Good morning,
Praise the Lord, for He redeems us and sends us into the world to serve Him, to witness for Him, and to demonstrate our love for Him. Praise the Lord, for He equips us to serve Him with the talents, the treasures, and the time that He bestows upon us.
We had a wonderful weekend. The Jeremiah People ministered to us this past Saturday through music and drama, in a musical centered on the personal relationships, interactions, communications (or lack thereof) and temptations faced by every family. The presentation, the music, and the message were powerful and provocative. It was intense and inspiring. We are blessed indeed to be able to have such a gifted and talented troupe of musicians/actors/dancers with us.
The Lord also blessed us in worship yesterday. Indeed, "Better is one day in His house than a thousand elsewhere". As our Lord and Savior journeyed to Jerusalem, He blessed people on the way, bringing change and transformation. He demonstrated His mighty deeds, along with signs and wonders. We are also given glimpses of how ordinary people demonstrated their love for Him. In John 12:1-12:8 we encounter Mary, who exhibited extravagant love towards Her Savior and Lord. As her alabaster flask was "Broken and Spilled out", so was her heart, her life, and her love. Jesus' love and grace is reckless, and even relentless, toward us. Mary, saved by grace poured her love out to Jesus in a very demonstrative way.
I heard a song, “What I Did For Love” from a famous Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line". These are the words: “Kiss today goodbye, the sweetness and the sorrow. Wish me luck, the same to you. But I can’t regret what I did for love, what I did for love. Look my eyes are dry. The gift was ours to borrow. It’s as if we always knew, and I won’t forget what I did for love, what I did for love. Gone, Love is never gone. As we travel on, Love’s what we’ll remember.”
John 12:1, “6 days before Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany." Bethany was a Jewish village about 2 miles from Jerusalem where travelers often stayed because Jerusalem was crowded and there were no accommodations there. Bethany was also the home of three of Jesus’ closest friends: Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. Jesus used their home as a sort of headquarters. This family gave a special dinner for Jesus, perhaps out of gratitude for all he had done for them, especially for the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
There are 3 main characters in the passage, Jesus, Mary and Judas. Mary and her gift to Jesus are viewed in different ways by varying people. The gift was an alabaster container holding a pint of nard. Nard was an oil made from the root of a plant grown in India, Nepal and China. It was imported and very costly, 300 denari, (a year’s wages then). Nard is still available today. It would cost $328 for the pint Mary used. That’s about $20.50 per ounce, a little pricey even by today’s standards.
Mary used this costly gift in a way that definitely drew attention to herself. It was unlawful for a woman to touch a man or to draw attention to oneself in public. The only women who let their hair down were the harlots. Yet, Mary threw aside convention and restraint, and bestowed on Jesus this precious, extravagant, loving, sacrificial gift. She didn’t care what people thought. She was going to show her love for Jesus.
Surely those present questioned in their mind, if not verbally, what Mary was thinking. “Who does she think she is? --- “This is outrageous!” --- “How dare she be so bold!” They may have been offended. I have found that people who are looking for a reason to be offended are usually all too easily able to find it. You tend to see and find that for which you are looking.
“The house was filled with fragrance.” Was it a spontaneous, loving, extravagant gift or a flagrant, foolish, public display of outrageous waste? If I had been there I would probably be sneezing, coughing or wheezing. I might even have complained about how Mary’s action had ruined the evening for me. It probably would have been necessary for me to leave.
In Verse 6 – Judas is called out as a thief and it is implied that Judas really wanted the money for himself, not the poor. I wonder whether, for Judas, Mary’s actions were a horrible waste of money because: 1) he could have taken the money for himself, or 2) he honestly did not think Jesus was worth it.
There are those like Judas who think it was a waste. They also believe it is a waste to give so much money to the work of Jesus’ church, to go to a small church with little prestige, and to serve God and our community with our talent, our time, and our hands.
What do you think? Were Mary’s actions an example of loving devotion to be emulated by all Christians or were they a waste of time and money because Jesus was not worth it? What are you willing to do, to what lengths are you willing to go, for the love of Jesus?
In His Extravagant Love,
Brown
click here to see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjPcoElIpR0
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 2-22-08
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus knows our name. He hears when we call on Him. He sees every tear that falls. He is the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with our grief. Jesus, our Lord, has compassion and concern for us. The Bible records that Jesus wept.
I read some time ago that In the 1972 Presidential Primary race Edmund Muskie seemed well on his way to becoming the Democrats’ nominee for President. However, the Manchester Union Leader published what came to be known as “the Canuck Letter,” which stated that Muskie had made disparaging remarks about Canadians, and that his wife, Jane, was a heavy drinker who used filthy language during the campaign. In an emotional speech, given during a snow storm, Muskie shed some tears as he defended his wife. Those tears became his downfall as voters believed his former reputation of being a calm, cool, and collected, and “above emotions” leader was forever shattered. Tears, the voters believed, were inappropriate for a President.
Ironically, in this year’s Presidential Primary experts credit Hillary Clinton’s emotional, tearful speech given prior to the Massachusetts Democratic Primary for saving her candidacy. Tears, in her case, showed that she is not the “machine” many thought she was, that she had real emotions, a softer side to her personality, which made her more trustworthy as a Presidential candidate.
Obviously, it seems we are a little confused as to whether tears are appropriate or not in our leaders. But the Bible helps us in understanding the importance of tears as we look at Jesus’ example in Luke 19:32-41
He wept over the lost-ness of the citizens of Jerusalem. "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it." There is a false notion that “big boys don’t cry.” It may be true that big boys don’t cry, but real men do.
On two occasions Scripture records Jesus weeping in public. The first was when Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11.
This event resulted in the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most powerful, when it simply states, ”Jesus wept.” Notice, Jesus did not chastise the people who were crying at the tomb; instead He joined them and wept WITH them.
Scripture instructs us that we, as believers, are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. In other words, we are not to suppress our emotions, but we must learn how to rightly express them. In Scripture we see the early church praising God, rejoicing, weeping, expressing sorrow, even acknowledging their fears. It’s normal to cry for happiness at a birth, or at a wedding, or when celebrating a victory of some kind. It does not demonstrate a lack of faith to be sad at the loss of a loved one. Remember, Jesus wept, too! A relationship with Jesus brings into our lives a whole gamut of emotions. Our emotions are actually heightened because of the passion He brings into our lives. Thus, we experience sorrow but we also experience joy, peace, and celebration. Tears can also be a sign that we truly care, and people need to know we care before they will ever care what we know.
The good news for us is that His love toward us is unconditional, unlimited, and sacrificial. It also means that nothing we have ever done, and nothing we have ever said, about Jesus is too evil for Him to love us. He wept over the lost-ness of Jerusalem even though Jerusalem had rejected Him. In the companion passage in Matthew 23:37, referring to this event, Matthew records Jesus’ words as follows, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Then, in Luke 19:41, "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'if you had known this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.'" Jesus’ tears were because He knew what lies ahead for those who reject Him. The people of Jerusalem were oblivious to their own condition, but Jesus knew it very well, and He hurt for them.
Many of us will never forget watching on Television a man on the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland immediately following the earthquake that occurred a few years ago during the World Series, which had caused the upper section to collapse on the lower one. The man was frantically waving his arms, trying to get oncoming traffic’s attention, trying to alert them to the impending accident ahead if they kept on driving. Some drivers were rude to man, gesturing to him, yelling at him, but as they went past him, their cars went off the edge of the bridge to their peril. Some of the people, however, heeded the man’s warning, not understanding at first what the man was doing, but then, once they saw what the man had already seen, they understood and were forever grateful.
In the same way, there will be some of our neighbors and work acquaintances who will never understand our concern for them, but some might come to faith in Christ, and they that come to Christ will understand it all later. Our goal in thinking about others, is not worrying about what others might think of us right now, but where these others will spend eternity, and how we can be God’s instruments of peace in bringing them to faith in Christ. If we focus on what others think about us, let it be on what they will think of us once they are in heaven where they will understand why we have done what we have done for their sakes.
As Ray Boltz’ song, “Thank You,” presents, there can come a day when people up in heaven will be there as a result of little things we have done, and our faithfulness in serving the Lord. Our greatest “reward,” is in knowing we have served the Lord as good and faithful servants, serving others, even when they might not have appreciated it at the time.
In Christ,
Browb
The Jeremiah People will be in concert here at the Union Center United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 23 at 7 PM. All who live in the area, please join us for this lively and upbeat musical theater presentation. For information, please call (607)748-1358.
Please remember the following in prayer:
John Pipher
Jonathan Brown
Liam Ewing, infant son of Andy and Nicole Ewing
Jack Hoppes
Larry Knoedler
Lalamoni Naik, my sister-in-law, in India
Butcher Shop Thoughts
A lady goes into the butcher shop and as she is walking around the store, she spies a beef tongue in the butcher's counter. The lady asks, "What in the world is that?"
"Beef tongue," replies the butcher!
The lady gives a little involuntary shudder, "Ewww! Gross! No way would I put anything in my mouth that came out of an animal's mouth!"
The butcher nods sympathetically while peeking into the woman's shopping cart, "I see you're buying a dozen eggs!"
Praise the Lord for the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus knows our name. He hears when we call on Him. He sees every tear that falls. He is the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with our grief. Jesus, our Lord, has compassion and concern for us. The Bible records that Jesus wept.
