Phnom Penh Killing Field Skull.JPG Created: 29 October 2011 Used under Creative Commons License,  
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The following story is a partial representation of material shared during a mentoring class at the Sunshine Rescue Mission on 3-2-21

           In the four years between 1975-79 after I graduated from high school, I don't remember thinking about millions of people being slaughtered in Cambodia. The Killing Fields were named after the discovery of millions of executed Cambodians found in mass graves in about 300 sites throughout the country. Pol Pot was a genocidal despot who lead the murderous regime of the Khmer Rouge in wiping out almost one quarter of the population of Cambodia in only four years. Is it possible for a genocide to happen in America?
          You might think that seems like a ridiculous question, but how does a genocide happen in the first place? While  reading some of the survivor accounts and thinking about events in America today, I started to feel an extreme heaviness push down on my heart. As the sadness gripped me, a dismal thought came to mind, "Is it I, Lord?"
          In light of my life with many mistakes, that's a question I've often asked myself. It comes from a question the Disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 26:21-22. "Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” A guy named Judas was the one. He betrayed Jesus for some money and became part of the crucifixion story as Christ was murdered in unspeakable horror.
          Now the seemingly ridiculous question of genocide in America enters into an even more ridiculous thought process. How does a good friend betray somebody so special who healed people and came to save others? Why do all of His good friends even have to ask if they're the one capable of betraying Jesus? 
          Nobody believes that genocide will happen to them in the land of freedom, but why do guys who've been walking with Jesus, His close friends, actually think they could become betrayers? Because they are, and so are we. As human beings we're all capable of loving like Mother Teresa, killing like Pol Pot and betraying like Judas.
          The Khmer Rouge engaged in a sadistic genocide with the goal of returning Cambodia to the "golden age." The poor would farm the land in a quest for self sustenance and all capitalistic influences would be banned. Their methods to force people to comply were barbaric, ruthless and inhuman. How does a human commit inhuman atrocities? How are people convinced that it's in their best interests to betray friends, neighbors and family members?
          I was never personally a first hand witness to a holocaust, genocide or slavery, but I have witnessed the barbarity of gangland executions. Here's one thing I've learned, the first killing is the hardest and the second is easier and then it becomes easily accepted. After a young gang member is convinced that he has to join a gang, he tries to convince gang leaders that he's worthy of becoming a gangster. He's given a task which many times means killing somebody. The young, immature mind is convinced. that this act of murder is necessary. Misguided adrenaline helps him conquer fear and nervousness to put courage in his trigger finger. The only failure is not making sure the victim is dead. Usually the adrenaline makes him empty his weapon to make sure the execution is complete. Killing the first victim is the hard, but evil has a way of growing on you. Eventually the youngster develops a sociopathic mindset and kills without any trace of a guilty conscience. 
          What happened in Cambodia can happen again in any country. All it takes is spreading the bait of half-truths, combining them with fear and wrapping them up as hope for the hopeless; and you have a ready made hungry audience. Once the naked truth of Marxist control becomes known, it's often too late. Young people are taken from their families and brainwashed into committing atrocities. Friends, relatives and neighbors turn on each other for fear of becoming the next target of torture and execution. Slowly the insidious fear takes over neighborhoods, cities and then a country.
          The destruction of normal social structures is one of the main weapons of Communistic ideologies. The government is in charge of everything and controls the population in many ways including:

• Dictating the number of children you can have.(Forced abortions.)
• Taking away rights like business and property ownership (Fostering communal ownership.) 
• Discrimination against religious beliefs.
• Forced acceptance of political ideologies.
• Censorship of any opinion contrary to government control.

