Christ - The ReeseSource: May 2018

Friday, May 25, 2018

MARCH 2018 EDITION

As we look forward to celebrating Resurrection Sunday, let us reflect on the fact that so much of Jesus’ life was prophesized long before he lived. In fact, Bible scholars tell us that Jesus Christ fulfilled nearly 300 references to 61 specific prophecies of the Messiah. The odds against one person fulfilling that many prophecies would be beyond all mathematical possibility. It could never happen, no matter how much time was allotted. One mathematician’s estimate of those impossible odds is “one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”³ Let’s look some prophetic verses found in the Book of Isaiah written at least five hundred years before actual events concerning his last days leading up to His Resurrection.

Isaiah 53:1-12 (NIV)

“1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Think of it! Jesus knew the Scriptures well. He was constantly quoting verses from Isaiah. I am sure He knew these particular verses. They were talking about Him and His mission while He was with us. I wonder what He felt when He read them!

I would like to share with you a YouTube video entitled: “What’s So Good About Good Friday?” Please cut and paste this website to your browser to view it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzxXvEtf9D0

It is my hope that this will reach you before Easter Sunday but even if it doesn’t, please take the time to see it and reflect on it and the wonder of Jesus’ love for you and me.

Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

6 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Not only did He die for us but He rose from the dead to secure eternal life for us.

Consider this:

If the resurrection did not happen, then the Christian faith is invalid. It stands or falls on the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. What do you think? If it did happen and you do not believe It., consider the consequences. I assure you, it will be a horror beyond all horrors. If it did not happen and you did not believe it, what have you lost…nothing. If it did happen and you do believe it, you have gained Heaven and everything else.

I ask you “Have you placed your trust in the One who gave his life for you so that you might live forever in the presence of God and have life to the fullest here and now?”

If not, what is stopping you? God has delayed His return to give all a chance to turn to Him,. However, He will not delay forever. When the Author walks on stage, the play will be over. It will be of no use at that time to choose to follow Him then.

Ministry News:

· I have had numerous meetings this month with individual men in both my ministries with Net Work and Young Life.

· I went on a four-day retreat with men who were affiliated with Young Life in one form or another. This was our thirtieth consecutive year of meeting together to share what has been going on in our lives. We take the time to share laughter, tears, and prayers for each other. I daresay there are few men who have experienced this close fellowship over so many years. I would encourage you men to get together with other like-minded men who have the common bond of a relationship with Christ. Get away together, laugh together, share your lives together with real transparency . It will strengthen you as men.

Proverbs 27:17 says,” As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has

no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep

warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three

strands is not quickly broken.

Have a truly blessed celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord!

Buck

MAY 2018 EDITION

I have developed an unusual practice when encountering someone in the service arena. I actually tip them extra when they answer, “You’re welcome or My pleasure” when I thank them. This is in response to the response I usually get, particularly from servers in a restaurant. Their response that both puzzles me and annoys me is, “No problem.” I just do not get it. Where did that come from? One guess is it is of Jamaican origination. “No problem, Mon.” Whatever… My thought is this, “I hope I haven’t been a problem to the server or my thanking them is not a problem.” I know for some the ChicFilA response of “My pleasure” comes off as a canned response but it is so much more preferable than “No problem.” I truly think that many of the ChicFilA employees do take pleasure in doing their job of serving the public well.

I cannot imagine when I express my thankfulness to God for the many blessings He has given my family and me over the years that He would reply “No problem.” I much rather think that He is saying “My pleasure” as I believe He takes great pleasure in blessing us.

Another “pet peeve” I have that is actually Biblical is the use of

“OMG” in texts, email or in everyday speech. We all know what that stands for. It is used so frequently by so many that I do not think they stop to consider what they are doing. They consider it a harmless figure of speech. The Bible says differently.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (KJV; also, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God" (NRSV)

Deuteronomy 5:10-11 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

“The name of the Lord is holy, as He is holy. The name of the Lord is a representation of His glory, His majesty, and His supreme deity. We are to esteem and honor His name as we revere and glorify God Himself. To do any less is to take His name in vain.”

I had a friend who was a coach at the high school where I was involved with Young Life. If something happened bad in a game, he would say “J----Chr”! We were friends so I jokingly said to him one day, “Hey, quit picking on my guy, why don’t you say “Buddha”? We had a good laugh and from that day on, I called him “Buddha” to remind him not to misuse God’s name.

