Good morning on this Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. On the occasion of this special holiday when we remember those who served in our armed forces and particularly those whose lives where sacrificed in that service, we should stop and give thanks to God for our freedoms and those who sacrificed so much that we might have and enjoy them. Thank God for those so many who gave so much for so many. The cemeteries are filled with tombstones with inscriptions marking their final resting places. When you visit the cemetery on Arsenal Island and view those stones, you may be overwhelmed by the number from so many conflicts in that final resting place alone. When I was in my late teens I registered for the draft and prepared to be called to enter the military and go to Viet Nam. I received a high draft number in the draft lottery and was never called, but I was prepared to serve if I would have been. Many of my friends went and died serving their country. I miss them and think of all they missed by having their young lives end so early. Marriage, children, and grandchildren are just a few of the relationships most of them forever lost. I realize how one of them could have been me and it makes me appreciate what they sacrificed even more. May we never get over our appreciation and gratitude for them and to them for what they did. Thank you Lord for every one of them. "Greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). How much more to give his life for strangers?
Tomorrow I plan to preach the final message in the 2007 Prophecy Update series. The message will focus on what to watch for in current events and where to access the information. It will be a very useful and practical message. I hope to see you there.

Pastor Brown

Good morning, it is Saturday, May 19th. Again it is a warm beautiful day with all of the magnificent evidences of spring everywhere. Grey skies, cold weather, dreary days, barren trees and colorless landscapes have given way to lush green foliage, warmth, brightness and splashes of beautiful color. I am reminded of the cancer specialist, Dr. Armitage, in Omaha who mentioned that having cancer changes your life by causing you to notice and more fully appreciate all of the wonderful things around you which you so often take for granted. Then he paused and suggested that I never stop looking at life and the things around me in this awesome appreciation-filled way. He was so right that we should all take time each day to stop, look, listen, feel, smell, taste, enjoy and fully experience with an attitude of gratitude, the wonder of life and the things around us. Included in this process , in fact at the very core of it all, is our personal relationship with God through His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let's make every day a celebration of life both temporal and eternal overflowing with gratitude to God for our many blessings. Yes, we should take the time to heed the advice of the song writer who wrote:
Count your many blessings name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done
Treat every day as gracious gift from God to you and for you and make every day special, because it is. Make every day count for God by advancing His kingdom and doing His will. Remember, each day may be the day of Christ's coming.
Tomorrow's message will deal with Armageddon. It includes a powerful short video depicting the events of the tribulation period and several slides to illustrate the content of the message. As usual, I'm fired up and can hardly wait to deliver the sermon. I trust I'll see you in church tomorrow.
Pastor Mel Brown

Good morning on this warm sunny Saturday, May the 12th. This week I had lab work and saw my oncologist. All the lab work was normal and his physical exam revealed nothing remarkable. He scheduled my next appointment in three months. My strength continues to incrementally improve each month and the shingles also. I can now raise my right arm to the level of my face and would describe the symptoms as more discomfort than pain. So we continue on the path of progress and healing. Please pray for God's continuing healing work in my life.
I have been reading in the book of Acts for my personal devotions and have been reminded again of the tremendous faith, power and zeal created in the early Christians because of the resurrection of Christ. The motivation it provided to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many as possible is a tremendous example for every believer to do the same. Many of you have shared that you have found that the truths of Biblical prophecy have provided ideal opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with friends and co-workers because of their interest and curiosity about things to come. Some are discussing the messages with others to provide an open door for discussion and others are sharing the tapes or CDs of the messages with others to do the same. Almost everybody is interested in hearing what the Bible says about current and future events and prophecy does provide a powerful segue to sharing Christ. Why not give it a try; it may make an eternal difference for Christ in another's life. Tomorrow's message will focus on current events and technology which portend the mark of the beast. Believe me it will be a real eye opener and provide a clarion wake-up call that these events are closer than we may think. I hope to see you in church tomorrow.
Pastor Brown

Good morning on this Saturday morning, May 5th. Next week I have an appointment with my oncologist for a six month check up. I have lab work scheduled the first of the week and a follow-up appointment a few days later. Please pray all is well and will go well.
Tomorrow I will preach on Iraq's Place in the World Order. The message is the third in the 2007 Prophecy Update series. This will be an up-to-date presentation of what is going on in Iraq and how it relates to prophecy. We'll look at fulfilled prophecy about Iraq as well as unfulfilled prophecies. Since Iraq is the second most mentioned nation in the Bible, second only to Israel, the events surrounding this country should always be carefully monitored.
I appreciate the many comments and compliments about the previous messages in this series. Clearly our people have an hunger for prophetic truth, which is exactly what God says we should have. We are told to watch and be ready for His coming with our daily living anticipating that glorious event. Hopefully these messages will help us all to be more watchful, ready, and living in the light of His coming. Lord willing, I'll see you tomorrow. As always, remember: PERHAPS TODAY.
Pastor Brown