          Those who are instrumental in sowing the destructive seeds of genocide start by classifying people as enemies or followers. In the worst case scenarios, enemies are either imprisoned with the intention of brainwashing them or exterminated.
          Where is America today? It's easy to see the influence of big companies, social media censorship and foreign influence. The political parties have many members who cater to special interests who fund their political campaigns. The current President has signed executive orders allowing taxpayer monies to support the killing of children through abortion in this country and overseas. Cities have experienced destruction at the hands of angry mobs. Organizations claim to stand up for victims of racism and oppression while hiding their true mission of destroying nuclear families.  They act much like the wolf who dressed up as Grandma. 
          I read about a Rwandan Genocide survivor who said what's happening in America is eerily similar to what happened in his country before the Genocide. When a group or groups of people are treated as second class citizens, the process of dehumanization begins. Differences of opinion are turned into accusations of bigotry and hatred. Separating people by classes can lead to inhuman treatment. When enough folks engage in mistreating a class of people over an extended period of time, inhumanity becomes the norm and is no longer viewed as inhuman.
          In America, many people who identify as Christians or other religions have become targets of government legislation. If you have a Biblical mindset as a Christian, that means you wouldn't support the passage of the Equality Act. It doesn't mean that you don't love folks who do support the Act. We believe what God wrote in the Bible. God created man and women in His image. Changing the image of who He created to be is like telling God He made a mistake. Personally I'd never want to do that. Nations fall when God is replaced by idols. Pursuing self-fulfillment outside of the will of God is pursuing an idol of destruction.

• "For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed." Isaiah 60:12 NLT 
• "Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom, but my miracle deliverance can never be won by men. Our boast is in the Lord our God, who makes us strong and gives us victory!" Psalm 20:7 TP
• Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the tame animals, over all the earth and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.” So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female." Genesis 1:26-27 ICB

          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

FROM A MESSAGE AT THE SUNSHINE RESCUE MISSION MAN CAVE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2021 

          Life or time is never wasted in the mind of God. The timing of God's provision coincides with the hunger of man. Life is filled with hangovers - memories of things we wish we wouldn't have done. In today's lesson we'll learn how God orchestrated a miracle through a little boy of insignificance (we don't even know his name.) One little boy in a crowd of many thousands. He can use you too.
          There are two times in the Bible where Jesus fed thousands with a few meager loaves and fishes. He started with what we would call, "not-enough," and ended up with "more-than-enough." The stories talk about feeding 5,000 and 4,000, but that's only the men without counting the women and children. Here's one account of feeding of more than 5,000 from John 6:1-13 ICB. (Bold letters are for added emphasis by me.)
"After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). Many people followed him because they saw the miracles he did to heal the sick. 
Jesus went up on a hill and there sat down with his followers. It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast.
Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him. He said to Philip, 
“Where can we buy bread for all these people to eat?” (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him. Jesus already knew what he planned to do.)
Philip answered, “Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread for each person here to have only a little piece.”
Another follower there was Andrew. He was Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew said, 
“Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. But that is not enough for so many people.”
Jesus said, “Tell the people to sit down.” This was a very grassy place. There were about 5,000 men who sat down there. 
Then Jesus took the loaves of bread. He thanked God for the bread and gave it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish. He gave them as much as they wanted.
They all had enough to eat. When they had finished, Jesus said to his followers, “Gather the pieces of fish and bread that were not eaten. Don’t waste anything.” 
So they gathered up the pieces that were left. They filled 12 large baskets with the pieces that were left of the five barley loaves."
          Here are some bullet points for you to chew on:

• People had to get hungry before the miracle occurred.
• An insignificant little boy with an inadequate supply was used by God to go beyond the people's needs.
• The little boy gave up all his food did not go hungry.
• Jesus gave thanks before the need was met.
• Did they give thanks for the leftovers?
• God does good things for us to remember in bad times.
• Nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God.
• Hangovers given to God become Do-overs.
• Leftovers are memories of God meeting our needs.
• The boy was willing, selfless and nameless - are you willing to be used by God that way?

