Brown's Daily Word 11-10-09

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He has created us, redeemed us, and set us in this world as people of purpose. He has also provided every blessing we need to fulfill our purpose and enjoy Him all of the days of our lives. Every aspect of our lives is a gift from God, from life itself to the air we breathe to the relationships we enjoy to the health we are experiencing to the beauty of His creation. God’s grace is truly amazing! God’s grace is a constant reminder of His love for you and for me.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, I would like to bring before you in prayer the need of suffering Christians in Orissa, India. It has been over year since violence and persecution broke out against defenseless and innocent Christians in Phulbani, Orissa, India. Over 100 Christians were murdered. 70,000 Christians were made homeless and refugees. My mom, my brother Patel (who was jailed for 13 months), and his two children lost the house and everything that they owned. The house and the farm had been in the family for generations, but after they were forced out, they could not cultivate the fields. Remarkably, there are still 15 girls living in the children's home.
Sunita visited the area during her recent visit to Orissa, India. She also visited the village. There are currently two refugee camps where thousands of people are still living in tents. Sunita visited one of the camps. We would like to bless the people who are still living in the tents. They will be celebrating their second Christmas in the tents. I would like to invite to share in the ministry of sharing and caring. If you are being led by the Lord please make a check payable to Union Center United Methodist Church, making a note on the memo line, for the Orissa Project, and mail to:
Union Center United Methodist Church
128 Maple Drive
Endicott, New York 13760

Whatever the amount you give will be a huge blessing to the our brothers and sisters in Orissa, India.
We will send the gifts in their entirety to bless the children in the Children's home, to bless some pastors who are serving the Lord under a great threat, and also to 175 nursing students and the staff ay the Moorshead Memorial Christian Hospital, and also give food and some winter clothing to the people who are still living in the refugee centers. Thank you for sharing and caring and participating in making a difference and bringing joy to many.
As we ponder the joy of giving, let us reflect on 2 Corinthians 8:1 ff.
"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7 NIV)
Paul said that it was God’s grace shed upon the church in Macedonia that enabled them to give, joyfully give, even in an extremely difficult situation. What set the Macedonian church apart from so many other churches in Paul’s day and ours is that they were willing to allow God’s grace to flow through them and be turned into action.
There is something that jumps out at me as I study 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. In the midst of the Macedonians extreme poverty and severe trial you find that they possessed overflowing joy.
In Jesus the diffuser of His Joy,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO_bKR2Wzhk