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“I am the most stupid person there is."

7/28/2021

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          We were near the end of a great Bible Study during Man Cave at the Sunshine Rescue Mission. All of a sudden Police cars were all over the neighborhood with Officers carrying high powered rifles. A hostage situation had been reported and every precaution had to be taken. The situation ended peacefully. Somebody had done something we might call stupid. Our Bible study was a about a man who called himself stupid - and yet he wrote a chapter in the Book of Proverbs.
          Now you probably might ask, "How can a stupid man write a chapter in the same Book of Proverbs that were mostly written by Solomon - one of the wisest men ever to walk the planet?" Here's Proverbs 30 in its entirety so you can begin to chew on it and digest some wisdom about stupidity. In parentheses and bold print following some of the passages I've included parts of what we discussed. Our target verses were 24-28. The main theme of our lesson was: "Weak flesh covered in wisdom creates spiritual understanding."

PROVERBS 30

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: 
2 I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man’s ability to understand. 
(Agur is stupid only in comparison to God's wisdom.
The knowledge of God is limitless.
The knowledge of man in comparison is less than
a grain of sand on the world's beaches and deserts.)

3 I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? 
Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— if you know?
 (These verses sound like Job.
His story details the loss (or weakening) of every strength he had.
In the end God blessed him with more than he could ever imagine.)

5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Don’t add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. 
7 Two things I ask of You; 
don’t deny them to me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.
 (This verse does not point to Solomon as the Author of this Proverb.
He had more wealth than anyone in the world.) 

9 Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or I might have nothing and steal,
profaning the name of my God. 
10 Don’t slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. 
11 There is a generation that curses its father 
and does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.
13 There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land
and the needy from among mankind. 
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!” 
Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough!”:
16 Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, “Enough!” 
17 As for the eye that ridicules a father 
and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out
and young vultures eat it. 
18 Three things are beyond me; 
four I can’t understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea,
and the way of a man with a young woman. 
20 This is the way of an adulteress: 
she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” 
21 The earth trembles under three things; 
it cannot bear up under four: 22 a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen. 
24 Four things on earth are small, 
yet they are extremely wise:
25 the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;

28 a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings’ palaces.
 (These four verses are about weak things imparted with the knowledge of God's strength and wisdom.
They have no rational ability to think for themselves yet follow God's sovereign plan.
He created them and us for a purpose.
​When we are weak, in Him we become strong.)

29 Three things are stately in their stride, 
even four are stately in their walk:
30 a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn’t retreat before anything,
31 a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army. 
32 If you have been foolish by exalting yourself 
or if you’ve been scheming, put your hand over your mouth.
33 For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife.

NOTHING WE DO FOR GOD IS USELESS

          Many times we feel weak when our best efforts fall on deaf ears. Folks we bend over backwards to help overcome an addiction or change their lives fall back into destructive lifestyles. It's easy to let our emotions sink into a depressing place. We feel the sting of rejection.
          Everything we do for God has value. We told a story about a dad driving with his son. A bee started buzzing around the boy who was allergic to bee stings. He cried out to his father who caught the bee in his hand, squeezed it and then let it go. As the bee was now free, the boy cried again. The father opened his hand and said, "Son, I took the sting for you. The bee can no longer hurt you." 
          Jesus took away the sting of our sin that separated us from our Father. Jesus was rejected, killed and buried. It looked like He was weak and useless, but that wasn't the end of the story. No matter how futile your efforts appear, what you have done for His glory is valuable. You may not see the end of a person's life, but you will know that God sees your efforts as worthy and valuable. Carry on.​ 

1 Corinthians 15:55-58

O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?

For sin is the sting that results in death,
and the law gives sin its power.
 
But thank God!
He gives us victory over sin and death
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, my dear brothers and sisters,
be strong and immovable.
Always work enthusiastically for the Lord,
for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

          We always try and bring books with us during our Man Cave Mentoring sessions at SRM. The guys are hungry for more Bible studies and any books they can read to deepen their faith. If you have Christ-centered books to donate, please call us at 716-830-8240.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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I'M WITH YOU - MAN CAVE AT THE MISSION

5/18/2021

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          We backed into our Man Cave Mentoring class at the Mission by beginning at the end. Several guys have to leave early to take care of the Food Truck responsibilities. All of our lessons begin with the Truth of God's Word and hopefully end with directions on how to work out the Truth in our lives. Today we gave the application first and left it up to the departing guys to dive into the Truth on their own.
          Our Study Text today was 1 Kings 17 and the story of Elijah delivering God's news of a coming famine. He wasn't a very popular guy. Life wasn't easy for him or any of us. God has a plan to build our faith. We need to trust in His sovereignty and believe that what happens to us is designed to bring greater glory to Him.
          We told a story from Bob Goff's book, "Love Does." Here's a couple of quotes that hit our hearts hard.
"I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them."
"I'm with you."

What we talked about was not judging people and loving the the way they are and let Love make any changes they might need. Whatever somebody is walking through, love them enough to say, "I'm with you."
          The outline of today's lesson is posted below. Please contact us with questions or thoughts you may have on this website or, [email protected] 716-830-8240.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so we.

UNCLEAN WITH A PURPOSE

Study Text: 1 Kings 17

Key Terms

Elijah
 or Eliah - "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God"
Tishbite - “captivity”
Gilead - "rocky region" You could call that a hard place.
Ahab - “father’s brother” (uncle) His legacy - “Ahab son of Omri (pupil of Jehovah) did even more open evil before GOD than anyone yet—a new champion in evil! It wasn’t enough for him to copy the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; no, he went all out, first by marrying Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then by serving and worshiping the god Baal. He built a temple for Baal in Samaria, and then furnished it with an altar for Baal. Worse, he went on and built a shrine to the sacred whore Asherah. He made the GOD of Israel angrier than all the previous kings of Israel put together.”1 Kings 16:30-33 MSG 
Jezebel - pronounced, “e·zeh'·vel”, "Baal exalts" or "Baal is husband to" or "unchaste". Adjective - not chaste; not virtuous; not pure: You could say she was a dirty woman. an unchaste woman. characterized by sexual suggestiveness
Cherish  - a cutting; separation; a gorge, a torrent-bed or winter-stream.
Raven - unclean bird, scavengers who ate roadkill. Dirty birds!

Elijah was:
  • One of the greatest of Prophets in one of the hardest of times.
  • He delivered an uncomfortable message to earthly authority.
  • He was a man of prayer. 
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:16-18 NKJV
  1. Serves God and has to escape to save his life.
  2. Goes alone to a creek and gets fed by unclean birds who eat unclean things. They ate dead things, roadkill was a dirty delicacy. It really wasn’t the dirty birds who fed Elijah, it was God. He’s our Provider - Jehovah Jireh - the Lord will provide.”
  3. The creek dries up. 
  4. God tells him to go to a poor widow whose plan is to cook her last meal and die with her son. Oh, how uplifting and encouraging!
Elijah followed God. - Elijah was in captivity in a hard place under a King who was more evil than any before him, who was married to a dirty woman who killed prophets. God takes him from this “good life ” and sends him to a creek that dries up, to be fed by dirty birds. He leaves that “good life” to go to a poor widow who’s collecting firewood to cook a last meal for her and her son. And then the boy dies - before Elijah brings him back to life. 
Moving from Truth to Application 
  1. Word & Prayer - When you are in a dark and hard place; a lonely place. Take time out and stay in the Word. Search for Bible studies that focus on what you’re struggling with. Ask Christian brothers and sisters to pray with you and for you.
  2. Don't Move - Refrain from making any major decisions while you’re in bondage to anxiety, depression or confusion. 
  3. Love & Serve - Don’t worry about fixing yourself or anybody else. Take your feelings of inferiority, unworthiness and inadequacy and go serve somebody. Go love on somebody without trying to figure things out.
  4. Plan - The only plan you have to have in your heart right now is a plan to love Jesus and others in greater ways everyday. The Holy Spirit will plant something in your heart. He will fertilize your thoughts as you mature in Him and you will reap a harvest in due season. Seasons change, opportunities come and go, but God will never leave you or forsake you.
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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Adversity Is An Opportunity To Reveal God's Glory

