Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this glorious day in His Kingdom. Our Lord is in control. Yesterday evening I was coming home after visiting family and friends, and had been to the viewing for Gladys Ketchum in the funeral home. I was one mile from the parsonage, driving in a 30 mile per hour zone when suddenly, from out of nowhere, a large deer tried jump over my car. Unfortunately it missed and landed on the hood of my car, causing substantial damage to the car. I was not shaken; I was very calm. I called for the police and he was there in no time. Then I drove my car home. My wife says she thinks that my car is totaled. I praise the Lord for His protection.
The deer came flying out of my blind spot; I could not see the deer. Blind spots are created by virtue of the fact that we don't have eyes all around our heads, and hence it is physically impossible to see everything at once. Blind spots exist not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual world. When we have spiritual blind spots, we cannot see what God is doing. When you have a spiritual blind spot, God may be doing something fantastic right in your midst and you still will not see it.
I read the following joke some time ago. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend, "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes persisted in his inquiry, "What does that tell you?"
Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why, what does it tell you?"
Holmes then said, "Watson you idiot, someone has stolen our tent." Sometimes we are blind to what is going on right in our midst, and in a spiritual sense, we can be blind to what God is doing so well for us.
How many times we have seen people who are unhappy with their lives because not everything is going the way they want. It may be especially true here in America, where the poorest of us lives so much better than so many people around the world. Too often we allow things to pile up on us and we miss out on what joy the Lord has provided for us right here in front of us. Blind spots come into our lives, and we cannot see what great things the Lord is doing right in our midst.
If we were to observe all of the greatness of the Lord's work in our lives, we would jump for joy at just how good the Lord has been to us. He gives us food to eat, water to drink, people to love, places to worship, air to breathe, and strength to live. Oh, praise the lord!
Sadly, it is possible to be touched by the Lord yet not know Him. It is common everyday and everywhere…The blessed are the ones who, in response to the working of God in their lives, choose to seek Him out, to find out more about Him, in order to get to know Him "and the power of His resurrection.” Our Lord is working in each of our lives, though at times we may not recognize it as His working. It may just seem like the ordinary birth of a child or an insignificant change in jobs or just another sunrise. However, each of those of events is an evidence that God is working in us. He desires to open our eyes to His love toward us and our response toward Him. Right now, He may be using the very mundane, and maybe even the very extraordinary, circumstances in our lives to open our eyes to His Majesty and to His authority.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDN623rmnEY
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 8-30-10
Praise the Lord for another brilliant day. It will be like summer here for next several days. In fact, it is expected to stay very warm through Friday, at least.
Two of sweet servants of Jesus went to be with Him this past Thursday. They entered the Church triumphant and the life eternal. One of them was Gladys Ketchum. She loved the Lord and loved the church. She sang in choir. She was avid out door person. She was skiing when she was more than 80 years old. She also ran a bull dozer on her farm. She was always ready to witness for Jesus. She died at the age of 97.
The other Lady was Joan Parks. She also loved the Lord, and she taught Sunday School and directed her church choir. She loved her family dearly. At her death she was 69 years old.
Praise the Lord for all His saints who from their labor rest.
For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
As the NFL season approaches I have been reading the story one football player who, on October 13, 1962, was born in Starkville, Mississippi. His name was Jerry and his father was a bricklayer. As the young boy grew and matured, he and his brothers would go with their father to the job-site to help out. As he continued to grow, Jerry joined his father on the platform while his younger brothers would throw bricks up one-by-one for Jerry to stack for his dad. Jerry never dreamed that in catching brick after brick he was preparing for one of the most prolific football careers that any receiver would ever experience. This is the story of Jerry Rice, the great 19 year veteran of the NFL, 15 years with the San Francisco 49ers .
Jerry Rice graduated from high and attended tiny Mississippi Valley State on a football scholarship. Out of college he was drafted in the first round as the 16th overall pick of the 1985 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He wasn’t even the first receiver chosen. There were two other receivers drafted before him; the NY Jets drafted Al Toon and then the Cincinnati Bengals chose Eddie Brown before Jerry was ever given the nod. Does anyone know where those guys are now?
In his 19 years in professional football, Rice has always been known as the hardest worker in his chosen career. A good example of his dedication to excellence came from several years ago while he was still with the San Francisco 49ers. He arrived at training camp five days early, on the day when the rookies were to report. Why would he do something like that? Jerry Rice is a champion who strives for excellence in what he does.
It is written in Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…” Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Mediocrity makes Jesus sick!)
Whenever I visit Westminster Abbey in London I make time to visit the grave of David Livingstone. He is buried next to the tomb of the unknown soldier in the entrance to the majestic Westminster Abbey. During my recent visit to London I spent some time standing by the grave of David Livingstone and thanking the Lord for his life and witness.
David Livingstone was one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived. He moved to Africa, married his wife Mary in Africa in 1845, and never stopped pursuing excellence for the Kingdom of God during his lifetime. There was a time when Dr. Livingstone was approached about the possibility of a missionary society sending some more men to help him in his efforts to reach the people of Africa. They wrote him a letter that read, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.” Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
May the Lord propel us to serve Him with great zeal and great Joy.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFNaUUHZT5I
Two of sweet servants of Jesus went to be with Him this past Thursday. They entered the Church triumphant and the life eternal. One of them was Gladys Ketchum. She loved the Lord and loved the church. She sang in choir. She was avid out door person. She was skiing when she was more than 80 years old. She also ran a bull dozer on her farm. She was always ready to witness for Jesus. She died at the age of 97.
The other Lady was Joan Parks. She also loved the Lord, and she taught Sunday School and directed her church choir. She loved her family dearly. At her death she was 69 years old.
Praise the Lord for all His saints who from their labor rest.
For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
As the NFL season approaches I have been reading the story one football player who, on October 13, 1962, was born in Starkville, Mississippi. His name was Jerry and his father was a bricklayer. As the young boy grew and matured, he and his brothers would go with their father to the job-site to help out. As he continued to grow, Jerry joined his father on the platform while his younger brothers would throw bricks up one-by-one for Jerry to stack for his dad. Jerry never dreamed that in catching brick after brick he was preparing for one of the most prolific football careers that any receiver would ever experience. This is the story of Jerry Rice, the great 19 year veteran of the NFL, 15 years with the San Francisco 49ers .
Jerry Rice graduated from high and attended tiny Mississippi Valley State on a football scholarship. Out of college he was drafted in the first round as the 16th overall pick of the 1985 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He wasn’t even the first receiver chosen. There were two other receivers drafted before him; the NY Jets drafted Al Toon and then the Cincinnati Bengals chose Eddie Brown before Jerry was ever given the nod. Does anyone know where those guys are now?
In his 19 years in professional football, Rice has always been known as the hardest worker in his chosen career. A good example of his dedication to excellence came from several years ago while he was still with the San Francisco 49ers. He arrived at training camp five days early, on the day when the rookies were to report. Why would he do something like that? Jerry Rice is a champion who strives for excellence in what he does.
It is written in Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…” Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Mediocrity makes Jesus sick!)
Whenever I visit Westminster Abbey in London I make time to visit the grave of David Livingstone. He is buried next to the tomb of the unknown soldier in the entrance to the majestic Westminster Abbey. During my recent visit to London I spent some time standing by the grave of David Livingstone and thanking the Lord for his life and witness.
David Livingstone was one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived. He moved to Africa, married his wife Mary in Africa in 1845, and never stopped pursuing excellence for the Kingdom of God during his lifetime. There was a time when Dr. Livingstone was approached about the possibility of a missionary society sending some more men to help him in his efforts to reach the people of Africa. They wrote him a letter that read, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.” Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
May the Lord propel us to serve Him with great zeal and great Joy.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFNaUUHZT5I
Friday, August 27, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 8-27-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for these the last days of August. It is going to be brilliant and beautiful, both today and through the end of the month. Alice and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary on the 23 rd of August. We celebrated with Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, going out for Thai food. We spent the last few days in Boston with our most favorite grandchildren Micah and Simeon. Janice and Jeremy are expecting a little girl, who is expected to be born in January next year. We praise the Lord for all His blessings.