          Jesus, just say the name. Be the leftover. Be the crumbs. Be the Bread of Life to every hungry person you meet. Are you willing to let God get the glory?  The boy gave up what he had, surrendered his sustenance and released his small provision. The results were a magnificent meal preceded by gratitude. 
          This is a mentoring story. Jesus used individual mentoring and group mentoring to teach a lesson. He used several different learning styles including, visual, auditory and experiential. The Disciples played a physically active role in a spiritual miracle. Jesus asks us to do the same. We are His mentors expected to go into the whole world and help others experience the miracle new birth in Christ. 

Romans 6:4-16 The Passion Translation"

Sharing in his death by our baptism means that we were co-buried and entombed with him, so that when the Father’s glory raised Christ from the dead, we were also raised with him. We have been co-resurrected with him so that we could be empowered to walk in the freshness of new life. 

For since we are permanently grafted into him[a] to experience a death like his, then we are permanently grafted into him to experience a resurrection like his and the new life that it imparts.

Could it be any clearer[b] that our former identity[c] is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us,[d] so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.[e]

Obviously, a dead person is incapable of sinning. 

And if we were co-crucified with the Anointed One, we know that we will also share in the fullness of his life. 

And we know that since the Anointed One has been raised from the dead to die no more, his resurrection life has vanquished death and its power over him is finished. 

For by his sacrifice he died to sin’s power once and for all,[f] but he now lives continuously for the Father’s pleasure. 

So let it be the same way with you! Since you are now joined with him, you must continually view yourselves as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal while living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.

Sin’s Reign Is Over 

Sin is a dethroned monarch; so you must no longer give it an opportunity to rule over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey its desires and cravings. 

So then, refuse to answer its call to surrender your body as a tool for wickedness. Instead, passionately answer God’s call to keep yielding your body to him as one who has now experienced resurrection life! You live now for his pleasure, ready to be used for his noble purpose.[g] 

Remember this: sin will not conquer you, for God already has! You are not governed by law but governed by the reign of the grace of God.

Grace Frees Us to Serve God

What are we to do, then? Should we sin to our hearts’ content since there’s no law to condemn us anymore? What a terrible thought! 

Don’t you realize that grace frees you to choose your own master? But choose carefully, for you surrender yourself to become a servant—bound to the one you choose to obey. If you choose to love sin, it will become your master, and it will own you and reward you with death. But if you choose to love and obey God, he will lead you into perfect righteousness."

          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          Sometimes folks live life on the "Island of Almost." Folks give up before they become "Finishers." Success and fulfilment is always a step away - reaching the space of almost done, but that's as afar as they go. Many guys who end up in shelters for men arrive with a long history of failures. All of us have failed many times over. The folks who've escaped from the "Island of Almost" have learned a secret. They no longer live as "Almost Men", they have learned how to become "Finishing Men."
​          Businesses almost thrive. Marriages almost survive. Addicts almost learn how to stay alive. The list of "almosts" is never complete, there's always another almost waiting to happen. Why do we stop short? Is it a character defect? Is it part of God's testing ground to grow our character? I won't waste time looking for excuses, let's focus on how to become finishers.
          There's something I've noticed that all successful people do - they own their own stuff (they accept responsibility for their place in life.). That means they don't play the blame game. The guys stuck on the island of Almost are always blaming somebody else for their failures. Back in the Old Testament days, folks with the contagious disease of leprosy would have to announce their presence by yelling, "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!" Folks on the Island of Almost announce their  presence as well. With their attitude and habits, they announce to the world, "ALMOST MAN! ALMOST MAN!"
          For some guys the recognition of danger is enough to catapult them off the island. One act can lead to the development slovenly (and sinful) habits that ignore consequences. King Solomon was recognized as one of the wisest guys who ever lived. He wrote many Proverbs to teach a wisdom. In Proverbs 14, he writes about the dangers of adultery. In the 5th verse he uses the word "almost." Read that verse in four different versions.
1. "I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly." KJV
2. "Now I’m totally disgraced and my life is ruined! "I’m paying the price—for the people of the congregation are now my judges.” TPT
3. "I have come very close to being completely ruined in front of a whole group of people.” ICB
4. "I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.” NLT
          Folks who live on the Island of Almost have almost given up hope of ever losing disgrace - that's the brink of ruin. Back in Solomon's day the act of adultery would get you stoned to death. That might seem like a harsh penalty for one act of cheating, but imagine what one sinful deed can lead to. People die from sexual disease. Marriages, businesses, friendships and relationships with children can be destroyed through infidelity. One bad act can have a ripple effect of greater destruction. One small step for Almost Man can be one step away from hell.  Folks in continued and unchecked sin are almost in hell.
         Our actions can cause us to become disgraced in front of a large group of people, but with God there's always grace. Our next article is called "Leftovers, Hangovers & Do-Overs." Jesus hung on a cross in disgrace that He didn't deserve so that we don't have to live in the disgrace that we do deserve. 
          Take ownership of your life and begin again. Turn your failures into steppingstones of success. Get off the island of Almost and stop living as "Almost Man." In a horrific end of life, Jesus was setting the stage for new life when He said, "It is finished." God doesn't consider anybody He made to be a waste of His time.
          Here are the steps to leave the "Island of Almost." 

1. Surrender your past. Jesus has already taken your past from you, don't pull it back.
2. Disgrace and shame are place settings for the devil. Don't share a meal with him.
3. ​Jesus fed 5,000 and 4,000 on separate occasions when nobody saw enough food. With Jesus, you will always have enough to get you to the finish line. 
4. Jesus didn't stop at almost, He gave thanks to God and always finished by the grace of God - and so will you!

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap4Finishers #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

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          We all agreed that without the breath of God, we would die. You can take that in a lot of different directions. We prayed and we read Bible verses about the Breath of God. We urge you to pray through them as well. We know everybody can't gather in the Man Cave to pray, but this is important - especially in this current political atmosphere. We've posted our notes below. 
​           Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          MAN CAVE PRAYER Nov. 21, 2020 8am
                      cftnflag.com 716-830-8240.
                                                        
          BIRDS IN A VACUUM
Putting birds in glass and removing the air with a pump to create a vacuum will cause suffering and death.
Prayer opens an airway for God to breath into our lives.
Removing the breath of God creates a vacuum devoid of the hope found in Christ.
Men who don’t pray for their family’s leaves them gasping for the breath of God.
          A MAN-PRAYER
Hear us God as we seek You.
Lend us your hearing as we surrender all of our manhood to you.
Break now the bulwarks of worldly oppression.
Remove the shackles of the devils castigation.
Cleanse us from our lifelong habits of sinfulness.
Breath on us afresh with the air of Your Presence.
We have sinned against you.
Help us to turn wholly to You.
Cause us to rise up as men of prayer.
Grant us understanding of Your will for our lives.
We yield our whole heart, soul, mind and strength to You.
Make us strong men in Christ.
Make us strong men as leaders for our families.
Help us to be humble men.
We want to know You more.
Amen
          BREATH of GOD BIBLE VERSES

1. Genesis 2:7 HCSB Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
2. Job 27:3-4 As long as I live, while I have breath from God, my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies.
3. Job 32:8 But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them that makes them intelligent.
4. Job 33:4 For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5. Job 34:14-15 If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.
6. Psalm 104:29-30 But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.
7. Isaiah 42:5 God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth.
8. Ezekiel 37:5-6 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
9. Acts 17:24-25 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
10. John 20:21-22 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

