In Phillip Yancey’s new book, "What Good Is God?", he tells of a group of American high school students went on a mission trip to Afghanistan. They had great success and saw many people come to Christ as a result of their ministry. Dr. J. Christy Wilson, (I had the privilege of being with him in a conference in Boston in 1993), their host who was born of missionary parents, took them to an unusual tourist site, the only cemetery in Afghanistan where ‘infidels’ could be buried. He walked to the first, ancient gravestone, pitted with age. ‘This man worked here thirty years and translated the Bible into the Afghan language,’ he said. ‘Not a single convert. And in this grave next to him lies the man who replaced him, along with his children who died here. He toiled for twenty-five years, and baptized the first Afghan Christian.’ As they strolled among the gravestones, he recounted the stories of early missionaries and their fates.
At the end of the row he stopped, turned, and looked the teenagers straight in the eye. ‘For thirty years, one man moved rocks. That’s all he did, move rocks. Then came his replacement, who did nothing but dig furrows. There came another who planted seeds, and another who watered. And now you kids — you kids — are bringing in the harvest.’
"The group leader said, ‘It was one of the great moments of my life. I watched their faces as it suddenly dawned on these exuberant American teenagers that the amazing spiritual awakening they had witnessed was but the last step in a long line of faithful service stretching back over many decades. I’ll never forget that scene.’”
Perhaps we feel like all we do is move rocks — but we do it for Jesus our Lord, and we do it faithfully. Some day someone will come along and build on what have done – and eventually there will be a harvest. The Bible says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
The Bible also says, “Therefore, my brothers (and sisters), be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/twuLr5rQmp0
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 6-28-11
Praise the Lord for this new day. I get a great thrill reading from Revelation 11: 15, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever". (King James)
Praise the Lord for the way He rules and reigns in truth and beauty. Praise the Lord for the way He has called to be about His business. He has given us His authority. He has given us the promise of His presence even to the end of the ages.
In the words of John Stott (of London), "His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in Heaven gives us our only hope of success. And, His presence with us leaves us no other choice."
One of the early Church founders, John Chrysostom, who stood in the gap for the Bavarian Goths of the Balkan States, trained and sent missionaries to each of them. He defined his world vision for Jesus in this way, "We have a whole Christ for our Salvation; a whole Bible for our staff; a whole Church for our fellowship; and a whole world for our parish."
One of my mentors during my days in Bangalore, India, Theodore Williams, said, "We face a humanity that is too precious to neglect. We know a remedy for the ills of the world too wonderful to withhold. We have a Christ who is too glorious to hide. We have an adventure that is too thrilling to miss."
Many of you are praying for Sunita's and Andy's trip to the Balkans. I am forwarding one of her recent letters that she sent to us.
Hi Friends,
This is a note to say what you already know: Jesus is AMAZING!!!
Andy and I have been in Albania for about 56 hours and have already been richly blessed in numerous ways. We overnighted in Istanbul Thursday night and with a little Sominex were able to sleep 12 hours straight--I can't remember the last time that happened! :) Our short time in Albania has been a great combination of getting over jetlag, getting oriented to the city and the World Vision team here, and having Jesus wow us with this beautiful part of His body, the move of His Spirit in this land, and the incredible connections we've already made.
Even before coming to Albania, through a short skype chat, I felt a quick connection with my main point of contact for World Vision Albania, Erisa. She is 23 or 24 and wise & godly beyond her years. Growing up in a Muslim family, she had a dream around the age of 8 or 9 where Jesus appeared to her in a dream; actually she had an image of his feet and of him calling her to him and decided to become a Christian right then, even though it was a number of years before she would be able to attend church. In addition to just connecting with Erisa's free, fun loving spirit and devotion to Jesus, we have similar passions for the Church, for economic development and of all things, for INDIA! Ever since she can remember she's had a heart for India, and had actually taken a job in Calcutta after college before feeling like the Lord was calling her back (from 5 years in NYC) to Albania. She hasn't been to India yet but is confident the Lord has something for her there. Amazingly, her sister, Gerta, who also works for World Vision, also has a heart for India and is married to an American, Tim, who grew up as an MK in Nepal. We made the connection over dinner that he is the nephew of my colleague (Wynn Flaten), which was a very fun discovery. All of them live in the same house with their parents and sister, though in 3 separate units, and have an amazing story of Jesus' work and redemption in their family. One by one they'v been coming to Jesus and their dad, the last one standing :), is getting very close. We had an Indian dinner with Erisa, Gerta, Tim and Isaiah, their brilliant 2 year old, Saturday evening and spent hours together talking and just enjoying each other. I think all of us feel this won't be the last time we see them. They have a dream of starting a Christian school in Albania together and I just have no doubt that Jesus is going to birth this dream and do mighty things through the three of them.