I read some time ago that In the 1972 Presidential Primary race Edmund Muskie seemed well on his way to becoming the Democrats’ nominee for President. However, the Manchester Union Leader published what came to be known as “the Canuck Letter,” which stated that Muskie had made disparaging remarks about Canadians, and that his wife, Jane, was a heavy drinker who used filthy language during the campaign. In an emotional speech, given during a snow storm, Muskie shed some tears as he defended his wife. Those tears became his downfall as voters believed his former reputation of being a calm, cool, and collected, and “above emotions” leader was forever shattered. Tears, the voters believed, were inappropriate for a President.
Ironically, in this year’s Presidential Primary experts credit Hillary Clinton’s emotional, tearful speech given prior to the Massachusetts Democratic Primary for saving her candidacy. Tears, in her case, showed that she is not the “machine” many thought she was, that she had real emotions, a softer side to her personality, which made her more trustworthy as a Presidential candidate.
Obviously, it seems we are a little confused as to whether tears are appropriate or not in our leaders. But the Bible helps us in understanding the importance of tears as we look at Jesus’ example in Luke 19:32-41
He wept over the lost-ness of the citizens of Jerusalem. "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it." There is a false notion that “big boys don’t cry.” It may be true that big boys don’t cry, but real men do.
On two occasions Scripture records Jesus weeping in public. The first was when Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11.
This event resulted in the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most powerful, when it simply states, ”Jesus wept.” Notice, Jesus did not chastise the people who were crying at the tomb; instead He joined them and wept WITH them.
Scripture instructs us that we, as believers, are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. In other words, we are not to suppress our emotions, but we must learn how to rightly express them. In Scripture we see the early church praising God, rejoicing, weeping, expressing sorrow, even acknowledging their fears. It’s normal to cry for happiness at a birth, or at a wedding, or when celebrating a victory of some kind. It does not demonstrate a lack of faith to be sad at the loss of a loved one. Remember, Jesus wept, too! A relationship with Jesus brings into our lives a whole gamut of emotions. Our emotions are actually heightened because of the passion He brings into our lives. Thus, we experience sorrow but we also experience joy, peace, and celebration. Tears can also be a sign that we truly care, and people need to know we care before they will ever care what we know.
The good news for us is that His love toward us is unconditional, unlimited, and sacrificial. It also means that nothing we have ever done, and nothing we have ever said, about Jesus is too evil for Him to love us. He wept over the lost-ness of Jerusalem even though Jerusalem had rejected Him. In the companion passage in Matthew 23:37, referring to this event, Matthew records Jesus’ words as follows, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Then, in Luke 19:41, "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'if you had known this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.'" Jesus’ tears were because He knew what lies ahead for those who reject Him. The people of Jerusalem were oblivious to their own condition, but Jesus knew it very well, and He hurt for them.
Many of us will never forget watching on Television a man on the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland immediately following the earthquake that occurred a few years ago during the World Series, which had caused the upper section to collapse on the lower one. The man was frantically waving his arms, trying to get oncoming traffic’s attention, trying to alert them to the impending accident ahead if they kept on driving. Some drivers were rude to man, gesturing to him, yelling at him, but as they went past him, their cars went off the edge of the bridge to their peril. Some of the people, however, heeded the man’s warning, not understanding at first what the man was doing, but then, once they saw what the man had already seen, they understood and were forever grateful.
In the same way, there will be some of our neighbors and work acquaintances who will never understand our concern for them, but some might come to faith in Christ, and they that come to Christ will understand it all later. Our goal in thinking about others, is not worrying about what others might think of us right now, but where these others will spend eternity, and how we can be God’s instruments of peace in bringing them to faith in Christ. If we focus on what others think about us, let it be on what they will think of us once they are in heaven where they will understand why we have done what we have done for their sakes.
As Ray Boltz’ song, “Thank You,” presents, there can come a day when people up in heaven will be there as a result of little things we have done, and our faithfulness in serving the Lord. Our greatest “reward,” is in knowing we have served the Lord as good and faithful servants, serving others, even when they might not have appreciated it at the time.
In Christ,
Browb
The Jeremiah People will be in concert here at the Union Center United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 23 at 7 PM. All who live in the area, please join us for this lively and upbeat musical theater presentation. For information, please call (607)748-1358.
Please remember the following in prayer:
John Pipher
Jonathan Brown
Liam Ewing, infant son of Andy and Nicole Ewing
Jack Hoppes
Larry Knoedler
Lalamoni Naik, my sister-in-law, in India
Butcher Shop Thoughts
A lady goes into the butcher shop and as she is walking around the store, she spies a beef tongue in the butcher's counter. The lady asks, "What in the world is that?"
"Beef tongue," replies the butcher!
The lady gives a little involuntary shudder, "Ewww! Gross! No way would I put anything in my mouth that came out of an animal's mouth!"
The butcher nods sympathetically while peeking into the woman's shopping cart, "I see you're buying a dozen eggs!"
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