THINK On These Things

Comfort

Philippians 4:8

By Brother Al Salay

TURMOIL! – (It’s a fact of life . . .)

World news, national politics, local issues, family and personal situations, finances, overflowing sinks, air conditioner antics, even the weather with its rapid and sometimes fearsome excursions, all bring challenges to our daily lives. It can feel like a never-ending stream.

Stress is the result. Seasons of distress and grief face us often. We can praise God that the remedy for these attacks of stress has been provided for us. It is written for our instruction –

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of god, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil.4:6-7 KJV)

Yes, we can have peace in the midst of turmoil.

• It is that special peace that comes from God.

• It is the peace that passes all understanding.

• It shall keep not only our minds but also our hearts.

• It is ours, through the power and love of Jesus.

But, we must ask.

We must acknowledge the power and authority and the majesty of God.

We must come to Him by prayer and supplication.

We must come with thanksgiving and make our requests known.

His peace is available to us. We must appropriate it. We must seek it. We must grasp it and cling to it.

Notice that the issue here is PEACE. Peace for our hearts and peace for our minds. This is not about subduing the turmoil. That is a different issue.

Sometimes the turmoil in our world is not subdued.

Sometimes it is actually in the service of God. Wars and floods and even pestilence are tools God uses to get the attention of wanton men.

Sometimes the great plans of God, being worked out on Earth, require the presence and participation of His faithful children.

No, this is not about freedom from turmoil. This is about finding peace and serenity in the midst of the turmoil. It is a peace that becomes available to us when we pass the responsibility and the burden to Him by making our requests known.

There is another scripture that ministers to us in turmoil.

I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever. (John 14:16)

Of course, that Comforter is the Holy Spirit. There are many and varied ministries of the Holy Spirit. We tend to focus on the more dynamic ones, such as wisdom, knowledge and prophecy. Here, Jesus called Him “Comforter.” Could we be missing some benefits by not calling upon Him in that role? Perhaps!

One day, as I was in prayer, contemplating the comforting role of the Holy Spirit, an image formed in my mind. I saw a kind of cape, a covering a person might wear to protect from the gusts and gales of a stormy day.

This cape, or shawl, covered the top of my head, blocking the gusts and giving a sense of warm comfort.

It draped down the sides of my head and neck, giving a sense of security and separation from the roiling elements surrounding me.

From there it fell comfortably across my back and shoulders, enveloping me in its ministering folds.

It was comforting and pleasant. I pulled it tight about myself. I was grateful for the solace it provided.

Peace, warmth, comfort were mine. Yes,

COMFORT!

It was:

• A Shawl of Serenity,

• A covering of peace,

• A manifestation of the presence of the Comforter,

• The ministry of the Holy Spirit of God.

What joy and satisfaction I felt! I now had a visual image to bring life to my understanding. I now had a private place of refuge to which I could retreat at any moment, just by remembering this very special scene. I could retrieve the sense of serenity simply by remembering the full, enveloping power of the special Comforter sent by the Father.

Is the world around me now at peace?

No! It’s the same old undisciplined and dynamic world. But, I am at peace within it.

It churns and flails about me, but the presence of the Comforter of God provides to me a sense of serenity in the midst of it all.

The Shawl of Serenity envelopes me!

I have made my requests known to God

And He has sent His Comforter

To give me His peace.

His presence surrounds me

as a comforting shawl.

THINK On These Things

Perfume

Philippians 4:8

Perfume. Just the thought is enough to stir one’s interest. It is a pleasant notion. Perfumes often come from the blooms of special plants or from spices. When we think of perfume we think of beauty and peace and comfort. Yes, for most folk, perfume is enticing. It draws them closer to the source. It promises a good experience. Some may even say it is a delight, raising the spirits, brightening the moment.

Are you a “perfume?” When you go forth into the world about you, are people enticed by you? Are they drawn to you? Are you a delight to them? – Can this be?

The great 19^th century preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, wrote of exactly this possibility:

“He who comes forth perfumed with the spices of God’s word imparts delight to all with whom he associates.” [Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible, Baker Book House, 1978, pg. 221]

Do you wish to be a perfume? Do you wish to impart delight to everyone you meet? Oh, it is not enough to just smell nice. The perfume must be from the “spices of God’s Word”.

His Word must so permeate your life, so infuse your being, that your very presence is as a perfume. When that is the case, you will bring the promise of delight to everyone who crosses your path. The light of Christ will shine through you and the Holy Spirit will attract people to that light.

