Brown's Daily Word 3-8-13

Praise the Lord for this new day. There is dusting of fresh and friendly snow on the ground this morning. The crocuses and daffodils are popping up anyway. Spring is almost here. Best of all Easter is just over 3 weeks away. The celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord drawing near.

Those of you live in the area, join us for our weekly Television presentation this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable Channel 4. The Lord has blessed us in this ministry. The Camera man is a professional videographer. He is also a committed Christian, who has been to Orissa , India and had made a documentary on the Persecution of Christians in the State of Orissa. He is producing this Friday Evening's Television ministry. I am so grateful, humbled, and blessed. Please pray with us that this ministry will be a blessing to many.

The Old Testament reading for last Sunday was taken from Isaiah 55. It is written “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6,7).

The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is the parable of the prodigal son. Sin took him to a far away country where life had more in common with pigs than human beings. You might say that he was speaking pig Latin. He was destitute and devastated. The results and wages of sin are devastating. Somebody has aptly said the most difficult words to utter are, "I have sinned". The prodigal son declared, "I have sinned" Prevenient and amazing grace was at work. The forgiveness of the Lord came upon the prodigal son like a food. Even as the Church affirms, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins", so the prodigal son was forgiven.

Amy Carmichael, the notable missionary and author, said: “There is no need to plead that the love of God shall fill our heart as though he were unwilling to fill us. He is willing as light is willing to flood a room that is opened to its brightness; willing as water is willing to flow into an emptied channel. Love is pressing round us on all sides like air. Cease to resist, and instantly love takes possession.” So we do not have to plead for his forgiveness either. As soon as we open the door of repentance, it floods in.

Joni Erickson quoted Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” and then wrote, “My friend, Dan Earl, is a bee-keeper. Recently he presented me with a gift basket of his bee byproducts - creams, candles, and best of all, his top-selling honey. That Sunday I enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea and toasted crumpets with butter and honey. I was almost in heaven. It was so delicious.

The Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, drew a parallel between honey and Psalm 34:8. One can conclude that honey is honey because it is golden, has a certain viscosity, and has bits of comb in it. Therefore, it must be honey. But Edwards said there is a superior way to know. Put a drop on your tongue, and you'll see that knowing honey involves much more than understanding facts about it. To truly know honey is to taste and see that it is sweet, delicious, and delightful. There's nothing quite like it!” There are all kinds of facts that can be known about forgiveness, but it was meant to be tasted. Its sweetness meant to be experienced.
In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/eOY0mjjmx8Y

Brown's Daily Word 3-7-13

As the day the Lord gave us is dying in the west, I was remoinded of one of the beautiful hymns of the Church, "Day Is Dying in the West". Though the night approaches here in the Western Hemisphere it is alreay a new day in the Eastern Hemisphere. Our family and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ who live in that region, have already begun a new day in the Lord .

Alice and I walked on one of the local trails this evening. It was cool and exhilarating. We saw and heard a flock of Canadian Geese returning to the natural habitat in the North. They were flying, making a V formation and praising the Lord with their Holy Honk. We saw and heard a flock of blackbirds praising the Lord with an evening song. We also saw Big Hawk sitting on the top of a tree, dauntless and unafraid. We saw some cardinals and woodchucks. Though the winter is lingering here, the Spring has already arrived in parts of the Eastern Hemisphere and it is the late summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Praise the Lord our God, the maker of heaven and earth. When we pause and ponder about the beauty and blessings of this day we can say, "It's a wonderful world"' created by our Lord, who is wonderful and beautiful beyond description. Our Lord is in control so let us not freak out.

May we all rest in His presence. May He grant us refreshing sleep. May He speak to us through dreams and visions. "May all His little lambs be safe tonight in His eternal keeping".Psalm 4:8

In Christ,

Brown

1. Day is dying in the west;
Heav'n is touching earth with rest;
Wait and worship while the night
Sets the evening lamps alight
Through all the sky.

2. Lord of life, beneath the dome
Of the universe, Thy home,
Gather us who seek Thy face
To the fold of Thy embrace,
For Thou art nigh.

3. While the deepening shadows fall,
Heart of love enfolding all,
Through the glory and the grace
Of the stars that veil Thy face,
Our hearts ascend.

4. When forever from our sight
Pass the stars, the day, the night,
Lord of angels, on our eyes
Let eternal morning rise
And shadows end.

Chorus:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heav'n and earth are full of Thee!
Heav'n and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord most high!

