Parker Space Probe
“Touching the Sun” – The closer … the stranger it gets
“All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Jesus
nothing came into being that has come into being”
John 1:3
Hi Men:
I hope your week has been good, but even more, I pray your heart and mind have been anchored in who you are “in” Christ and why He has you here? Every day we live is another day nearer home. We are not here by accident, and we are not here for ourselves. God has placed us in this moment, with these people and these responsibilities, for His purposes.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it beautifully:
I may write more about this someday, but many people don’t realize that both Martyn Lloyd-Jones and his wife, Bethan, came to understand that being deeply religious was not the same as being born again. Bethan, raised in a devout Christian home, later said:
“I never imagined that I needed to be converted, having always been a ‘Christian’ … I thought you had to be a drunkard or a prostitute to be converted.”
That’s a sobering reminder: You can be surrounded by Christianity & all its practices your entire life and not be “Born Again.” This animated video explains it very well (8:40 min)
You might want to watch the documentary on the life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the future:
“Logic On Fire: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones” | Official Trailer
PHOTO ABOVE
Yes…. I finally get to jump back into space.
Back in 2022, I wrote about NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and some of the mysteries scientists hoped it might solve. Parker actually launched in 2018. Since then, it has done something mankind had never done before: fly directly through the atmosphere of a star.
And just two weeks ago, on September 4, 2026, Parker completed its 29th close approach to the Sun. NASA is still receiving the scientific data from that encounter “right now.”
Here are a few jaw-droppers:
- 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface! Parker reached about 430,000 mph — nearly 120 miles every second, making it the fastest human-made object in history. During the latest encounter it sampled almost 40% of the Sun’s circumference in one day.
- We have now flown through the Sun’s corona. In 2021 Parker became the first spacecraft to enter the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Scientists expected its boundary to be relatively smooth; Parker found it wrinkled with enormous spikes and valleys.
- Here is one that still has scientists scratching their heads: the Sun’s visible surface is about 10,000°F, yet its outer atmosphere can exceed 2 MILLION°F. Move away from the heat source—and somehow it gets dramatically hotter. NASA still calls the coronal-heating problem one of astrophysics’ great unanswered questions.
- Parker has discovered strange “switchbacks” in the solar wind, where the Sun’s magnetic field suddenly bends and reverses direction. Close to the Sun, the solar wind is far more turbulent and complex than measurements near Earth had suggested.
- Parker surprised scientists again in 2026. During magnetic reconnection, theory expected protons and heavier ions to accelerate similarly. Instead, Parker measured the protons spreading out like a flashlight beam, while the heavier ions shot away in a narrow stream like a laser. NASA says the observations require scientists to refine their models.
- And how does Parker survive? Its carbon heat shield can face temperatures around 2,500°F, while the scientific instruments sitting behind it remain at roughly 85°F.
The closer we get to our nearest star, the more extraordinary it becomes.
And then consider this:
Most of us have heard of the “Goldilocks Zone” — Earth being the proper distance from the Sun for liquid water. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross (1:30 Min) argues that habitability involves far more than one zone. In the short video below with Dr. James Tour, Ross identifies 23 overlapping habitability zones or requirements, and says Earth is the only known planet presently identified as satisfying all 23. That “23” is Ross’s current classification, rather than a universally standardized astronomical list — but the broader point is important: liquid water alone is nowhere near enough.
The Sun is amazing. But perhaps even more amazing is that we are here — in exactly the right relationship to it.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
— Psalm 19:1 NASB
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
Last Saturday, Jane and I took our new rescue dog, Barney, to Sunset Park to see how he would do around crowds, children, other dogs — and, of course, all the ducks and geese. He was terrific: amazingly calm and well behaved. I handed some the the men fishing the Ten Commandment Coins….. they loved them and even listened intently to my story.
What we did not expect was to walk right into a “Cleanup America” event. They had been cleaning the park, and I can honestly say I have never seen Sunset Park look so clean. But what impressed us even more were the people. The music, testimonies, and messages were outstanding, and there was an unmistakable boldness about Jesus Christ. “Cleanup America” is a new arm of TPUSA. The security presence was intense!
One testimony especially stopped us in our tracks. A young woman shared how she had been lied to as a girl and convinced by counselors that she was a boy in a girl’s body. She underwent chemical gender transition, including major testosterone therapy, and for a period of time, lived as a man. Then Christian friends came into her life, she encountered Jesus Christ, and EVERYTHING changed. She detransitioned and returned to living as the woman God intended her to be. Today she speaks publicly about what happened to her, and she gave one of the clearest, boldest Gospel messages I have heard in a long time.
The guy with the red hat drives the Cybertruck from venue to venue and could not have been nicer. In fact, everyone we met was super nice, unapologetically Christian, and BOLD about their faith in Christ.
What an incredibly refreshing afternoon…… and “free food.” I need to swing by the park more often 🤠
Excited about Jesus,
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
Men: Don’t miss Zion. God has used these conferences over the years to profoundly shape my Christian walk — and I know He can do the same in yours….
Zion Boot Camp
December 4-6, 2026
Register Here
“By His grace, God has ordained that this life cannot satisfy. If your hope is under the sun, success itself will teach you to hate life.”
Men:
Examine what you presently believe will make life worthwhile. Ask what loss would make you feel that life was no longer worth living, or what achievement you imagine would finally settle you. That answer identifies where your hope rests. Do not ask temporal success to perform an eternal work. Receive material prosperity as something entrusted by God, but refuse to make it your purpose, meaning, or significance.
Hating Life – Day 262 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
PDF – Send to friend
🔷LEE YIH FAMILY LETTER 🔷
Men:
This is an amazing 3 paragraphs! It will take you 20 seconds to read….. and a half a day for it to sink in…!!
Enlarge Lee’s Letter (and send to a friend)
DALLAS CONFERENCE 2026
“This demon told me every morning, ‘Lee, you’re not worth a piece of shit.’”
— Lee, an employee of Joe Bradley who, according to Joe’s testimony, was being tormented by a demon since childhood.
Men, spiritual warfare is one of those subjects that can produce a “deer in the headlights” look among American Christians. I saw enough during our discipleship work in India to know the unseen spiritual world is very real and terrifying. Our brother, Joe Bradley, shared this remarkable testimony at the 2026 Dallas Layman Conference.
Five things that grabbed me:
- The torment had apparently begun when Lee was about four years old. By his twenties, that condemning voice had been with him for most of his life.
- The unseen battle is real. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” (Ephesians 6:12)
- The enemy is powerful, but he is not God. Demons are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. God alone is.
- One chilling response: When asked if he wanted the demon gone, Lee said, “But he’s been with me for so long.”
- The story ends with Jesus Christ, not the demon. Lee heard the Gospel, received Christ, and three years later Joe found him growing in a Bible church, studying Scripture, and with his marriage restored.
Joe’s closing reminder: We have no idea what another man may be carrying. Much of the battle is unseen. Our responsibility is to obey God and faithfully walk through what He puts in front of us today.
Listen To Joe’s Testimony (24 Min) You won’t even need any coffee for this one!!
MORE FROM: SCREWTAPE LETTERS
Men:
I came across the quote below recently from Max McLean’s organization. I highlighted it in my book over 25 years ago. If you haven’t read it, put it at the top of your list!
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished and asks why he has been forsaken and still obeys.”
Here is what Max McLean said:
In seasons of darkness, where God is hard to see, a Christian’s weapon is obedience. The words of Screwtape are intense here: “Our cause is never more in danger.” This serves as a reminder to Christians reading Lewis’ words – obeying God when there is seemingly no reason to wreaks havoc on the devil’s plans.
Often it is difficult for Christians to obey, particularly when the world gives them no trace of a God who would care one way or the other. Yet when a Christian still intends to obey, and does – even in the midst of feeling forsaken – there is supernatural strength against the Screwtape-like powers scheming against God. The devil longs to see Christians stray from their purpose, so when his plans don’t work that way, it creates problems for the spiritual evils of the world.
Men:
Regardless if you follow or don’t follow John Lennox, you will be amazed by his life story. As you may know, he is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, a philosopher of science, and a Christian apologist.
Listen To The Podcast at CrossExamined.org
Or, Watch The Podcast on YouTube
Why Men Aren’t Marrying
Our brother Bill McCurran, who will be speaking at Zion Boot Camp on Biblical Manhood, sent me a timely article by Timothy S. Goeglein, Vice President of Focus on the Family, titled “Why Men Aren’t Marrying.” Goeglein points to several troubling trends among younger men today:
- Many have never had a strong model of husbandhood and fatherhood.
- Too many young men lack purpose, discipline, and direction.
- Women increasingly struggle to find men prepared for marriage.
- Young men need older men who will model responsibility, marriage, fatherhood, and character.
Men, this is one reason I’m looking forward to hearing Bill at Zion. Biblical manhood is desperately needed — and it must be modeled as well as taught.
Read or listen to the article here:
Why Men Aren’t Marrying — The Epoch Times
⚠ AMAZING ⚠
Men, one of the brothers send me this image – a framed quote by Walt Henrichsen. I took a closer look at the background of this image and realized the design is doing more than first meets the eye. At the top is the Latin phrase:
“Laborare est orare” — “To work is to pray.”
Behind Walt Henrichsen’s words is the Greek text of Colossians 3, with Colossians 3:23–24 highlighted at the bottom. That makes the quote even richer:
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men… It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” — Colossians 3:23–24
Then comes Walt’s reminder: “Your Vocation is Your Pulpit.”
That’s a pretty strong way to end the letter: wherever God has placed you this week, that place is part of your ministry. Grab the booklet: Why Go To Work at the next conference or get it from MIM Books for $5.00. Also grab, Whose Job is the Ministry?
“YOUR VOCATION DOES NOT FINANCE YOUR MINISTRY.
YOUR VOCATION IS YOUR PULPIT.”