Getting to Boston we experienced torrential winds, downpours of rain, and hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. When we arrived 3 hours late, we saw that Micah had fallen asleep with her face on a book and her flashlight still shining. We spent some time riding the train in the city of Boston. Micah is city savvy and Simeon is fearless. Micah knows the train stations by name, in order. Micah and Simeon love to spend time visiting the Jamaica pond (where they walk around), Walden Pond (where they swim), the Boston Common, and the Public Garden. They love the beautiful children's parks and playgrounds, as well. They also love to visit the Children's Science Museum and the New England Aquarium. So, while we are in Boston, we get to visit these same places and see them through the eyes of the children.
Sunita and Andy will celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary on the first day of September. They are flying to Oregon today for few days of vacation, visiting dear friends whom them met in Africa.
We will gather for our monthly gathering at Grace Cafe (Wesley Church) tomorrow at 5:30 PM for food and fellowship. Our dear Brother in Christ, Dave Ring, will give his testimony. We will gather for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 at Union Center and at 9:30 AM at Wesley. Praise the Lord for the joy of worshipping Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
As human beings, we lay great store by last words. We cherish them and we may even write them down somewhere. We certainly store them in our hearts. In 1 Chronicles chapters 28-29 we have recorded for us the last words of King David. David has been on the throne for 40 years, many of which had been troublesome. At the end of his days he looked back over his life. He spoke to Solomon, his son and successor, and to the people of Israel for the last time. Standing before David were hundreds of officials, military men, and his sons. Each face would, no doubt, have brought back to David a memory. It may have been a memory of a battle fought, of a decision made, or of a child born. Yet, when he cast his mind back over his lifetime, one thing which came to the fore, that is that David desired with all his heart to build the Temple, a house of God for God. At the end of his life there lay this unfulfilled desire, this frustrated ambition still beating in his heart. Then very simply he stated, "But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'” David greatly desired to do a great thing for God. He dreamed of building a magnificent Temple, a place where the Ark of God could rest and God’s glory could be seen. Nowhere do we read that this was a selfish ambition on David's part. We never read that it was for his own glory or posterity that he desired to build the Temple.
What happens to our dreams when God says ‘No’ to them? What happens to our soul and our service when God says ‘No’ to our dreams/desires? It would have been very easy for David to allow this disappointment to eat into his heart and soul. It would have been almost a natural reaction for him to become bitter about it. It easily could have affected his service for God, but it didn’t and this very fact revealed his heart – a heart after God’s heart.
It is never easy to lay aside cherished dreams and ambitions or plans we have to do great things for the Lord. It is never easy to do all the preparation for someone else to carry out our dream (in David's case, to build the Temple), but David did it because it was God’s will. There is a blessing which comes from frustrated dreams. That blessing is knowing God’s will for your life. Through the experiences of his life David knew that the times were in God’s hands. Therefore the waves would not overwhelm him, the hurricanes would not uproot his soul, and the floods would not drown him because God was in control. Instead, the waves, the hurricane, and the floods would form and fashion his heart so that it desired to be obedient and faithful to God in any and every circumstance. That was the reward for frustrated dreams and desires. It was not easy but it was a blessing. David understood that God's timing is perfect. Results are not important. My name on the foundation stone of the Temple is not important. What is important is that I know God, I know his will for my life and I obey it. As Christians we must learn the blessings of frustrated dreams and desires. They are often frustrated by God to bring us closer to himself, to reveal his plan for our lives, and to shape and fashion our hearts so that they would be after his heart.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdUiKagWjU
Saturday Evening Worship Services.
Every Saturday at 6:30 PM
Beginning Saturday, September 18, 2010
Location: First United Methodist Church,
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, New York.
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church.
Pastor: Rev. Brown Naik
The first of our Saturday evening worship services will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 6:30 PM, with Rev. Earle Cowden will preaching. The Worship and Praise Band from Davis College will be leading in worship. Ministry for the youth and the children will be provided. The public is invited to join us. For information call: 607-748-6329. 607-427-9098
Praise the Lord for these the last days of August. It is going to be brilliant and beautiful, both today and through the end of the month. Alice and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary on the 23 rd of August. We celebrated with Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, going out for Thai food. We spent the last few days in Boston with our most favorite grandchildren Micah and Simeon. Janice and Jeremy are expecting a little girl, who is expected to be born in January next year. We praise the Lord for all His blessings.
Getting to Boston we experienced torrential winds, downpours of rain, and hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. When we arrived 3 hours late, we saw that Micah had fallen asleep with her face on a book and her flashlight still shining. We spent some time riding the train in the city of Boston. Micah is city savvy and Simeon is fearless. Micah knows the train stations by name, in order. Micah and Simeon love to spend time visiting the Jamaica pond (where they walk around), Walden Pond (where they swim), the Boston Common, and the Public Garden. They love the beautiful children's parks and playgrounds, as well. They also love to visit the Children's Science Museum and the New England Aquarium. So, while we are in Boston, we get to visit these same places and see them through the eyes of the children.
Sunita and Andy will celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary on the first day of September. They are flying to Oregon today for few days of vacation, visiting dear friends whom them met in Africa.
We will gather for our monthly gathering at Grace Cafe (Wesley Church) tomorrow at 5:30 PM for food and fellowship. Our dear Brother in Christ, Dave Ring, will give his testimony. We will gather for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 at Union Center and at 9:30 AM at Wesley. Praise the Lord for the joy of worshipping Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
As human beings, we lay great store by last words. We cherish them and we may even write them down somewhere. We certainly store them in our hearts. In 1 Chronicles chapters 28-29 we have recorded for us the last words of King David. David has been on the throne for 40 years, many of which had been troublesome. At the end of his days he looked back over his life. He spoke to Solomon, his son and successor, and to the people of Israel for the last time. Standing before David were hundreds of officials, military men, and his sons. Each face would, no doubt, have brought back to David a memory. It may have been a memory of a battle fought, of a decision made, or of a child born. Yet, when he cast his mind back over his lifetime, one thing which came to the fore, that is that David desired with all his heart to build the Temple, a house of God for God. At the end of his life there lay this unfulfilled desire, this frustrated ambition still beating in his heart. Then very simply he stated, "But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'” David greatly desired to do a great thing for God. He dreamed of building a magnificent Temple, a place where the Ark of God could rest and God’s glory could be seen. Nowhere do we read that this was a selfish ambition on David's part. We never read that it was for his own glory or posterity that he desired to build the Temple.
What happens to our dreams when God says ‘No’ to them? What happens to our soul and our service when God says ‘No’ to our dreams/desires? It would have been very easy for David to allow this disappointment to eat into his heart and soul. It would have been almost a natural reaction for him to become bitter about it. It easily could have affected his service for God, but it didn’t and this very fact revealed his heart – a heart after God’s heart.
It is never easy to lay aside cherished dreams and ambitions or plans we have to do great things for the Lord. It is never easy to do all the preparation for someone else to carry out our dream (in David's case, to build the Temple), but David did it because it was God’s will. There is a blessing which comes from frustrated dreams. That blessing is knowing God’s will for your life. Through the experiences of his life David knew that the times were in God’s hands. Therefore the waves would not overwhelm him, the hurricanes would not uproot his soul, and the floods would not drown him because God was in control. Instead, the waves, the hurricane, and the floods would form and fashion his heart so that it desired to be obedient and faithful to God in any and every circumstance. That was the reward for frustrated dreams and desires. It was not easy but it was a blessing. David understood that God's timing is perfect. Results are not important. My name on the foundation stone of the Temple is not important. What is important is that I know God, I know his will for my life and I obey it. As Christians we must learn the blessings of frustrated dreams and desires. They are often frustrated by God to bring us closer to himself, to reveal his plan for our lives, and to shape and fashion our hearts so that they would be after his heart.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdUiKagWjU
Saturday Evening Worship Services.
Every Saturday at 6:30 PM
Beginning Saturday, September 18, 2010
Location: First United Methodist Church,
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, New York.
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church.
Pastor: Rev. Brown Naik
The first of our Saturday evening worship services will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 6:30 PM, with Rev. Earle Cowden will preaching. The Worship and Praise Band from Davis College will be leading in worship. Ministry for the youth and the children will be provided. The public is invited to join us. For information call: 607-748-6329. 607-427-9098
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