5/11/2021

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          The blind man was born into physical darkness. All of us are born into spiritual darkness. Life is a battle in our minds as we struggle to live humble lives of minimal sin. Today we focused our sights on the story of a blind man in the ninth chapter of John in the Bible.
         The word "blind" is mentioned 14 times in 41 verses. I think Jesus wanted to make sure we knew that this guy really was blind. We start out in verse one by reading the words "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth."
          Before we went any further, we took a step backwards to examine the last verse in chapter eight. "Then they took up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." His life was in danger, he was about to be stoned and he passed by and away frm trouble.
          Life as Jesus was not easy and yet he took time to notice a man in need as he passed by. We would do well to notice who we pass by in our daily travels. We would do well to pass by trouble. As the disciples were passing by, they noticed the man's condition. Instead of offering to help, they asked Jesus about the man's blindness. "Master, who did sin, this man or his parents that he was born blind?"
          Many folks think adversity is the result of sin. It can be, but most often it's a natural life struggle. Jesus makes a beautiful statement in answering their question. "Neither hath this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." What Jesus is saying is that this condition happened so that the glory of God could be revealed. Adversity is an opportunity to reveal God's glory.
         
Sometimes we pass by people and make a judgment regarding their condition. It would be more of a "Jesus-like" thing to do by asking how we can help them. Jesus  spits on the ground, makes mud and puts it on the blind man's eyes. He then tells the blind man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam (by interpretation, Sent.). I find that interesting because it seems to me like Jesus made the man's world darker.
           Faith-building is a step by step process. Jesus goes to the man, muddies him up and then tells a blind man to take a walk toward water. That may seem hard enough, but add in the fact that this was in a crowded city with many people who viewed this guy or his parents as sinners. Building our faith requires action in trying circumstances.
          After the man washes off his muddied eyes, he gains his physical sight. After we are washed in the water of the word, we gain (or regain) our spiritual sight. Our darkened (sinful) condition is muddied by the world of temptation around us. Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts and wants to put mud on our blind eyes. He was sent by the Father so that we would be sent in his name to share his love with a blind world.
          Have at it my friends, it's a joyful and rewarding struggle that will knock your socks off! Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody whom you just might be passing by. Jesus loves you and so do we.
  
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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THE OFFENDABILITY FACTOR AT THE MAN CAVE

4/16/2021

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        "For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
Ephesians 2:10 NLT 
          God may have made us a masterpiece, but sometimes we act more like disaster-piece! Life is full of offensive opportunities to build resentment. This week's class at the Sunshine Rescue Mission (SRM) was about the dangers of being offended. Resentment is like a parasite that destroys our relationships with God and people.
          We finished up Session #12 and the Epilogue of the workbook "Strong Men Great Dads." The written material is combined with a timely message that we believe the Holy Spirit has given us: Just for these men. At such a time as this in their lives.
         
Our notes from this week are posted below followed by pictures of our lesson in the workbook. We love questions and we remain teachable as we can all learn more about God's love from each other. Please feel free to leave a question or comment below.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          Notes From Our Time of Prayerful Preparation
  • Fresh fire from God will only fall on a worthy sacrifice - unblemished, undefeated, undefined and totally surrendered.
  • Sin must be burned up in the fire of repentance before the fire of God will consume an offering.
  • Sometimes it’s okay to burn bridges.
  • It’s okay to burn your bridge to what you were addicted to.
  • It’s okay to burn your bridge to anything that comes between you and God.
          “What do you want me to do for you?”
          “Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
​          Luke 18:41 NLT
  • Lord, I want to see what You see. Amen.
  • The cup comes before the crown. Suffering comes before glory.
  • Brokenness is a bridge to a greater capacity to love.
  • Jesus agonized being separated from His Father.
  • Abraham must have agonized over Isaac.
“America is spiritually dying because God has sales reps and not channels of His glory.”
Mario Murillo - “Reaching Critical Mass”
  • Fire will will not fall on offended folks.
  • Your offendability is like a stethoscope from which can be heard the sounds of your woundedness.
  • The offendability scope reveals the wounds still festering in your character.
  • “Resentment can transform from a behavioral reaction to a
personality trait. However, when Christ stitches our wounds
together, the bleeding stops and peace is restored.”
  • Some resentment carries no blame - you can’t blame anybody
because they are all doing what’s acceptable.
  • Identifying the reasons for resentment is not always possible. Trusting God is always possible.
  • Ask yourself: “Is my resentment a reaction to the inaction of
somebody not meeting my expectations?”
  • Resentment is a magnet that pulls hurtful memories to the
forefront of your thoughts.
  • Resentment is a parasite that takes up residence in your heart
and causes behavioral alterations. It uses you as the host body to
perpetuate its parasitic destruction of your free will. Eventually
you become like a resentment zombie, resenting everything and
everyone.
  1. Am I easily offended?
  2. Does resentment cause me to be depressed?
  3. Do I have a critical spirit?
  4. Forgiveness can be an offensive behavior when the person you’re forgiving had no intention to sin against you.
“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.
Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts,
and they will learn the truth.
Then they will come to their senses
and escape from the devil’s trap.
For they have been held captive by him
to do whatever he wants.”
2 Timothy 2:25-26
  • What’s the loudest voice in your heart?
  • Pride and arrogance are parasites.
  • Parasites steal your identity in Christ?
“Never hold a grudge or try to get even, but plan your life
around the noblest way to benefit others.”
Romans 12:17 TPT
  • Faith that isn’t tested is faith that can’t be trusted.
  • Reading the Bible put me into a tailspin. Not stopping, I knew I had to press in.
  • The devil wants us to think think that it’s a mark of humility to boast about our past and present sinfulness, our weaknesses, our failures and our unworthiness.
  • We are God's masterpieces created to give Him glory through our thoughts, words and actions.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has
created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good
things he planned for us long ago.
”
Synonyms of parasite
  • a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return
  • a parasite who lived in the family's basement and ​refused to get a job or pay rent
  • bloodsucker, freeloader, leech, moocher, sponge

The beginning of a Song called Parasite
I’ve been a Pharisee of hypocrisy.
A faker and a fraud - hyped with sanctimony.
Parasite
Yeah, I’ve been living with insincerity.
Resentment has overwhelmed and offended me.
Parasite
It’s become a bloodsucker living inside of me.
Cheerless and hopeless - Yo, I’m dying in a deep dark sea.
Parasite
Infected my heart, affected my mind,
Stolen. my Christ-sight, resentment has made me blind.
Parasite
“
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will
kill your enemies.” ::Nelson Mandela        
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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B.U.S.Y. - Bound Under Satan's Yoke

3/16/2021

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The following is a part of the Man Cave Mentoring Lesson at the Sunshine Rescue Mission on 3/16/21.

Are You Too Busy For God?

          The devil loves to keep us busy doing the wrong things to keep our minds off of focusing on the God things in our lives. B.U.S.Y is an acronym for "Being Under Satan's Yoke." We're not sure who used it first, but we heard about it from our friend Christos Terzan. For the first part of our class today we read the devil's letter to his demon followers. 

