious Lord.
In Him,
Brown
The Divine Perfections.
How shall I praise th' eternal God,
That Infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne?
The great invisible! He dwells
Conceal'd in dazzling light:
But his all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.
Those watchful eyes that never sleep,
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is the boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.
He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains,
To guard his promises.
Justice, upon a dreadful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
Now to my soul immortal King,
Speak some forgiving word;
Then `twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.
... Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, #166
Praise the Lord for "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and for righteousness." All good and perfect gifts we have, are given to us by our Lord and Savior. He calls us and invites us to become giving and generous people.
American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital." The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000." Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in."
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God has given everything for our living, in this life and He has given us what it takes to make it to eternity. The greatest of all gifts is the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross. Giving doesn’t get any better than that. No matter how much we give back to God through the church or missions or by any others means, we will never outdistance His giving.
W.A. Criswell a great pastor and preacher of Texas of the last century, told of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he had promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, because it had become too costly.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, and then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Have you ever heard of Jon M. Huntsman? He is a billionaire who gave $100 million dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Huntsman has gone through two bouts of cancer himself. He had prostate cancer in 1992 and then cancer of the mouth in 1993. It has been said that Huntsman could be a poster boy for old-fashioned values. He grew up in what he describes as a “humble and modest” home in Blackfoot, Idaho, the second of three sons of a schoolteacher and his wife.
HOW DID HE MAKE HIS BILLION DOLLARS? One thing was the “Big Mac” plastic burger box for McDonald’s. I think prior to that it was the egg carton and then came plastic bowls and plates for hospital use. His companies are in 23 different countries. Huntsman said, “I never dreamed that I would be in this position financially someday, nor did our family ever expect it, nor do I think, frankly, that we deserve it.”
“But it’s unfolded in such an incredible way, I feel maybe the good Lord intended me to utilize it for the betterment of human-kind. There’s no better explanation for someone to have picked potatoes as a kid and suddenly have a $4 to $5 billion dollar company in one lifetime.”
Huntsman has done a good thing. His giving has apparently been motivated by a gracious God. And so must our giving be. It’s been said that when we give we are most like God. This may very well be. Giving is one of the hardest things for most people to do, because we are taking away from ourselves, and self is very strong in all of us. SELF OFTEN DOMINATES AND CONTROLS.
Therefore, when it comes to giving in any form, let’s think in terms of becoming more like Christ who has given His all for us and to us.
Some years ago it was reported that Christians in America give 4 billion dollars a year to their churches. SOUND GOOD? It is good, and it sounds very good until you hear that those same Christian people spend something like 34 billion dollars a year on diet and exercise products.
I am reminded of the story about the wealthy, but very selfish lady who died and went to heaven. She was told that she would be taken to the house, which had been prepared for her. She passed by many beautiful mansions and saw in them, people whom in this life had been very poor and somewhat rejected by others. Finally, on the very outskirts of heaven she was shown a very small, rundown house and was told it was hers. She complained and protested, but she was told, “We’re sorry, but this is all we could do for you with the materials you sent up.”
I Timothy 6:18-19 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
What will our giving do? Apparently, we have some kind of account in heaven. The important thing is to make deposits and we do this by giving, not by saving or hoarding. Proverbs 11:24-25, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Goodness and kindness will always come back to you! They have a boomerang effect. What you sow is what you will reap. God will always take care of those who give to others.
J. L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who gave approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
The Lord loves a hilarious giver. Give with a joyful spirit, because all that we have and all that we are is from our good and gracious Lord.
In Him,
Brown
The Divine Perfections.
How shall I praise th' eternal God,
That Infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne?
The great invisible! He dwells
Conceal'd in dazzling light:
But his all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.
Those watchful eyes that never sleep,
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is the boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.
He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains,
To guard his promises.
Justice, upon a dreadful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
Now to my soul immortal King,
Speak some forgiving word;
Then `twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.
... Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, #166
Monday, October 22, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-22-07
Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us yesterday through worship, fellowship, and the ministry of the Continental singers. It was a glorious day full of His splendor and majesty as the autumn colors were in peak this weekend. Every time I hear the songs of praise and worship by the gifted and talented Continental Singers I get excited about Jesus our Lord. I am provoked to love Him more and serve Him with devotion and self-abandon. Every time I hear the call and the challenge of Jesus in my life afresh and anew I get humbled and propelled to follow Him and serve Him with joy and gladness.
Gideon was a man in the Old Testament who was called by God for a special purpose at a special time, but there were several things that kept Gideon from understanding what God’s purpose was for him and how he fit into God’s plan. These are the same things that keep us from discovering the reason for which we were born. Gideon’s first challenge was the challenge we all face: We have to overcome discouragement. The people of Israel were horribly oppressed. They were starving because the Midianites kept destroying their cattle and crops. There was great suffering and discouragement in the land. Hope was gone. Gideon was hiding in an old wine press that had been dug. He was threshing a few stalks of wheat that he had somehow managed to keep hidden from the Midianites. He was depressed. But the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’” (Judges 6:12). I’ll bet he was tempted to laugh out loud. Mighty warrior? He was a scared young man hiding out in a wine press. But then, God always sees us in a different light than we see ourselves. We see our inadequacies and failures, and use them as an excuse. He sees our potential and what could be.
Gideon’s discouragement came pouring out. He said to the Lord’s messenger, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midianites” (Judges 6:13). The angel did not argue with him, but said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God promises to be with him, as he does with us. But Gideon was filled with thoughts about his own inadequacy. He said, “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord simply answered, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16). The answer to your discouragement, as it was with Gideon, is the knowledge that God is with you and makes up for your inadequacies. You don’t have to do it in your own power, or by your own ability. You go in the strength of the Lord.
But Gideon is not sure about this, even though the angel of the Lord is standing right in front of him. We, like Gideon, not only have to overcome discouragement, the second point is that: We have to overcome doubt. Gideon says to the Angel of the Lord who is standing right in front of him: “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” So Gideon prepared an offering to the Lord, and as a sign, the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with his staff, and fire flamed from the rock and consumed the offering. Then the Angel of the Lord disappeared from his sight. Wow. A visit from God and a special sign. That should have been good enough for anybody. But it still was not good enough for Gideon.
The Midianites were encamped against Israel, and Gideon summoned the men from all the towns of Israel to come and protect the land from the invading army. Then the Bible says, “Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised — look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water” (Judges 6:36-38). This is the passage where we get our phrase of “putting out a fleece before the Lord.” What more could you ask. Gideon asked for a specific sign and God gave it to him. But then he thought, “Oh, I made a mistake. That could have been a perfectly natural explanation. The fleece would naturally hold water longer than the ground around it.” So then he said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” Then the Bible says, “That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:39-40). Gideon finally decides to trust God and do what the Lord has been telling him to do.
I find it interesting that many people take this as an example of what we should do when faced with a dilemma — put out a fleece — as though it is a biblical principle. Putting out a fleece was actually a lack of faith on Gideon’s part. He had already been given clear direction by the Lord, and he had received a miraculous sign. But all that is not enough, and now he wants more proof. But there is never enough proof where there is no faith. Evidently, having faith is important to God, for the Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The third point is that if we are going to realize the purpose for which you have been born: We have to overcome obstacles. There will always be obstacles. And some of these will be God testing your faith so it can grow. That was the case with Gideon. As he faces the army of the Midianites, which stretches as far as he can see, he realizes that he is overwhelmingly outnumbered. But God tells him that it is not that he has too few men to win the battle, he has too many. And you remember how this wonderful story goes. God directs Gideon to tell his men that if any are afraid that they may return home. With that, 22,000 men leave, and only 10,000 men remain to fight the hoards of Midianite warriors riding on their camels. But then the Scripture says, “But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go’” (Judges 7:4). Then, as the men went down to the water to drink, three hundred of them kept going through the water as they scooped up the water in their hands and drank. All the rest fell to their knees and gulped the water down. And the Lord said, “With three hundred men I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go.”
This is a new obstacle for Gideon. He had a little hope when his men numbered over thirty thousand, but now he is down to three hundred. And as he looked at the enemy, here is what he saw: “The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12). But God was about to introduce unconventional warfare to Gideon. The Lord directed him to have his little band of men go to the edge of the enemy’s camp at night. He gave each man a ram’s horn trumpet and a clay jar. The men were to take a torch and place it inside the jar. At Gideon’s signal they were to break the jar to reveal the fire, blow their trumpets and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” And then God caused a panic in the enemy camp, and those who came to fight against Israel began to fight each other. Those who did not die in the battle fled back to the country from where they had come. They never threatened Israel again during the lifetime of Gideon.
It is a great story of overcoming depression, discouragement, doubt and huge obstacles. But, unfortunately, it is not the end of the story. The fourth thing that is necessary for finding the purpose for which you have been born is: We must remain faithful. Gideon has discovered God’s purpose for him, and God has wonderfully used him. He was used by God to deliver Israel from her enemies. But the reason that Israel was being oppressed in the first place was because she was worshiping foreign gods. In the beginning of the story, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord to Israel saying, “I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).
Gideon let down his guard when it seemed the imminent danger was over. The people of Israel came to Gideon and asked him to rule over them. But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). Sounds great, but now Gideon wants to please the people. He had taken away the pagan gods, the Baals and Ashtoreths, but now there is a spiritual vacuum. He tells them that the Lord will rule over them, but he asks them to create an ephod so they can consult God. The high priest used to wear an ephod, a sort of breastplate, for this purpose, but there is currently no high priest. The Bible says, “Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:27). Gideon permitted this religious article to become an idol. It led the people into idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness, and implied in the passage is that sexual immorality became a part of the ritual surrounding this ephod. So, in the end, the very reason that God brought judgment on Israel is going on once again. Even Gideon and his family are caught up in it. Gideon began well. He accomplished some important things that God had called him to do — things he was born for. But he failed to remain faithful. His wealth multiplied. He had many wives. His heart was proud, and he turned away from the Lord. We never hear of any other visitations from the Lord.
If we are going to discover the purpose for which we were born, we are going to have to overcome discouragement, doubt and obstacles. But most of all we have to remain faithful. It is important to finish well. Faithlessness in the end cancels out a lot of good that we may have done.
In Christ,
Brown
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us yesterday through worship, fellowship, and the ministry of the Continental singers. It was a glorious day full of His splendor and majesty as the autumn colors were in peak this weekend. Every time I hear the songs of praise and worship by the gifted and talented Continental Singers I get excited about Jesus our Lord. I am provoked to love Him more and serve Him with devotion and self-abandon. Every time I hear the call and the challenge of Jesus in my life afresh and anew I get humbled and propelled to follow Him and serve Him with joy and gladness.
Gideon was a man in the Old Testament who was called by God for a special purpose at a special time, but there were several things that kept Gideon from understanding what God’s purpose was for him and how he fit into God’s plan. These are the same things that keep us from discovering the reason for which we were born. Gideon’s first challenge was the challenge we all face: We have to overcome discouragement. The people of Israel were horribly oppressed. They were starving because the Midianites kept destroying their cattle and crops. There was great suffering and discouragement in the land. Hope was gone. Gideon was hiding in an old wine press that had been dug. He was threshing a few stalks of wheat that he had somehow managed to keep hidden from the Midianites. He was depressed. But the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’” (Judges 6:12). I’ll bet he was tempted to laugh out loud. Mighty warrior? He was a scared young man hiding out in a wine press. But then, God always sees us in a different light than we see ourselves. We see our inadequacies and failures, and use them as an excuse. He sees our potential and what could be.
Gideon’s discouragement came pouring out. He said to the Lord’s messenger, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midianites” (Judges 6:13). The angel did not argue with him, but said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God promises to be with him, as he does with us. But Gideon was filled with thoughts about his own inadequacy. He said, “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord simply answered, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16). The answer to your discouragement, as it was with Gideon, is the knowledge that God is with you and makes up for your inadequacies. You don’t have to do it in your own power, or by your own ability. You go in the strength of the Lord.
But Gideon is not sure about this, even though the angel of the Lord is standing right in front of him. We, like Gideon, not only have to overcome discouragement, the second point is that: We have to overcome doubt. Gideon says to the Angel of the Lord who is standing right in front of him: “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” So Gideon prepared an offering to the Lord, and as a sign, the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with his staff, and fire flamed from the rock and consumed the offering. Then the Angel of the Lord disappeared from his sight. Wow. A visit from God and a special sign. That should have been good enough for anybody. But it still was not good enough for Gideon.
