NEW ZEALAND LONG FINNED EEL
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
Revelation 4:11
NOTE: THERE IS A LOT HERE. TAKE YOUR TIME
Hi Men:
Well, tell me….. how was your week? Did you make a concerted effort to imitate Brother Lawrence and practice being in the “Presence of God?” Or …… did you allow constant interruptions to slip through, while checking your phone or tablet for the latest news on Trump, Israel, Ukraine, Russian, Hamas, military maneuvering, or people putting their foot in their foot in their mouth, whether they be celebrities, athletes or politicians. How about having a dose of “murder in your heart” for the guy typing a text sitting motionless in his car after the light turned green? If so, here are a few amazing verses (Ephesians 3:16-19) to help you re-center and pray for yourself and others on just who we are “in” Christ:
“May the Father grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
Good stuff, right?
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PHOTO ABOVE
What’s so special about that slimy thing? Yikes! Rather than going into boring detail (actually I was testing you…… it’s NEVER boring when it comes to God’s amazing creations)…….. there are plenty of websites you can get lots of information on this jaw-dropping eel. Here are just a few of those facts:
- The New Zealand Long Finned Eel can live up to a 100+ years
- They can climb ladders – no joke!
- Their larvae are see-through
- Scientists have never located their mating grounds in the tropics
o They think they may swim over 3000 miles to their spawning grounds
o They can’t be tracked, because they can swim at a depth of 3200′
- Scientists have no clue how the eggs are fertilized
- The larvae reach New Zealand by drifting on ocean currents for up to 18 months
o Off the New Zealand coast they change into tiny little eels
o They mature over a number of years swimming up the freshwater streams
- The can get out of the water and travel short distances to get around barriers
o They have climbed up 60′ waterfalls and…..
o Ladders that hydroelectric companies have installed
In some ways, the New Zealand Long Finned Eel is as amazing as the Pacific Golden Plover that we reported on two years ago: E²Vegas.org/Friday-Mens-Group-6-3-22 Only God can create such a miraculous creature. They confound the wisest scientists!
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IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD – OR – ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
Bayeux Cathedral in France
On Saturday, I received this note from Dustin (lives in SoCal):
“Dan, I know you’ll like this so I thought I’d share. My family and I are in France and I’ve brought a couple bundles of the Steps to Peace with God with me. I put some single ones around Paris, like in a broken skull in the Paris catacombs, and a basket of a parked bike, but thought it would be good to leave a bundle at one of the churches. Most French people speak English, so I hope someone finds those and eventually comes to Christ”
Ok, how cool is that note. When I received that email, it made my day!! Leaving one in the broken skull in the catacombs….. CLASSIC! Thanks Dustin…
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Another brother in Ohio gave a Steps to Peace with God to one of his account reps. His rep told him, “This changed my life!” The reps name is David. Please pray for him.
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A brother in Arizona gave Steps to Peace with God to (2) delivery guys with a significant tip inserted (see above). He saw them outside talking about it and very excited.
So men, the opportunities are unlimited. You just read what happened in France, Ohio and Arizona. Enough said, you know what to do!
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Thanking our Good Lord for “everything” the way it is right now!
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
Men:
In light of the “sharing your faith” stories above, you need to spend some time on the following (3) devotionals. Ask the Lord to speak to you as you read these and always with a “teachable heart.”
The Double Edge of Responsibility – Day 150 Blue Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
Men:
If you find that you are reluctant to share your faith because you fear suffering ridicule and rejection, remind yourself that it is not due to the Holy Spirit’s failure to give you adequate boldness. Scripture teaches that you will suffer for doing well. Are you willing to live with this abuse?
Remember, your willingness to faithfully proclaim the good news is evidence that you are one of the elect
The Price of Believing & God’s Elect – Day 152-153 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN PAKISTAN?
Next week Jane and I are flying in a dear friend from Philadelphia that we have never met. I say dear friend because we have stayed in contact with Sarah Ibrahim for 18 years. I met her husband David Ibrahim in Virginia in May of 2006. He had escaped Pakistan for distributing Bibles after his (2) friends were murdered (martyred) by radical Muslims. The Imams put a “fatwah” (death sentence) on his life. David is now back in Pakistan serving the brothers and sisters, but Sarah is coming to Vegas then Tucson to share her story of what it like to live & work in oppressive countries like Pakistan and trust Christ for EVERYTHING!
[Example of Life in Pakistan] If you are a small Christian businessman in Pakistan, eking out living, and you are in competition to a Muslim-owned business in the same area, all they have to do is set you up and accuse you of ripping a few pages out of the Qur’an. This scenario just happened last week …… David sent me videos (if you want to see some, let me know). A full scale riot broke out, businesses destroyed and some burnt to the ground. Also, one Christian was set on fire and burned alive! It took 2000 police officers to stop the carnage.
Sarah also wrote a book 10 years back, “Before You Say I Do… To A Muslim.” I might suggest you read the description:
Amazon.com/Before-You-Say-I-Do-To-A-Muslim
* Please pray for Sarah as she shares her story *
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Men: Schedule time this weekend to listen to Winston’s talk. You will walk away enriched for sure. You can follow along with Winston’s power point. See PDF below.
Living Life by Winston Parker
VICTORY – THANK YOU LORD!
Over 3 years ago, a group of business guys came together and said, “We’ll hold the rope if Daniel Janagam climbs in.” These men raised the support to print the Blue Devotional (Thoughts From the Diary of a Desperate Man) for the brothers in India. It was truly a spiritual war and Daniel never gave up and persevered. After numerous rejections by Hindu printers, a lone printer was raised up. Daniel recently took delivery of 5000 devotionals!
This miracle will be huge to all the English-speaking pastors and laymen throughout India and those other counties where Daniel has peeled open discipleship (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Bali, and now So. Africa).
This modern picture of the Book of Acts continues…….. stay tuned.
Please pray for Daniel and his wife Hephzi as they get ready to depart for So. Africa next month.
Note: Thousands of us around the world know the value of the Blue Book. It has transformed our thinking, driven us deep into the Scriptures and given us the ability to live with a Biblical Worldview!
MOVIE of the WEEK
Men: If you haven’t seen it, you will like this movie. A true story!
Watch On Netflix
Also on Prime Video to Rent.
The Death of Listening
“Why All the TVs?
The Death of Attention and Our Loss of Ability to Listen”
Men:
This is a pretty good article……..
The Noise of Our Culture
We are so accustomed to the noise that we sometimes don’t even realize how inundated we are. This is a problem for relationships and society. Gen Z spends an average of seven hours and seven minutes a day on their phones. Baby Boomers also spend hours a day on screens, roughly three hours per day.
SURGEON GENERAL REPORT 2023
Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual
and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular
disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that
caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than
that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful
consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in
our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance,
productivity, and engagement are diminished.
Men: Another article to provoke your thinking!
We are in the seedtime of eternity. Let’s not squander it, ok?
Sacrifice the Idol of Comfort
Redeeming the time is choosing to burst that bubble. It’s giving up the smoothness and easiness of comfort for the greater sake of the gospel. Because sometimes we need to give up comfort. Really. There are a whole lot of better things to do than just be comfortable—things like telling someone about Jesus, things like serving someone you don’t like, things like fellowship, things like praying with someone, things like confronting a friend about sin, and things like standing up for what’s right. Don’t let comfort make you complacent.
Men:
A dear brother sent me this story by Max Lucado. I think you will like it……….
The Woodcutter’s Wisdom
Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse………… Read The Rest Of The Story
