The Lord is magnified and glorified and adored on earth and in heaven. Praise the Lord for the way he makes all days possible and all seasons beautiful and He makes woeful heart to sing. He invites to dwell in His presence surrounded by His grace and glory. It is written:" And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation." Psalm 35:9
The Lord has ushered in another brand new and fresh day. He has blessed the region abundant rains, causing the landscape and topography to be emerald green. It is breath- takingly refreshing. Alice and I were examining some of fruit trees we that had planted in the years past. The peach trees, along with the pear, plum, and nectarine trees are loaded. Praise the Lord for He is the Lord of the harvest. He makes all barren lives fruitful and abundant.
The Lord blessed us with His rich blessings in His House this past Lord's day. Alice and I attended the Graduation service of the local High School where Alice taught. The Keynote Speaker was a alumnus of the class 1987. He is a professor of Science at The Syracuse University, and He lives on the family farm here in the Marathon Township, where he raises beef cattle. We had a brief visit with a couple from Hawaii. The man is a graduate of Marathon High School, class of 1962. His wife is from Hawaii, and they live in Hawaii. The man's family established a scholarship fund in honor of his mom. I was pleasantly surprised by the amounts and number of grants and scholarships that have been established by various organizations, families, and businesses. It was a beautiful service, reminding me of 1964, when I graduated from my High School.
On Sunday the 25th of June, 2017 our daughter Janice and our son-in law Jeremy celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary. We praise the Lord for them and for our grand- children Micah, Simeon and Ada, the brightest, most beautiful, and the best of Boston.
We are getting excited about the gathering and celebration this coming Saturday, July 1,2017. The Gathering will commence at 4:00 PM, with hors d'oeuvres. We will join for the buffet dinner at 5:00 PM. We are prayerfully anticipating special blessings on all of us. The Lord of the Banquet will be there to bless each one with His joy and blessings. Come, Share, and Rejoice
In his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life, author Chuck Swindoll says the Bible is the authority, the final resting place of our cares, worries, grief, tragedies, sorrows and surprises. It is the final answer to our questions, our search. The Biblical stories, which are living and active, rekindle and reaffirm our faith in a living, dynamic, caring God who has promised never to leave or forsake us. We are amazed at the uplift God brings to our lives. Instead of looking inward, we will begin to look upward into the face of a loving God!
In another Swindoll book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, he asks his readers to imagine that they work for a company whose president finds it necessary to travel out of the country and spend extended times abroad. He instructs you and the other trusted employees, while he is gone, to pay close attention to the business of running the company. He says he will send instructions via emails and written correspondence. All the parties agree, and he sets off for a couple of years while continually sending messages…some long and some short. After an absence of two years, he returns unexpectedly, strolling up to his company’s building. He discovers the place in shambles. The exterior façade is cracking, there are weeds in the flower beds, and the window panes are broken with some of those boarded. The receptionist at the front desk is dozing while loud, obnoxious music is blaring from the back room. Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered financial loss. Within moments of his arrival, the boss calls for a company meeting of all employees…no exceptions, no excuses and no tardiness. The boss asks, “What happened? Didn’t you get my emails and letters?” You say, “Oh, yes, sure. We got all your correspondence. We have them printed and bound into a book. Some of us have memorized them. In fact, we have Correspondence Study every Sunday. You know, those were really great notes to us…very helpful. Swindoll says, “I think the president would then ask, ‘But what did you do about my instructions?' And no doubt, the employees would respond, ‘Do? Well, nothing. But we read every one!’”
When Jesus returns, He is not going to be so concerned about how much we memorized or how often we met to study. Instead He will want to know, “What did you do with My instructions?” He has promised us hope, relief from discouragement. Yes, it is available. We actually can stand strong through discouraging times in and through Him. As we lean on Him and hold on to Him, He keeps us in His grip of grace. He infuses us with His power and presence. He breathes into us His life and propels us in to those places where He goes before us.
Our God the Lord of life, will not leave us unattached in life. He has sent His Holy Spirit to stand with us and walk with us in those gray slushy days. He will give you perseverance and encouragement as He escorts you through the down days, never leaving your side. As Swindoll observed, “Discouragement may be awful, but it is not terminal.”
Something wonderful happens when we begin worshiping God either in private or as a community of believers. Worship magnifies God, lifts our horizons from the burdens, changes our gloom or perspective, and renews or refreshes our spirits.
The good news is that even in the midst of the slush, salvation is still ours. It comes by recognizing who Jesus is in life He brings redemption from sin to anyone who asks. It is accomplished through the power and the grace of the Lord who is the resurrection and the Life.
In Christ,
Brown
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