Catclaw Acacia – OUCH
Senegalia greggii
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
John 12:24-25
Hi Men:
I pray you have had a great week with your life submitted to Jesus Christ.
Some of the brothers and I are heading to the airport in a few hours (see below), so I thought I would jump right in and talk about the picture above. Even though I’m having withdrawal for another space image, I’m still reflecting on the massive star, Stephenson 2-18, that I put in a previous Friday Letter. Here are just (3) jaw-droppers about it:
God continues to overwhelm me. But what about the Catclaw? While walking through the neighborhood this week, this catclaw tree caught my attention. And yes, the name fits: Catclaw Acacia – those thorns are super sharp and will slice through your clothes and you!
What really caught my eye was the seed pod. The sunlight was hitting it just right, and I could see those tiny seeds. Then this verse came to mind when Jesus said:
- If placed where our Sun is, Stephenson 2-18 could reach out to about the orbit of Saturn – swallowing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and reaching roughly to Saturn’s rings.
- About 10 billion of our Suns could fit inside it….. What!!
- Light itself would take nearly 9 hours to circle it once. The same light that can circle Earth about 7 times in one second.
God continues to overwhelm me. But what about the Catclaw? While walking through the neighborhood this week, this catclaw tree caught my attention. And yes, the name fits: Catclaw Acacia – those thorns are super sharp and will slice through your clothes and you!
What really caught my eye was the seed pod. The sunlight was hitting it just right, and I could see those tiny seeds. Then this verse came to mind when Jesus said:
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
As most of you know, Jesus was speaking about Himself. He was the grain of wheat. His “hour” had come. He would fall into the earth. He would die. He would be buried. But His death would not be the end. Because Jesus died:
- Sinners can be forgiven
- The guilty can be declared righteous
- Dead men can be made alive
But not so fast, Jesus followed verse 24 with this one:
“The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.”
John 12:25
A seed that refuses to fall remains alone. A man who refuses to die to self remains barren.
The Christian life is not adding Jesus to the old life. The old man must die. One of my favorite verses is where Paul declared:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
Galatians 2:20
Men, Jesus does not call us to a path He did not walk first. He died so we could live. Now we die to self, abide in Him, and let His life be seen in us. The seed must fall. The old life must die. We must abide in the Vine. And only then comes the fruit.
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
Maybe it’s time to fire your barber!
Hi Men,
I have had the same gal cutting my hair for over 20 years! Over those years, Jill has moved her chair from salon to salon around town, and I have followed her. Needless to say, I have talked with her for 20 years about the Lord. I have given her tracts, Bible materials, and just about everything I had. I know a lot about her life, her children, and even the day her estranged husband died.
She has always been pleasant, but honestly, she has never shown much interest in the things of the Lord. I think she has mostly put up with me because I’m the customer.
Recently, she moved again – for about the fifth time – and this location was a little farther away. So I began praying and asking the Lord what He wanted me to do. I probably should have been praying about it much sooner….. oh well.
As I was driving one day, I noticed an old-fashioned barbershop sign and stopped in. That visit led me to think, “Are there other barbershops nearby?” I did a quick search and found one in the same strip center where I often meet men for lunch. When I walked in, the place was busy, with barbers doing “fade” cuts, working in every chair. I asked for the owner, Richard, and explained that I was an old white guy looking for someone who could cut my hair, what little I have🤠 Richard pointed me to a young barber named Tray and said, “He’s your guy.”
The next morning, Tray cut my hair, and he did a great job. But even better, we had an amazing conversation. He was very interested and excited in everything I shared with him and wanted the materials I had. He even walked outside with me afterward. Tray said he believes in God, but doesn’t know a lot about Him. When I told him about the YouVersion Bible app, he asked, “How do I get that on my phone?”
So we downloaded the Bible app. Then we downloaded the Jesus Film app, and I showed him some of the short videos. He could not have been more open or excited.
I’m now looking forward to building a relationship with Tray. Pray for Tray. You may get to meet him at Zion Boot Camp this year……
So maybe, if you are not gaining any traction with the person who currently cuts your hair, it might be time to start praying about it. Jill has my number, and if she ever has questions, she knows how to reach me. But for now, I’m grateful the Lord led me to Tray.
