Good Morning,
Praise the Lord that we are saved to serve. We are called to offer the Grace of Jesus to a very needy world. I have been blessed by the Lord in so many ways. I praise the Lord for His extravagant love, steadfastness, and great faithfulness. My family is planning a reception for me in honor of my 60th birthday this coming Saturday, October 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. at our Union Center United Methodist Church, 128 Maple Drive, Endicott. Those of you who live in the vicinity , please stop by.
I have been involved in the ministry of our Lord in one form or the other over the last 44 years. It has been a great thrill and a great blessing. One of the greatest blessings is to be involved in weddings. We are called to offer grace and hope in Christ our Lord.
I have been privileged to go to the Biblical Village of Cana in Galilee several times, where Jesus our Lord performed His first miracle. MSNBC reported on an archaeological dig in Cana, Israel in 2004. The article read: “Among the roots of ancient olive trees, archaeologists have found pieces of large stone jars of the type the Gospel says Jesus used when he turned water into wine at a Jewish wedding in the Galilee village of Cana. They believe these could have been the same kind of vessels the Bible says Jesus used in his first miracle, and that the site where they were found could be the location of biblical Cana. Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander believes that this Arab town was built near the ancient village. The jar pieces date to the Roman period, when Jesus traveled in the Galilee.” I make a note to this archeological dig to say that the story of the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana is firmly rooted in the real world. It is grounded in history. History is “His story.” This wedding and miracle are inextricably connected to what God is doing in the world. It is linked to what God did in the beginning of world and what he will do at the end of the world, as we shall see. It is interesting that Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding. What is even more interesting is the nature of the miracle he performed. Jesus began his ministry with a miracle in a nondescript remote town of Galilee, and he performed the miracle in such a way as not to bring attention to himself. No one actually saw him do anything. If a pastor brought a bottle of wine to a wedding it might cause a stir, but Jesus not only turned water into wine, he made a lot of it, and after the guests already had too much to drink. As John tells the story, he says that there were six stone jars containing 20-30 gallons each. Average that out to 25 gallons, and multiply it by six, and you have 150 gallons of wine. That’s a lot of wine, and this is not some sort of grape juice, otherwise the master of the banquet would not have pronounced it the “best” wine. We think it is strange that he provided the wine after the people had already had too much to drink. They had drunk all the wine that was available. The master of the banquet said to the bridegroom, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now” (John 2:10). The word the NIV translates as saying, “had too much to drink,” is the Greek word methusko (meqskw), which literally means “to get drunk.” Most people served their best wine first and waited until the guests had become too inebriated to realize they were serving a cheaper wine, but the wine Jesus made was superior. It was the best wine, and was served after everyone had too much to drink already. It is not that Jesus is promoting drunkenness, but he is doing what he always does, giving his gifts extravagantly and in abundance. Another wedding, more glorious and more wonderful than anything we have ever known, is yet to come. Jesus hinted at it at the Last Supper when he said, “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). The fulfillment of Christ’s promises to marry his bride will take place not just in a garden paradise, but in the full paradise of God’s kingdom, at the fulfillment of all things, at the end of the age. The writer of Revelation puts it like this: “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”’” (Revelation 19:6-9). Now it becomes clear why Jesus began his ministry with a miracle at a wedding. Human history began with a wedding in the Garden of Eden. The bride of Christ, His people, the church, was established at the saving death of our Savior, as the wine of his blood was poured out for his people. At the end of the age, this wedding will be consummated at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Here is the greatest of all miracles and mysteries. Here is the plan of God which he began in the Garden of Eden, a wedding made possible in the garden where Jesus was crucified and consummated in Paradise at the coming of Christ at the end of the age. Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic who was paralyzed in a diving accident as a teenager, talked about her wedding day. She said, “I felt awkward as my girlfriends strained to shift my paralyzed body into a cumbersome wedding gown. No amount of corseting and binding my body gave me a perfect shape. The dress just didn’t fit well. Then, as I was wheeling into the church, I glanced down and noticed that I’d accidentally run over the hem of my dress, leaving a greasy tire mark. My paralyzed hands couldn’t hold the bouquet of daisies that lay off-center on my lap. And my chair, though decorated for the wedding, was still a big, clunky gray machine with belts, gears, and ball bearings. I certainly didn’t feel like the picture-perfect bride in a bridal magazine. I inched my chair closer to the last pew to catch a glimpse of Ken in front. There he was, standing tall and stately in his formal attire. I saw him looking for me, craning his neck to look up the aisle. My face flushed, and I suddenly couldn’t wait to be with him. I had seen my beloved. The love in Ken’s face had washed away all my feelings of unworthiness. I was his pure and perfect bride. How easy it is for us to think that we’re utterly unlovely — especially to someone as lovely as Christ. But he loves us with the bright eyes of a Bridegroom’s love and cannot wait for the day we are united with him forever.” We, unattractive, frightened, paralyzed and imperfect, yet wild with hope, come to the wedding feast of the Lamb. We feel inadequate and unworthy, yet our eyes are fixed on Christ. We are overwhelmed with emotion as we know that we are loved and accepted just as we are, and that the wedding will bring about a transformation. The blood and water that flowed from his side has released us from our bondage, healed our brokenness and cleansed us from our sin. We become the Bride of Christ, not just in theory or potentially, but in reality. There, together with him and all the redeemed, we will taste the new wine of the kingdom. The writer of Revelation proclaimed, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:2-5).