          In a beautiful place like the ​Sunshine Rescue Mission, there are guys in various stages of the "Rescue-Process." Some men have just arrived from places like prison, or being homeless or just needing a fresh start in life. From what I've witnessed, most of the guys who come to the Strong Men Great Dads class earnestly desire to experience all that God has planned for them.
           A few other guys come into the Mission and are just playing "The Card." They only come in for "three hots and a cot." (3 meals and a bed.) Especially when it's cold outside, guys who aren't serious about changing their lives come in and disrupt the "Grace-Process."
          The Mission has rules and guys break them. Because the men are in various stages of their walk with Christ, falling from grace is not a surprise. Problems arise when the guys who are serious about changing their lives get affected adversely by the "Grace-Breakers."
           This week we examined the "Twenty-Five Man Cave Key Words 4 Life." The entire list is posted below, but for now we'll focus on Key Word #24 - "Grace." Grace is a beautiful thing when given Gods way. The definition of grace is "unmerited favor" or receiving something we don't deserve. By giving the world His Son as a gift of salvation, God gave us grace and truth through Christ. Grace in Christ is freely given to those who accept it with the knowledge that its tied into our repentance and life change.  

          The guys at the Mission do a good job of trying to balance grace with accountability and responsibility. It's a constant juggling act that requires disciplined prayer and good ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.
          We told a story loosely paraphrased from the Book "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo. A man was locked away for almost 20 years doing hard labor. His crime? He stole a loaf of bread to feed his family. When he was finally released, he had to wear a tag that said, "THIEF." Unable to get a job, he had to beg to eat.
          A priest took pity on the man and invited him into his home. The man was very bitter and saw no way out of his miserable circumstances. He made a plan to steal the silver candlesticks when the Priest went to sleep.
          Some guys revert back to the only way of life they've ever known. The thief did the same. After stealing away into the dead of night with his pilfered bag of silver, he was caught by the police. They took him back to the priest and said, "Father, we caught this thief with your silver!" The Priest smiled and replied, "Oh no my friends, I gave this man those things as gifts. In fact. wait here while I bring you one of the silver candlesticks you forgot!"
          That could be viewed as God's grace given and directed through the heart of a grace filled man. The life of that thief was forever changed by grace. He went on to duplicate that grace many times over.
          The Sunshine Rescue Mission is a place of grace. When God's grace is given, man's grace speaks of our need of our Savior. We're proud of the men at the Mission, they're working hard on moving away from judgement and into grace.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ManCave #SRM #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

          A wise mountain climber once said, "You can be the most skilled and the most confident, but no one is ever prepared for an avalanche." Our Man Cave Keyword 4 Life for this week was honesty, As men, we need to be honest with ourselves in all situations. Sometimes honesty requires a cutting away of relationships.
          In the Book of Jonah we studied how God refused to cut off His relationship with Jonah even when he was running away from what he'd been called to do. Jonah ended up in a pit he couldn't get out of without God's help. We've all been there. God also refused to cut off the people of Nineveh who had turned away from Him.
          In the end, God cut off the shade that gave Jonah comfort while the people of Nineveh cut off their wicked behavior and turned back to God. After we explored some of the subplots of the Jonah story, we moved to a mountain climbing story where a guy cut the rope on his friend. In the middle of a blizzard, faced with death himself, a climber cut the rope on a friend.
          He was shrouded in snow blindness, frostbite and rapidly deteriorating weather and believed that his friend was already dead. He was high on a mountain and his friend was far below on the other end of a rope. The friend was dangling helpless over a cliff and unable to move or communicate in any way. The friend above had no choice but to cut the rope on his friend.
          From my view, if he wouldn't have cut the rope, the both of them would have died. Both of them miraculously survived. There's many twists and turns to this story. One of them takes center stage - God cut the rope on His only Son so that we would live. 
          There are many times in life where we have to make tough decisions of hanging on or cutting loose. God used a small worm to cut away Jonah's comfort.

• Sometimes we take small actions that can have disastrous consequences.
• Seeking shelter while others are in danger will ultimately destroy our comfort.
• Ask God when to cut someone loose.
• Never give up on anybody even if you have to walk away. God can redeem anybody.

