MAFIA Reminder of the Week: Its not just a process, its a journey too!

Greetings Hitmen,

Well its been a couple of weeks since John Craft and I had the privilege to share a little of our personal experiences with you and expand upon the great teaching presented in April Pastor Adam Roth.  I’m sure there are several of you who have had this topic on you minds ever since, we are finding that this is a message that resonates with lots and lots of men – even those whom by all outward appearances “got it all together.”

Many of you noticed that we didn't end the discussion with a nice and tidy closing, all wrapped up with a bow.  And while there was some effort made to share with you some general points about how you can heal form the Father Wound it is important to reiterate that this is a deeply personal process.  That said, I’ll caution you that you don’t want to try to rush this.  For those of you who are thinking, “I don’t have time to deal with this right now in my life,” or “This may be for other guys but not me,” (which is what I said for a long time) I want to advise you that those thoughts are from the Enemy.  Fight those thoughts and emotions.  You must understand that, as we discussed, this is a battle for your heart.

So understanding that this is a journey, John, the MAFIA Leadership Team and I wanted to be sure to share with you a “Map through the Minefield” of sorts.  Here are a some general principles that will aid you in your personal quest to freedom and release from the father wound.

1. Surrender the wound.  We encourage you to go into those places and circumstances where you were most hurt and find Christ in those situations.
2. Renounce those vows and agreements that you have made over the years that have led you to dismiss, minimize or accept the hurts placed upon you.  They only lead you into performance mentality, self loathing, apathy, rage or worse.
3. If you haven’t already, invite God into your life, to live at the center of your heart and guide your actions and reactions.
4. Grieve the wounds.  This isn’t weakness, this is how pain leaves our bodies (and souls).  Express the pain and loss, shed the tears or whatever that your pain deserves – this reflects a transparency and honesty between you and God.
5. Allow God to love you and encourage you by building your relationship with him through prayer and meditation over the His Word.  There are a variety of bible study and fellow ship options around New Life Church that will help you mature in your relationship with Christ.
6. Remember that you dad wasn’t born to hurt you… someone wounded him first!  Maybe this was his father and he just did what he knew.  It is important for you that you love him and actively forgive him.

We love doing life with each of you and we are praying for each of you.  We have received your comments from the blog and are actively calling on God the Father to lift you up. keep your prayer requests coming, blog feedback is a great way interact with our team. Its also a good way to reach out to us outside the “fishbowl” of our regularly scheduled MAFIA meetings.  Until next week…

In His service,

Luke Ribich

Next Month… MAFIA Goes to Dickey Stephens Park!

Greetings Hitmen,

We hope you are well and that this message finds you all in good spirits.  We wanted to help get you out ahead of the news that the June NLC MAFIA Meeting is going to Dickey Stephens Park to cheer on the Arkansas Travelers baseball team.

This quarter we’ve been hitting a heavy topic, father wounds, and we felt it was important to remind each of you of the importance of spending quality time with your fathers (or children) and work on building good memories too.  What better way than to spend an evening at the ball park.  So here’s the scoop:

• When: Wednesday, June 9th
• Where: Meet at NLC GLR Campus no later than 5:30 pm (or meet us at the park gate)
• Who: Men After Faith Integrity & Action (MAFIA) Hitmen and their children and fathers – be sure to bring your dad or child!
• What: $7.50 at the gate (NLC is covering 1/2 of entry and food).  This includes entry ticket and all-you-can-eat hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks.
• Why: Please RSVP no later than June 1st via email to craft@craftveach.com, lribich@asigllc.com or by phone to 501/851-1408. Hurry and don’t forget, space is limited to the first 100 to respond.

We’re looking forward to a great time and fellowship with all you.

In His service,

Luke Ribich

MAFIA Reminder of the Week: The Greatest Men Serve the Greatest God!

Greetings Hitmen,

I have found that if you ask a group of Christian men to name their favorite Bible character, chances are a healthy percentage will acknowledge Daniel.  It’s not hard to see why.

Much like Joseph, who lived much earlier, Daniel rose from teen captivity to wield enormous power and influence in the greatest empire of his time.  Over a remarkable 70-year career, Daniel stayed true to his Lord despite colossal pressures to switch spiritual allegiances.  His enemies and friends alike took note of his impeccable character and devotion to the One True God.

Daniel constantly called attention to the sovereignty and eternal rule of God.  From the beginning of his career, to the end, he staked both his life and his reputation on God’s prominence. Captivated by the majesty and glory of God, Daniel felt no need to promote himself or massage his public image.

In acknowledgement of his commitment, God used Daniel to show the world what lay in its future.  Even Jesus Christ built his most famous prophetic utterance around a prediction of Daniel (Matthew 24:15).  It is important to note however that Daniel did not always understand the things God showed him, but nonetheless he never lost sight of God’s promise to him “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.” (Daniel 12:13).

I hope you are encouraged this week to stand fast on the promise of salvation given to you through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In His service,

Luke Ribich

MAFIA Reminder of the Week

Greetings Hitmen,

Welcome to our new project for keeping you encouraged and updated about the latest things happening with the NLC Men's MAFIA.

Each week, beginning this week, you can expect to receive a brief e-mail from us highlighting a piece of God's Word in a way that speaks directly to the heart of man. We won't be watering it down or regurgitating it; rather, we are being intentional about our messages so that you are actively challenged and engaged as you consider what the Lord has in mind just for you. We promise to keep our messages short and to the point, and to present them with an awareness and applicability that resonates with your masculine spirit. As always, we encourage your feedback and discussion. Therefore you are invited to share your comments with us either at our monthly MAFIA meetings, online at http://nlcmafia.blogspot.com/ or on our Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/Mafia.GLR. We also encourage you to become a Facebook fan of the MAFIA at http://www.facebook.com/. Now for this week's reminder...

We men are proud creatures, manifested from God's own image. That said, we are not God himself and thus cannot experience spiritual renewal and transformation from God without true humility. Pride stands in the way of our ability to deal with our painful problems and sins. If we cannot, or are unwilling to, admit our problems and failures, then there can be no real and lasting cure for us. When we humble ourselves before God, we may need to mourn and grieve over our mistakes and losses. This can lead to spiritual growth. As we do this, we will experience the kid of comfort that only God can offer.

This week check out what God has to say about this by reading Matthew 5:3-5 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Let us know your thoughts!

MAFIA May - Our Father's & Us