On Friday, I had a lovely conversation and time of prayer with a World Vision staff member (an ADP manager for WV friends) who had delayed her vacation by a day in order to meet with me. I was SO blessed by her heart and the ways that she and her team bathe their work in prayer and tirelessly love and serve the children and families in their communities. They love the kids in their communities, know them by name (2000+ kids) and daily go above and beyond any "work requirements" to bear witness to God's transforming power.
We decided to stay at a missionary run guesthouse because it was a half to a third of the cost of the other hotel options, but also sensing we might make some neat connections here. While we are quite "cozy" in our little room with twin beds, no internet and a lot of ants, we are so thankful for the people we've met here so far. As we sat in the cafe checking email Saturday morning, we overheard a group next to us talking for hours about Jesus, revival and the work of the Holy Spirit. As we eventually introduced ourselves, we met an amazing group of Texans (with a German and Californian thrown in) whom the Lord had told to come to Albania several years ago and who have been coming since and just letting the Lord lead them. A number of them are connected with the Global Awakening network, which is the group that Andy & I attended several conferences with over the past year (Bill Johnson, Graham Cooke, Heidi Baker...). They are a wild, crazy bunch who just love Jesus and are up for going wherever He brings them and doing whatever He says. I remember hearing in the nineties about the ways the explosive growth of the church in Albania after the fall of communism. That growth seems to continue,and although Christians are a minority here the church is vibrant and its witness powerful (in spite of the normal messiness of Jesus' faltering bride). We joined the Texans for a service tonight (Sunday) at a church near our guesthouse. We had also attended a service in Albanian this morning. As we worshipped with the tiny congregation tonight all I could do was smile and recognize that this is one of my deepest, if not the deepest, joys--it's fire in my bones and air in my lungs to fellowship with believers across culture, border, race and language. It's a passion that Jesus has put in me and I feel so full and alive in these experiences.
The American team went around praying for people at the end of the service. Andy and I both had prayer and prophecy over us and both had significant and yet very consistent things spoken over us. I'll have to save that for another email, but I will quickly say it continues to be confirmed how much your prayers are powerful and effective, and how much we will need them in India.
We will be heading out tomorrow to visit some of our programs around the country and will probably be back in Tirana on Thursday. I'm not sure what our internet connection will be but hopefully better than in our current room :) Know we are very well and loving our time so far. I think it's accurate to say we're both falling more in love with Jesus and just want more of Him, more of His heart and are stretching out our arms wide open for whatever He has for us. We're so, so thankful.
Our love to each of you!
Sunita & Andy
http://youtu.be/vO_bKR2Wzhk
Praise the Lord for the way He rules and reigns in truth and beauty. Praise the Lord for the way He has called to be about His business. He has given us His authority. He has given us the promise of His presence even to the end of the ages.
In the words of John Stott (of London), "His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in Heaven gives us our only hope of success. And, His presence with us leaves us no other choice."
One of the early Church founders, John Chrysostom, who stood in the gap for the Bavarian Goths of the Balkan States, trained and sent missionaries to each of them. He defined his world vision for Jesus in this way, "We have a whole Christ for our Salvation; a whole Bible for our staff; a whole Church for our fellowship; and a whole world for our parish."
One of my mentors during my days in Bangalore, India, Theodore Williams, said, "We face a humanity that is too precious to neglect. We know a remedy for the ills of the world too wonderful to withhold. We have a Christ who is too glorious to hide. We have an adventure that is too thrilling to miss."
Many of you are praying for Sunita's and Andy's trip to the Balkans. I am forwarding one of her recent letters that she sent to us.
Hi Friends,
This is a note to say what you already know: Jesus is AMAZING!!!
Andy and I have been in Albania for about 56 hours and have already been richly blessed in numerous ways. We overnighted in Istanbul Thursday night and with a little Sominex were able to sleep 12 hours straight--I can't remember the last time that happened! :) Our short time in Albania has been a great combination of getting over jetlag, getting oriented to the city and the World Vision team here, and having Jesus wow us with this beautiful part of His body, the move of His Spirit in this land, and the incredible connections we've already made.
