THE HUMAN HAND
“Your hands have made me and fashioned me…”
Job 10:8
Hi Men:
I pray you have had extended time with the Lord this week….. and my prayer is that you have been praying for more boldness to share the gospel. We need to be faithful no matter what the result……
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
(1 Cor 1:18)
Wisdom from Oswald
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it. [Read His Devotional]
PHOTO ABOVE
Men:
This goes hand-in-hand 🤲 with our message last week about the brain. Look at your hand for a moment. That hand can crush a beer can 🤠 or pick up a grain of rice. It can swing a sledge hammer or write tender words that can change a life.
Now think about this:
That hand only works when every single part is present, connected, and functioning perfectly, at the same time.
The Components of the Hand – Wow!
Consider just a few facts about your hand:
- 27 bones precisely arranged
- 14 joints working in coordination
- No muscles in your fingers
- They are controlled by tendons from your forearm, like cables pulling a puppet
- (No tendons? → No movement)
- A built-in pulley system
- Keeps tendons tight to the bone
- (No pulleys? → No strength)
- A fully functional nerve network
- Providing constant communication and feedback
- (No nerves? → No feedback)
- A fully functional opposable thumb
- Giving both power and precision
- (No thumb? → No precision)
- Over 9,000 sensory receptors per square inch in your fingertips
- Instant communication with your brain and nervous system
Check out my story when I was at a conference years ago…….
Dr. Ben Carson – From class dummy to brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon
Back in the early 1980s, I was sitting in a huge convention center in Chicago with thousands of other life insurance agents from around the world when Dr. Ben Carson took the stage. At one point he asked the audience a simple question: “Raise your right hand.”
Then he walked them through what had just happened (from a transcript of the message).
“Sound waves struck the ear, the eardrum vibrated, middle-ear bones transmitted the motion, inner ear fluid moved, hair cells converted it into electrical signals, which traveled through the auditory nerve to the brainstem, then to the thalamus, into the temporal lobe for understanding, across to the frontal lobe for decision-making, memory was accessed, a command was formed, signals shot down the corticospinal tract through the spinal cord, across the neuromuscular junction, muscles contracted, tendons pulled — and your hand went up.” Then he paused and said, “And that’s the simplified version of what your brain had to do.”
Ben Carson made his point clear: When you begin to grasp that level of complexity, you realize it takes far more faith to believe that all of this happened by chance than to recognize it as the work of a Creator – an incomprehensible Intelligent Designer. Even though there were Hindu life insurance agents from India and Buddhists from Japan, he got a standing ovation for several minutes! I wasn’t a believer back then, but I am convinced that at some level people want to know there is something greater that gives us purpose!
Isn’t it amazing what can develop, crawling out of pond scum, if given enough time? 🤠 As Ben Carson stated …. He did not have enough faith to believe the living world happened by evolutionary processes.
- Isaiah 64:8
“…We are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand.”
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
Meet Mike and Sal……
Our refrigerator finally gave out and at the same time, we replaced our 22 year old lazy-boy chairs in our living room. When I took them outside and saw them in the sunlight, whoa, they were scary 😱
Anyway, Mike and Sal came to the rescue, delivering our new chairs and refrigerator. Thank you Lord!
As the Lord would have it, we were their last stop… yay! As they were putting their equipment away, I brought out sliced pears and sweet tea …. and we visited. I asked about their families and both have young kids. Mike’s son was going to have his 1st Holy Communion and Sal was also a Catholic. So God was gracious and opened the door wide for a conversation. You guys certainly know my M.O. by now, so I won’t bore your with all the tracts I went over with them.
What was pivotal, was sharing my testimony. I say this humbly, but they were riveted to what I told them. I shared my Catholic background, desiring to be a Catholic priest and then the Hound of Heaven chasing me till I fell face down under that tree, surrendering my life to the Lord, Jesus Christ. I explained to them what the Gospel was and what it meant to be “Born Again”…. stating that I “hated” that term, until it happened to me!
God was merciful…… for both Mike and Sal were so grateful I shared this part of my life. We had a great time hugging one another. They left with a lot to reflect on…… and of course a significant tip 🤠
Keep praying that God would open those doors….. [See Jim Gustafson’s article below on “OUR POWERFUL GOSPEL.”]