The Midianites were encamped against Israel, and Gideon summoned the men from all the towns of Israel to come and protect the land from the invading army. Then the Bible says, “Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised — look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water” (Judges 6:36-38). This is the passage where we get our phrase of “putting out a fleece before the Lord.” What more could you ask. Gideon asked for a specific sign and God gave it to him. But then he thought, “Oh, I made a mistake. That could have been a perfectly natural explanation. The fleece would naturally hold water longer than the ground around it.” So then he said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” Then the Bible says, “That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:39-40). Gideon finally decides to trust God and do what the Lord has been telling him to do.
I find it interesting that many people take this as an example of what we should do when faced with a dilemma — put out a fleece — as though it is a biblical principle. Putting out a fleece was actually a lack of faith on Gideon’s part. He had already been given clear direction by the Lord, and he had received a miraculous sign. But all that is not enough, and now he wants more proof. But there is never enough proof where there is no faith. Evidently, having faith is important to God, for the Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The third point is that if we are going to realize the purpose for which you have been born: We have to overcome obstacles. There will always be obstacles. And some of these will be God testing your faith so it can grow. That was the case with Gideon. As he faces the army of the Midianites, which stretches as far as he can see, he realizes that he is overwhelmingly outnumbered. But God tells him that it is not that he has too few men to win the battle, he has too many. And you remember how this wonderful story goes. God directs Gideon to tell his men that if any are afraid that they may return home. With that, 22,000 men leave, and only 10,000 men remain to fight the hoards of Midianite warriors riding on their camels. But then the Scripture says, “But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go’” (Judges 7:4). Then, as the men went down to the water to drink, three hundred of them kept going through the water as they scooped up the water in their hands and drank. All the rest fell to their knees and gulped the water down. And the Lord said, “With three hundred men I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go.”
This is a new obstacle for Gideon. He had a little hope when his men numbered over thirty thousand, but now he is down to three hundred. And as he looked at the enemy, here is what he saw: “The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12). But God was about to introduce unconventional warfare to Gideon. The Lord directed him to have his little band of men go to the edge of the enemy’s camp at night. He gave each man a ram’s horn trumpet and a clay jar. The men were to take a torch and place it inside the jar. At Gideon’s signal they were to break the jar to reveal the fire, blow their trumpets and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” And then God caused a panic in the enemy camp, and those who came to fight against Israel began to fight each other. Those who did not die in the battle fled back to the country from where they had come. They never threatened Israel again during the lifetime of Gideon.
It is a great story of overcoming depression, discouragement, doubt and huge obstacles. But, unfortunately, it is not the end of the story. The fourth thing that is necessary for finding the purpose for which you have been born is: We must remain faithful. Gideon has discovered God’s purpose for him, and God has wonderfully used him. He was used by God to deliver Israel from her enemies. But the reason that Israel was being oppressed in the first place was because she was worshiping foreign gods. In the beginning of the story, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord to Israel saying, “I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).
Gideon let down his guard when it seemed the imminent danger was over. The people of Israel came to Gideon and asked him to rule over them. But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). Sounds great, but now Gideon wants to please the people. He had taken away the pagan gods, the Baals and Ashtoreths, but now there is a spiritual vacuum. He tells them that the Lord will rule over them, but he asks them to create an ephod so they can consult God. The high priest used to wear an ephod, a sort of breastplate, for this purpose, but there is currently no high priest. The Bible says, “Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:27). Gideon permitted this religious article to become an idol. It led the people into idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness, and implied in the passage is that sexual immorality became a part of the ritual surrounding this ephod. So, in the end, the very reason that God brought judgment on Israel is going on once again. Even Gideon and his family are caught up in it. Gideon began well. He accomplished some important things that God had called him to do — things he was born for. But he failed to remain faithful. His wealth multiplied. He had many wives. His heart was proud, and he turned away from the Lord. We never hear of any other visitations from the Lord.
If we are going to discover the purpose for which we were born, we are going to have to overcome discouragement, doubt and obstacles. But most of all we have to remain faithful. It is important to finish well. Faithlessness in the end cancels out a lot of good that we may have done.
In Christ,
Brown
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