Brown's Daily Word 3-6-13

Yesterday afternoon turned out to be brilliant, balmy, and beautiful. I walked on the banks of the charming Chenango River for over four miles. It was invigorating and thrilling. I saw the countless geese and ducks, including mallards, taking an unhurried plunge and a swim on the river. The waters looked crystal clear and clean, exposing the smooth stones of all sizes and colors on the surface. The trees by the bank of the river standing steadfast and triumphant, having come out of another winter. Joyful squirrels were frolicking. Birds, the harbingers of spring were making a melodious sonnet. As I walked with a joyful heart and jubilant feet I paused and pondered on the extravagant grace of our Lord and on His magnificent beauty that He displays in every season. I was blessed in contemplating a how all beautiful creatures of our Lord "join with all nature in manifold witness, to His great and matchless faithfulness, mercy, and love."

We will gather for our midweek Fellowship, Bible study, prayer, and choir practice starting at 6 PM. We will be looking at the Suffering servant passages recorded in Isaiah 52 and 53.

This Suffering Servant is a man of contrasts. There is the contrast between the Servant’s exaltation and accomplishment and His suffering and humiliation. There is also the contrast between what people though about the Servant and what was actually the case. Though man would cast Him down and humiliate Him, God would lift Him up and glorify Him. This servant, Jesus Christ, would be "marred beyond human likeness", but through His suffering He would cleanse the nations (Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:2). Before Him every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He alone is Lord.

Many years ago on the south coast of China, high on a hill overlooking harbor of Macao, Portugese settlers built an enormous CATHEDRAL. They believed it would weather time, and they marked their achievement with a massive bronze cross as the centerpiece of its front wall. Not too many years later, a typhoon came, and the edifice was destroyed, leaving only a portion of the front wall and the cross. Centuries later a shipwreck stranded hundreds of men not far out in the same harbor. Some died; some lived. One man hanging onto wreckage from the ship was disoriented and frightened, having lost sight of land in the storm. Yet, each time the ocean swells lifted him out of the waves, he spotted the cross, which eventually guided him to safety.

To countless millions, that is what the cross means. It is a glowing symbol of rescue, leading stranded souls shipwrecked on sin’s jagged reefs from the shadow of death’s darkness to the new dawn shining out of new life.
It is also a place of hope to countless Christians who come back to the cross, bringing the scattered debris of their lives. There, because of the violent suffering of Christ, amazing grace is offered. The suffering Christ experienced for us was beyond comprehension, but He experienced it for our redemption and our restoration. By His stripes we are healed. Therefore, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2 ).

In Christ,

Brown.

http://youtu.be/y140eAMitJ4

Brown's Daily Word 3-5-13

During the Lenten Season I love to read about some of faithful and devoted servants of Jesus our Lord. Currently I am reflecting on and reading about Dietrich Bonhoffer and Jim Elliott. Both of these men who loved Jesus died young. Most of us know about Jim Elliot, the missionary martyr who died in Ecuador in January 1956 when he and four other missionaries were killed by the Auca Indians. The story made headlines around the world and inspired books, films, and generations of Christian missionaries. His wife Elizabeth told the story in several books, including the best selling Through Gates of Splendor. More than a half-century later, we still repeat Jim Elliot’s famous words, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot’s story gripped the christians around the world., making him arguably the most famous missionary of the 20^th century. What most people don’t know is that he had an older brother who went to Peru as a missionary in 1949. During his 62 years on the field, Bert Elliot established 150 churches. He died in Trujillo, Peru on February 17, 2012 at the age of 87. When Randy Alcorn interviewed him in 2006, Bert described his younger brother:

"Jim and I both served Christ, but differently. He was a great meteor, streaking through the sky."

Bert Elliot was home on furlough when Jim and the other missionaries were killed. He and his wife wrestled with whether or not they should return to the field:

“Why doesn’t God take care of us?” he remembered asking. “If we give our lives to serve him, how come there’s not the protection?” The answer that came to him then became the hallmark of his own life. “It’s in dying that we’re born to eternal life,” he said. “It’s not maintaining our lives, but it’s giving our lives.” So a few months later, Bert Elliot and his wife, Colleen, returned to the jungles of Peru. Randy Alcorn described Bert Elliot as a “faint star that rose night after night, faithfully crossing the same path in the sky, to God’s glory."

Jim Elliot was a great meteor, streaking through the sky. Bert Elliot was a faint star, crossing the same path night after night. Which one did the greater work?
Why did one die young and the other live 87 years? No matter how long we ponder the matter, these questions cannot easily be answered because “the secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). God has his reasons but he’s not obligated to explain them to us. The “secret things” describe the deep purposes of God that we simply are not capable of understanding. What sort of explanation would be sufficient to explain to us why one man lives while another man dies?

God has his reasons but he does not explain them to us. It is a mystery hidden in the mind and heart of God. All human explanations must ultimately fail. There is an answer to the question "Why?", but the answer is hidden from our view. To all of our questions, God replies, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The answer is a Person, not an explanation. God himself draws near to those who hurt. During the Lenten season we focus on the passion and suffering of Jesus our Lord. He is indeed the suffering servant, the Man of sorrows who is acquainted with our grief. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted­ed and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Here is a promise of God’s special presence in the midst of our pain. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord himself draws near to us in times of great suffering. We sense his presence in a way that goes beyond the natural. We hear his voice though there is no sound in the room. In this same Psalm David declared, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4).

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/ab8r0LNBtNo

Brown's Daily Word 3-4-13

The Lord blessed us with a wonderful weekend. We were awakend Sunday morning for some very fresh, yet friendly, snow. It was great to be in the house of the Lord. It is written in Psalm 122, " I was glad, when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord". I was very glad to be in the house of the Lord with those who love Him and serve Him. I preached for three services yesterday. It was a great thrill and a great blessing.

One theologian said the cross of Jesus is like a diamond because the more angles you can look at it the greater your appreciation. I am reflecting on the cross from the perspective of Simon of Cyrene. He makes an appearance in the fifteenth chapter of Mark’s gospel. "And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull) Mark 15:20-22 NIV
We might say Jerusalem was Simon’s most favorite place in the world where he had never yet been. He certainly wanted to remedy that, and not just to be in Jerusalem, but to be there at during its grandest time, Passover! Historians estimate that as many as Two million pilgrims come to Jerusalem annually for the Passover feast. Those who lived within close proximity made the journey every year. For others, like Simon, it was a dream just to get there once in his lifetime. Today one might say that seeing Jerusalem with his own eyes was something on his “bucket list.”
Such a journey was no easy task since Simon lived in the city of Cyrene, the capital city of the district of Cyrenaica in North Africa.
Each year Jewish families retold the story, completed their Passover observance, and declared, "Next year in Jerusalem". Simon makes the journey to Jerusalem. Finally there he arrived at the western gate where, walking in, he soon found himself in the flow of the crowd up the narrow streets lined with the shops of numerous merchants.
Suddenly Simon must have looked ahead where he saw some kind of processional coming in his direction. He pushed through the crowd to get a better look, but his stomach was not prepared for what he saw - three men carrying the full weight of huge beams of wood come struggling down the road; several Roman soldiers carrying whips were pushing them along. Occasionally the crisp clear crack of one of the whips rang out. Simon quickly realized that what he was watching was a death march and the three men carry the beams of wood were going to be crucified.

Simon is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but Mark’s description is representative of all we really know about Simon of Cyrene: "A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross." Mark 15:21 . Simon was first a spectator, then a participant in the procession, bearing the cross of Jesus our Lord. We do not know exactly how long the walk was nor what Jesus and Simon said or did not say to each other. We do know that Simon saw how perfect love and grace responded to cruelty and injustice. Meaning is found in Jesus. Jesus is the answer.
WE HAVE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS WITH THE CROSS OF JESUS. Not only did Simon not expect it the cross, I suspect he didn’t want it. By neither choice nor preference of his own, Simon came to the aid of Jesus. To be honest, it is likely that Simon would not have carried that cross if he had not been forced to do so, but the very thing he did not want to do was and is his greatest blessing, even to eternity.
Some people find the cross. Sometimes the cross finds you. God had a divine appointment with Simon that day. Sometimes he makes Divine Appointments with us. Like Simon, this may involve tasks we would prefer not to do but, also like Simon, these often lead to some of life’s greatest blessings. Our lives leave marks and influence, particularly upon our family. Mark mentioned the sons of Simon: Alexander and Rufus. (Mark wrote as if his readers would readily recognize their names). It is largely thought that Mark wrote his Gospel for Christians in Rome. Paul later wrote a letter to the church at Rome. In his closing greetings he said: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord… (Romans 16:13a NIV) It is not too great a stretch to conclude that this Rufus is the same person as Simon’s son. Simon’s story surely had left an impact on his children.
Let us be praying that, as we have our own unexpected divine appointment, that we leave a legacy to those who follow after.

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E

Brown's Daily Word 3-1-13

Praise the Lord for this first day of March. We will celebrate Holy Week in the last week of March and we will celebrate glorious Easter on the last day of March. As we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem during this Lenten Season I would look at the walk of Peter with Jesus to Jerusalem. Peter was fundamentally loyal to Jesus Christ. After all, at least he followed Jesus into the courtyard on the day of Jesus' trial. The rest of the disciples wouldn’t even do that. In the words of William Barclay: "Peter fell to a temptation that could only come to a brave man. The man of courage always runs more risks than the man who seeks a placid safety." (Luke, p. 270)

Peter didn’t handle himself well, but at least he was there. His failure was terrible, but at least he cared enough to try and follow his Lord. In the end, it was not Peter’s faith that failed, but his courage. Jesus had told Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith might not fail.” (Luke 22:32). His prayer was answered. Peter never lost his faith. However, in the moment of crisis, he lost his courage.