Busy Under Satan’s Yoke

The following was taken from Full Circle Refuge.
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
“We can’t keep Christians from going to church.”
“We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.”
“We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior.”
“Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners; BUT, steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“This is what I want you to do,” said the devil:
“Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”
“How shall we do this?” his demons shouted.
“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.
“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.”
“Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children.”
“As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!”
“Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear that still, small voice.”
“Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive.” To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-Biblical music constantly.”
“This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.”
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.”
“Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.”
“Invade their driving moments with billboards.”
“Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter, and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes..”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives.”
“Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! ”
“If they don’t give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly!”
“Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.”
“Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about His resurrection and power over sin and death.”
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted.”
“Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.”
“Keep them busy, busy, busy!”
“And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so they leave with troubled consciences.”
“Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.”
“Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
“It will work!”
“It will work!”
It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there, having little time for their God or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
You be the judge!!!!!
Does “BUSY” mean:
B-eing U-nder S-atan’s Y-oke?
If it does, it’s not normal.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
          Spend time with God. Spend time with family. Spend time with friends. Don't take any relationship for granted. Life passes too quickly. Don't hold back on revealing your belief in Christ. being too busy for Christ will mean He's too busy for you.
          Plan time to spend with God. Plan time to spend with God. Plan time to spend with God.
​Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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CAN THE KILLING FIELDS HAPPEN IN AMERICA?

3/2/2021

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Phnom Penh Killing Field Skull.JPG Created: 29 October 2011 Used under Creative Commons License,  
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phnom_Penh_Killing_Field_Skull.JPG
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.
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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ARE YOU LIVING ON THE ISLAND OF ALMOST?

2/18/2021

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From a message at the Sunshine Rescue Mission Man Cave on February 9, 2021 

          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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YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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MAN CAVE AT THE MISSION - MAN'S GRACE OR GOD'S GRACE?

11/23/2020

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AN OVERVIEW OF MAN CAVE AT THE SUNSHINE RESCUE MISSION 11-17-20


Some people have secretly entered your group.
They have already been judged guilty for the things they are doing.
Long ago the prophets wrote about these people.
They are against God.
They have used the grace of our God in the wrong way--
to do sinful things.
​They refuse to accept Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
Jude 4 ICB


          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.  

And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us;
and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father,
[the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is]
full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception). 

John testified [repeatedly] about Him and [a]has cried out [testifying officially for the record,
with validity and relevance], “This was He of whom I said,
‘He who comes after me [b]has a higher rank than I and has priority over me,
for He existed before me.’” 
For out of His fullness
[the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace
[spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing,
favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. 

For the Law was given through Moses,
but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth
​came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:14-17
          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
For it is by grace
 [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ]
that you have been saved
[actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life]
through faith.
And this [salvation] is not of yourselves
[not through your own effort],
but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;
not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law],
so that no one will [be able to] boast 
or take credit in any way [for his salvation
].
Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP

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YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. Women Set Apart is a Women’s Bible Study focusing on hearing the heart and voice of Jesus. “And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.” John 17:3 AMPC The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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MAN CAVE AT THE MISSION - CUTTING THE ROPE ON A FRIEND

11/17/2020

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AN OVERVIEW OF MAN CAVE AT THE SUNSHINE RESCUE MISSION 11-10-20


But God also arranged for a worm!
The next morning at dawn
the worm ate through the stem of the plant
so that it withered away.
Jonah 4:7 New Living Translation

          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.
And you who are younger must follow your leaders.
But all of you, leaders and followers alike,
are to be down to earth with each other, for--

God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.

So be content with who you are,
and don’t put on airs.
God’s strong hand is on you;
he’ll promote you at the right time.
Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.
​1 Peter 5:5-7


          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
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YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. Women Set Apart is a Women’s Bible Study focusing on hearing the heart and voice of Jesus. “And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.” John 17:3 AMPC The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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    Bob Kuebler

    Real men are teachable and willing to learn how to be Strong Men and Great Dads.

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