Let us ponder the verse of scripture that prompted Spurgeon to make this declaration. It is found in Psalm 119:74. David is talking to God:

“They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.”

I have always found this to be a remarkable statement. Let us examine it, part by part:

“They that fear thee . . .”

Not his friends. Not his family. Not his courtiers or his army. Not those who were in awe of him. But they that fear thee. David is speaking of people who fear God. He is one of them. They have unity.

“. . . will . . .”

Not only those few who are there in his presence at that time, but all those in the future also. They too will be glad. This is an on-going response.

”. . . be glad . . .”

They will be happy. They will rejoice. They will experience delight.

“. . . when they see me . . .”

Not when they hear him speak. Not when they hear of his deeds. Not when there are reports of his coming. When they see him, when their eyes fall upon him, when they are in his presence. Then the Holy Spirit of God will witness to them that they are brothers and sisters together.

“. . . because . . .”

There is a reason. There is a cause. It is not because he is king, not because he has won victories and defeated enemies. It is because –

“. . . I have hoped in thy Word.”

Here is the crux of the relationship. Here is the basis of gladness. Here is the cement of oneness. David has hoped in God’s word!

This is not a statement born of pride and self-esteem. It is the report of a seeker, energized by the witness of the Holy Spirit. The prior verse, verse 73, reveals David’s mood as that of a thirsty heart.

“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments,”

Later, in verse 97, we read:

“O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Yes, David meditated on God’s word all the day, sought God for understanding, and expected God’s people to be glad, blessed, delighted when they saw him, for he was perfumed with the spices of God’s Word, the Word in which he hoped.

Spurgeon saw in this prophecy something beyond the immediate case. He saw that when we are perfumed with the spices of God’s Word we will find that it is not only God’s people who will be delighted to see us. Others will be too.

The spice of Christ, the living Word, that perfumes our lives will be used by the Holy Spirit to attract others, those who are candidates to become God’s people!

How can this happen? This is how!

The Holy Spirit is constantly wooing every living person. God is not willing that any should perish. While we live we are being pursued by His love and grace.

In each person who’s heart is even slightly open to the wooing of the Holy Spirit there is a germ of belief. It is the manifestation of the promise Jesus made to draw all men to himself.

That germ of His presence in them

Will recognize His presence in us.

Do you remember how the baby John leapt in the womb of Elizabeth when he was brought into the presence of Jesus in the womb of His mother Mary? (Lk1:42) In a similar manner, the embryo of faith in the bosom of whosoever should be saved will be delighted by the perfume of the Word flowing from us. It is the work of His Holy Spirit.

They will be glad when they see us.

Our perfume will impart delight,

When our perfume is from the

Spices of God’s Word.

(05/18)

Presented by Bro. Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]

By Brother Al Salay

“In the beginning . . .

God created the Heaven and the Earth.” ^{(Gen 1:1)} He created them, then rested from His work.^{(Gen 2:2)} He created them to be very good.^{(Gen 1:31)}

Then God gave Adam and Eve authority to subdue the Earth and have dominion over it. Man has used that power to do all manner of things aside from simply providing food for himself. Unfortunately, man is able to misuse some of what God created, converting good to evil. This is a power he has been allowed. He can be a user or an ab-user, a wrecker. Further, Satan, the enemy of man and the enemy of God is able to corrupt and even misrepresent the good things God did make.

Satan cannot create

As sly and as cruel as he is, Satan cannot create anything. He is a fallen angel and angels are not given the role or power to create. Through lies, distortions and manifestations he sometimes appears to create, but he does not have that power. He is the liar.

What if man could create?

If man was able to create, anything, he would be more powerful than Satan and his demons. But, what can man create? What can man add to the universe that did not exist already? All his inventions and great works make use of the materials God gave him.

In farming man uses the characteristics that God built into the plants He created. In chemistry man uses the atoms and molecules God ordained. In medicine man uses the healing capacity God designed into the living organism. With dams and great buildings man rearranges the resources of the Earth. Man moves and refines and reassembles, but he does not create these things. After a season, they return to the dust of which they were made and the fruit of man’s labors is lost.

Is there nothing man can create? Is there nothing that man can add to the universe? It seems there is nothing.

But wait!

There is one thing. No, there are several things. Yes. There ARE things that do not exist and cannot exist unless man creates them. And only man can create them. A tree or a cow or a fish or Satan himself cannot create them. They do not have the capacity.