It is true that Peter was loud. It is also true that underneath it all he loved Jesus and was there in the courtyard—with all his faults—keeping an eye on Jesus. At heart Peter was loyal, who failed to live up to the best intentions of his heart. Sometimes, God allows us to fail in order to strip away our excessive self-confidence. Never again would Peter brag on himself like he did that night. Never again would he presume to be better than his brothers. Never again would he be so cocky and self-confident. All that was gone forever, part of the price Peter paid for his failure in the moment of crisis.

It is a good thing that the Lord allows such things to happen to us. By falling flat on our faces we are forced to admit that without the Lord we can do nothing but fail. The quicker we learn that (though we never learn it completely) the better off we will be. Failure never seems to be a good thing when it happens, but if failure strips away our cocky self-confidence, then failure is ultimately a gift from God. Never again would Peter stand up and boast about his courage. In the future he would talk about humility instead.

Our Lord can redeem our failures if we will let him. There are two very interesting facts about the way Jesus treated Peter: He never criticized him and, He never gave up on him. Jesus knew about Peter’s denial long before it happened. He knew what Peter would do, he knew how he would react, and he knew the kind of man Peter would be afterward. Peter did much more for Jesus Christ after his fall than he did before. Before his fall, he was loud, boisterous and unreliable; afterward he became a flaming preacher of the gospel. Before he was a big talker; afterward he talked only of what Jesus Christ could do for others. He was the same man, but he was different. He was still Peter through and through, but he had been sifted by Satan and, in the sifting, the chaff of his life had been blown away.

There is much in this story that should encourage us. It was not the real Peter who denied the Lord; it was the real Peter who followed him into the courtyard. It was not the real Peter who cursed and swore; it was the real Peter who said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” When the Lord looks at you and me, He doesn’t look at us and see only our failures. He sees beyond our faults to the loyalty underneath. He sees our pain, our tears, and our earnest desire to please Him. He sees us in our faltering attempts to follow him.

 

The Story of Peter is full of hope. If Peter can fall, anybody can fall. If Peter can come back, we all can can come back.

In Christ,

Brown

http://youtu.be/5irhNWG8G8c

Brown's Daily Word 2-28-13

Praise the Lord for this last day of February. The Lord blessed us with a wonderful Wednesday Evening fellowship, study, and prayer last evening. Our daughter Laureen went to watch the Syracuse University Basket Ball team playing against Georgetown at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse last week. Laureen, while attending the Billy Graham Crusade that was held at the Carrier Dome many years ago, had gone as little girl to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was back at the Stadium after many years to watch the basketball game. The 35,000 seats all sold out for the game. She said it was a great thrill to watch to game with so many fans. It is truly a great thrill for those who love Jesus to worship Jesus together as a family of God. We shout to the Lord. It is also a great thrill to gather as group every Wednesday and share and shout to the Lord.

During the Lenten Season we are reflecting on the Wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died. I praise the Lord for so many scholars, servants, and missionaries that have come out of Great Britain. Praise the Lord for missionaries like William Carey and David Livingston. Praise the Lord for preachers like Charles Spurgeon and John Wesley. Praise the Lord for hymn writers such as Charles Wesley, William Cowper, Isaac Watts, and John Newton. William Cowper often struggled with bouts of severe depression. At one point he became extremely distraught, fearing that he was under the wrath of God. Here is his own testimony:

“I flung myself into a chair by the window and there saw the Bible on the table by the chair. I opened it up and my eyes fell on Romans 3:25, which says of Christ, ‘Whom God has made a propitiation through faith in his blood.’ Then and there, I realized what Christ’s blood had accomplished and I realized the effects of his atonement for me. I realized God was willing to justify me, and then and there, I trusted Jesus Christ and a great burden was lifted from my soul."

Looking back on that day, William Cowper wrote the hymn:
"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stain."
He shed his blood and what was a place of judgment is now a mercy seat for anyone and everyone who will come to God through Jesus Christ.
I talked to a man in Boston yesterday. He flew to India on a short-term Medical Mission today. He will be visiting and working with some Hospitals managed and operated by Christian Agencies. Some of the best Hospitals in the world are managed and operated by Church.
Whenever I drive on Interstate 81 South I read a billboard near Harrisburg, advertising "Holy Spirit Hospital". The billboard continues to say that Holy Spirit Hospital is famous for Cardiac Care in the area.
There is another Hospital managed and operated by the Roman Catholic Church in one of our Nation's cities. There is also a billboard near the highway there that “Christ is #1 in Open Heart Surgeries.” I don’t know about the hospital, but I can vouch for its namesake. Jesus Christ is indeed #1 in open heart surgery. He has never lost a case yet. When we come to him by faith, he gives us a brand new heart. http://youtu.be/xMcG0JclK-A
In Christ,
Brown