Yearly Archives: 2017

Uncategorized

“Seasons,” by Brother Al Salay

THINK On These Things

“Seasons”

God is timeless.  God’s Word is timeless.  Yet, God has an interest in time. Time is for man.  Time is part of the creation.  In Genesis, the flow of creation is spelled out for our understanding as a series of days. It is a story of a particular time, a season, during which God established this world.  Then He paused.  That season was over and another had begun.

The Bible is a seasonal book. We recognize the Old Testament days as being a different season from the New Testament days.  There are many examples in scripture where seasonality is mentioned.  Here are a few:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son.” Galatians 4:4

Even in the short life of Jesus, there were seasons.

“These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs; But the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, But I shall show you plainly of the Father.”
John 16:25

“I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.” John 7:8

Just as the Bible is a seasonal book, likewise, our lives are a seasonal experience.  As years pass on, our circumstances change and our opportunities change.  We change seasons.

A very dynamic example is found in the story of David and Goliath, recorded in 1 Samuel 17.  In v33 Saul, with fear and doubt, said to David, about the giant Goliath,

“Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou are but a youth and he a man of war from his youth.”

But in v36 & v37, David, experienced in the power of God,  replied,

“Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them. . . “

“The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine,”

David’s perspective was: I do what I do, God delivers.  He was uniquely qualified for the task at hand. And he knew it.  We recognize this as a great moment of faith in the life of this young man.   NOTICE:

David’s season had changed!

He had been the protector of the sheep.  

Now he became the protector of Israel.  

He entered a new season of his life.

Time Changes Things

Today, we have seasons too!  In this era, we might see a new season beginning –
When we graduate from high school
When we enter the work force
When we surrender to the love of the Lord and are born again
When we are married
When we become a parent
When we reach a certain age or income level
Or  many other times

Our abilities change.  Our circumstances change. Our resources change.  As we mature, that which God is doing in our lives changes.  So, our seasons change.  We will prosper most if we recognize those changes and flow with them.  Has your season changed?  As with Jesus, Has Your Time Come?

Some changes in season are spiritual rather than being linked to daily life situations.  They may be a bit more difficult to recognize but they may be much more important.

What has God prepared you for?

What Is God doing in your life NOW?

In this season of your life –

Are you being sent to minister companionship to the lonely in your realm?
Are you being sent to deliver your handyman skills to some aged acquaintance?
Are you being inspired to apply the writing skills long dormant in your heart?
Are you at this time finally able to be the financial donor you always wanted to be?
Are you accomplished in food preparation and ready to serve those with special needs?
Are you in a position to help others with transportation?
Are you in possession of special knowledge or insight that could enhance the life of some of your friends?
Are you one whom God has called to teach His Word?
Are you inspired to devote your spare hours to private times of thanksgiving and praise?
Are you a natural magnet for prayer requests?
Are you thirsting for a deep study of some aspect of the Word: The Gospels, Prophecy, Healing, Helps, History, Creation?

What season are you in?

Here is the way to find out:

Inventory your gifts, skills and experience.
Ask God which of these He would like to employ in this season.
Invite the Holy Spirit to inform, inspire, lead, direct and enable you.
Commit to follow the Holy Spirit in this labor.
Watch for open doors and go through them.
Deliver what God has planted in you for this season.

Occupy your Season

04/17
Presented by Brother Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.
1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, St. Augustine, FL  32080-6733

Website: http://BlessedMan.net

Email: [email protected]

Uncategorized

“What Made the First Easter so Special?” (Luke 24:1-8)

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 9 WEST MAIN ST, EARLVILLE, NY

EASTER SERVICE April 16, 2017 10:30 AM.
Message delivered by the Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

THIS MORNING’S “SPECIAL”: “An Egg Funny”
One Easter Sunday morning as the pastor was preaching a children’s sermon, he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg. He pointed at the egg and asked the children, “What’s in here?”
“I know, I know!” a little boy exclaimed, “Pantyhose!”

INTRODUCTION Dr. Luke, the beloved physician, like a good medical student is a stickler for detail. Our passage shows that vivid detail in which he shows what made the first Easter so special! PRAYER

1. “first day of the week” (v. 1) Acts 20:7 the FDOTW was the day for corporate fellowship; 1 Cor. 16:2 the FDOTW was the day to take up special collections for missionaries. And the gospels, like here: a change took place in what would be “the church” – the sabbath (Saturday/23:56) was no longer the main day of the fellowship week.

