Brown's Daily Word 6.26.14

    The Lord blessed us with a wonderful Wednesday Evening gathering of sweet fellowship and thought provoking Bible Study.  We had some torrential rains in the evening, but several vegetable plants in our garden are loving the rain.  The tomatoes are blossoming already.  We have several peppers almost ready to be harvested.  The fruit trees, such as pears, peaches, and plums, are luxuriant.  The Church grounds look extreme green and luscious.  Praise be to Jesus.  He makes all things glorious and beautiful in His time.

    Praise the Lord for the World Cup.  Almost half of the world is watching.  Our son-in-law Andy is an ardent fan of soccer.  He is watching the world cup religiously.  Paul frequently illustrated the Christian life with references to first-century athletic events.  He talked about "fighting the good fight."  He referred to himself as one who had "run the race" and was close to finishing the course.  He lived in a world of chariot racing, boxing matches, and even gladiatorial fights.  He knew what was involved in the Olympic Games, and was familiar with the long-distance run known as the marathon.  Paul never used images of the race to tell people how to be saved but, rather, used athletic analogy to encourage Christians as to how to live the Christian life.  In order to be a contestant in the Greek games, one first had to be a citizen.  As citizens of heaven, through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are set on our course, and we run to win the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.  We are not running in order to be saved.  We run because we are already saved.

    Paul's analogy is not only that of the long-distance marathon; it also refers to the shorter races within the arena, in which each runner was to stay in his assigned lane.  Occasionally, runners would cut in on their competitors to try to get them off course.  Then he shifted analogies to the culinary world as he referred to yeast. Throughout the Old Testament, yeast is used as a symbol of evil.  A little bit of yeast grows and ultimately takes over, in a positive way, the baking of certain kinds of bread.  Passover bread was to be unleavened, containing no yeast.  Paul was saying that a little bit of wickedness can grow very quickly. 

    Hebrews 12:1-3 gives encouragement and inspiration to us: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

In Christ,

  Brown

 http://youtu.be/CSav51fVlKU

Brown's Daily Word 6.25.14

  Praise the Lord for this last Wednesday of June.  We will meet for our Wednesday Evening gathering at 6 PM with a special meal following the Bible Study on Acts 2..    We spent the weekend in Washington, DC with Sunita and Andy, and with Gabe. I was asked to participate in the dedication service for Gabe at St. Brendan's in the City Anglican Church that meets in the City of Washington, DC.  On Monday evening Sunita, Laureen, and Gabe joined my wife and me as we went for an evening walk on the Mall in the city.  As we were walking faint strains of music drifted across the mall.  When I followed the music I found that the US Navy Band was playing a concert on the capitol steps.  What a treat for all of us.  We also went to Johns Hopkins for my regular doctor's visit yesterday.  We got back home last evening.  Praise the Lord for His continued grace and faithfulness.

    Today is Janice and Jeremy's fourteenth wedding anniversary.  They were married on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, some time between the brilliant sunshine and tornado warnings.  We rejoice in their faith, their love, and their dedication to one another, to the Lord, and to their family.

    Looking back at Sunday and reflecting, It was a great service as the whole church came together to celebrate and worship.  There was church-wide reception following the service.  We praise the Lord for little Gabe.  We praise the Lord for all of the children in our lives and in the church.  After the service of dedication we all sang the chorus, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  In Matthew 18:1-19, our Lord Jesus illustrated the place of children in His Kingdom. The disciples of Jesus, just like us, again and again failed to understand it.  On one occasion they came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Adults are always asking that question: who's important?  Think about magazine covers of the 100 most-powerful people in the world, Hollywood's hottest couples, the fastest-growing companies, or the most-eligible bachelor. Adults always want to know, Who matters? Who's important?

    Jesus, however, pulled a child out of the crowd and said, "See this little child—he's important. In fact, he's so important that unless you become like him, you're not even getting into my kingdom!"  That certainly was not the answer they were looking for, and it caught them by surprise.  Children were not very important in that culture.  They had no rights, no status, and no economic value until they could work.  Sometimes parents would leave an unwanted newborn out in the elements to die; it wasn't a crime.  While boys could be educated, girls never were, since distinguished rabbis wouldn't think of wasting time teaching children.  For this reason, on another occasion, when mothers brought children to Jesus, the disciples turned them away.  Jesus was an important person.  He couldn't be wasting his time with children when there were so many adults waiting to see him. But on that occasion and this one, Jesus changed the rules.  Both times, he brought those children to the front of the line.  Both times, he said: These are the most important people in the crowd, and unless you become like one of them, you will not enter my kingdom.

    Notice that Jesus didn't just say that children were most likely to enter the kingdom.  He said they were most likely to be great in the kingdom—most likely to follow him with all their hearts, most likely to advance his work in the world. Children are eager to grow in their faith, eager to learn and to serve.  Jesus is reminding us here that children are the most vulnerable members of society, and that when we fail to nurture them, to protect them, and to lead them toward God, we are failing in the worst possible way.  We're endangering both their souls and ours.  That's why the church must be a place where children are welcome.  I praise the Lord that I came to hear about Jesus when I was a very little child.  I, with a child-like faith, put my trust in Him.  I knew He loved me and that He had a very special plan and purpose for my life.  During my recent trip to India on the last Sunday there I preached in a small village church.  The church was full of children.  They had no instruments except one drum and some cymbals.  During the worship I listened as the drums played a great rhythm.  To my surprise I discovered the drums being played by a young boy aged 7.  My heart heart was joyful and jubilant.

    Children are important because they are most likely to become fully-devoted followers of Christ, and because when we open our hearts to children, we open our hearts to Christ.

  In Christ,

  Brown

http://youtu.be/h2UY36_duVc

Brown's Daily Word 6.21.14

Praise the Lord for this the first day of sweet summer.  I just got back from India yesterday.  All of my siblings were able to be with our mom for a few days.  She recognized us.  She is placed in a special care unit in a Catholic Hospital in Bhubaneswar.  She is receiving very good care there.  We praise the Lord for all the Christian nurses and the staff at this hospital.  Thank you for praying for her and for all of us.  While I was in Orissa, India, it was the mid-summer season.  The temperature in Bhubaneswar was reaching 117 F almost every day.  It is also mango SEASON.  I WAS VERY BLESSED TO BE IN India DURING MANGO SEASON.  The monsoon season started the day I left India.  Praise the Lord for the summer season here in America the Beautiful.  Every season is God’s season, but summer has its special power.
    Jesus Christ is refreshing.  Our Lord  God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute.    God of the earth and the heaven gives us a sun-soaked, tree-green, flower-blooming, lake-glistening letter of love to show us what he is planning for us in the age to come—“things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer.  He is preeminent in all things (Colossians 1:18), including vacations, picnics, softball,  long walks, and cookouts.  He invites us: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  This is serious summer refreshment.

    It is the mind-set of Colossians 3:1-2, "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."  In the summer the earth is very much a part of our experience.  It is God’s earth, but it is all prelude to the real drama of heaven.  It is a foretaste of the real banquet.  It is a video preview of the reality of what the eternal summer will be like when “the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23).  So, you see, the summer sun is a mere pointer to the sun that will be: the glory of God.  Summer is for seeing and showing that.  Do we have eyes to see?  Lord, let us see the Light beyond.

In Christ,

 Brown

http://youtu.be/VG53Lg9jfvw