Friday Men’s Group 3/22/24

Vitis Vinifera

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and
I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do NOTHING.”
—-Jesus

Hi Men:

I pray you had a great week and …… “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” (Eph 3:16)

I was on a zoom call yesterday and one of the brothers brought up that verse in Eph 3. It’s been on my mind ever since. This one verse is so profound, but let me suggest you take 15 seconds to read 14 through 19: Ephesians 3:14-19 I still can’t get my mind around these jaw-dropping verses.

Paul’s prayer is for us to not to just “know” about our faith, but to be “transformed” by it from the inside out. To utilize the endless power that is available through the Holy Spirit. Are you asking God for this?

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What about the weird photo at the top? When I go on my morning walks and exit out my back gate, I have been observing these leaves that are now opening up on this vine. They have crept over the wall from my Cambodian neighbors. You may know what Vitis vinifera is and for those that don’t, it’s a “common grape vine.” As they develop into grapes, I continue to be amazed how sweet they become in spite of how hot that block wall gets in the summer. Here are just a couple interesting facts about grape vines:

• Longevity: Some can produce fruit for over a 100 years!
  
  
• Root System: Can extend 50 feet down
  
  
• They go way back: One of the oldest cultivated fruits. They discovered a winery in Armenia that was about 5,000 to 6,000 years old.
  
  
• Uses: Other than wine, you guys already know. But a few we don’t think of at the moment…….. jellies, jams, vinegar, grape seed extract and of course raisins
  
  
• Jesus: He used the analogy of the vine and the branches in John 15:1-11 Of course they are familiar to you, but have you really taken the time to meditate on them. If I snip that small branch off from the vine, by the next morning it will be shriveled and dead and can do NOTHING. But if it continues to “abide” in the vine, it will bear much fruit. The same with us men. If we abide in Christ, we will bear much fruit…… and if we don’t, we will be cast into the fire and burned up…… This is SERIOUS BUSINESS men! Jesus ends those verses by declaring…. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…..”

Note: This is a great little book on John 15 “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson

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IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD AND DOWN THE STREET

It seems like something is always going askew. If it’s not something in my backyard or in the house, it’s something with my car. I was visiting my older brother and told him I have an engine light that came on. He said to head down to Auto Zone and have them plug their computer in and read the codes. I did just that.

The nicest guy helped me, Jason. He plugged his computer into my car and some codes appeared. He also checked my battery. He said I have a “canister purge valve” that’s defective. Who knew 😊 There were more details, but the Lord allowed me to say, “Hey Jason, you have been so helpful, I now have something for you. Has anyone ever given you a pack of million dollar bills?” The look on his face was priceless. I said, “Actually it’s worth way more than a million dollars, it’s the Million Dollar Gospel of John!” He then said wow and told me he had Jesus in his heart. I said fantastic and then started asking him some questions. He had another lady waiting for him, so I had to condense a few things, but found out he has “no peace” and worries all the time. I pulled out the Steps To Peace With God and said he needs to read this. He said he definitely will. We took a photo, hugged each other and I gave him a significant tip. He also has my email address on the back of the gospel tract.

Men, these opportunities are everywhere. And as long God keeps breaking stuff, it looks like I will have plenty more opportunities 😊

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Broken, Dependent and Grateful,
Dan
(Gal 2:20)

“For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
(Romans 14:8)

Men: We are called to suffer. To get a current glimpse of what that means, you will want to read the Democratic Republic of the Congo article below this devotional by Voice of the Martyrs. Now, read Day 82 thoughtfully………

“This is God’s universal purpose for all Christian suffering:
More contentment in God and less satisfaction in the world.”
John Piper

Called to Suffer – Day 82 Red Book

The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
1 Peter 5:10

Read this eye-opening article (12 minutes)

Two quotes from the article: