Brown's Daily Word 10/28/16

 Praise the Lord for this fabulous Friday, the last Friday of October, 2016.  We will be gathering for an "Octoberfest" of music and celebration this evening at 7:00 PM at the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, Marathon.  Our friend, Aric Phinney, will be presenting a beautiful and anointed piano concert.  Those of you who live in the area, please join us for an evening of musical celebration.  You'll be blessed.  We will receive a love offering. 

    We have had our first snowfall this week.  Alice loves snow.  She walked in the snow with jubilant feet (and careful steps) yesterday. 

    Please join me in praying for my friend Sue, who had surgery this week and is now recovering.  Sue lives in England, but she was born in India, the daughter of medical missionaries.  She loves the Lord and, following in the footsteps of her parents, has served Jesus. 

    Also, please pray for our friend Chris, who has been hospitalized for almost a month.  Pray for a young man, Steven, who has severe heart problems and is awaiting transplant surgery.  Also, pray for baby Madeleine, who had a heart transplant and needs much prayer as her body adjusts to the new heart. 

    Thank you for praying for us.  We will be headed back to Boston this weekend for further treatment.  One of the blessings of this trip is that we will be able to see our grandchildren in Boston.  Our oldest granddaughter will be celebrating her 11th birthday this coming week, so we will be able to celebrate with her. 

    Please plan to be in the Lord's House this Sunday, wherever you are, in worship, celebration, praise, and thanksgiving.  I am prayerfully planning to be preaching this Sunday.  Sunday school meets at 9:30 AM and worship at 10:30 AM.

    I will be posting brief updates from time to time on Facebook over the next couple of weeks.  I have begun to post brief video messages on Facebook and Youtube.  On Youtube, search under "Brown Naik".  May Jesus be praised!

  I read a story that many years ago there was a young man who had a tremendous ability to sing.  His father was a minister and, growing up, the young man often sang in church.  One day he was offered the opportunity to sing for a living at a radio station.  Such an opportunity would be the envy of many, especially for someone who grew up during the Great Depression.  Although he took the job, he never felt comfortable singing secular songs.  He wanted to sing of His Savior.  Finally, many years later, he was given the opportunity to sing on the Moody Radio station in Chicago.  While there he was invited by a local pastor to become a regular part of a Sunday evening program called “Songs in the Night”.  A few years later when that young preacher became an evangelist, this same young man was invited to join him in his world-wide crusades.  In case you haven’t guessed, that young preacher was Billy Graham and the singer was George Beverly Shea.

    One of the first songs George Beverly Shea ever recorded was “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”

 I’d Rather Have Jesus
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name

    Refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
(Mrs. Rhea F. Miller)

    I have been privileged to attend several Billy Graham Crusades through the years.  Invariably, in every crusade, George Beverly sang.  The Lord used his voice and songs to reverberate through the huge stadiums and to resonate in the hearts and minds of those who attended.   His songs were anointed and brought honor to Jesus.  George Beverly Shea holds a world record that most likely no one will ever break.  During his lifetime it is estimated that he sang live to a cumulative audience of over 220 million people.  It is written in Philippians 3:8-10:

    "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

In Christ,

Brown

  https://youtu.be/pTTlSx6zXio  

Brown's Daily Word 10/25/16

Praise the Lord for the way in which "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence"  (II Peter 1:3).  Praise the Lord for each of you, for your visits of grace, love, and kindness.  Thank you to each one who has thoughtfully sent cards and prepared comfort food for us.  During my recovery Alice has been preaching, and the Lord has been blessing her ministry of teaching and preaching.  We are getting excited about the October festival of special music this Friday evening at the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, with our very good friend, Aric Phinney.  Those who live in the area please join us at 7:00 PM.  You'll be blessed.

    I am prayerfully planning to preach this coming Sunday on "A Pilgrim's Progress".  Then we will be returning to Boston for a couple of weeks for further treatment.  Thank you for praying fervently and faithfully, and for believing. 

    Our grandchildren Gabe, Addie, and Asha, who live in Washington, DC, spent last weekend with their parents and Auntie at their church-wide retreat at a beautiful, mountainous, retreat center in Virginia.  They shared that they had beautiful moments and times of refreshing in the Holy Spirit. 

