Christ- The Reese Source - The Newsletter of Net Work Ministries - February 2009 Edition

In my daily Bible reading this month, I have been in the book of Deuteronomy and Joshua. I have noticed in them a recurring phrase. It has stayed with me. I am challenged by it, especially in light of the current circumstances. The phrase is this: “BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.” Over and over this phrase is repeated. There are promises associated with this command. There are also challenges associated with the commands. “Fear not”...”Don’t be afraid.” “Do not be dismayed.” “Be careful to obey all the law…”

Moses challenged the Israelites when faced with entering the Promised Land and encountering opposition from the nations before them. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel,” Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you divide it among them as an inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8)

The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I have promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:3)

When the king of Assyria, Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem, Hezekiah encourages the people when he says, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid or dismayed for the king of Assyria, or for the entire multitude that is with him, for there is more with us than with him.” (2Chronicles 32:7)

What is the “take away” for us in all of this? How do we personalize these words of promise and challenge? When “the wheels seem to be coming off” in our lives, whether it be from financial reverses, health problems, relationship struggles, possible job loss or other such challenges, God calls out to us from the Bible, which is His “owners manual” for our lives.

The question for us then is this…Do we accept the challenge to: Be strong and courageous, to fear not, to not be dismayed? Do we believe that He will be with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us? Do we seek to obey Him? Are these words that were written centuries ago still applicable to modern life? Are they valid and relevant to our particular situation? Is this just too simplistic? Each of us must decide for ourselves. I would like to get your feedback on this.



MINISTRY NEWS:

When there is no earth-shaking news, I sometimes feel guilty. I do know that good things have been going on this month.

· The Friday morning group started a new, and might I say challenging book, “For Men Only” by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn. There have been some new insights on women gleaned from this book. Hopefully, we “knuckleheads” will learn something!!

· In meeting with individual men, I am seeing how the downturn in the economy is affecting more and more of us each week. I am seeing more of a spiritual hunger in men as the things they counted on to give them meaning and worth, i.e. power, position, possessions and wealth, are letting them down.

· The neighborhood guys group is still forming. We have three guys interested so far.

MINISTRY NEEDS:

· Your prayers and financial support

There is something great about guys going bird hunting together. “Camo“ and blaze orange will probably never hit the fashion charts of the top Paris designers, (Come to think of it, one can never tell!) They are, however, ‘de rigueur’ in the fields or woods. The sight of a ‘rock solid’ point of a good bird dog sends the heart racing with excitement. The sound of five or ten sets of wings beating the air to gain purchase to escape the threat of something unfamiliar coming near is, at once, frightening and exhilarating in its’ suddenness. The cry of ‘bird!” from a fellow hunter across the field sets all one’s senses on alert as you scan the skies for that elusive game bird. Watching a bird dog comb the fields for “The Scent of a Quail”, its favorite movie! (Think Al Pacino in ‘Scent of a Woman’ for dogs.) It is a study in intensity of focus and unbounded energy. The narrowing of focus, as one raises the shotgun to their shoulder, to just one particular bird, reduces the world to one particular instance of time and space. Gone, in an instant, are the cares of the economic crisis, the car your sixteen year old had just the day before totaled, the anniversary forgotten, and that overbearing boss.

Friendships formed in the fields and woods are strong bonds, knit together by shared stories of a particular covey flush, a difficult climb to reach an area thought to hold some birds, a spectacular point and retrieve by that special dog,
or shooting the limit on a good day. Shared hardships of foul weather, long drives, and getting shut out during a long day of hunting seem to enhance the relationships, as well.

The adventures in the fields and woods I have shared with guys, who have become close friends, have been a special part of my life. I came to bird hunting late in life. A dear friend introduced me to shooting a shotgun, eventually giving me one of his fine guns as a gift. Shortly after, I went on my first dove hunt with a group of guys from my Friday Morning Bible Study. I was hooked! It was not just the shooting, but the camaraderie of guys together in the fields. Eating together, laughing together and sharing stories of the past great hunts made the day special.

I have dedicated the last sixteen plus years in ministry developing the friendships of men so that they might develop a deeper friendship with Jesus Christ. I have found that shared adventures are particularly useful in this effort. In John Eldridge’s great book, “Wild At Heart”, he says that men have in them “a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue.” We men long for adventure.
For some of us, that longing for adventure has been suppressed by years of tedium, habit, and culture. It is still there, guys! We just need to re-discover it.

I want to live the great adventure. I want to live life to the fullest. I have found a little saying that I put on my desk that pretty much sums up the way I want to live the rest of my life.

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out proclaiming ------WOW-What a ride!” (Author unknown)

Here is another saying that I have found to be true. Jesus Christ says, in John 10:10 says, “I have come that you may have life, life to the full.” The greatest adventure I have lived in my sixty-three years is……...living the Christian life. Living a life following Christ has been filled with adventure. Each day is filled with new challenges. It has not been boring in the least. One of the great joys of my life has been sharing adventures with guys who share the love of the outdoors and the love of Jesus Christ. If you have not discovered the greatest adventure of all, I would love to talk with you about it. Give me a call or e-mail me.

MINISTRY NEEDS:
Quicken Accounting Software is offering, under its’ Merchant Services, an inexpensive way to process credit card transactions. I would like to survey the Net Work mailing list to see if this would be an attractive way for you to make donations to the ministry. Please e-mail me at: peggyandbuck@yahoo.com or call me at 678-986-4814 with your reaction to this. I would greatly appreciate your input.