TREES
“They Do Not Grow From the Ground” 😮
“…Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy”
Hi Men:
Due to who you are “IN” Christ, I pray this week you were able to exemplify the words in Phil 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say: Rejoice!”
Please note the ending exclamation mark (in most versions of the Bible). So just like the 2 words in 1 Thess 5:16, “Rejoice always” ….. God wants us to rejoice all the time, even when bad things happen. It doesn’t mean that we don’t….. “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and of course we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). Yet, since we are one with Christ, we can “rejoice always.”
PHOTO ABOVE
I’ve always loved trees. As a kid growing up in Wyoming, if I could find a tree, I was probably climbing it. After we moved to Las Vegas, I even had an old elm tree in our backyard that I spent a lot of time in. Many years later, when Jane and I moved into our present home, we had several huge cottonwoods — wait, cottonwood trees don’t grow in the desert — but unknown to us, they had tapped in to the leach lines from our septic system, so needless to say, they were very happy trees! My brother and his union buddies built a great treehouse in them for our boys and their friends.
But now let’s get back to that statement above: “Trees do not grow from the ground.” You may be scratching your head. What do I mean? Take a look at this… (just a few amazing facts):
- In the 1600s, Jan Baptista van Helmont planted a 5-pound willow tree in 200 pounds of carefully dried soil. Five years later, the tree weighed about 169 pounds — but the soil had lost only a few ounces! Even though the tree had gained roughly 169 pounds, almost none of that new mass had come from the soil.
- So where did the tree come from? Much of the answer is literally floating in the air. Trees take in carbon dioxide through microscopic pores in their leaves called stomata. Inside the leaf, photosynthesis uses the carbon from that CO₂ to manufacture sugars that become the building material for the tree.
- About half of the dry weight of a tree is carbon – and that carbon came primarily from the atmosphere. Think about that the next time you stand beside a massive trunk: a huge portion of that solid wood was once an invisible gas in the air.
- A leaf is not just a leaf—it is an extraordinarily complex solar-powered factory. Chlorophyll captures energy from sunlight; microscopic machinery inside the cells then uses that energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars that feed and build the plant. Answers in Genesis describes the process as hundreds of chemical reactions working in sequence like a highly organized manufacturing line.
- Those tiny stomata are actually adjustable valves. They open to admit carbon dioxide while guard cells regulate water loss and gas exchange. A tree is continually balancing its need for CO₂ against the danger of losing too much water.
- And the process is happening silently all around us. Sunlight arrives at a leaf, carbon dioxide enters from the atmosphere, water arrives from the roots, and the tree begins assembling sugars, cellulose, wood, bark, branches and roots — without a factory, furnace, construction crew or delivery truck.
That massive tree in front of you is, in a very real sense, carbon from the air made visible.
What an unfathomable God we worship. His power is almighty, and His creation quietly declares His majesty everywhere we look.
Here is a fun video of a guy asking:
“Where Do Trees Get their Mass?” (4 Min)
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
As some of you know, I was one of those highly motivated students who compressed a four-year undergraduate degree into seven years at UNLV! 🤠 And along the way I was crazy enough to serve 3 years as president of my fraternity, ATO (Alpha Tau Omega)
Fast-forward about 5 decades! Last Friday I received an invitation to join some ATO alumni for a little happy hour here in Las Vegas. Before I went, I prayed a very simple prayer: “Lord, One Man Please!”
After catching up with some of the guys, one of the younger fraternity brothers came over and we began visiting. Before we parted he said, “Dan, maybe we could grab lunch sometime.” That lunch is now scheduled for next week. I have no idea where the conversation will go, but I’m already praying that God will direct it.
I’ve prayed for this fraternity for years. It was founded at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) just after the Civil War with deep Christian roots for the purpose to introduce college age men to the person of Jesus Christ. Like many institutions, it has traveled a long way from those beginnings. But perhaps God isn’t finished with the story.
Men, something to think about: Is there a person, group, school, business, fraternity, club, neighborhood, or relationship from years ago that God may be calling you to circle back to?
You may have been placed there decades ago for a conversation that hasn’t happened yet.
