Brown's Daily Word 10-21-09

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord, for He is the Lord of the earth and He is the King of nations. Praise the Lord for the Church, the body of Christ, that is is both militant and triumphant. Our God omnipotent reigneth.
Thank you for praying for Laureen and her team. After spending a week in Canada they are back in the States. Laureen called yesterday, and told us that the Lord blessed their ministry in Canada wonderfully. He gave them His favor with the people of God in Canada. On their way back into the States the group spent part of the day yesterday in Beautiful downtown Boston. The whole group was able to spend some time with Jeremy, Janice, Micah, and Simeon. Micah wanted to wear a very special dress to see her Auntie Laureen, so apparently she spent a lot of time picking it out. (Micah is beginning to notice what other people wear and likes to dress like her favorite people - her mommy, her cousin Sharon, etc.) Laureen and her team will be in Williamsport, Pennsylvania today and then traveling westward tomorrow.
Sunita called yesterday and shared that she is likely to be going to Israel this comingSunday for ten days on assignment. She will be staying in Jerusalem. The last time she was in Israel was in 2000.
When I was in far East Russia in 2003, I had privilege visiting people who live in the countryside. Many live in very small houses. Those who live in the city live in the apartment complexes. I read about “A Russian woman lived with her husband and two children in a very small hut. Her husband’s parents lost their home and she had to take them in. Unbearable. In desperation, she went to the village wise man, whom she knew had solved many, many problems. "What should I do?" she begged. "Do you have a COW?" asked the wise man. "Yes," she replied. Then bring her into the hut too. And come back and see me in a week," said the wise man. A week later she was back. "This is utterly unbearable" she said. "Do you have any CHICKENS?" asked wise man. "Yes," she replied. "What about them?" ‘Bring them into the hut too, and come back and see me in another week." "Now you’re utterly out of your mind," she said. Nevertheless, still awed by his reputation, she did as he asked. A week later she returned. "This is absolutely impossible," she said. "Our home is a mess." "All right," said the wise man, "take out the chickens." The next week she reported that without the chickens it was definitely better, but still a miserable situation. "All right," said the wise man, "now take out the cow. That will settle your problem." And it did. Without the chickens and cow, the woman, her husband, the children, and his two parents got along quite peacefully. Everything is relative! Sometimes we don’t know how well off we really are!”
In Philippians 4:10-13 it is written, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Every-where and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV)
In verse ten, Paul speaks from a heart full of gratitude for the financial support he has received from the church at Philippi. Paul tells us about the secret of being content.” The idea expressed at the end of verse eleven and in verse twelve, literally means “I have learned the secret.” Paul tells us the he has learned the true secret to life and he wants to share it with the Philippians.
First, Paul said that contentment is a learned state. Contentment is not something that comes naturally. For Paul, contentment was not instantaneous; it was the fruit of many years of faithful fellowship, learning from the experience that he could trust the Lord to provide what he needed.
True contentment comes from living life understanding that everything pales in comparison to knowing Christ. When we understand what we deserve and compare it with what we have received in Jesus Christ we can truly be content, because God has supplied every need infinitely beyond what we deserve!
Paul looked to the Lord in every circumstance to help him to be content. He looked to the Lord to strengthen him against the temptation to be self-sufficient and complacent when times were good, and he looked to the Lord for strength when times were rough and he faced the temptation to feel sorry for himself. Through it all and in every circumstance, he found that the Lord’s strength was sufficient.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVUVNqWus0