Friday Men’s Group 12/18/20

The ‘Great Conjunction’

December 21, 2020

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom
He is pleased!”
(Luke 2:14)

Hi Men:

 I pray your week was a blessing “in” Christ.

Earlier this week I was listening to an old hymn, “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing”  I was truly smitten by the words in this stanza:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it with Thy Spirit from above

As I reflected on it, I know in the deep recesses of my heart what I am capable of doing…… and it scares me at times (Jeremiah 17:9)
I looked up both the author and the man that put it to music.  Here is a very brief overview of what I discovered.  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing was written by Robert Robinson in 1758.  He was an apprentice to a barber and a “major” trouble-maker.  In 1752, he heard a sermon by Geo. Whitefield on “Flee From the Wrath to Come” from Matthew 3:7 and that is what led him to the Cross.  Six years later he wrote the hymn.  Two years after that a man by the name of Martin Madan put the hymn to music.  Interesting that Martin Madan was to be an attorney, but the whole current of his life changed when he heard a sermon by John Wesley titled, “Prepare to Meet Thy God.”  Note that after the sermon that day, John Wesley commented, …….I could say, many were afraid to go to bed, and some wandered about in the fields, being persuaded that, if the world did not end, at least London would be swallowed up by an earthquake. I went to bed at my usual time, and was fast asleep by ten o’clock.”   

Today, I don’t think there are many sermons like those from Wesley and Whitefield…..

 To hear this hymn performed by Fernando Ortega, click below (4min):
https://youtu.be/FU1u6Lmz27A

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Ok Dan, what about the photo at the top.  You thought I might forget about the ‘Great Conjunction’ that is going to occur this coming Monday evening?  Not likely… haha! The planets haven’t been aligned like this in 800 years, March 4, 1225 to be exact.  I won’t go into a lot of detail because you have most likely been reading about it.  If the skies are clear in your area, then you will want to grab your binoculars (or telescope if you have one) and look for them low in the south-west in the hour after sunset.  The two gas giants of Jupiter and Saturn will appear just a tenth of a degree apart – about the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length, even though they are still 400 million miles apart!  I snapped the photo at the left with my cell phone the other night.  The moon is at the bottom of the picture and Jupiter and Saturn are at the top.

 The 21st is also the date of the December solstice which brings the shortest day of the year, in terms of hours of sunlight.

 The Star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to the place of Jesus Christ’s birth may have been a great conjunction. 

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”  (Matthew 2:2)

 Actually I want to believe the Star of Bethlehem was like the opening scene in the original Ben Hur in 1959.  By the way, I had to do “extra” chores to earn enough money to see this classic movie as a kid living in Wyoming.  The movie theaters increased the price from a dime to 25 cents.  Outrageous!

 Here is that short 3 minute clip from Ben Hur – 1959
https://youtu.be/b654a_u474Q

Merry Christmas men………………

Jesus + Nothing
Dan
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live, even if he dies”


Whose Job is the Ministry / Owning our Priesthood

MIM E2 Webinar:  Saturday, January 16th from 7am -10am (Pacific Time)
Purpose:  To Encourage, Connect, Challenge and Exhort Soldiers Living Out E2 to be Steadfast in the Battle and Finish Strong.
More Information: Click Here

Please Calendar January 16th  – you will not want to miss this teaching!  More information forthcoming.

 Click on the image cover below to download a free electronic copy or to order your hard copy Click Here


The Shame of Christmas

Bill McCurine
(See Attached PDF)

Note:  For those of you that don’t know Bill, he was the first African American from Chicago to study on a Rhodes Scholar with a Masters from University College Oxford in England.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law.  Bill is a retired Federal Magistrate Judge based in San Diego.  Throughout the years, Bill has been a speaker at The Guys’ Thing, Lost Valley Ranch, Southwest Men’s Retreat, Great Lakes Conference and many others.


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”


Ten Most Wanted

Want to find a ministry you can start on your own, you just found it…….
Make sure you read the attached PDF testimony by our dear brother, Jack Carter


On Living in an Atomic Age…. C.S. Lewis (1948)


Audio Message of the Week:

 Christ as Lord  – By Walt Henrichsen (35min)
Men, this teaching will surprise you.  “Who owns your life?”  Do you model your life after the children of Israel or Joseph?
“………….Chose you this day whom you will serve……..”  

Click Here:  http://turret2.discipleshiplibrary.com/6271A.mp3


Video of the Week: 

Polycarp – 92min   Trailer: https://youtu.be/7IjPlffZVy8
This is a great movie for the whole family.  The acting is quite good.

Christian Cinema: https://www.christiancinema.com/digital/movie/polycarp

Amazon Prime:  https://www.amazon.com/Polycarp-Garry-Nation/dp/B06VY83BBK


I guess this answers some of our earlier questions