2. “very early” (v. 1) “at dawn” (Matt. 28:1); “just after sunrise” (Mk. 16:2); “early on the first day, while it was still dark” (Jn. 20:1); in the morning (Luke)
What do you do “in the morning”?
Job 1:5: “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them [his children] and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.”
Ps. 5:3: “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.”
Ps. 143:8: “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”
These are some of my favorite. What do you do first thing? Is God on your heart – you are on His! Seek FIRST – a time of day & an attitude of heart!

3. “WHO” (23.55; 24:1; 24:10) “the women” (23:55 – knew exactly where the tomb was); MM, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and the others (24:10 see 8:1-3 – how disciples/and Jesus made ends meet) – see also Acts 4:32ff the mindset of the early church as exampled by a disciple named Barnabas; PLUS Salome (Mk 16:1); John zeros in only on MM (20:1)
Point: the first eyewitnesses to the resurrection were…women – these were the people who in their society and in this time frame were set apart as lowest class. But God has a way of turning things upside down! He has a way of changing every life – any life – to become vessels that bring joy to Him – and to whom He brings joy. Easter morning can do that for you, too!

4. “spices” (23:55,56; 24:1) CF Mk. 16:1 “to anoint Jesus’ body – only 2 mentions of their intent. But why? Ps. 16:10 says “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Peter quoted this on the day of Pentecost to show the centrality of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in regards to true faith. Point: the ladies were trying to curb the stench of the decaying body. They did not believe in the resurrection of Christ. They were human like us. And they had to be shown truth!

5. “stone” (24:2) “rolled away” Diff. Emphases: Matt.: girls & guards saw this via earthquake (28:2) – no Jesus inside; guards were hired to lie, that disciples stole body (28:11ff); Mark “who will roll the stone away”; John: MM sees stone rolled away, runs to Peter (20:1-2). The empty tomb was both alarming, yet a trigger toward true faith in the risen Savior!

6. “angels” (24:4) “clothes that gleamed like lightning”.
Illustration: I’ve met 2 angels – a nurse at Bassett, and the one I married!
Reminds us of the transfiguration, where the description was of Jesus Himself. Moses also shone in Exodus – but because he had been with the Lord. Jesus shone by His glorified nature. Note these – like all Biblical angels – were men. But the ladies were in on something BIG – Jesus was arisen!

7. “THE THREE WHY’S OF EASTER” (24:5,)
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5) and,
“He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” (Luke 24:38)
What do these questions do for the observers of the first Easter? Point them to the RISEN LORD! Point them to the heart of TRUE FAITH!
True faith is not in a creed, a church, or a religion. True faith is in a PERSON – AND IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RISEN, LIVING LORD JESUS!

CONCLUSION. Dr. Luke is vivid with description in this brief narrative.
What is the key word for each point – the first day of the week, very early, who are the first observers, what about the spices and the stone, and the angels, and the why’s?
What is the key word? TRUST! Jesus invites us – through the carefully woven eyewitness of Dr. Luke – to TRUST in the resurrected Savior as our Savior.
For there is no other!
Is He your Savior this Easter Sunday? Aren’t you glad that He is?

Uncategorized

The enemy of my enemy…

This old saying could answer a great deal about the criticisms being leveled at President-elect Trump by his enemies.

Have you noticed, in all of the criticisms leveled because Trump has communicated with the head of one of the world’s more powerful states, that they have completely ignored discussing China?

Yet China has been hacking our governmental and military websites for years, and are considered by many experts to be far more dangerous and aggressive than Russia.

It’s China that has built artificial islands that threaten Japan. It is China that just launched a new super carrier. It is China that crashed financial websites in the United States. It is China that has imperial ambitions in the South China Sea and around the world.

And it is China that holds countless $-billions in U.S. treasury bonds, not to speak of the world’s greatest hoard of gold. And it is China that is trying to replace our currency with theirs as the world’s means of exchange.

China’s, too, is a communist state, and its ambition is to rule the world.

Finally, Russian and China are not chums. And Putin does not intend to become China’s chump.

Perhaps his seeming willingness to cooperate with us (the U.S.) at some level, is a very good thing.

So the next time you hear a member of America’s left-wing press accusing Trump of being close to Putin, keep this in mind: The left has a long history of cooperating with every socialist nation.

Both Clinton and Obama have gone to great lengths to “share” our military technology with China.

Just maybe America’s leaders have been kowtowing to the wrong people. Just maybe President-elect Trump will be able to play these two ambitious giants off against one another.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend?” Maybe not quite a friend. But definitely better than my enemy.

In summary, a good friend of mine wrote that we may be facing the most exciting and dangerous months of our lives. That may be true, but our hope is not in man, but in the Son of God.

©Frank Becker, 1/14/2017