Brown's Daily Word 7/29/09

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the beautiful day the Lord has given us - to live, to love, to serve, and to glorify His name. I read an article yesterday in USA Today dealing with how, in times of recession and economic hardship, more and more people are focusing not on themselves, but on caring for others. They find great joy in centering themselves in serving and blessing others.
The late Mother Teresa demonstrated the love and grace of Jesus both visibly and tangibly in Calcutta, India. Her missionary organization, the Sisters of Charity, serve the sick and dying in India with great love and compassion. A few years ago her missionary order bought two crumbling town houses in New York City, with a plan to renovate them and use them as a place to serve the sick and the homeless. They obtained private funds to support this mission. This was not going to cost the government a single cent. The nuns of the order were accustomed to facing the obstacles of disease and poverty, but they were completely unprepared for the obstacles thrown into their path by the NYC bureaucrats. Buried deep within the fine print of a city ordinance was a regulation requiring that a facility of that nature must have an elevator, which would cost in excess of $50,000. For the nuns, who are as poor as the people they serve, it was a bewildering situation. They did not need an elevator. They promised to carry the sick in their arms just as they always had. The bureaucrats stood firm. In the end, Mother Teresa's nuns had to give up the dream of starting the mission in NY, and so they returned to India where they could serve the sick and needy without an elevator. This speaks volumes concerning the bureaucratic approach to compassion.
The Lord has called the Church and empowered the Church to offer mercy and compassion to the hurting world. A government which is morally and spiritually bankrupt cannot provide a true ministry of caring and compassion. From the very beginning it has been the Church which has opened hospitals and orphanages. It is the Church which has offered hope to the hopeless, and life abundant to those who are dead in sin.
May Jesus propel us to come alongside those who are in need of His mercy and His touch today.
I spoke with Sunita and Andy, who just returned from a week of prayer retreat in Jacksonville, FL. They have returned with a renewed zeal for Jesus, to serve Him.
Thank you for upholding me in your prayers. I have just two more treatment sessions - tomorrow and Friday. I am planning to teach the Bible Study from Revelation 6 tonight at 6 PM. On Sunday I plan to preach from Ephesians 4. Our dear friend, Mike Wingard, preached at Wesley UMC all during the month of July. My wife will be preaching there on next Sunday.
We praise the Lord for many answered prayers, and for all His blessings and gifts. We praise the Lord for Howard and Emily 's grand daughter, Jaelynn who was born yesterday at 2:05.Weighed 6 lbs. 12 ozs. 19 inches long.
We praise the Lord for Wilbur , who had quadruple bi-pass and double valve replacement - He has had a good report from the doctor and is coming along well.
Pray for Beth, a beautiful servant of Jesus. I am enclosing a prayer request from her.
Have a wonderful day.
In His Grace,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Dear Pastor Brown,
I just want to tell you how much your email from yesterday means to me. It is the perfect word from God for me today. I found out yesterday that I broke my back. I am still walking but in some pain. I have to have a bone biopsy this morning because they want to make sure the broken vertebrae isn’t because my cancer has come back. How well you know that fear,Pastor.
I am facing a giant today, that’s for sure. I am printing out your email and taking it with me to Lourdes. I’ll read it over and over while I wait to go in.
Your emails are always helpful, they mean a lot to so many people. Yesterday, you challenged us to remember how God has brought us through in the past. I really needed to hear just that! Thanks again for all you do. Love, Beth
(Please add me to your prayer list)