Brown's Daily Word & India update 5-18-09

Good Morning.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful and a bountiful weekend. We had our annual mother- daughter banquet on Saturday evening. Our men cooked a very a very sumptuous dinner and served the women. The menu included marinated chicken and barbecued pork (the other white meat). The fellowship was sweet.
It is a great blessing to be in the house of the Lord on His day to worship Him and adore his Holy name. One of the readings for the day was taken from 1 John 5: 1-5. I preached on "From Being Survivors to Overcomers". There has been a lot of interest recently about a television series called “Survivor.” But, what does it mean to be a survivor? In our world today we talk about all kinds of survivors: cancer survivors, abuse survivors, tornado survivors, earthquake survivors and the list goes on and on! It is great to be a survivor but I want to do more than just survive. The Bible does not use the word “survivor” but it does use the word “overcomer.” The root word for overcome has a very interesting meaning. In the original language (Greek) it means to prevail, to pass over, to gain the victory (20 times). I don't want to settle for just surviving; I want to get the victory. I want to be an over comer! In 1 John 2:15-16, the Bible says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (NKJV) Here the world is described as a three-fold foe. The Lust of the flesh speaks of passion. The lust of the eyes refers to possession. The Pride of Life concerns position. It is unbridled ambition, and the desire to put oneself first. The world daily attacks us through these three areas of temptation. Jesus taught his disciples to be confident and optimistic. Jesus said in John 16:33, “…In this world you will you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” We can be overcomers because Jesus was an overcomer. The Lord has provided a way for the believer to be victorious over every foe he faces. HOW CAN WE BECOME OVERCOMERS? “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:1-6 (NKJV) This text reveals that we will face powerful opposition in this world. This opposition is necessary for personal growth and eternal strength. Helen Keller, famous for the difficulties she overcame, being born blind, made the observation that, “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were not limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.” It is the difficulties in life that give us the opportunity to know what it is like to have victory. This text reveals three resources that are given to us to enable us to be overcomers. First, it requires faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that results in new birth.(v. 4). “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” There is no way to be an overcomer without a new birth, without being born again. Jesus described this process to a man by the name of Nicodemus in John 3:1-3, “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being an overcomer demands that we be born again. There is not one lost person alive today who can honestly say that they are living joyful, fulfilled, victorious lives. That person does not have the ingredient necessary for a victorious life. There is a void within them that can only be filled successfully with Christ. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” You do not become an overcomer by trying. You become an overcomer by trusting. It is by belief, or faith, that we are born again. When we, by faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we are born again. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (NKJV) If you want to be victorious, it is time to stop trying and start trusting. What are you trusting in today? Secondly it requires, our Love for the Lord to be extended in our love for one another. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."
The third ingredient is our obedience. For His commands are not burdensome. Faith in Jesus Christ is a continuous faith that results in loving the Lord and loving His people. "We love Him, because He first loved us." "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". His love constrains us. His love compels us. We are provoked to love Him and to keep His command, for His commands are not burdensome.

HOW CAN WE LIVE LIKE OVERCOMERS? John tells us in Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (NKJV) We can overcome the obstacles that we face in this life through the strength that we receive in the Lord. The believer is reminded in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (NKJV) In Romans 8, we read, "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" and still loves us. In 1 Corinthians 15 we read, "Now thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ". In John 16 our Lord declares, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world". If you have been born again, you have already been made an overcomer in Him. We have already been given the victory through the blood of Jesus Christ. Our challenge now is to live in the light of the victory that has already been won. In Christ,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i5MzJ9nLjo
Divisive politics of radical Hindus rejected by the people of India
Orissa, Patnaik wins: the ballot box awards the governors decision to break with BjpBiju Janata Dal wins the states majority in parliament. For Sajan George, President of the Global Council of Indian Christians, it’s a vote against Hindu extremism. Now the new government must “deliver justice to the Christians of Kandhamal”.Mumbai (AsiaNews) – The party of the outgoing governor Navin Patnaik wins by a landslide in Orissa and the Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) is defeated. The electoral earthquake that is taking shape in the victory of the United Progressive Alliance (Upa) and Congress takes on a new significance in the state sadly infamous for anti-Christian violence.
The people of Orissa were called to choose their representatives for the Lok Sabha, the National parliament and also for their state assembly. They chose the Biju Janata Dal (Bjd) led by Patnaik to whom exit polls have adjudicated 100 of the 147 available seats in the National Assembly.
Reached by AsiaNews, Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), affirms that the vote has awarded Patnaik’s decision to break with Bharatiya Janata Party a few months ahead of the elections. A risky decision that rocked the Orissa government ahead of the National vote forcing Patnaik to find a new majority without Bjp support. The ballot box however, proved him right and now he is in no need of uncomfortable coalitions.
“Cutting ties with the BJP on the issue of Kandhamal has reaped rich dividends for Patnaik” said George. The now confirmed governor had been widely criticised for his inaction over the anti-Christian violence in the state and particularly in Khandamal. The local Christian community was highly critical of his failure to stand up to Hindu extremists for fear of his ally Bjp.
The Gcic president says he now expects that “since the hands of Patnaik are freed, he can now uphold the Constitution and take steps to for Justice to our Kandhamal Christians”.
According to Gerorge the Orissa vote is a clear rejection of the extremism of nationalist movements: “the Indian voter has decided against their communal agenda”.