The intention of our hearts when using God’s name is most important. Do we use His name with reverence and respect? On the other hand, is it used as a convenient curse word or as a throwaway phrase indicating our shock or surprise? I feel it hurts our Lord who gave His life for us. It also diminishes us. I know we have better, more wholesome ways of expressing our dismay, shock or surprise.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Blessings, my dear friends! Thank you for your friendship, partnership and encouragement.

Net Work Ministries, Inc. Purpose Statement

The purpose of Net Work Ministries is to bring hope and healing to men and their families by exposing them to the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Net Work also encourages men in living out their Christian faith in their day-to-day lives.

Net Work Ministries, Inc. is a pastoral counseling and resource networking ministry that brings God's people together for mutual support and enables them to use the abundant resources He provides. It is directed towards men, to bring them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to help them use the power of this relationship to become the men God intended them to be. This ministry helps men deal with issues that affect their everyday lives. It is a faith ministry that depends entirely on the Lord for resources and does not charge for its services. It is a fully accredited 501c3 I.R.S. organization.

Net Work Ministries was begun 1991 by a group of men who knew Buck Reese's giftedness in the areas of pastoral counseling and resource networking. Buck, who is a native of Atlanta, has been in ministry since 1975 and is an ordained minister. He was responsible for starting the Young Life high school ministry in Cobb County in 1977 and served as Area Director for 12 years. Buck was the Director of Church Relations for Rapha, Inc., a Christian counseling program, as well as serving as a pastoral counseling intern at Wesley Woods Geriatric Center. For 20 years Buck served as chaplain and assistant coach of the Marietta High School football team. Buck was selected to be a member of the 1998 class of Leadership Cobb and the 1999 class of the Honorary Commanders, programs of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

Buck's full-time commitment is to Net Work Ministries. He is in contact with men of all ages and walks of life. A typical routine would include: Having breakfast or lunch with a businessman to offer counsel and encouragement to strengthen their commitment to Christ and to enjoy each other's fellowship and support. In all these situations, Buck offers a listening ear and a caring heart and shares Scripture and wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. The goal in all of this activity is to bring those who do not know Christ into a saving relationship with Him. To those who are committed to Christ, but are dealing with issues of day-to-day living, he gives loving and effective counsel, encouragement and support.

Recently, I have added a new role to my ministry. I have accepted the role as volunteer Chaplain to the Staff of Young Life Southeast Region, which consists of the states of Georgia and Alabama. There are currently 50 local area ministries with staff. I will be the"minister to the ministers."

The Concept of Net Work Ministries

From Henri Nouwen’s book “Gracias”:

“It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.

From "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision:

It is rare that a simple recitation of the gospel will cause people to instantly change their minds. It usually takes much more than that. Our own narrative typically involves a journey of discovery marked by relationships with respected friends and loved ones, reading, discussions, learning about the basis for Christian faith, seeing the difference faith made in the lives of people we know, and witnessing genuine faith demonstrated through acts of love and kindness towards others.

I Stand At The Door - My Calling To Men's Ministry

I Stand at the Door

By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)

I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

Net Work Ministries Testimonials

Quotes

“I have been involved in Net Work Ministries for almost six years. I am privileged to serve on the Board of Directors and work with Buck on a variety of projects i.e.: Young Life, Good Samaritan Health Clinic, P.A.C.E., working with the poor and indigent, and supporting the men who attend Buck’s groups.

Buck and Peggy have been there for my wife Rita and I through our most difficult times. They are always loving, always supportive. Buck and his ministry are a wonderful example of what it means to serve. It’s what the love of Christ encourages all of us to do for each other.”

Dwayne Lambing,
Regional Vice President
Nordco, Inc.

The Friday group began as an opportunity for me to have in depth conversation about subject matter that I was not totally comfortable with i.e. formal religion and my personal relationship with God. I believed intellectually that the universe was not an accidental explosion, but it demonstrated a purpose that only a Creator could know. I felt a part of that universe and was comfortable with my life and the roles I played in it. But I still asked myself, is that all there is to life.

Through a series of very diverse and interesting books it became increasingly apparent that no growth in self is possible without the "pains" of self examination. Sometimes this would occur during the course of "intense" discussions and other times would occur in moments of quiet reflection on these conversations. I began to notice that in this crucible of frank and honest discourse that I could find a voice for my beliefs and at the same time be intellectually true to my beliefs in science.

As it has turned out for me, the books have been less important than the comfort and strength that I find in the relationship of men willing to discuss matters that are not in their comfort zones , and that require an intellectual and emotional honesty that are not found alone on an island.
Thank you for your role in making all of this possible,

Dr. Peter Re’,

Neurologist