Even before coming to Albania, through a short skype chat, I felt a quick connection with my main point of contact for World Vision Albania, Erisa. She is 23 or 24 and wise & godly beyond her years. Growing up in a Muslim family, she had a dream around the age of 8 or 9 where Jesus appeared to her in a dream; actually she had an image of his feet and of him calling her to him and decided to become a Christian right then, even though it was a number of years before she would be able to attend church. In addition to just connecting with Erisa's free, fun loving spirit and devotion to Jesus, we have similar passions for the Church, for economic development and of all things, for INDIA! Ever since she can remember she's had a heart for India, and had actually taken a job in Calcutta after college before feeling like the Lord was calling her back (from 5 years in NYC) to Albania. She hasn't been to India yet but is confident the Lord has something for her there. Amazingly, her sister, Gerta, who also works for World Vision, also has a heart for India and is married to an American, Tim, who grew up as an MK in Nepal. We made the connection over dinner that he is the nephew of my colleague (Wynn Flaten), which was a very fun discovery. All of them live in the same house with their parents and sister, though in 3 separate units, and have an amazing story of Jesus' work and redemption in their family. One by one they'v been coming to Jesus and their dad, the last one standing :), is getting very close. We had an Indian dinner with Erisa, Gerta, Tim and Isaiah, their brilliant 2 year old, Saturday evening and spent hours together talking and just enjoying each other. I think all of us feel this won't be the last time we see them. They have a dream of starting a Christian school in Albania together and I just have no doubt that Jesus is going to birth this dream and do mighty things through the three of them.
On Friday, I had a lovely conversation and time of prayer with a World Vision staff member (an ADP manager for WV friends) who had delayed her vacation by a day in order to meet with me. I was SO blessed by her heart and the ways that she and her team bathe their work in prayer and tirelessly love and serve the children and families in their communities. They love the kids in their communities, know them by name (2000+ kids) and daily go above and beyond any "work requirements" to bear witness to God's transforming power.
We decided to stay at a missionary run guesthouse because it was a half to a third of the cost of the other hotel options, but also sensing we might make some neat connections here. While we are quite "cozy" in our little room with twin beds, no internet and a lot of ants, we are so thankful for the people we've met here so far. As we sat in the cafe checking email Saturday morning, we overheard a group next to us talking for hours about Jesus, revival and the work of the Holy Spirit. As we eventually introduced ourselves, we met an amazing group of Texans (with a German and Californian thrown in) whom the Lord had told to come to Albania several years ago and who have been coming since and just letting the Lord lead them. A number of them are connected with the Global Awakening network, which is the group that Andy & I attended several conferences with over the past year (Bill Johnson, Graham Cooke, Heidi Baker...). They are a wild, crazy bunch who just love Jesus and are up for going wherever He brings them and doing whatever He says. I remember hearing in the nineties about the ways the explosive growth of the church in Albania after the fall of communism. That growth seems to continue,and although Christians are a minority here the church is vibrant and its witness powerful (in spite of the normal messiness of Jesus' faltering bride). We joined the Texans for a service tonight (Sunday) at a church near our guesthouse. We had also attended a service in Albanian this morning. As we worshipped with the tiny congregation tonight all I could do was smile and recognize that this is one of my deepest, if not the deepest, joys--it's fire in my bones and air in my lungs to fellowship with believers across culture, border, race and language. It's a passion that Jesus has put in me and I feel so full and alive in these experiences.
The American team went around praying for people at the end of the service. Andy and I both had prayer and prophecy over us and both had significant and yet very consistent things spoken over us. I'll have to save that for another email, but I will quickly say it continues to be confirmed how much your prayers are powerful and effective, and how much we will need them in India.
We will be heading out tomorrow to visit some of our programs around the country and will probably be back in Tirana on Thursday. I'm not sure what our internet connection will be but hopefully better than in our current room :) Know we are very well and loving our time so far. I think it's accurate to say we're both falling more in love with Jesus and just want more of Him, more of His heart and are stretching out our arms wide open for whatever He has for us. We're so, so thankful.
Our love to each of you!
Sunita & Andy
http://youtu.be/vO_bKR2Wzhk
Monday, June 27, 2011
Brown's Daily Word 6-27-11
Good Morning.
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful weekend. It was great thrill and a blessing to be in the House of the Lord yesterday joining His people around the globe worshipping Him and praising Holy Name. I just got an e-mail from Sunita. She and Andy are in Albania, with Sunita's work. Albania is the birthplace of Mother Theresa. Sunita shared that Albania is a stunning country. The people are beautiful. She is meeting people who are on fire for Jesus. Sunita and Andy will be in the Balkan States for three weeks before heading to India Sunita shared that she is meeting there in Albania people who are involved in Intercessory prayer.
God is sovereign, but he has chosen to make the prayers of the people part of the exercise of his will. Author Eugene Peterson says, “While conflicts raged between good and evil, prayers went up from devout bands of first century Christians all over the Roman empire. Massive engines of persecution and scorn were ranged against them. They had neither weapons nor votes. They had little money and no prestige.” [Reversed Thunder] But they did have prayer. And that prayer helped shape the course of history.
Scholar Craig Keenan referred to Daniel, “whose prayer becomes the battleground for angelic powers greater than the earthly rulers affected by them while the leaders of empires rise and fall as little more than pawns in the hands of a sovereign God.” [Dan 10:13, 10:20-12:3]
We often fail to see the effects of our seemingly insignificant lives. For instance, who would have thought that the future of Israel lay in the desperate prayers of Samuel’s mother Hannah, who thought herself a failure because she couldn’t give her husband a son? I don’t know exactly how it works, no one does, but somehow the wheels of God’s grand design are greased by the prayers of the saints.
Throughout the world there are bands of committed Christians who come together on Fridays, the Islamic holy day of prayer, to pray for the gospel to penetrate the Islamic world. Reports abound of Muslims being converted through dreams and visions even in “closed” Islamic countries.
There is a story of Polish slave laborers working in munitions factories for Germany toward the end of WWII being bombed by allied planes. Some were killed, more were wounded. Yet, they prayed for the planes to return, again and again, as often as necessary, until the Nazis were defeated. God will end history on one great final day, but He is Lord of history even now.
God is just. Natural disasters are not just random events, and our ability to predict them is not at all the same as the ability control them. It is God who controls the events of nature, and the notion that he does not use them as judgments is contrary to reason and to Scripture. Natural disasters are normal, but they are not random. They are acts of a just and sovereign God who gives us more warnings than anyone could possibly have a right to expect. Every act of God that we see is sent by our merciful and loving God as a reminder of who is in charge, and of whose justice will prevail.
One of my favorite OldTestament scholars, Walter Kaiser, said a few years ago, “North American society is headed for destruction and judgment. And we had better believe it’s coming, because there is no sign that repentance is near. It is coming, or else God is a liar and his word is not true. The prophet’s message must be preached again today.” [The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching]
When we hear the words of main-line Protestant spokesmen saying "Peace, peace," when there is no peace, [Jeremiah 6:14] let us look again at the acts of God in the world around us and remember that God is still just. He has not changed.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/QoYdQa6Cprc
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful weekend. It was great thrill and a blessing to be in the House of the Lord yesterday joining His people around the globe worshipping Him and praising Holy Name. I just got an e-mail from Sunita. She and Andy are in Albania, with Sunita's work. Albania is the birthplace of Mother Theresa. Sunita shared that Albania is a stunning country. The people are beautiful. She is meeting people who are on fire for Jesus. Sunita and Andy will be in the Balkan States for three weeks before heading to India Sunita shared that she is meeting there in Albania people who are involved in Intercessory prayer.
God is sovereign, but he has chosen to make the prayers of the people part of the exercise of his will. Author Eugene Peterson says, “While conflicts raged between good and evil, prayers went up from devout bands of first century Christians all over the Roman empire. Massive engines of persecution and scorn were ranged against them. They had neither weapons nor votes. They had little money and no prestige.” [Reversed Thunder] But they did have prayer. And that prayer helped shape the course of history.
Scholar Craig Keenan referred to Daniel, “whose prayer becomes the battleground for angelic powers greater than the earthly rulers affected by them while the leaders of empires rise and fall as little more than pawns in the hands of a sovereign God.” [Dan 10:13, 10:20-12:3]
We often fail to see the effects of our seemingly insignificant lives. For instance, who would have thought that the future of Israel lay in the desperate prayers of Samuel’s mother Hannah, who thought herself a failure because she couldn’t give her husband a son? I don’t know exactly how it works, no one does, but somehow the wheels of God’s grand design are greased by the prayers of the saints.
Throughout the world there are bands of committed Christians who come together on Fridays, the Islamic holy day of prayer, to pray for the gospel to penetrate the Islamic world. Reports abound of Muslims being converted through dreams and visions even in “closed” Islamic countries.
There is a story of Polish slave laborers working in munitions factories for Germany toward the end of WWII being bombed by allied planes. Some were killed, more were wounded. Yet, they prayed for the planes to return, again and again, as often as necessary, until the Nazis were defeated. God will end history on one great final day, but He is Lord of history even now.
God is just. Natural disasters are not just random events, and our ability to predict them is not at all the same as the ability control them. It is God who controls the events of nature, and the notion that he does not use them as judgments is contrary to reason and to Scripture. Natural disasters are normal, but they are not random. They are acts of a just and sovereign God who gives us more warnings than anyone could possibly have a right to expect. Every act of God that we see is sent by our merciful and loving God as a reminder of who is in charge, and of whose justice will prevail.
One of my favorite OldTestament scholars, Walter Kaiser, said a few years ago, “North American society is headed for destruction and judgment. And we had better believe it’s coming, because there is no sign that repentance is near. It is coming, or else God is a liar and his word is not true. The prophet’s message must be preached again today.” [The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching]
When we hear the words of main-line Protestant spokesmen saying "Peace, peace," when there is no peace, [Jeremiah 6:14] let us look again at the acts of God in the world around us and remember that God is still just. He has not changed.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/QoYdQa6Cprc
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