          We welcome your comments and questions. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. 
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ManCave #SRM #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

          For the second week in a row we styed in the Strong Man Great Dads Workbook on Session #7. Our focus for this week is "Honesty" and "Go The Extra Mile."
​          

          Each week we add a Bible story to our curriculum as the Holy Spirit leads us. Part of our lesson on honesty came from the Prophet Elisha as he was on his death bed. The King was frantic as his army was inadequate for the attack of the enemy that was coming his way. (There are no worldly weapons that can defeat a spiritual enemy.)
          Elisha had the King shoot an arrow out the east Window (direction of the enemy.) The dying Prophet put his hand on the King's hand as he shot the arrow. The Prophet proclaimed a victory in the coming war. Elisha then told the King to "strike the ground" with his arrows. He struck the ground three times and quit. Elisha got mad at him and said he should have hit the ground five or six times and he would have finished the enemy off. He spoke the truth even if his honesty was a wound. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. True friends will risk a friendship by being honest.    
          Going the extra mile is going beyond what's required of us. Do more than what's asked of you. Too often we finish a task satisfactorily when we'd be better off doing the job extraordinarily. 
          Elisha died, but that's not the end of his life story! A group of guys were carrying a dead man to bury him. All of a sudden, a marauding gang of bad guys scared them and they dropped the dead body into Elisha's grave. As the dead man's body touched the dead body of Elisha, he came back to life. Normally, just like two wrongs don't make a right, you might assume that two dead's won't make a revived life.
          This is an Old Testament story that gives a glimpse of New Testament glory. Christ was crucified, died and was buried as a dead body. He died so that we could leave our deadness in sin and become revived as born again believers in Him.
          The last question we asked ourselves was this: "If you were dead in the grave and you had one opportunity to give life to a dead body thrown on top of you, what would you say? One really good answer would be:
​"Jesus loves you and so do we!"
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
#ManCave #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

          Our subject matter at Man Cave for Tuesday (10-27-20) covered a lot of ground. In Session #7 from our workbook "Strong Men Great Dads" was called "A Dirty Girl Meets Mr. Clean." We read a story about a girl used sexually by a gang and the long term effects that the experience had on her life. We also discussed some common traits of homelessness.
          The girl in the story was used to being abused. She accepted a way of life as normal, that made her feel dirty. She thought that all guys would use her and love was just a brief sex act. Strong men take accountability for their actions and recognize when someone's been hurt.​

          Bad things happen to good people, unfortunately bad things sometimes get accepted as a normal way of life. Folks addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex or gambling accept evil as their normalcy. A homeless person feels hungry and sees a take-out food container left on a park bench and eats the scraps inside. They've conditioned themselves to see discarded trash as a blessing.
          The devil is an expert at making garbage appear as a blessing. He knows many folks won't go the extra mile to get out of their comfort zone. Life is hard sometimes and the struggle stops folks dead in their sin. Some guys have become allergic to rules and authority. A father is supposed to be an authority figure in a son or daughter's life. That's where we learn respect.
          A guy named Paul wrote a Letter to a group of folks who lived in a city called Ephesus. It's in the Bible as the Book of Ephesians and here's a look at Chapter 6:14.

          The Truth is the knowledge of Jesus Christ that holds up your Way of Life.

          The "breastplate of righteousness" is our condition with God or maybe a better way to say it would be, "it's our outward evidence of our inward character that reflects our faith in God."
          We all have times of feeling unworthy and depressed over feeling inadequate. Jesus is a friend of sinners. We are all worthy of being redeemed by God's love. Walk by the mediocre offerings of life and ask God to show you His best. When you seek Him with all your heart, you will hear His voice behind you saying, "This is the Way, walk in Truth and live a more excellent Life.
          Thanks for our time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
​#mancave #srm #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW.

          There are many times in life where we battle our thoughts. Memories from the past come creeping back into our minds as words are spoken. We may have overcome a weakness only to have it resurface as a negative thought. It's almost as if voices are battling each other in our minds. Can we silence the negative, self defeating voices? Today's lesson at the Sunshine Rescue Mission Man Cave was about developing a strategy in our thought lives.
Here are the notes from today's Lesson.
           There are voices in our lives that can find their way into our heads if we let them.

