REV. DR. WM. ROCKY BROWN, 3RD, PRAISE AND WORSHIP

This message is based on one of the two fishing episodes that we find in the Bible where fishermen spent the whole night on the sea and caught nothing.  Nobody gets pleasure out of going fishing and catching nothing.  And in this particular incident, the people back home were counting on the success of these fishermen for fishing was their vocation. 

To read more Jesus is the Reason, go to Scoop USA Media, December 7, 2018 edition. 

We do things in life because they have become a tradition or custom.  They become so much a part of our cultural existence that we do them without questioning or understanding why.  We just do them because it has always been done.  We need to be careful about that because we can do something wrong for so long that we began to believe that it is right. 

We have Christmas traditions and customs that we follow and very few of us know why or their meaning or where the idea came from.  We just do it.  Our story goes back at least 4,000 years ago.  It begins in Mesopotamia, called the cradle of civilization.  Here Christmas really began as the festival that renewed the world for another year. 

Read more on Scoop USA Media, December 14, 2018. 

On New Years Eve many of us will gather in church for the purpose of praying the Old Year out and the New Year in.  Traditionally this is called “Watch Night Service.”

In many African – American Churches, this has been the most important prayer meeting of the Christian year.  For we gather to thank God for keeping us through the past year and to be found in a state of prayer on bended knees in “God’s House, when the clock strikes 12 midnight and the New Year begins.

Now the act of being on bended knees at the midnight hour is supported by the spiritual belief among Black folk that a good ending and beginning are necessary ingredients for the Christian year.  You see, Black Theology believes God can and will forgive the sins of the past year in a special way on this night that closes the year and opens up the New Year.  This golden moment affords the child of God the annual opportunity to make a new resolution to live a more “Holy Life.”

Read more on Scoop USA Media, December 28, 2018. 

Last year 2018 was a year full of trials and tribulations as well as joys and good times for just about all of us.  Each of us has had happy moments we want to remember for years to come as well as sad moments we wish to forget. But through it all, the Lord our God kept us wrapped in His arms of protections and we should be able to say regardless of what happened last year, “THANK YOU JESUS, you’ve been so good to me”!

I believe this New Year ‘2019’ can and will be a good year if each and every one of us would do the following:

Read more on Scoop USA Media, January 4, 2019

The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who had hoped to be an inspiring preacher in a quiet small community.  Instead, by the time of his death he had led tens of millions of people into shattering the system of Southern segregation, splintering it beyond any possibility of restoration.  He had fashioned a mass Black electorate which eliminated overt racism from political campaigns and accumulated political power for African Americans beyond any they had ever possessed in their history in the United States.  Above all, with these and other accomplishments, be brought a new and higher dimension of human dignity to the African American Experience.

Read more on Scoop USA Media, January 18, 2019

LORD, BLESS US AS WE LIVE TO BLESS OTHERS. AMEN. 

 We had a problem at church, one day with some water pipes that were leaking. The Chairman of our Trustee Board, Charles Thompson, was having a hard time finding someone to fix the problem. So after doing some praying and searching he remembered he had an old friend that did some plumbing work for him in the past. He called him and the guy met him at the church. The guy sized up the job and said,” I’ll be right back.” When he came back, he had new piping and all kinds of supplies that were needed to fix the plumbing problem. He started the work, not saying a word as Bro Charles looked on. Well, after about 4 hours he was finished and Bro Charles said to him, “Give me the bill so we can pay you.” The guy looked at Bro. Charles and said, “I’m not going to give you a bill for the supplies or my services. No, all that I want for the work I’ve done is for you to ask the church to pray for me and if they ask you my name just tell them, “ The Man Who Fixed The Pipe!”    

Read more Rev. Dr. Wm. Rocky Brown on Scoop USA Media, Praise and Worship, January 25, 2019

One day our Master, Jesus Christ was received into a village home in Bethany by Martha, the sister of Lazarus. As we read this eventful account in the Gospel of Luke we are impressed with the fact that Martha seems to also be the older sister and no doubt was the supervisor of the home.  She was a woman of standing in the community. Yet, she had the warmth of spirit to openly make it possible for Jesus and surely some disciples with him to come into her home. Yes she invited the Master home. 

How many of us today are anxious to invite the Master home? How many of us are living lives that are both respectful and humble, holy and human so that Jesus could find comfort and lodging in our homes? Now, being the woman of the house it would be up to her to prepare a meal. And the custom of the day tells us that it was a great honor to be able to prepare a meal for important guest or dignitaries. Martha had gone to make bread and prepare a meal. But it seems that Martha’s troubles developed when she began to worry about Mary. As long as Martha was doing what she could do best, all was well.  As soon as anxiety rose and her tensions increased, Martha wanted her sister, Mary to know what she was going through. I suspect she wanted Mary in the kitchen with her.  

Read More, Scoop USA Media, March 8, 2019

Whether you realize it or not, one of the most effective methods of experiencing physical, mental emotional and spiritual therapy, is to take a retrospective view of your life and count the many blessings which God has bestowed upon you.

Yes, there is an unparalleled kind of therapy which goes on everything time you count your blessings. You see, you can’t count complaints and blessings at the same time. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, try it for yourself. I dare you to try it! Let your mind flash back upon the blessings, which you have received in the last twenty-four hours. Go ahead and start counting your blessings of the last twentyfour hours. If you need some help, I’ll assist you: You’ve been breathing God’ air. Your life has been sustained by the power of God, (Paul said in Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”) You’ve had some food to eat. You’ve had some water and some other beverages to drink. You’ve had your eyes to see, ears to hear. Tongue to talk, you were able to lie down on a beauty-rest mattress and sleep all night long while the angels watched over your bedside. You were awakened this morning, not by your alarm clock, but by the invisible finger of God. When you woke up, your body had been re-vitalized, you were clothed in your right mind, you noticed that your bed was not your cooling board and that your cover was not your winding sheet. You had the right exercise of your limbs, and you were able to get up and start on another day’s journey.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, March 15, 2019

LORD, WE LIFT OUR HEARTS TO YOU AND ASK THAT YOU COMFORT AND BLESS THIS GRIEVING FAMILY. AMEN.

A friend of mine, in my hometown, was once really going through a difficult time in her life. She had lost her son because he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting and died. Then the day of her son's repast, his four-year-old son, her grandson, was hit by a truck and died. This mother, these grandparents, these relatives, this family, had been shaken to the core. I'm sure their faith was shattered; their hearts were beyond broken, and their trust in God was on the brink.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, March 22, 2019

There are all types of people in this world. We come in different shapes, sizes, heights, weights, complexions, cultures, nationalities, races, backgrounds, habits, ways and norms. GOD has made all of us different. No two of us are alike. Even identical twins are not 100% alike. Today I want to talk about three types of people that exist in every country and culture in this place we call Mother Earth.

First, there are the “People Who Wonder What Happened.” These are the folk who are not paying attention to what is happening in their neighborhood, on their job or in their community. Some are lost because they are on drugs and alcohol, some are mentally ill, some are afraid to get involved, and some are so into their own world that they don't care about anybody or anything but themselves. They feel that the world is all about them. I call them Selfish People.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, March 29, 2019

oday, I share because I want you to join me in believing that all things are possible because of our faith. GOD, who is the author and finisher of our faith, gives us what we need to make our dreams come true. I feel the Spirit telling me that there is something that you have wanted to do for years, but you have put it aside because of the BUT in your life. You say, 'I would do this or I would do that BUT.'

Beloved get the BUT out of your life and make that dream come true. Let go of the negative naysayers and launch out into the deep and make your dreams a reality. Barak Obama had a dream of leading this country, and he would still be living in Chicago, working as a social worker, if he didn't get the BUTS from around him. I'm sure somebody said to him, 'You are a very intelligent person, BUT you won't be president because you are a black man raised by a single white woman.' He was able to achieve his dream because of GODS grace and because he took the BUT out of his life.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, April 5, 2019

The day Jesus rode into Jerusalem was a very triumphant one. He came in as a humble King and the crowd was enthusiastic about his reign. They wholeheartedly accepted him as their King and they demonstrated their enthusiasm.

For they cried out, “Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

They tore down palm branches and waved them. They even made a welcoming carpet on the road with their coats. They were probably called “fanatics” by the religious establishment and curious onlookers.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, April 12, 2019

I thank God for blessing me to see another day. But in the midst of my joy, I'm sad. I’m sad, and my heart is broken because of what's going on in my hometown as well as black communities across America. As I heard a pastor say one Sunday, for us (Black folks), these are the worst of times and the best of times. This thought came from a novel by author Charles Dickens entitled: A Tale of Two Cities set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The book is a historical fictional political commentary.

These are the worst of times because young black males are killing each other on a daily basis, but then these are the best of times because we are making advances in medical technology and living much longer. There is a sister in my neighborhood who is 103 years old, who takes care of herself and is still the head cook at her church and an adviser to the Usher Board.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, June 7, 2019

For some of us, this summer is a time for work, fun and vacations, but for many of our brothers and sisters there is no work, no fun nor any vacations.  Many of them have just come through the winter by the Grace of God.  No housing; no work; very little clothing and food as well as hardly any help from others.  But God by His might, power, ability, and love pulled them through.  

If one would ask the question, “How did they get into that situation?”  I would answer by saying, “Well, some are like that because they want to.  But most of them are in this situation because our economic environment is extremely ill.  It is off-balanced because our Federal and State Government have continued to keep people off of welfare but have no jobs to give them.  Believe it or not, most people would rather have a job than welfare, but welfare is better than nothing.  No job or income such as D.P.A., S.S.I. or Unemployment, will cause anybody to rob and go to jail or suffer and die.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, June 21, 2019

Two years ago I was blessed to attend a conference in the beautiful city of Rocky Hill, Connecticut. There were many topics discussed, but the one that was dear to my heart was called 'Saving Our Youth.' I truly believe this should be of great concern to you also. You see our children are our future. GOD has given them to us and they are our responsibility. Now, the situation of our youth is so messed up that we need many ideas and solutions. Here are some of my thoughts about the situation.

First, we call them a lost generation, so the real question is, if they are lost, who lost them? They didn't lose themselves. No, we lost them. I believe we have lost them because we have not raised them like we were raised. If they were raised like us, they would be more like us.

Read More, Scoop USA Media, June 28, 2019

Whenever the 4th of July comes around I think of the word freedom.  Freedom is one of the most illustrative words in the English language.  On the surface, freedom seems to suggest the absence of restraints, the absence of control, and the ability to do what one pleases.  Almost everyone wants freedom, but very few, it seems, really know just what freedom means. 

True freedom is an inward spiritual experience rather than just an external deliverance. For not only is there a physical aspect to slavery, but a mental one as well.  You see, you don’t need shackles on the feet if you have them on the mind. 

Now in the 14th chapter of the book of Exodus we find that the Israelites have been freed by God from Egyptian slavery and led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.  Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and said: “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp between Migdol and the Red Sea.  Pharaoh will think that you are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will pursue you.  But, I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” 

So Moses and the Israelites followed the Lord’s command.  Now, when the King of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services.”

Read More, Scoop USA Media Digital July 5, 2019

Songs play a great role in the lives of people.  There is a song somewhere suited for all occasions.  Out of the joys, sadness, problems and prosperities of people, songs were born.  Lifted beyond mere entertainment our songs tell us something that we are unable to phrase otherwise.  Therefore, it becomes difficult for me to think of any situation so gruelsome that one is left without a song. 

I have watched from the pulpit at funerals, people who seal their lips when the songs of Zion are sung.  They experience deep human hurt and lost.  They brush back the tears from their eyes.  They simply cannot handle it.  The hurt is too grave to have a song during this unusual hour.  However, I have watched others who’s lost is just as dear and as deep and their voices have rung out with perfect clarity.  They had a song. 

WE MUST NEVER ALLOW PRESSING AND DEPRESSION MOMENTS TO STEAL OUT MELODIES.  Pressures are great.  They build up unusual, uncalled for and unwanted frustration.  We often find ourselves saying, “I don’t know whether to turn to the right or the left.”  In these moments it is easy to lose track of yourself.  The mind does not function properly.  Things are done that do not make sense.  Actions are taken that often create life long hurts. Have you had the experience of misplacing something that you needed badly?  You look through the pockets, pull out the drawers, and comb the house and the yard from one end to another with no success.  Finally, it dawns upon you to go and sit down, be quiet and try to remember where you last had that thing.  Ninety percent of the time the answer comes. 

Read more, Scoop USA Media, July 12, 2019,  page 13

Just about everyone I know, both Christian and non-Christian, has a special place in their heart for the much reverend hymn, “Amazing Grace.”  It was written by minister and hymn writer, John Newton. It is the one hymn you always hear being played by bagpipes at a Police and Firefighters Memorial Service.

Newton was born in London, England in 1725.  His mother gave him some religious training, but she died of tuberculosis when he was only seven.  He received little formal education before going to sea with his father, the commander of a merchant ship at age eleven.  In 1743, he was forced to serve aboard the H.M.S. Harwich and soon deserted.  He was captured, flogged and degraded to a common seaman.  After asking to be exchanged to a slave ship, he suffered brutal persecution before being rescued by a friend of his father.  Newton later said that in the course of these wanderings he lost all sense of religion. But, during a severe storm on the homeward voyage, he experienced a strong religious conversion.

Newton married a childhood sweetheart.  He also successfully educated himself, learning Euclidean, Geometry, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Syrian.  For a time he commanded a slave ship, attempting to repress the swearing and immoral conduct of his sailors, and reading Liturgy twice each Sunday with the crew.  But, during what became his last voyage as a slave ship captain, there was once again a severe storm to send him a message.  The Lord told John Newton that the thing he was doing was good but it wasn’t enough because he hadn’t come to the realization that slavery was wrong also.  As the spirit moved upon him, he realized that he was no better than anybody else, because everybody is somebody and all men and women are free by the Grace of God.

When Newton returned safely home, after the storm, he fell down on his knees in prayer, As he was praying, a part of verse 10 from the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians came into his mind:  “By the Grace of God I am what I am, “he said, “I am not what I ought to be.”

How imperfect and deficient I am!  I am not what I wish to be.  Though I am not what I ought to be, I can truly say that I am not what I once was – a slave to sin a Satan.”  He heartily said with Paul, “By the Grace of God I am what I am!”  Then he rose from the floor, sat down at his desk, and wrote these lovely, soul stirring, and every lasting words:

Read More Rocky Brown, Scoop USA Media,  July 19, 2019, page 13