Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 NIV

One of the things I look forward to each evening is sitting in my favorite chair, holding my children in my arms. This is many times the highlight of the day. I get a chance to see how they are doing, how much they have grown, and just have the opportunity to love on them. What a great gift God has given me…

Yet during the day (and even sometimes during the evening when I want to hold them) my children will not stay still. Instead they want to move, see something new, or play with their toys. Instead of wanting to stay inside their father’s arms, they want to go out and see the world. They want to experience what is out there; until, they realize they are in over their heads, hurting from a fall or a mistake, needing a place to find shelter—right there back in their father’s arms.

It is exciting to see your children grow and experience life right in front of your eyes; yet the precious time in their father’s arms sometimes feel distance and small. It feels like life will go so fast (as many have told me it will) and before you know it, these moments will be one’s that I will cherish.

But as I was pondering this, I realized that I am no different. In fact, probably none of us are any different. All of us are out there in the world living life. We are all at times so busy that we try to make ends meet on our own. Very rarely do we ever think about what we have with Christ and the comfort we have in the arms of our Father

I can just imagine what God is probably saying to all of us at times, ‘Come back into my loving arms for I want to hold you…My arms is where you can find peace and rest…’ Yet we just continue to live life on our own, not seeking Him until we really need Him. This is our sinful human nature.

But I believe we can change and begin to realize the promise written in the opening passage from the book of Isaiah. Because here God is saying to the chosen people of Israel, I will hold you and guide you through all the troubles you may face:

“For I am the Lord your God!”

This phrase has significance because it has been echoed throughout the history of the Israelites. It was used when the Ten Commandments were given during the opening passage of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:2). It was used when God asked for the first part of the harvest to be brought to the place of worship (Exodus 34:26). It was used when God asked the Israelites to dedicate themselves to Him (Leviticus 20:7). It was used when God said that He should be remembered during the appointed feasts and day of gladness (Numbers 10:10).

In total, this phrase—which was used by God 125 times throughout Scripture—I believe was used for a very special reason. I believe it was God trying to tell each one of us: ‘trust me, worship me, because I, your God, loves you and will look out for you.’

Which is the same thing Jesus himself points out to the disciples when He said:

“As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God.’” Mark 11:20-22 ESV

I believe the question therefore is about faith. How much faith do we put in the Father’s arms to hold us, carry us through the difficult times of our life? How much do we consider the true place of refuge as the only place of refuge?

Times are becoming challenging and the world I believe is truly in a state of change. In many ways, I believe the days are becoming darker because the times are becoming ever more evil. For the ‘god of this age’ is on the march and truly blinding the eyes of those who have not accepted Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Let us begin to seek our Father’s arms and begin once again to put our complete faith in Him. This is my prayer. I am continuing to fight through the challenges of this world with this prayer, and I ask that all of you join me on this journey. That this group of men will stand tall during these days as a testament to the glory of God…



Prayer requests

Paul – praise God for being here with the group these past few weeks, pray that God will continue to reveal what He wants them to do with the property in Eastern Washington

Ernie – praise God for the all the goodness He bestows, praise God that his grandson is recovering from cancer and is now eating solid food, pray for his brother-in-law Jerry who has had numerous complications from prostrate cancer surgery

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Greg – praise God for the church and all that He is doing here at Northshore, pray for his brother who is moving to Arizona

David – praise God for the wonderful blessings He bestows, pray that God will provide him and Al with the right apartment in Everett

Richard – praise God for his continued good health, praise God that things are improving on his marriage, pray for the church leaders here at Northshore

Tim D – praise God for the work of the Spirit in our lives, pray for the Elders who are working through the vision of Northshore that they will make Godly decisions

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Mark – praise God for the continued blessings He provides through other people coming alongside, pray that God will continue to work through this ministry, pray that God will give him wisdom on making the right choices in finances, furthering my education, and ministry options, pray that Vince will be healed and that he will be able to find the right group here at Northshore to fit his needs

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ


Continued prayer needs

Bill M – praise God for the test results of his PSA count after prostrate surgery, pray that his grandson’s hearing exam will go fine

Calvin – pray that the men of this church will become energized for God, pray for his brother which is dealing with a difficult custody battle

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Brett S – pray that he will be able to stay strong in the Word and continue to come back to this fellowship

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Ramon – pray that God will continue to heal his wife Tina and give her strength in the coming days

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, February 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 on the academy side of campus

Wednesday, February 11th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, February 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, February 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

Just started… “Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-3:13 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
6. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
7. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
8. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
9. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
10. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
11. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
12. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
13. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction


Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV