Week Six, 2018

COMEBACKS FROM SETBACKS

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1

Every day we face obstacles and necessities, and we spend much of our time doing things that we must do, often things we would rather not do, again as often not doing things we wish to do. Yet we must try to do them in some way that is right, according to some standard of right that is both outside and above the details of our lives but also implicit in those details.

No matter how hard we try, sometimes we will make mistakes, big mistakes and little mistakes, all of which set us back. Sometimes we are the victim of things and events beyond our control that set us back. Our enemy will come against us simply because of our faith in the Lord. It is discouraging enough to face trouble because of a mistake you made, but what about the times when a storm hits you for no apparent reason?

The question is how we can turn those setbacks into comebacks. The Bible is full of people who had setbacks and made them into comebacks.

Consider Joseph. Through no sin or fault of his own, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and endured years of false imprisonment. At all times, Joseph maintained his integrity and his faith in God. Even while he was subjected to such injustice, God was preparing him for a great future.

Eventually, God caused Joseph to rise to prominence as the most powerful official in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. From this position, Joseph was instrumental in preserving the people of Egypt and the surrounding region, including his own family, through a time of great famine. When Joseph had the opportunity to take revenge on his brothers, he chose forgiveness and mercy instead, understanding that all that had happened to him was God’s way of preparing him for his destiny. If Joseph made a comeback, you can too.

Job represents what is certainly one of the greatest comeback stories in all of Scripture. Job lost everything. In one day he lost his wealth, his health, and his family. All he had left was his faith in God, and that proved to be enough. God had allowed Satan to test Job’s faith and integrity to the very limit, and Job passed the test. What the devil meant for Job’s destruction, God turned to Job’s good.

Struggles come in all shapes and sizes – fears, addictions, persecution, and worries can all seem to take over our thoughts. God tells us that we will face trials, but that we should not lose hope! Be encouraged, God has called you an overcomer!

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Willie Taggart Lives His Dream:

Before making one of the most agonizing decisions of his 41-year-old existence, Willie Taggart sought lots of advice about leaving Oregon and going to FSU, but the most profound advice came from the oldest of his three kids. Will, a lanky 16-year-old who bears a stunning resemblance to his dad, approached Taggart and wife Taneshia as they were sitting on the sofa contemplating a move to Florida State after less than one calendar year in Eugene, Ore.

“Out of nowhere — I didn’t expect this — he said, ‘Dad, I know you’re struggling with this decision, and I know this is your dream job. You always tell me to chase my dreams and don’t let anyone get in the way of ’em. I don’t think it’s right for me or anyone else to stop you from chasing your dreams.’ And he said, ‘I don’t wanna leave, dad, but if you’re gonna chase your dream, I’m gonna ride with you.’ “

With that, Taggart said, he and Taneshia broke down.

***

US life expectancy declines for a second straight year– “…more evidence of the toll the nation’s opioid crisis is exacting on younger and middle-aged Americans, experts said.”

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Reflecting on the past is healthy, but dwelling on it keeps you stuck in the past. Stay positive with a focus on the future. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a mystery and that is why today is called “the present.”

A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another’s.

Interruptions don’t produce character, they reveal it. Ken Whitten

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything. Warren Buffett

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017.

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Written by Alexander W. “Brother Al” Salay

Philippians 4:8

Peter!  First called Simon;

 A disciple of Jesus Christ;

 With brother Andrew, the first called to follow the Lord;

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew His brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.  And He saith unto them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’  And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.” (Matt 4:18-20)

 A man bold enough to ask to walk on water;

“And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come to thee on the water.” (Matt 14:28)

 A man blessed by the Father with the direct revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God;

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.” (Matt 16:16)

 A friend close enough to be invited to the Mount of Transfiguration;

“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” Matt 17:1

 A follower quick to proclaim his loyalty;

“Peter answered and said unto Him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matt 26:33)

 A chosen prayer partner at Gethsemane.

“And He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” (Matt 26:37)

Yes, Peter was a blessed man, a great man, a prominent man in the months that Jesus ministered on Earth. His name is mentioned in the Word 158 times, more than any name other than Jesus. Along with the brothers James and John, he was part of the inner circle of disciples that was with Jesus constantly.

Yet Peter, poor Peter, received the most stinging rebuke Jesus is recorded to have uttered. The Word says Jesus “turned, and said unto Peter,

‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense to me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’” (Matt 16:23)

PETER!

Disciple,     Called,         Bold,       Blessed,

Friend,       Loyal,      Chosen.

Satan, an Offense.

Poor Peter. He wanted so much to love and serve Jesus, yet he still fell short. His human viewpoint trapped him. He savored the things of men more than the things of God. He was more focused on the physical well‑being of his friend Jesus than he was in the eternal plan of God the Father. Even after such a stinging rebuke, he persisted in his attempts to save Jesus from his destiny. He knew of the world to come, but his thought processes and his actions were solidly rooted in this world.