Isn’t it interesting that our true peace comes from being IN Christ! Something to truly meditate on and pray about. Often I hear people desiring world peace and some Christian congregations pray for world peace often. Then along comes Jesus and He spoils the fun:
“ Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)
Grateful slave to King Jesus,
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
ON THE BRIDGE AT ZION
Click Photo to Enlarge
Some of the brothers, with a few wives and kids, after an afternoon hike at last year’s Zion Boot Camp. Join us for great biblical teaching, rich fellowship, and the spectacular setting of Zion National Park. Don’t miss it — register today!
Testimony:
“The Zion Boot Camp helped move me from a lukewarm new believer to a life-long disciple of Christ. What brings me back each year is the time spent with other men, of all walks and denominations, as we grapple with the deep questions of our Faith. The Zion Boot Camp is a consistent highlight of my year.”
Doug Taber, CCIM
San Diego
Men, one of the most dangerous places we can come to spiritually is the point where we think we already know. Culture, social media, politics, even our own long-held opinions can quietly shape the way we see reality. The question is not whether we are being taught — but who is teaching us? Are we still humble enough to let the Word of God correct us, challenge us, and even change our minds?
“Now these were more noble-minded…for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
Acts 17:11
Are You Teachable – Day 282 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
1 – Matt 21:26-27
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” — Romans 12:2
🔥 Pastors and Hell – Steve Kreins 🔥
“May the following letter, written by a pastor, stir your heart to do all that you can to avoid leading anyone into a false conversion”…….. Ray Comfort
See attached PDF letter
You can also read it on page 104 of “God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life”
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION YOU WILL EVER ANSWER
Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” But then He made it personal: “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13, 15). Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (v. 16).
Men, every person who has ever lived must ultimately answer that question. Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read This Section from the Evidence Bible.
THE LIVING CODE
Men:
I hope you are enjoying Glimpses of God that I put in last week’s Friday Letter. I thought I would share the one above with you. This 2:30 min video is amazing.
WATCH THE LIVING CODE (YouTube 2.5 Min)
GOD DOES HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR
One of the brothers sent me this (15 Seconds)
Show it to your kids……. and it is NOT AI
Watch On YouTube (15 Sec)
Men: Sometime back, a dear brother sent me this story by Max Lucado.
I think you will like it……….
The Woodcutter’s Wisdom
“Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse”………… (Open the attached PDF to read the rest of this story or Read It on Max Lucado’s website)
Pomegranates and the Word
Since pomegranates show up throughout the Bible, I figured I’d put a couple of them to work as props for two of my memory verses 🤠
The world gives us an endless supply of noise, distraction, and reasons to be totally unsettled. God gives us a much better place to focus our minds: on the wisdom that comes from above, and on what is true, honorable, pure, lovely, excellent, and worthy of praise. Maybe the pomegranates caught your eye, but these verses are what we really need to chew on.
Revisiting a Great Movie of the Week
Acts Of The Apostles (1994) – 3 hours 12 minutes
Men: Some years back, my wife found this movie by accident. We had never seen it and because it was produced 32 years ago, we though it might be a bit dated and corny. To our surprise it was really great. The acting totally amazed us…… and for us older guys you will recognize the main actors: Dean Jones, Jennifer O’Neill, James Brolin, etc. They did a great job. Even though it is long (although not as long as a Super Bowl), I highly recommend it and it doesn’t deviate from the scripture at all. Plan a time to watch it…… you won’t be disappointed.
A real blessing……..
Ways to watch:
YouTube (free)
Amazon Prime
The danger is not knowing too little Scripture
It is knowing much and applying little
“As you read your Bible day by day, do you apply the truth to yourself? What is your motive when you read the Bible? Is it just to have a knowledge of it so that you can show others how much you know, and argue with them, or are you applying the truth to yourselves? … As you read…say to yourself, ‘This is me! What is it saying about me?’ Allow the Scripture to search you, otherwise it can be very dangerous. There is a sense in which the more you know of the Bible, the more dangerous it is to you, if you do not apply it to yourself.”
~ Martin Lloyd-Jones