“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
(Colossians 1:16)
Praying you all had a Blessed Thanksgiving
Men:
In light of all the Black Friday ads, I have been reflecting on this self-absorbed world that does everything possible to keep our eyes on the material and our own comforts. Let’s make a concerted effort to park ourselves in front of the Cross knowing that sin was defeated there and look over our shoulder and see that the stone was rolled back where death no longer has its sting! Men, this is the only Good News that will last! Now that’s something we can truly be THANKFUL for!
With Zion Boot Camp a week away, we have discussed many times, “What we do now will make an apparent and appreciable difference as to what our eternity will look like.” We don’t have time to waste our ammunition on secondary targets…… we want to “Finish Well” pouring our lives into other men. This earthly life is short, less than 100 years, but eternity is going to last for trillions and trillions of years. This should give us all pause. There are many “good” things out there, but let’s zero in on those things that are “great” and it’s all laid out in the scriptures. Let’s not get too preoccupied with the temporal.
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov 14:12)
Men, our purpose is to prepare for eternity!
Please Pray for our Zion conference…..
the men, the teachers, the venue. Thank you!
Photo: Zion 2017
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CORRECTION: Last week [E2Vegas.org/Friday-Mens-Group-11-19-21/] I incorrectly stated that all life as we know it exists 71 miles around this earth (7 miles down at sea lever and 62 miles up before you enter space). 7 miles down is accurate, but you only have to go 5 miles up from seal level before life as we know it, can no longer exist. So that ring of life is ONLY 12 miles, not 71. Scientists are gazing billions of light years into the universe looking for life…… and guess what, keep looking!
Jesus is Lord of all…………….
Your thankful slave in the immeasurable name of Jesus,
Dan
(Galatians 2:20)
Men, a powerful devotion from Valley of Vision – Puritan Prayers (I have also attached it in a PDF)
“A Teachable Heart” – Blue Book – Day 328
Men,
Years ago, I received a note from a pastor in India that I had given a Blue Devotional, “Thoughts From The Diary of a Desperate Man.” As he read Day 328, he said, “Brother, what a wonderful daily devotional. God spoke to me in the areas marked. Every word powerful and it pierced my heart…………..” I marked the same areas he marked. We all need to be like that pastor and allow God to “pierce my heart” to remain teachable, especially as we get older!
Sharing the Gospel is not only a privilege, but it’s our duty!
Ashamed or Bold? – Red Book Day 331
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
Facts of the Matter by Dwight Hill (Make sure you spend time on the verses below……..powerful)
THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON WHO CAN LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, AND IT’S NOT YOU !
The promise of Jesus to give us “a rich and satisfying life” is at best an elusive dream for most believers. (Jn. 10:10b – NLT) The reality is that most professed followers of Christ are mired in chronic defeat and joyless despair as echoed so powerfully by Paul, “ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Rom. 7:15, 18, 19 – NLT). Peter serves as exhibit A. In his pride:
He grudgingly accommodates Jesus’ suggestion to recast his nets, only to have his nets tear from the abundant catch. (Lk. 5:4-11)
He lectures Jesus on God’s will for his life, only to be rebuked as “Satan.” (Matt. 16:21-28)
He superciliously informs Jesus that he, unlike the other disciples, will in fact not deny him, only to be crushed by his spectacular cowardice. (Mk. 14:22-31)
Peter’s problem, like ours, is that we, in our unbroken pride actually have the audacity to think that with enough discipline, self-determination, prayer, and self-denial, can gain victory over our sin. Not so says Jesus: “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Lk. 18:27b).
Andrew Murray (b.1828 – d.1917) reminds us that “the cause of the weakness of your Christian life is that you want to work it out partly, and to let God help you. And that cannot be. You must come to be utterly helpless, to let God work…” 1
As Annie Flint – a woman severely afflicted for 30 years with arthritis penned, “ When we have exhausted our store of endurance; when our strength has failed ere the day is half done; when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Fathers full giving is only begun.”
QUESTION : Have you come to the abject end of yourself, and in deep repentance relinquished your pride? It is only then that you and I will begin to experience His grace and sufficiency; His power and His victory over our sin.
SUGGESTION : If these truths strike a chord in your heart, you may want to prayerfully work your way through the following Scriptures:
“ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose…I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being……That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God…to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 2:13; Eph. 3:16b, 19b, 20b).
This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.
Dwight Hill
1 “Humility and Absolute Surrender” Andrew Murray – Hendrickson Publishers, 2005, pg. 113
In closing, here is a quote from the missionary Jim Elliot, that was killed by tribal people many years ago in Ecuador – South America. You will remember his famous quote:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
If you haven’t seen this short video (6 minutes), I highly recommend it. Humbling: Vimeo.com/143675193
His wife, Elizabeth, said this was her favorite quote from her husband. She said that God did both in her husband:
