Friday Men’s Group 1/31/25

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
 What It Really Looks Like

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3

(and we need to keep this one on the forefront of our mind…..)

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” ~ Jesus

Hi Men:
I pray you have had a great week “in” the Lord……
Like you, I’ve been reflecting on a lot of things. As I consider Jesus’ words in the verse above, they give me pause. In Matthew 24:29, Jesus declares that cosmic destruction is coming and the earth as we know it will disappear. So why do we spend so much of our time consumed with earthly things? And just six verses later, He proclaims, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). That leads to a second question—if His words are eternal and Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1), why do we spend so little time in them?


PHOTO ABOVE

The small image above is what I actually thought our Solar System looks like. When in all actuality It Looks Like This  (YouTube 33 Seconds)           

So, our solar system isn’t stationary. Instead of being a static system, it’s in constant motion around the Milky Way’s galactic center! Here’s what happens: The Sun pulls the planets and moons along as it orbits the Milky Way. Planets move in spirals relative to the Sun, creating a dynamic motion. So, everything is in motion relative to nearby stars

Check this out….. really wild to think about: 

* Our Earth orbits the Sun at an average speed of 67,000 MPH
* Our Solar System orbits the center of the Milky Way at over 140 mi/sec?
* So as you having your 1st cup of coffee, checking the latest on social media, you’re actually moving at 514,000 MPH through the galaxy!


IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Hot off the press. I can hardly wait to start using these “Space Cowboy” million dollar bills.

——————

To consider what God is capable of doing on this Pale Blue Dot, should keep us in a posture of perpetual brokenness and dependence!

Keeping both eyes on eternity,
Dan
(Galatians 2:20)


Men:
You have all heard the term, “Majoring in Minors.” Or as we like to say, “Don’t waste your ammo on secondary targets.” Over the years I have run into guys that have spent hours upon hours researching various things, including for example modes of baptism; i.e., sprinkling vs. full immersion. But when I ask them, “Whose your man?” …. they have that blank stare. It’s like Jesus’ last commands in Matt 28:19-20 are optional.

Let’s commit to pray and ask the Lord to show us how we can please Him and bring glory to His wonderful name.

Holding in Contempt God’s Word – Day 30 Red Book

The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”

Send this to your buddies
. See if they are teachable.


Upcoming Men’s Retreats – Please Pray

Jan 31 – Feb 2 – Men’s Winter Retreat 2025 (Pennsylvania)
IT STARTS TONIGHT. PLEASE PRAY

Feb 8 – 1/2 Day Tune Up and Breakfast with Bill McCurine – Scottsdale, AZ
Feb 28 – Mar 2 – Lost Valley Men’s Retreat (Colorado) [WAITING LIST ONLY]
May 1 – 3 Great Lakes Men’s Retreat (Ohio)


For those who don’t know, D.A. Carson is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and has retired from public ministry. He is one of the best theologians and thinkers of our time.

This is what he said about his illness:

“I am not suffering from anything that a good general resurrection can’t fix.”

I love this quote by Carson”

“Some Christians want enough of Christ to be identified with Him,
but not enough to be seriously inconvenienced.”


Men:
As mentioned in previous Friday Letters, my wife and I have been watching these documentary series. We were both surprised at the quality of each of these 27 minute series on Amazon Prime.

Series 3 – Episode 2 really grabbed me when Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh were sentenced to execution by hanging in 2009 for converting to Christianity in Iran. I have seen other interviews by Maryam and Marziyeh, but in this one, they had some veryprofound comments.

If so inclined, you might want to watch these…..

WATCH FULL EPISODES On Amazon Prime
In each episode, you will quickly see that without a Biblical Worldview, any culture will start to deteriorate. Pass this link to your friends…….


How Does An Owl Fly So Silently?

This was pretty awesome. Only 60 seconds. All these things show us God’s amazing hand …. We are without excuse (Romans 1:20)

Watch This YouTube Short


QUOTES

ARE YOU GUILTY OF HIGH TREASON?

In my early walk as a believer in Christ, a couple pastors that I watched on TV started to build my initial foundation. One of them was Adrian Rogers. I love this quote by him:

“I care not how beautifully you sing; how eloquently you teach; how liberally you give; how circumspectly you walk — if you are not endeavoring to bring souls to Jesus Christ, you’re not right with God. You… are guilty of high treason against heaven’s King.”

C.S. Lewis – Yikes!

“Men are mirrors, or ‘carriers’ of Christ to other men. Usually, it is those who know Him who bring Him to others. That’s why the Church, the whole body of Christians showing Him to one another, is so important. It is easy to think that the Church has a lot of different objects —  education, building, missions, holding services… The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.”


E2

“The day you choose to become proactively engaged in winning the lost and discipling the saved, the war with the Enemy heats up. Go ahead, attend church, sing in the choir; attend religious programs. No problem, because you are of little if any threat to the Enemy. He’s more than happy to keep you busy with religious activities. As an evangelist and discipler, you are entering a spiritual battle with the arch enemy of your soul. So brace yourself for his vicious attacks.”     Dwight Hill – Discipler of Men