    Alice has continued to harvest fresh tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers

this week.  She was especially tickled with our harvest of winter squash and pumpkins - including about 6-7 buttercup, 8-10 delicata, 20 or more carnival, upwards of two dozen butternut, and plenty of (smallish) field pumpkins.  We even have more strawberries growing and ripening every day on our little plants outside the back door.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Jesus, both in season and out of season.  Praise the Lord for our great out-of-doors!  What a blessing it is in every season, fresh and colorful.  Here in Central New York harvest is nearly over - corn, apples, grapes, potatoes, honey, and many other good things.  We are entering the season of Thanksgiving, praising God for his bounteous blessings.  In the words of George Herbert, "O Lord you have given us so much!  Give us one more thing; give us a grateful heart."      

 

    Blessings are not things we achieve for ourselves.  They are gifts that come only from God’s hands, and they account for the things we value most – someone to love, His unique gifts of grace and mercy,, our health, the breath in our lungs, and the rising sun every day.  These are the gifts and blessings that money cannot buy; they come only by the hand of God.  During my recent illness and recoveries, I have discovered these blessings, free and yet priceless, which come from the heart of God.  Yesterday,  a young woman, a sweet servant of Jesus, drove up to see me.  We spent time reading, singing, and sharing a simple meal.  She and her husband have been blessed with two wonderful sons.  She was sharing her gratitude for the way the Lord has used my faltering witness and reluctant servant-hood to bless her and her family in their walk with the Lord. 

    One of the hymns that we sang today was, "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee", which was written the Twelfth Century by Bernard of Clairvaux.  One of the verses always moves me with its words, "O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, To those who fall, how kind Thou art!  How good to those who seek!" 

    When we pay attention to our blessings, we soon realize that we cherish them so much more than our achievements, so all that is left is gratitude.  Some time ago I read about a successful man who, when he retired, realized he was done updating his resume.  Instead, he began a practice of pulling out a yellow tablet of paper every Thanksgiving, and line by line, he would list all of the blessings in his life.  The first time he tried this, he was amazed that the list was so long.  Over the years, he began to experience losses in his life.  His loved ones died.  In time, he had to sell the big family home and move into a smaller place.  He contracted cancer.  But in spite of these loses, every Thanksgiving he discovered that his list of blessings kept growing longer and longer.  Gratitude is the soul’s Doxology for the blessings of life.

    Earlier this week, I read about a pastor who received a certified letter from a man about whom he knew nothing, by the name of Bing Yang.  Thirty-two years ago, a couple of Presbyterian missionaries who had been teaching in China were impressed by his promise.  They worked hard to secure a student visa for him to come to our country so he could continue his education.  They found financial aid for Bing, and he was accepted at the University of Pittsburgh.  All they needed was a plane ticket, so they approached the church (where this pastor was serving). The Missions Committee secured a commitment from the elders to write him a check for $1,570 to pay for his travel expenses to come and study.  Bing did well at the University of Pittsburgh, and after he graduated, he went to California where he became a successful businessman.  His letter expressed gratitude for the blessing he received from  the church a generation ago, and it contained a check for $15,700.  He repaid the blessing tenfold.  As far as the pastor knew, none of the people who took the risk of giving a Chinese student a plane ticket were still in leadership. 

    As Jesus told us, “Some plant, and others reap the harvest.”  Often, we are blessed today because of things done through the faithful witness and servant-hood of those who have gone on before.  We are called and given divine imperative to sow seeds in His kingdom, which has eternal consequences.  Even though the world seems chaotic and confused, Jesus, the Light of the world, still shines in the darkest of places.  We are blessed to be the sowers who, though they sow with tears, shall reap with joy. 

    As we come to the seasons of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, let us examine ourselves as to how we can invest in the Lord's divine enterprise, both through our churches and through our mission agencies. 

   " He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot

  In Christ.

   Brown

https://youtu.be/0eBHfQTpZRk?list=PLTirixvkqoQEkpAgEFIa2xfRYZvE1LTIC

Brown's Daily Word 10/21/16

   Thanks and praises be to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is the Lord in every season and the Lord of every season.  We have been blessed and privileged to enter another awesome autumn season here in Central NY.  The colors have been spectacular in a way that only our Lord God, who created both heaven and earth, could create.  Thank you again for all of your surrounding me in prayer 24/7.  I posted a brief video on Facebook to update you all on my status.  Thank you for your loving comments from all over the world.  My heart is warmed and refreshed.  Many of us have been partners in ministry in the course of the last 40 years.  It has been a journey of great blessing and deep joy.  I plan to post some video clips from time to time as an update on my recovery.  Please continue to intercede for us.  I count it a great privilege and honor to be surrounded by such a "great cloud of witnesses", who love Jesus and serve Him joyfully.

    Our church  here in Marathon hosted a community-wide dinner Wednesday , at which it served Italian cuisine.  Next, we are getting ready for an evening of contemporary Christian and classical music, to be presented by our dear friend, Aric Phinney.  It will be on Friday, October 28 at 7:00 PM, at the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church in Marathon.  Our Methodist Church is co-sponsoring this event. 

    We have had some deeply soaking rains lately, but our garden is still giving back to us of its produce.  Alice has harvested almost 2 bushels of winter squash (in 4 varieties), some kohlrabi, some greens, beets, a few more tomatoes (that the frost missed), eggplants (brinjals), peppers, pumpkins, and a couple of cucumbers.  Alice has started listening to Christmas music as she works on schoolwork or spends time at the computer.  We have already begun to anticipate the celebration of the wonders of Advent and Christmas.  

    The churches of Marathon will kick off the Advent season with a community Christmas Carol singing from church to church on Sunday, December 4 at 7:00 PM.  The Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches all join together for this evening of song and worship.  Our church has chartered a bus to go to New York City for the Christmas Extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall on December 6.  The world comes to New York City during the Christmas season.   The city is transformed into a place of magic and wonder.  We will also be hosting the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble from Russia on Friday, December 9 at 7:00 PM.   Please mark your calendars for these events, and for the Downtown Singers' presentation of "The Messiah" in conjunction with the Binghamton Philharmonic, on December 17 at 7:00 PM at the Forum.  We have so much to celebrate, so much to sing about, and so much in which to rejoice. 

    I have been pausing and pondering on the majesty and mystery of Christian life, Christian sojourning, and the Christian pilgrimage.  The Christian faith is an invitation to unspeakable joy, accompanied by unending trials and tribulations.  The Biblical witness and salvation history declare that there is wonderful joy in Jesus in the presence of the Mighty and Merciful Lord.  Again, the Bible declares that in God’s presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11).  If we as His people are to reflect His image, then we must become joyous people.

    Numerous commands in the Bible call us to rejoice and be glad in the Lord. (Ps. 5:11; 9:2; 32:11; 33:1; 40:16; Phil. 3:1; 4:4; etc.)  They show that it is both possible and necessary for all believers to experience the joy of the Lord.  The joy of the Lord is the joy that God Himself possesses.  He reveals it to us through His Word that tells us of His great salvation and the joy that it brings. .The joy of the Lord is something that only those who know the Lord can experience  - and they can enjoy it in spite of circumstances.

    `King David certainly knew this joy.  The psalms are full of rejoicing and gladness in the Lord, and quite often at the most unexpected moments.  In Psalm 13, David cries out, “How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?”  Four times he cried out, “How long,” mentioning his ongoing sorrow, but at the end of the short psalm, he affirmed his trust in the Lord’s loving kindness and then stated by faith, “My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (13:5-6).  This is not the joy of circumstances, but rather the joy that comes from focusing on and trusting in the Lord and His salvation.  He chose to rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 3:1; 4:4).  Joy in the Lord is not the joy of circumstances or of having a naturally upbeat personality.

    Paul said that he was “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians. 6:10).

Our suffering ceases to be suffering and finds meaning when it helps us.  One of our most treasured Bible verses speaks so helpfully here. . .  “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  God doesn’t cause our suffering but is always at work in the suffering of His children to make us more like Jesus.  Paul stated in Philippians 3:10 that it is worth the loss of everything to “know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.”  Our suffering finds meaning as it causes us to be more like Jesus.  It’s the promise of His presence in our lives.

    I love the story narrated by John Claypool.  This   story is  a wonderful description of the Christian life.  It’s the story of a peasant who lived in a village at the foot of a mountain range.  In full view of the village on the side of the mountain stood a monastery.  Once a monk descended from the mountain to the village below.  The peasant, running up to the monk, said, “Oh Father, surely yours is the best of all lives — living so close to God up in the clouds.  Tell me, what do you do up there?”  After a thoughtful pause, the monk replied, “What do we do up there?  Well, I tell you.  We fall down and we get up.  We fall down and we get up.  We fall down and we get up.”

 

    That’s it!  That’s the Christian life!  We all belong to the “Society of Skinned Knees!”  We all fall down and have to get up — again and again and again, and it is our choice!  We need to decide for ourselves, do we stay down or do we get up?

    Fra Giovanni, the 16th century poet said it well:
“The gloom of this world is but a shadow.  Behind, yet within reach, is joy.  There is radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see and to see, we have only to look.”

    In suffering, we are called to turn our eyes upon Jesus.   He gives us the freedom to choose, enables us to choose joy, and is always with us using our suffering for His purposes.  As the psalmist said, “Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11).

In Jesus our Lord.

  Brown
https://youtu.be/-8mZpGj29qw