The Best is yet to be in and because of Christ,
Brown
Wed, 22/10/2008 - 2:02pm Supreme Court of India rejects plea for CBI inquiry into rape of nun in Orissa
New Delhi, Oct 22 - The Supreme Court today declined to hand over to CBI the investigation into the alleged rape of a nun during the on-going communal violence in Orissa."At this stage we do not think that handing over the investigation into the case from the state police to the CBI is in the interest of the victim as well as in the interest of justice. We think that the victim will cooperate with the state police," a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and P M Panchal rejected the petition filed by Archbishop Raphel Cheenath of Cuttack seeking a CBI inquiry into the rape and humiliation of a Christian Nun.
posted in: Current Issue, , East India
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Wed, 22/10/2008 - 11:12am Christians boycott Justice Panigrahi & Mohapatra commissions of Inquiry
Global council of Indian christians(GCIC) join Archbishop Cheenath-call for transperancy and instill trust
1. With respect to the communal violence that began in Kandhamal district of the state of Orissa in December, 2007 the state government has appointed the Justice BasudevPanigrahi Commission of Inquiry. Similarly, with respect to the communal violence that flared up in August 2008 in different parts of Orissa, which continues unabated, the state government has appointed the Justice S.C. MohapatraCommission of Inquiry.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Wed, 22/10/2008 - 8:52am Christian body slams Orissa's secular policy
October 21, 2008Bhubaneswar, Oct 21 (IANS) A Christian body Tuesday slammed the Orissa government for refusing monetary compensation to re-build the churches demolished in the recent sectarian violence.Reacting to the affidavit filed by Orissa Monday in the Supreme Court, the Global Council of Indian Christians said the partisan attitude of the government was vividly indicative from it.
The government affidavit, saying monetary compensation to any religious institution was against its secular policy, comes after Cuttack Archbishop Raphel Cheenath filed a petition in the apex court seeking Rs.30 million as compensation to rebuild the churches demolished in the sectarian violence in the Kandhamal district.'The Churches are the places of worship, where people from all religion go and pray,' Sajan K. George, president of the Christian council, said in a release.'The state government has said the monetary compensation to any religious institution is against its secular policy. But the budget of the state law department shows items, such as temple establishment, performance of festivals, grants to temple administration etc,' George said.He said the government had spent nearly Rs.40 million alone under the head of upkeep of temples, budgeted around Rs.50 million.'Another valid document shows speech by the finance minister this year in the Orissa legislative assembly, in which he mentioned about the allotment of Rs.5 crore (five million) for a temple development,' he said.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Wed, 22/10/2008 - 8:02am Peoples Union for Civil Liberties enquiry report on the Mangalore attack
Enquiry Report On The Attack On The Adoration Monastery, Milagres, Mangalore
PEOPLES TRIBUNAL ENQUIRY
Conducted at the instance of the
Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, South KanaraAnd
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, South India
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Tue, 21/10/2008 - 9:52pm RSS,VHP demand ban of conversions
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081027&fname=Conversions+%28F%29&sid=5A resolution demanding a ban on religious conversion was passed by functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the conclusion of its three-day national executive meeting. The meeting ignored the forced conversions to Hinduism by its cadre, conversion of western christians by new age gurus and sathvis
The three-day annual meeting concluded at Vishakapatnam on October 19 and about 350 functionaries from 40 sister organisations of the RSS,including VHP,Bajrang Dal attended the meet.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Tue, 21/10/2008 - 9:42pm Radicals attack catholic seminarians in Karnataka
Kodagu-KarnatakaVishwa Hindu Parishad on Oct 19th assaulted 4 trainees of theCatholic Indian Mission Society (IMS) at Gonikopa in Kodagu Dist,Karnataka.
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