"When morning gilds
the skies,
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day
When from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The pow’rs of darkness fear
When this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!"
When from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The pow’rs of darkness fear
When this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!"
I
woke up around 4:45 AM this morning. The birds had already started
singing praises to the Lord. The tractor trailers and heavy duty vehicles
had started a new day, ready for action. It is going to be sizzling with
summer heat today in Central new York. The temperature will be
reaching 90 by Saturday. I am excited. Many will be heading
out to the beaches, hills, mountains, and various campsites. Praise the
Lord for the great outdoors and the vast expanse, America the Beautiful, which
is blessed with so many natural wonders including lakes and rivers, hills and
mountains, including the Great and Iconic National Parks. We will gather
for our Wednesday evening study and fellowship this evening at 6:00 with a
special meal followed by Bible study at 6:30 PM.
When
I was in seminary and grad School in the late 60's and the early 70's of
the last century, many philosophers and theologians were saying that God was
dead, and they were predicting the death of the church. Today almost no
one can remember the names of those who made those predictions, let alone the
titles of their books, but the church of Jesus Christ is thriving and God is
still very much alive.
The values of the world change, but God’s Word remains the one constant in a world of change and confusion. It is written "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" "All may change, but Jesus never. Glory to His Name".
The values of the world change, but God’s Word remains the one constant in a world of change and confusion. It is written "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" "All may change, but Jesus never. Glory to His Name".
The
emperor Diocletian tried to revive the old pagan religions of Rome by
persecuting and killing Christians. He set up a stone pillar in his own
honor, inscribed with the words that he wanted to describe his legacy: “For
Having Exterminated the Name Christian from the Earth.” If only he knew
how far short of his goal he fell! His monument was more of a tribute to
the endurance of Christianity than it was to him.
I
have been blessed by so many committed and fervent servants of Jesus
around the corner and around the globe. I am thinking about them and
praising the Lord for them this morning. One of them is known among
her friends as the Purple Lady. She always wears purple dresses.
Her Bible cover is purple. The luxury car she drove was purple. She
was blessed with a "Purple Heart " for Jesus. She often quoted
from Isaiah 40. In this awesome and breath taking chapter we read of
an everlasting comfort, and he told of the everlasting Word of God, but thirdly
Isaiah spoke of an everlasting strength. Isaiah wrote: “Do you not
know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the
Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and
his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and
increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young
men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
Even
the young were beaten down, weary and defeated. But those who placed their hope
and trust in God did not lose heart, and they did not lose strength —
regardless of their age. Their hearts and minds soared as they thought
about what God was going to do. As new strength and courage entered their
hearts it began to affect their bodies. They gained a new enthusiasm for
life and a new strength to go on. But you never gain that strength unless
you are willing to wait on the Lord.
I read about a young boy who spent the summer with his grandfather. As he and his grandfather were out in the field one day they found a small bird. It was strange looking and they didn’t know what it was at first. They named him Ernie and took him home to show to his grandma. Grandma put him with a mother hen and her brood of chicks. As it turned out, Ernie was an Eaglet. It wasn’t long until Ernie was larger than the chickens, and it was apparent he was different — even though he had picked up some of the mannerisms of the chickens. But one sunny afternoon the father eagle saw Ernie eating corn down on the farm with some strange white birds. The father eagle began to soar in circles above the farm, and then began to spiral downward while calling out for Ernie. Ernie’s head lifted as he heard something that resonated deep within him. Instinctively he began to spread his wings. Suddenly he was flying, and he began to soar in response to his father’s call. Ernie had within him the spirit of an eagle. The chicks heard the father eagle’s call as well, but they only chirped in response and continued to eat their corn on the ground. But Ernie had a higher calling. He was destined to soar.
I read about a young boy who spent the summer with his grandfather. As he and his grandfather were out in the field one day they found a small bird. It was strange looking and they didn’t know what it was at first. They named him Ernie and took him home to show to his grandma. Grandma put him with a mother hen and her brood of chicks. As it turned out, Ernie was an Eaglet. It wasn’t long until Ernie was larger than the chickens, and it was apparent he was different — even though he had picked up some of the mannerisms of the chickens. But one sunny afternoon the father eagle saw Ernie eating corn down on the farm with some strange white birds. The father eagle began to soar in circles above the farm, and then began to spiral downward while calling out for Ernie. Ernie’s head lifted as he heard something that resonated deep within him. Instinctively he began to spread his wings. Suddenly he was flying, and he began to soar in response to his father’s call. Ernie had within him the spirit of an eagle. The chicks heard the father eagle’s call as well, but they only chirped in response and continued to eat their corn on the ground. But Ernie had a higher calling. He was destined to soar.
In
Jesus Christ, who is the Alpha and Omega, and through the ongoing work of Grace
of the Holy Spirit here and now, we are called and propelled, and destined to
soar. "Looking un to Jesus, the Pioneer and the finisher of our
faith". WOW!
In Christ,
In Christ,
Brown
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