Humbled by His Grace
Dan
Wisdom from Oswald Chambers
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it. Read His Devotional
Men: Make sure you reflect on the (5) verses in this short devotional. Especially Psalm 106:15 and 2 Timothy 3:12
“The good figs go into captivity and the bad figs remain in the Promised Land”
WHY?
Good and Bad Figs – Day 129 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
Send This PDF Copy to a buddy
GOD IS A MYTH
Do You Have Family and Friends that lean into EVOLUTION?
Then this is a film you will want to watch with them. It is still playing at selected theaters and hopefully will be available for streaming soon …..
Here is the trailer. The Cast for this documentary is amazing…..
I had to chuckle on the fact that so few the critics with Rotten Tomatoes have commented and are having difficulty rating it. Click on the image…….
Our Powerful Gospel
by Jim Gustafson | Apr 28, 2026
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16)
“it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Men:
Above are a few of the verses that our brother Jim has included in his article. They are so encouraging. Question: Why would you ever be reluctant to share Our Powerful Gospel with those around us that are perishing w/o it? Do you have a good answer?
Read thoughtfully, it will take you less than 3 minutes. Here are a couple amazing points:
- The Gospel has the power to turn despair into hope
- The Gospel has the power to take a dead soul and give it life.
- It has the power to move the condemned to the ultimate end: the hope of glory!
- It heals, creates order out of chaos, restores relationships, mends marriages!
- It gives meaning and purpose to life, gives joy and peace in the midst of darkness!
Take a moment right now and reflect on the words in This Article.
Send to someone who’s on your heart: PDF
What unimaginable power! It is life changing!
ARE YOU PRAYING FOR OUR PERSECUTED BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
There is so much hostility toward Christians right now, I don’t know where to start. Here are just (2) of over 50…..
INDIA
Christians in India are asking for urgent prayer as tribal believers face intense pressure to abandon their faith in Christ and return to their former religion (Hinduism). Many, especially new converts, are being threatened with serious consequences if they refuse. Please pray for these believers to stand firm in their faith, for courage and protection for their families, for wisdom among local authorities, and for the churches in this region to remain strong and faithful. Pray also for true religious freedom and for the continued spread of the Gospel.
——
UGANDA
Believers in Uganda are asking for prayer as concerns grow over proposed legislation that could expand the influence of Islamic (Sharia) law in the country. Christians fear it could severely restrict religious freedom, especially for those who convert from Islam to Christianity, and could affect legal rights in areas such as family matters, custody, and inheritance disputes involving Muslims. In many places where Sharia law has been broadly implemented, Christians and other religious minorities have faced intense persecution, limitations on public worship, and pressure to abandon their faith. Please pray for wisdom among Uganda’s leaders, protection and courage for believers, and for continued religious freedom and open proclamation of the Gospel throughout the nation.
“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
~ Hebrews 13:3
See the TOP 50 Countries for persecution
Theodore Cuyler (1822 – 1909)
Just A Thought…..
Have your kids read this profound quote by Cuyler and then have them explain it back to you ……
“To all my readers who are wondering why a loving God has subjected them so often to the furnace, my only answer is that God owns you and me, and He has a right to do with us just as He pleases. If He wants to keep His silver over a hot flame until He can see His own countenance reflected in the metal, then He has a right to do so. It is the Lord, it is my loving Teacher, it is my Heavenly Father; let Him do what seemeth Him good. He will not lay on one stroke in cruelty, or a single one that He cannot give me grace to bear. Life’s schooldays and nights will soon be over. Pruning-time will soon be ended. The crucibles will not be needed in heaven.”
EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) Las Vegas 2026 completely sold out… 525,000+ Attendees
May 15 – 17, 2026 —- EDC 30th Anniversary
Please be praying for our dear brothers and sisters with Engage To Go Ministries as they prepare to minister during the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. EDC is one of the largest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of young people from across the nation and around the globe. 97% of the hotels in Las Vegas will be sold out.
Our dear friends, Rob & Collette Myers have faithfully gone into these environments to share the love and truth of Christ with young men and women who are often searching for PEACE – LOVE- UNITY – RESPECT (PLUR) in all the wrong places. Pray that God would guide their conversations, open hearts, protect the team, and draw many to Himself through their faithful witness.
OUCH !