I believe that each Christian is, to some degree, “Peter.”  We know that the Jesus‑standard is to place the things of God above the things of man. The words of Matthew 6:33 , “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,”  come easily to our lips. But like Peter, we seem all too ready to slip into our foolish and temporal concerns, sometimes forgetting completely that there is a kingdom to be sought.

In Matthew 16:17, you can sense the rejoicing in Jesus’ words when He says, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar‑jona: for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.” Jesus was excited for His friend. He was joyful because of Peter’s spiritual success. When the voice of God speaks to you more loudly than the voice of the world, you are blessed.

In Matthew 16:23 , you can sense the revulsion in Jesus’ words when He says, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense to me:” How strong, how painful a statement! What a stinging rebuke! In the vernacular of today, you might say, “Get out of here. You make me sick!”

The primacy of God, His Word and His plan over the things of the world is the rock bottom issue of Jesus’ life and teachings. Even as He agonized at Gethsemane, Jesus was still submissive to the plan of the Father. The Word was His standard. The world was nothing.

Let us be clear: Peter’s act was not an act of rebellion. It was an act of human passion and compassion. It was an act of misguided love. His was not an unwilling heart. His was an improperly focused mind.  As a result, he unwittingly became Satan’s mouthpiece, as that enemy tried to weaken Jesus’ resolve.

 As Peter demonstrated so clearly:

When we listen to the Spirit, we are blessed. (Matt 16:17)

When we listen to the flesh and the mind we are used of Satan. (Matt 16:23)

Today, we may be saved, we may live a somewhat obedient life, we may honor God and speak to others about His love and His grace. But where are our concerns? Are they in this temporary world? Or are they in the Kingdom of God? Surely we would not want to hear our Lord say to us, “Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offense to me.”

BUT, Do we savor the things of God

Above the things of man?

Really?

Peter’s victory is seen as he later advised his readers, “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you . . .” (1 Peter 1:13)

01/18

Presented by Brother Al Salay – Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, St. Augustine, FL 32080-6733

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]

Week Fifty-Two, 2017

FOLLOW THE LIGHT

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2).

Christmas, coming right after the winter solstice is one of the longest and darkest nights of the year. It was on this night that God chose to send His light into the world. The light He sent was Jesus. The shepherds saw the physical light and it led them right to the spiritual light, where Jesus lay.

Later the kings of the East saw the star and were compelled to follow it. It led them to Jerusalem. There they meet King Herod of Judea, and asked where the king of the Jews had been born. Herod, following a verse from the Book of Micah interpreted as a prophecy, directed them to Bethlehem, to the south of Jerusalem. The star led them to Jesus’ in the town, where they worshiped him and gave him gifts. The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew. Some theologians claim that the star fulfilled a prophecy, known as the Star Prophecy.

There are two types of light in the world. We can perceive one, or both, or neither! When we are born into this world, we perceive physical light, and by it we learn of our Creator’s handiwork in the things we see. However, although that light is good, there is another Light, a Light so important that the Son of God had to come in order to both declare and impart it to men. John 8:12 records, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” The allegory used by the Lord in this verse speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of Eternal Life. Those who perceive the true Light will never walk in spiritual darkness.

We take a candle into a room to dispel the darkness. Likewise, the Light of Jesus Christ has to be taken into the darkness of sin that engulfs the hearts and lives of those who are not following Him. That’s the condition behind having this Light—that we follow Him. If we do not follow Him, we will not have this light, this truth, this eternal life.

All but the blind see the physical light, but only those who have surrendered to Jesus and repent and asked forgiveness of their sin can truly see the spiritual light. If the blind have not, then they will continue to wander in spiritual darkness.

As the light summoned the shepherds and the wise men, the light calls us to the Messiah.

That in essence is the light of the Christmas story.

Have you seen the light and surrendered your life to Him or are you wandering in spiritual darkness?

A very blessed and joyful Christmas to all.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The lifestyle of the Christian is to be different from the world. Set apart. Sanctified. Spiritually focused. When we allow ourselves to become conformed to culture instead of being transformed, we will lose our spiritual passion. —Ken Weliever

***

Every Christian needs a Church Family. The Swiss psychologist, Paul Tournier was right, “There are two things one cannot do alone, be married and be a Christian.”

***

MORE PERSONAL STORIES:

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.

The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

God sometimes allows things to happen – good or bad – so that He can and will ultimately be glorified through them. And if that’s the case, He does the same things with talents and gifts. —Marty Stubblefield

Many aspects of success seem rather silly as death approaches. —Donald A. Miller

When we take a sip of water, knowing it is fresh and clean, we are receiving a blessing more than half the world does not know. Dwight Short

Death is nature’s way of telling us to slow down. —Graffiti

Millions long for immortality and yet they don’t know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon. —Susan Ertz

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618 

Week Forty-Nine, 2017

LET THERE BE LIGHT

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

—Genesis 1:3

Let There Be Light is a 2017 American Christian drama film directed by and starring Kevin Sorbo and written by Dan Gordon and Sam Sorbo. The plot follows an atheist who goes through a near-death experience in an auto accident and converts to Christianity. Sean Hannity is the executive producer and appears in the film.