• You must position yourself to hear from God.
• You must recognize His voice.
• You must know His vocabulary in the Bible.
• Satan or the devil will use his voice to destroy, deceive and discourage you.
• God’s voice will build you up, cheer you up and stir you up by bringing to the center of your mind the fruits of His Spirit that are within you.

           I want to speak to all of you as if you were a group of Pastors. A Pastor is one who serves and shepherds other people in the best practices of Christ-like behavior. Why? Because I believe in you. In a world of negative voices charging at us relentlessly, we must help encourage each other to boldly speak Truth.
 
What’s Lurking In The Halls of Your Mind?
Your thoughts have to listen when you speak. Speak positive life over negative thoughts.
Here is A Three Step Strategy Called “E-A-R” or "Embrace, Appraise Replace."
     1. EMBRACE - A Strategy To Make Decisions Ahead of Time           If you were in a room and someone yelled, "FIRE!" You would run! You already made the decision to run if there is ever a fire. Make the decision today that you will not allow negative thoughts to dwell in your mind. Martin Luther said, "Bad thoughts are like birds. They will land, but don't let them make a nest."           A good habit to practice is using the Power of Christ's Blood over any enemy attack that comes your way. "I plead the Blood of Jesus over my thoughts." Evil was defeated and washed away by the Blood of Christ.

• I won’t allow negative thoughts in my mind.
• I will decide ahead of time how to deal with negative thoughts.
• I will saturate my mind with the truths of God's Word as a shield against the lies of the enemy.

          "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Deuteronomy 30:19
     2. APPRAISE -What Value Do Your Thoughts Carry?  

• Your  thoughts, where do they lead you - into the dark or into the Light?
• What are their effects on your mood and your decisions?
• Do they cause you to embrace Truth or lies?
• Do they Embolden you to create greater Christ-like peace in your relationships?

          "Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." -Romans 12:2
 
     3. REPLACE BAD THOUGHTS with the Truth.

• Replace negativity with positivity.
• Positive thoughts only are spoken, negative thoughts make people feel broken.

          Why replace old habits and patterns? The past has a way of repeating itself if we don't find constructive ways of protecting thoughts. Old temptations can reappear and cause us to backslide away from the way God would have us live in ways that honor Him.
           “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

          “Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

          "As someone thinks within himself, so he is." Proverbs 23:7

          "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ManCave #SRM #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

          Man Cave at The Sunshine Rescue Mission began like most of our other teaching sessions. We had a lesson planned from our Men's Life Manual called "Strong Men -Great Dads." We were studying a chapter on Resentment and Generational Anger. We did cover that, but soon we went to a place we're just beginning to understand. Do our actions here on earth influence those in heavenly places?
          We read from a passage in the Bible from Ephesians 3:10. Let's look at that verse in several different versions of the Bible."[The purpose is] that through the church the complicated,
many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects
might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities
(principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere." 
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

"The purpose of this was to unveil before every throne and
rank of angelic orders in the heavenly realm
God’s full and diverse wisdom revealed through the church." 
The Passion Translation 

"God’s purpose in all this was to
use the church to display his wisdom
in its rich variety to all
the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
New Living Translation

          The Bible says that man is made a little lower than the angels. (Psalm 8:5, Hebrews 2:7) The Bible also says we will judge the angels. 
"Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? 
So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life."
1 Corinthians 6:3 New Living Translation
         
         We need to do a great deal of further study, but there are several points we can be sure of:

• Make sure your actions reveal the character of God's Love to everyone around you.
• We never know who might be an angel!
• Our character is a window into our heart and what we truly believe in.
• If we believe in Christ through our actions ~ our character will be a Window of Wisdom to anyone around us ~ heavenly or otherwise!

"Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers
[in the brotherhood--
being friendly, cordial, and gracious,
sharing the comforts of your home
and doing your part generously],
for through it some have
entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesu loves you and so do we.
#ManCave #SRM #MentoringAngels #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW