Betelgeuse
Taken @ Zion Boot Camp 2021
Hi Men:
As we draw close to Christmas, let us ponder the words of our brother Jerry Bangert, “The work of Christ and the multiplicity of second chances afford us an opportunity to grow, mature and become Christ-like.” Men, that should be our focus: Grow – Mature – Become Christ-like. Those (3) things won’t happen unless we are serious in mining the depths of the scripture with a sincere prayer life. Why don’t we all add those requests in our concentrated moments of supplication to God…… what a great way to start the new year!
Note: I would encourage all of you to read and ponder Jerry’s end of year letter (See attached PDF)
——— ———-
BETELGEUSE REVISITED
While up at Zion, the stars at night were amazing and I just had to grab a photo of my favorite star, Betelgeuse (in the photo above, it is the brightest star in the upper left). Even with all the light emitted in Las Vegas, you can still easily see it with your naked eye. Just look for Orion’s Belt in the Orion Constellation (eastern sky, but almost overhead now ) and look to the left (90°) from the highest star. It’s close to 700,000,000 miles in diameter! That’s right…. 700 million! Our own Sun isn’t even 1 million miles in diameter. And by the way, about a million Earths could easily fit inside it. Why do we worry or have anxious thoughts if the God we serve spoke Betelgeuse into existence?
I shared with the Zion guys how I use Betelgeuse to get men to think more on an eternal plane since this life is just a vapor (James 4:14). If Betelgeuse were plopped in the center of our own solar system, it would go past Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth …… almost reaching Jupiter! So here is the question: “If you could tie a string to your chair and stretch it to Betelgeuse (640 light years from Earth – traveling at the speed of light, it would take you 640 years to reach it) and pull one hair out of your head and lay it perpendicular on the string, the width of the hair is our life on this earth and the string is eternity………. How much time are you spending on the hair vs. the string?” We have said many times that what we do now (for Christ) will make an appreciable and apparent difference as to what our eternity will look like. As mentioned above, the first place we start is spending more time is in the Word.
“He must increase, but I must decrease”
Dying to Live,
Dan
(Galatian 2:20)
If you want decrease, watch this 3+ min video again: Andromeda Galaxy
——— ———-
Webb Space Telescope Launch Date Update
Men: Want to be used by God? Then “Surrender any right to determine how He will do it!”
Volunteering to Be Used – Red Book Day 352
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
One of the brothers shared the following video (5 min). Very timely!
What Am I Called to Do?
Of course it’s not about numbers, it’s being obedient to God’s call on our life.
The MIM Booklet: Establishing Your Purpose addresses this critically important truth.
Click on Image or Here: MIMbooks.com/Establishing-Your-Purpose/
“…before it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out.”
I love that statement from the 1871 Bible Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown. It goes with the verse from Matthew 27:51, “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” (NASB)
With Christmas approaching, I would encourage you to read the blog, The Torn Veil, by Todd Price. It was passed on by one of our dear MIM brothers. Here is the link: ToddLPrice.com/The-Torn-Veil-a-Good-Friday-Meditation/
What a great reminder of what Christ has done for us!
Assurance of Salvation
The attached PDF was a great one-pager composed last month by a wonderful brother in Alabama. The timing of it is great since this was one of the questions addressed on Sunday morning during our Q&A at Zion.
Movie: Short Historical Drama
First Winter (27 minutes)
Men: My wife and liked this short movie. A good one watch with your kids/grandkids 7+.
And I was complaining about what?
The year is 1830.
With the father away working at a logging camp, an Irish immigrant family struggle to survive their first winter in the Canadian wild. Talk about tough people!
Prime Video (27 mins)
Sing These Christmas Hymns
Men: I really liked this email from Paul Tripp on these Christmas Hymns. I hope you enjoy them also…………….
God designed human beings to sing. It’s why from a very young age, babies and toddlers break out into spontaneous song, even if we don’t understand what they’re singing. And we’ll never stop singing, up until our very last days.
If you listen carefully, you will notice that we tend to sing about what has captured our hearts and minds. So what has captured your heart and mind this Advent season? We have no better reason to sing than this: the Savior came to live, die, and rise again to fix what sin had broken!
Dozens upon dozens (upon dozens upon dozens!) of Bible verses encourage us to sing, as an outpouring of the joy and gratitude we have in our heart for what the Lord has done. “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
In addition to reading Scripture with your family this December, I highly encourage you to sing every day. Here are just a few excerpts from six of my favorite Christmas hymns.
(Before setting them to music, read the words independently so you can internalize.)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Christ, by highest heav’n adored:
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Veil’d in flesh, the Godhead see;
Hail, th’incarnate Deity:
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail! the heav’n born Prince of peace!
Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonder, wonders, of his love
O Come All Ye Faithful
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father,
Now in the flesh appearing,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at thy birth
Jesus Lord, at thy birth
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
O come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
O come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
[Refrain]
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.
Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”