I highly recommend it as a must see. Christian movies often don’t do well at the box office, but this one raked in $1.7 million in the first weekend of its release. I won’t spoil your viewing by telling you about the no dry eyes ending of the film, but it is a great depiction of the illumination of light that comes from a salvation experience.

The leading characters (actually husband and wife in real life) are a husband and wife. He is an avid atheist and one of the country’s leading experts and author on the validity of atheism. She is a committed Christian, who continually prays for her ex-husband to come to faith. He greatly resists, and then through a series of unfolding events, some good and some bad, he confesses his faith in Jesus Christ. It would be difficult for anyone to view this film and not clearly hear the Gospel message.

For some, coming to faith is an instantaneous experience, but for most it is a gradual process until the light goes on. Just as the dawn proceeds from darkness to light, our journey of faith progresses from darkness to light and then the relationship with our Lord shines so brightly.

What Coming to Jesus is Not:

▪ It is not about repeating a sinner’s prayer

▪ It is not about walking down an aisle

▪ Is is not about filling out a Decision Card

What Coming to Jesus Is:

▪ Confessing your sins and seeing your sinfulness and realizing your desperate need for the Savior

▪ Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior

▪ Believing with your heart and not just your head

▪ Relying on, fully trusting in, leaning upon, and resting in — Him

▪ Believing that He is your Savior first and allowing the Holy Spirit to help you make Him your Lord too

▪ Believing that there is no other way to the Father in Heaven except by Jesus Christ alone

Where are you in your journey of faith?

Has your light come on?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865, assassinated April 14, 1865) He was the 16th President of the United States of America. Under his courageous leadership, America survived the Civil War and remained the United States.

In 1846, when Lincoln was running for Congress from the seventh district of Illinois, a rumor began to spread that he was not a christian, to which he wrote the following:

“That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular…I do not think I could, myself, be brought to support a man for office whom I knew to be an open enemy of, and scoffer at religion.”

__________

Paul Hovey said, “A blind man’s world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision.”

__________

PERSONAL STORIES:

1. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said;

“Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.”

__________

2. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70s- what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said;

“Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.”

__________

3. Today, after my 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said;

“On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Christianity is a fact based faith. Bob Sprinkle

A belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for. Howard Hendricks

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalms‬ ‭119:105‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

We will have to repent… not only for the… words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. ML King

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Is today’s Church all about “Butts, Bucks, and Bricks”?

Sounds cynical, but that appears to be the way it is.

To put it in more refined terms, hundreds of church pastors have relegated the saving of souls to increasing membership, accumulating money, and building mausoleums, even at the expense of surrendering biblical values, misleading God’s people, and opening membership to unrepentant sinful souls.

When Frank Becker published The Depression Proof Church: The Biblical Answer to the Church in Crisis,” it was hailed by a few and hated by many, much as Jesus was rejected by the religious rulers of His day.

But a few notable individuals championed the book. For example, Paige Patterson, President of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote this:

“In a day of ‘how to’ manuals on church growth and effectiveness, to find a writer who tells the truth…is a breath of fresh air.”

Dr. Patterson, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, went on to write:

“Frank Becker, in this book, The Depression Proof Church, has clearly enunciated the one essential, namely, a return to the church of the New Testament.”

Frank Becker penned the now classic Biblical Basis for the Home Church, in 1986.

Becker began planting house churches over thirty years ago. He argues that the intense individual involvement of every believer is the means by which he or she will mature most rapidly, and that growth is most rapid in smaller fellowships. He points to the New Testament pattern of church growth as proof of his premise.

This book— The Depression Proof Church—has been recognized by seminary  and Bible College presidents for its solid, Bible-based conclusions.

The Depression Proof Church: The Biblical Answer to the Church in Crisis, exposes the frustrations, summarizes the symptoms, and reveals the causes of failure in our contemporary churches. But it doesn’t stop with a list of woes. It  goes on to detail specifically how a return to biblical principles and practices will build up individual believers and revitalize the Church.

A wonderful gift for the serious Bible student on your list!

The Depression Proof Church is available through Amazon and other fine booksellers:

Hardcover, $24.99

E-book, $3.99

Order direct from the author during December

SAVE  40%

Receive a personally autographed hard copy for just $14.99.

Free shipping.

Mail your check or money for $14.99 to:

Frank Becker, Cross Trainers Ministries, Inc, 21518 Karpathos Ln., Spring, TX 77388

***

Also consider John Grant’s