Sunrise from the Bonanza Trail
Mt Charleston, Nevada
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:3
Hi Men:
Do you have:
“…. steady persistent refusal to be interested in Christian work and to be interested alone in Jesus Christ!”
[See the full quote by Oswald Chambers at the bottom of this Friday Letter]
Here are a few verses from Psalm 33 to reflect on. Comforting to know that God is absolutely in control………
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him
PHOTO ABOVE
My dear brother, Jack Prescott, took that amazing photo last year while hiking the Bonanza Trail on the north side of Mt. Charleston. Charleston Peak stands just shy of 12,000 feet (11,916′). The trailhead is only about an hour from Las Vegas.
Some of you may remember The Gathering that Jack was led by the Spirit to do. To refresh your memory, here is the link:: E²Vegas.org/Friday-Mens-Group-9-13-24
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
It’s a good thing I earned the Home Repair Merit Badge as a kid in Boy Scouts—I know just how many things can go wrong in a house 🤠
As I’ve mentioned before, it seems God keeps breaking things in my house so I have to keep calling repairmen. This time, it was my twin grandsons who were visiting and using our upstairs bathtub — we haven’t used it since their last visit. In the meantime, some of the original cast iron plumbing had cracked, and the water leaked through the drywall on the first floor (see photo) and even down into the basement……. fun!
So Juan from El Salvador and Wilbur from Mexico arrived — both very competent men and super nice. As they were finishing up, I spoke to each of them individually. Juan (top photo) is a Christian, but he loved all the materials I showed him. I gave him a whole batch of the ones he wanted: Steps to Peace with God, the Gospel in Spanish, Are You a Good Person? (English and Spanish), the Jesus Paid the Price card, and a bunch of the Million Dollar Gospel of John. He was so fired up to start using them! How about that……
Wilbur was not a believer, so I asked him if he considered himself a good person. I showed him the tract in Spanish, then shared my testimony and walked him through the Gospel. I also gave him the Million Dollar Gospel of John and asked if he wanted all the other tracts as well. He has two daughters, so I mentioned that they might enjoy reading them too. He said, “Definitely!” and was excited to have them.
Men, never overlook the amazing opportunities God will place in front of you. You will always time to share the Good News with repairmen. By the way, they did a great job and I made sure they received some above and beyond compensation. They were grateful!
Joyful,
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
Men: I read this a few day back and thought we all need to meditate on this one again. All creation obeys God, except for the angels and people…… yikes!
“….. you are not necessarily pleasing God just because those who love you affirm what you do. (Read more below)
Obeying God – Day 226 Blue Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically.
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
1 – Psalm 33:16
Disciple making is a work of faith
Disciple making is a labor of love
Disciple making involves the patience of hope
Red Book – Day 227 & 228
The Cost of Investing in Others – Part One
The Cost of investing in Others – Part Two
Men: All of us have issues we are dealing with. Whether they be: Financial Challenges, Health Concerns, Relationships & Family, Career & Work, Living Situations, Addictions, and even Spiritual Struggles to name a few.
I just listened to a 2024 interview (see below) about the trauma that Christians (especially women) are going through in African countries This particular interview was with a front-line worker by the name of Phillip. He is currently in Burkina Faso. Reading these articles and listening to these interviews dropped me to my knees……
I think the interview below will open your eyes to what our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries are going through.
This is what Phillip’s wife, Miriam, said about the women in the May 2025 issue of the VOM magazine. She is referring to the unspeakable violence that many encounter:
“The violence interrupts their ability to eat and sleep, and to interact normally with others. This affects, or even halts, their prayer life and their relationship with God and others. They suffer from nightmares and panic attacks. They may be unable to perform basic tasks at work or home. They may struggle to parent their children, who are themselves often victims of the same incidents. They may struggle to attend church or even talk with others. These effects — especially if not cared for appropriately — can last for years. Local churches are not able to meet the needs of the hundreds of victims around them who are suffering so severely. We come alongside them to help them understand how they can carry out the work of the ministry in such circumstances.”
You will be astounded & enlightened after hearing this 24-minute interview.
VOM Trauma Care: There’s a Place for Mourning
⚔ AFFLICTION ⚔
MEN: IN A ROUGH SPOT RIGHT NOW?
THEN READ THIS FROM SPURGEON
Every affliction is timed and measured, and every comfort is sent with a loving thoughtfulness which makes it precious in a sevenfold degree. O believer, the great thoughtfulness of the divine mind is exercised towards you, the chosen of the Lord. Never has anything happened to you as a result of a remorseless fate, but all your circumstances have been ordered in wisdom by a living, thoughtful loving Lord.
…. Our Heavenly Father knows what He’s doing when His ways toward us appear to be involved and complicated, and we cannot disentangle the threads of the skein, yet the Lord sees all things clearly and knows the thoughts that He thinks toward us. He never misses His way, nor becomes embarrassed. We dare not profess to understand the ways of God to man: they are past finding out. Providence is a great deep. Its breadth exceeds the range of our vision, and its depth baffles our profoundest thought.
Charles H. Spurgeon
“God’s Thoughts of Peace, and Our Expected End” (based on Jeremiah 29)
DAILY SCRIPTURE
From Handbook to Scripture
READING: Luke 16
The parable of the unrighteous steward is a surprising illustration of the fact that the children of this world are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the children of light. This story teaches us to leverage the temporal assets of time, talent, and treasure to build into people, since relationships centered on others are the currency of heaven. Jesus calls us to treat things according to their true value by pursuing the things He declares to be important. The story of the rich man and Lazarus also illustrates the need to live our lives in light of eternity instead of giving ourselves in exchange for that which is passing away.
Prayer
Lord, I know that the things that are highly esteemed among men are detestable in Your sight. May I devote myself to You as Your servant and turn away from the folly of chasing after earthly wealth.
Meditation passage: verses 8–10, 13, 15, 31
God’s Promise: Regardless of what you may hear, God has the final word on all matters dealing with justice for the wicked.
Read the Entire August 14th Devotional by Ken Boa
Men: This is profound:
Christians are continually trying to change their lives, but God calls us to experience the exchanged life. Christianity is not a self-improvement program. It isn’t a reformation project. It is resurrection! It is new life! And it is expressed in terms of total exchange of identity. Jesus Christ identified Himself with us in our death in order that we might be identified with Him in His resurrection. We give Christ all that we were — spiritually dead, guilty sinners — and Christ gives us all that He is — resurrected life, forgiveness, righteousness, acceptance.
From Classic Christianity: Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing
Whoa! Oswald Chambers certainly doesn’t mince his words
