Friday Men’s Group 11/18/22

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus……
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake
1Thess 5:18; Phil 1:29

Hi Men:

I pray you have seen God’s hand on your life this week.  Check out this profound prayer by the Apostle Paul:

“[May the Father] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:16-19

Now that’s a prayer you can meditate on throughout the day……. Right?   If the Lord’s leads you, take this prayer and make it part of your daily walk.  It will bless you abundantly!  

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Last week I mentioned that my left arm wasn’t working.  Well, God honored your prayers and my arm is working again and I am grateful.  Various things happen every year before the Zion Boot Camp…….. you just don’t know what kind of tribulation God is going to bless you with.  I recall our brother Walt saying:  “Tribulation is God’s grace in disguise.”  By the way, one of the speakers at Zion several years back, Dr. Brice Kopas, gave a message on “tribulation” and handed out a 2-sided card on what to DO and what to KNOW amidst tribulation.  (See attached PDF Tribulation). I would encourage all of you to print it out and share it with your family and friends.

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   Thanksgiving

How did you like the way I put those two verses together at the top photo?  We’re fine with the first one, but the second one (Phil 1:29)…. Well, let’s skip that one 😊  Isn’t it amazing that we have been “granted” to suffer for Christ’s sake.  Do a study on the Greek word “granted” and you will quickly see that God is not only doing us a favor to suffer for Christ, but it’s also gracious, kind and benevolent of Him.  Possibly this Thanksgiving take your praise around the table to a whole new level.  What do you think?

Jane and I are excited.  By God’s grace, we depart this afternoon for Knoxville, Tennessee to be with our son John and family.  We will stay with him several days then all of us will drive just outside Charlotte, North Carolina and celebrate Thanksgiving at our son Mark’s home with his family.  Jane & I covet your prayers.  The photo above is one that John’s wife Paige took while they were hiking in the Great Smoky Mts (different than Tahoe, but still amazing and beautiful)  The photo at the left is John with his son Ezra.

Grateful to be back in the saddle putting together the Friday letter.  Thanks again for your prayers.  There’s a lot of good stuff for you to ponder this week.  Take your time.  Happy Thanksgiving  to you and your families! 

Rejoice Always (1 Thess 5:16)
Dan

Please Pray for Zion Boot Camp – Dec 2-4

Speakers • Participants & Families  • Travel Arrangements • Logistics

 


 

Men:

Take some time reflecting on these two devotionals.  Truths you seldom hear……

Escaping the Evil to Come  &  The Promise of God’s Wrath – Day 318 & 327 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically

Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”

 


 

THE CHOSEN – SEASON 3

Men:  This opens today at theaters around the globe.  The Chosen (Seasons 1 & 2) have had over 400,000,000 views in almost 200 countries.  It is a great evangelistic tool for unbelievers!

Quotes from Jesus in Season 3: 

“There will come a time when this will become far more difficult when persecution is an ever present part of your ministry.  Are you ready to do hard things?”  “Yes”  “We will see……. Follow Me.”

Season 3 Trailer: (YouTube 2 ½ Mins)           

Season 3 Tickets: The Chosen

 


 

Can Cancer Be God’s Servant?

What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Years
By Randy Alcorn

Nanci Said:  “I honestly would not trade this cancer experience to go back to where I was. These last months have been used by God to propel me into a deeper understanding and experience of his sovereignty, wisdom, steadfast love, mercy, grace, faithfulness, immanency, trustworthiness, and omnipotence.”

Men:  This is an amazing article you can take time to read and share with your friends!
See Attached PDF   or     Click Here to read it on the DesiringGod.org website

 


 
Great quote by Randy Alcorn!

 


 

Men:  This is only 6 minutes.  When I listened to it, I again thought of the verse in Phil 1:29 where it is a gift to suffer for Christ.  How often to you hear that?

“God has a purpose for our pain, and a time is coming when He will call each of us to die. Today, R.C. Sproul describes the perspective we gain when we understand that suffering is part of our calling as Christians.”

Called to Suffer? …. By R.C Sproul

Podcast Link  (Google Podcasts 6 minutes)

Or ….. Renewing Your Mind website

 


 

42% of Gen Z diagnosed with a mental health condition

20 percent of the 1,000 Gen Z study participants say they have a regular therapist, 57 percent take regular medication, and 39 percent attend therapy for mental health issues once a week. Gen Zers are also two times more likely than millennials or Gen Xer to report struggling with daily emotional distress issues.

Men:  I don’t know about you, but when my son sent me this article it shocked me!  The respondents ranged in age from 18 to 24 with an average age of 22.  At least for me, the sad and disconcerting thing is, I don’t see it getting any better.  Their only hope is the Good News of Jesus Christ.  We need to “……. Beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  These young folks have no peace and 85 percent are worried about their future.  They desperately needSteps To Peace With God

Click on photo or this link to read the whole article:

 


 

The Valley of Vision – Love Shed Abroad

Men:
Only 3 minutes.  Powerful!

Love Shed Abroad (YouTube 3 mins)

“I trusted thee in an hour of distress,
and thou didst not fail me, though faith trembled”

 


 

Our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters

Men:  Just a few bullet points of many.  Maybe something to reflect and pray about this coming week……

  • Rebel groups in Colombia, Myanmar and other nations abduct children as a way of punishing their parents for their Christian witness. Boys are sometimes forced to become soldiers, while girls are sold into marriage or trafficked in nearby countries.
  • Christian families in many nations are driven from their homes because of their faith, leaving both parents and children with little more than the clothes on their backs.
  • Islamist groups, like Boko Haram in Nigeria, target Christian men when they attack villages, intentionally impoverishing their widows and children.

Here is a short video produced in Pakistan by VOM several years back: (YouTube 5 mins)

Compared to our brothers and sisters in these countries, our suffering & afflictions are definitely “light and momentary” ……… at least for now!

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
 2 Corinthians 4:16-18