Crucified in Christ,
Dan
“The Gospel is only good news
when we understand the bad news.”
R.C. Sproul
Men: This devotional was written over 14 years ago. Would your church buddies agree that “the only thing you are entitled to is hell?”
Society reminds the individual that he or she is entitled to an ever-increasing array of benefits. For this reason, people are becoming fragile, perceiving themselves as victims.
Entitlement – Day 157 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
READ THE PDF HERE / Send it to a friend…
Pray for the speakers and the men. Thank you so much
Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places
EDC Las Vegas 2026
Men, I think you will be encouraged by this report from Engage to Go Ministries, who show God’s love to the young people attending EDC here in Las Vegas last month.
EDC draws more than 500,000 people from around the world. It is one of the largest rave concerts anywhere. Rob and Colleen Meyers, the founders of Engage to Go, are dear friends of ours, having stayed with Jane and me in our home. God had them surrender their day jobs and gave them this unique ministry, the only one in country, to reach young men and women at rave events across the country.
Rob & Colleen are totally E2 focused. I know you will find their report both heartwarming and amazing as you see how the Lord used them during EDC weekend.
HERE IS A COPY of their report or click on the image below
I’m busy because I’m lazy
by Reagan Rose
“Teachers will tell you that the laziest boy in the class
is the one who works hardest in the end.” C.S. Lewis
Men:
As a recovering workaholic, this article was thought-provoking and had much truth in it. Here are a couple quotes from this short article……..
“I am busy because I am lazy. I indolently let others decide what I will do instead of resolutely deciding myself.” He concludes, “By lazily abdicating the essential work of deciding and directing, establishing values and setting goals, other people do it for us.”
If a factory owner observed that every product coming off the line had some marked flaw in it, would he tell his workers, “Keep going, we need to meet quota!” No, the sooner he stops, the less material and time he will waste. So why is it so hard for us to see that same truth when it comes to busyness in our lives?
READ A PDF COPY of the Article …. Send it to a friend
What We Need Most
Men: This is a short read, but profound. Take a moment to reflect on these truths….
——-
The biggest need in your life, and in mine, is to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
I’m convinced that more evangelism, more prayer, more fruitfulness, more holiness will flow from the fountain of our lives only when we start drinking more deeply of Christ.
If you want to be more merciful, look upon Jesus who cried out at the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
If you want to be more loving, look upon Jesus who ate with sinners and welcomed repentant prostitutes and tax collectors into the kingdom.
If you want to be purer, look upon Jesus whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
If you want more courage in the face of lies and injustice, look upon Jesus who drove out the money changers from the temple with a whip.
If you want to be stronger in the midst of suffering, look upon Jesus who did not revile when reviled and submitted himself wholly to the will of his Father.
If you want to grow in grace, look upon Jesus who reinstated Peter after he denied his Lord three times.
If you want more tenderness in your life, look upon Jesus who took the little children upon his lap and blessed them.
If you want to display the diverse excellencies of God, look upon Jesus who came from the Father full of grace and truth.
Our main problem is not lack of time or resources or the annoying people in our lives. Your main problem and my main problem is that we do not see enough the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We are not amazed. We do not stand in awe. We are not rendered speechless in his presence.
Too many of us are toying around with gimmicks and looking for quick fixes and miracle cures. Too many of us are digging deep inside ourselves for the change we want. Too many of us spend all our time tinkering with sports and the internet and home repairs while neglecting the one thing that is most needful—to sit at the feet of Jesus, to see him in the preaching of the Word, to gaze upon him in the Scriptures, to slowly meditate upon the pages of the Bible, to spend uninterrupted, unhurried time with the Lord. This is what we need.
Let us plead with God that we might behold his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Implore him for eyes to see. Pray persistently and passionately to know him more.
Because there is no growing apart from gazing, and no becoming like Christ without beholding him in his glory.
~ By Kevin DeYoung
WELL, WHAT TO YOU THINK?
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR US TO BE FAZED AGAIN
