Friday Men’s Group 10/16/20

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?....” (Isaiah 40:26a)

Did you know that the foremost scientists and astrophysicists have no clue where the Moon came from?  As long as they exclude God, they have no feasible theory for the origin of the Moon.  If you study the Moon, you will find out amazing things.  For one thing, if we didn’t have the moon, we couldn’t survive.  Why?  Because it stabilizes the Earth’s axis…..  right now there is only a degree or two of variance.  Without it, our Earth would swing back and forth up to 90 degrees.  It would create a cataclysmic chain of events; storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, climate issues, etc. (what we are seeing now is nothing …. A walk in the park).  Most of you know that its gravitational pull causes ocean tides to go up and down twice a day.  If that didn’t happen, there would be massive stagnation and the food sources would die for the tiniest of sea creatures, algae and oxygen-producing microbes.  “All” life in the sea depend on them.  These are only a few of the amazing things about the moon.  The moon was created by God; there are no other options.

This has been a difficult week.  I needed to include that little blurb about the moon to get my mind back on the eternal.  Why?  Because today we lost a dear brother in Christ……. Tom Cameron.  It’s been heavy on our hearts.  Some of you never got to know Tom.  He’s one of those men that I can safely categorize as a “Fool for Christ” (1 Cor 4).   Could he be a piece of work?  Yes………. but he was God’s piece of work.  I don’t ever remember a time where Tom wasn’t “eternally focused.”  Whether it be helping a stranger fix a flat then leading him to Christ or talking to Randall Cunningham (former QB for the Eagles) in the parking lot of the Las Vegas Country Club where Randall surrendered his life to Jesus.  This was Tom’s life.  From shoveling snow at 3am that was piling up at Zion or putting a new leather cover on one of the men’s Bibles ……  He left an indelible imprint on for those that crossed his path.  You will hear more how God used this this imperfect man in the days ahead and at the Zion Boot Camp.  Tom reminds me of one of those “stinky & messy” fisherman when Jesus said, “Follow Me!”

 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Ps 116:15)

 Dan


As you know, the theme for Zion Boot Camp this year is “Finishing Well.”  I would say those (2) words fit our brother, Tom Cameron!   We have a great line-up of speakers.  We continue to look for A Few Good Men  that resonate when the Apostle Paul said:

 “Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” 
(1 Cor 9:26-27)

 Men, let’s run this race in such a way that we not be “disqualified.”………. Men, don’t miss this “Boot Camp.”

 ZION 2020 – Dec 4-6

We have limited space so please sign-up
To register, click the link below:

 E2Vegas.org/ZionBootcamp


 

The Footsteps of God – Red Book Day 292

“Not only do most people have no eternal hope,
they have no temporal hope as well.”


HOW ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO SUFFERING?

  • A friend’s twelve year old boy dies of cancer.
  • An unforeseen change in tax laws suddenly wipes out an established business.

Why do people suffer? Is it the result of sin? Circumstances?  Bad luck?  Evil forces winning over good? 

 How much suffering is self-inflicted through our sloth, greed, ignorance,  or stupidity?    

It seems that a considerable amount of the pain we suffer happens at random. Few would disagree that life,  taken at face value, appears to be unfair. (Ecc. 7:15; 8:14)

In my recent reflections on suffering from the Book of Job, five observations emerged:

  1. In the struggle between good  and evil, God may allow the righteous to  sufferwithout their knowledge of the issues at stake. (Job, chapters 1,2)
  2. Because our lives are  expendable  for  the glory of God, He is the One who determines  their quality and duration(Job 1:9-20; 2:6-10; 42:10-15)
  3. Our friends may well mis-judge the cause of our suffering by failing to comprehend God’s  inexplicable purposes at work behind the scenes. (Job 42:7,8)
  4. How we respond to suffering reveals the quality of our faith.(Job 1:21, 22; 13:15; 23:8-12)
  5. This side of eternity, God may choose notto explain the reasons for our suffering. He gave none to Job. (Dt. 29:29; Ecc. 8:17)

HOW THEN ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO SUFFERING?

Certainly Job’s response to the destruction of his family and fortune is worthy of our consideration. Upon learning of his losses, Job

“…Fell to the ground in worship  and said: ’Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’

IN ALL THIS, JOB DID NOT SIN BY CHARGING GOD WITH WRONGDOING.” (Job 1:20-22)

 THE QUESTION IS: DO WE?

 This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.

R. Dwight Hill

Audio Teaching of the Week:

 THE FUTILITY OF LIFE – By Walt Henrichsen – The Book of Ecclesiastes

 http://turret2.discipleshiplibrary.com/K199.mp3


 

 

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