Demirköprü Turkey
February 6, 2023
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.
The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”
Matthew 7:13 (NLT)
Hi Men:
I hope you had some time this week in quiet solitude with the King of kings who lives in you! ……….
Sometimes I foolishly think that I’m insulated from the horrific world events and cataclysmic turmoil I read about so often. When that happens, I need to quickly “wake up” and realize that ultimately there is NO ESCAPE. If we read what WILL take place in Revelation, what we are seeing now is a “ walk in the park.” Also, NOTHING prevents some devastating event occurring where you and I are located. A geologist buddy of mine told me years ago about the plate tectonics under the Southern Nevada area. To think that we are shielded from major seismic activity is laughable. Heck, there was a tornado in LA yesterday😊 God can do whatever pleases Him in a blink of an eye……. And you all remember this verse: “The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” (Isaiah 45:7)
So what do we do? This reminder from Ken Boa can bring great comfort to those that believe it and meditate on it:
As I turn from dependence on myself to dependence on Christ, I discover His power in my life.
Your grace is sufficient for me,
for Your power is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly
in my weaknesses,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore, I can be content in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,
in difficulties, for Christ’s sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Lord God, teach me to realize that Your grace is always sufficient for me. It is foolish to rely on the weakness of the flesh when I can walk in the power of Christ who lives in me. May I discover His strength by acknowledging my weakness, even in those areas in which I am tempted to think I am competent. Amen.
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So what’s up with the photo at the top
It’s one I grabbed from Reuters to hopefully give us a vivid reminder of what can happen to our soul in a moment by taking the “wide gate.” It only leads to destruction. When I first reported on the massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, 21,000 people had died. Now that figure as of 4 days ago is at 57,300. Interesting that over an 8 year time period, 58,220 of our U.S. military died in Vietnam. A lot of people can perish suddenly due to an earthquake. Remember the earthquake and resulting tsunami off the coast of Sumatra? Over 225,000 people died that morning.
Some of you might not be aware of this, but there is a massive Christian relief network assisting in those devastated areas and sharing the eternal Good News! The Islamic Imams are telling local people to beware of these people and keep your distance. But we know that what is meant for evil, God will use for good! (Gen 50:20). Reality Check: Unless the Lord places His hand of mercy on Turkey and Syria, of the 107.4 million people in those 2 Islamic countries, more than 105 million will spend eternity in hell. That is terrifying! The earthquake is a very minor issue in light of eternity. Let us continue to pray for the suffering, but that Jesus would draw them to Himself.
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IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD …… ALMOST
I have stayed in touch over the years with a number of the boys that were in our Boy Scout Troop. Recently one of the boys (now a young man, married with 2 young girls) and serving our country in the USAF, wanted to spend time in the Bible. He (Adam) is currently stationed in Germany, but is on a special assignment in Okinawa, Japan. Adam is a Tech Sgt and a specialist on F-16 jet engines.
So what are we doing? I asked Adam if he wanted to go through Book 1 of the Discipleship Bible Studies – “Who Is Jesus Christ?” He said yes and that is exactly what we are doing. We are currently using Signal’s video app and are now in Chapter 3 and having a super time. He’s also up to date on the memory verses (just memorized John 14:6 – pretty crucial in light of the reality check above). We meet every other Sunday morning (his time) because Okinawa is 16 hours ahead of PST. I recently sent him (APO) the rest of the studies and he should have all of them once he gets back to Germany.
Photo: Adam (on the right) qualified for an incentive ride in a F-16 while on TDY in another country. I was surprised he fit in the jet…… Adam is 6’5” He said it was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE!
Question: Who are those in your life that you have been staying in touch with (recent or long-term)? You can easily start by showing them the very thin Book 1 and ask if they want to go through it with you. Remember, if you meet with a man once a week, you can be done with Book 1 in 4 weeks. Certainly not overwhelming. How about it? Who are you going to pray about today?
Grateful for the Risen Christ!
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
You have heard many times, that only (2) things pass into eternity: God’s Word and People. Where are you spending your time?
Just Invite Jesus Into Your Heart
Men: How many times have you heard, “Just invite Jesus into your heart” and you will be saved and your life changed forever? Over a year ago we attached a PDF on the unbiblical methods of contemporary evangelism. Take a sobering moment to read some of the tragic results of “easy believism” in the above PDF. Those bullet points come from Ray Comfort’s book, God Has A Wonderful Plan For Your Life.
To refresh your memory, scroll down to the book image from our previous Friday email: E²Vegas.org/Friday-Mens-Group-1-28-22
After reading those tragic results, put your seat belt on and read these 2 devotionals below.
Can You Be Certain? Part One & Two – Red Book Day 84-85
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
Great Quotes from C.S. Lewis
Men:
You will like this 4 minute video of quotes from C.S. Lewis.
I had a hard time deciding what ones were my favorites, so I just arbitrarily picked these two…….
(YouTube 4 min)
Self-Glory and Selfish Talk
By Paul Tripp
Men:
This is a short read, but excellent. Make sure you read the Reflection Questions.
Click Here: PaulTripp.com/Self-Glory-And-Selfish-Talk
“Self-glory never produces patient love, forgiving grace, humble respect, a willingness to listen, or a commitment to guard another’s reputation in your relationships. Self-glory never makes you kinder, gentler, or more tender. Self-glory turns truth into a weapon and uses words to harm.”
Nothing like a letter from Walt that I found from 2012 to provoke me to think…………..