Love

God is love. It is His very nature. God has given man the pattern, and He has invited him to copy it. It is so special that once it is created it can never be destroyed. An act of love may disappear into the past. It may be forgotten by men. But God will never forget it. It is as eternal as God Himself. God will never forget our acts of love.

“ For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Heb 6:10

Once launched onto the sea of life, love can never be called back. It is LOVE. It is a manifestation of the character of God.

This love is not some generalized feeling of appreciation or respect. This love is about actions, specific deeds by a human being that convey love to another. Love is what you do, not what you feel. Acts of love occur at a point in time. They may be as simple as a smile. They may be as extensive as a sacrificed life. They are a gift at a moment of time and cannot ever be reversed. They are the creations of men, as they operate in the image of God. Man can create love. He can demonstrate love. Any act of love is eternal. It lives forever. It cannot be destroyed.

How can man love?

We are told in 1 John 4:19 that “We love Him because He first loved us.” BECAUSE. That is how man learned about love – by being loved. Our instant response should be to love Him in return. In 1 John 4:9-10 we read,

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Oh, it’s not that love was a new idea. It appears early in the scriptures: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deu. 6:5) But Jesus demonstrated it with such overwhelming power that a believer has no choice but to respond.

Respond – and . . .

But there is more than just responding. There is emulating. In 1 John 4:11 we are counseled, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” We are to love not only Jesus but one another.

Further, our love is not a private matter. John 13:35 tells us, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Yes, we can join with God and become creators too.

Praise too is a creative act. All of creation, the oceans and mountains and clouds in the sky honor God by obeying. Only humans can honor God by acts of praise, worship or thanksgiving. These are creations of men. They come from no other source and once sent forth they are never reversed.

Sometimes the Word refers to men as wheat. A wheat plant contributes nothing until it is mature. Only then does it bear it’s fruit, that head that becomes the bread of men, the staff of life. Likewise, a man contributes nothing to the economy of God until he bears fruit: love, praise, thanksgiving, worship. These are the savory bread of God on which He feasts with great delight. As we find reflected throughout that great 13th chapter of 1^st Corinthians, the greatest act, the greatest experience, is love. And we create it fresh each time.

CREATE !

Love, Praise, Worship, Give Thanks – Bless God

(04/18)

Presented by Bro. Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

Website: www.BlessedMan.net—

Email: [email protected]

 

THINK On These Things

My Friend

Philippians 4:8

The First Time

O, many times I’ve tried to pray

With just a fleeting thought.

My heart was never in it and

My words just came to naught.

And then one day, when sore oppressed,

I sank down on my knees.

I talked to God straight from my heart,

Without a thought to please.

‘Twas then He heard for the first time.

God placed His hand on mine.

He lifted me above my woe

And made the sun to shine.

From that day forth I knew the Lord

Would make His presence felt,

If faith and love and earnestness

Were with me when I knelt.

Remember now! Do not despair

If life has gone awry,

For through your faith and honest prayer

God lifts you to the Sky.

Come, Listen

Come, listen, all my friends, to me,

A tale I have to tell,

Of worldly woe and human strife

And how God makes all well.

The plot may hold most any one.

He may be rich or poor,

A merchant or a miser or

A humble laborer.

Into each life a time does come.

When things do not go well:

When men and kingdoms, great and small

Deeds evil can’t expel.

When all is lost and hope’s on wane

And life seems not worthwhile,

Then turn to God, O petty man,

And see His holy smile.

For only when we ask His aid

Can God become our guide.

Our faith and trust in Him, alone,

Can bridge the gap so wide.

My Friend

I have a new found friend today;

A loyal one I’m sure.

We’ve met. Oh many times before,

But never did concur.

The fault that we have joined but now

Is mine alone I know,

For He has tried so many times

His Spirit to bestow.

I’ve met Him in the shining sun

That follows wondrous rain.

I’ve come upon Him bending low

O’er buds burst forth again.

I’ve seen Him on a winter night

When stars their lights did show.

He walked with me for many hours

Across the silv’ry snow.

I always knew that He was there,

But never looked to see

That every time our paths did cross

His arms stretched out to me.

I waited long to pay Him heed –

Until I met with woe.

And then I sought Him out myself.

I’d nowhere else to go.

I have a new-found friend today.

His name is God, you know.

He taught me hope and charity

As He dispelled my woe.

The Lord and I shall always walk

Together, through my days.

I have a friend – the greatest friend –

A friend I love and praise.

(AWS – March 1954)

“He sought me and He bought me

with His redeeming love.”

03/18

Presented by Bro. Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]