MSM CONNECTIONS
For the week of 01/09/05
The Men’s Ministry e-mail newsletter of
Our mission: Our mission is to lead men to
Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for
Christian men to grow in their faith
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MSM CONNECTIONS is the opt-in newsletter for the men
of New Joy Divine Full Gospel Church. It's a periodic service that helps
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"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12 (NIV)
"It is one thing to learn about the past; it is another to wallow in it." Kenneth Auchincloss
by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
The scale of suffering and the magnitude of the disaster in Southeast Asia defy the imagination. This much is clear – the direct death toll from this disaster is likely to reach 250,000, and subsequent deaths related to the disaster may drive the total number of deaths to well over half a million. The magnitude is multiplied when we realize that these very areas most devastated by the tsunamis are among the most impoverished and helpless regions of the earth. Why?
A faithful Christian response will affirm the true character and power of God -- His omnipotence and His benevolence. God is in control of the entire universe, and there is not even a single atom outside His sovereignty. And God's goodness and love are beyond question. The Bible leaves no room for equivocation on either truth.
We must speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Scripture is silent. Christians must avoid offering explanations when God has not revealed an explanation. Christians must respond to a crisis like this by weeping with those who weep, by praying with fervent faithfulness, by offering concrete
assistance in Christ's name and, most importantly, by bearing bold witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- the only way to bring life out of death.
http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Asia_Tsunamis.shtml
Tuesday, January 4, 2005 by Rev. Barry Black, Chaplain of the Senate
"Sovereign God, creator and sustainer of us all, our hearts ache for the tsunami victims and for all touched by this tragedy. In our sadness our eyes turn to You. We confess that we do not fully understand why bad things happen to good people. Nonetheless, by faith we believe that You can carve tunnels of hope through mountains of despair.
"Lord, make us Your eyes, ears, feet and hands to bring solace to those who suffer. Guide us as we seek to help the hurting and empower the global humanitarian effort. Comfort those who mourn and strengthen the widows and orphans.
"Today, bless our 109th Congress. Give our new Senators wisdom and courage as You order their steps. Help them trust You so completely that Your will may be done on earth. We pray this in Your merciful Name. Amen."
by Jon Walker
"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) If the Apostle Paul ever made a New Year's resolution, I suspect it was similar to the one made here where he resolved to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. Paul's message was radically simple. Salvation was in Christ alone. That means it's not Christ plus your good behavior; it's not Christ plus the years you taught a Bible study; it's not Christ plus your tithe; it's not Christ plus the church you attend.
It's not Christ plus the number of verses you memorize; it's not Christ plus your title in the church; it's not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar; it's not Christ plus a desert fast (or even a dessert fast!). It's not Christ plus a good driving record; it's not Christ plus well-behaved children; it's not Christ plus your new shined shoes; it's not Christ plus the right job; it's not Christ plus the right spouse; it's not Christ plus a college education; it's not Christ plus the latest technology.
It's simply Christ. Christ plus nothing. That's our message in this still new millennium, and it's a message that is as right throughout 2005 as it will be in 2999. May your New Year's resolution be nothing but Christ and him crucified.
http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=5005
II. Can we prove God's existence?
A. The Bible generally assumes it rather than proves it (Gen.1:1).
B. The Bible does assert that the natural world demands God's existence (Ps.19; Is.40:26; Acts 14:17; Rom.1:19 ff).
C. There are several philosophical proofs for God that are sometimes helpful for doubters. These are logical conclusions that are also found in Scripture.
1. Cosmological argument - How could there be anything if there wasn't a Cause (God) who was Uncaused (Romans 1:20)?
2. Teleological argument - How could there be design in the world if there was no Designer (God - Psalm 19:1-6)?
3. Moral argument - Why would people recognize right and wrong if there was no moral LawGiver (God - Romans 2:14,15; James 4:12)?
4. Ontological argument - Where would people get the idea of a Perfect Being (God) except from God Himself (Act 17:27; Romans 1:19)?
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=176
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS,
FAMILY, LIFE)
As a leader, your main priority is to get the job done, whatever the job is. Leaders make things happen by:
* knowing your objectives and having a plan how to achieve them
* building a team committed to achieving the objectives
* helping each team member to give their best efforts
As a leader you must know yourself. Know your own strengths and weaknesses, so that you can build the best team around you.
Plan carefully, with your people where appropriate, how you will achieve your aims. You may have to redefine or develop your own new aims and priorities. Leadership can be daunting for many people simply because no-one else is issuing the aims -- leadership often means you have to create your own from a blank sheet of paper. Set and agree clear standards. Keep the right balance between 'doing' yourself and managing others 'to do'.
Build teams. Ensure you look after people and that communications and relationships are good. Select good people and help them to develop. Develop people via training and experience, particularly by agreeing objectives and responsibilities that will interest and stretch them, and always support people while they strive to improve and take on extra tasks. Follow the rules about delegation closely -- this process is crucial. Ensure that your managers are applying the same principles. Good leadership principles must cascade down through the whole organization. This means that as you're leading a large organization you must check that the processes for managing, communicating, and developing people are in place and working properly.
http://www.alanchapman.com/leadership.htm
January 17-30: Australian Open
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html
Valentine's Day is only one month away.
The Alpha Course, developed at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in central London (UK), teaches pre-Christians and Christians worldwide the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Thousands of internationals are currently taking Alpha courses (a 15-session intro to the Christian faith) in 77 or more countries and include all denominations. Participants study "Questions of Life," sometimes with a light meal, followed by open discussion; weekend retreats are optional. Find out about Alpha's ministry to youth, students, prisoners and more. Learn about Alpha conferences, access resource materials, a listing of countries with Alpha courses and instructions for starting an Alpha course in your area.
Question: Are all sins weighed equally, or is one more important than another?
Answer: (by J.I. Packer) "This question leads into what for many evangelicals has become uncharted territory. We think of conversion as the moment when the guilt of all our sins -- past, present, and future -- is washed away by the atoning blood of Christ. As sinners justified by faith and heirs of promised glory, we rejoice in salvation and think no more about our continued shortcomings and how God might "weigh" them. If asked, we explain our attitude as true evangelical assurance. But is it?..."
Read this answer in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/19.65.html
Bible Pathway Ministries International will take you through the Bible in one year, reading 15 minutes a day, providing a practical exposition of God's Word for first-time readers as well as mature Christians. Read prayer requests for leaders, daily prayer suggestions and a daily prayer request for a specific country of the world. Also visit the Bible Pathway website to read The Importance of Reading All the Bible.
http://www.biblepathway.org/English/InDepthDailyDev.htm
http://www.biblepathway.org/English/Why%20Read.htm
by Vince D'Acchioli
The memory is clear: It was the fifth inning. Two men on and two out. I swept the batter's box with my cleats and squeezed the bat. Stepping in, I adjusted my helmet and took a couple of practice swings. I was ready.
"A hit will score two runs and tie up the game," I told myself. The pitcher went into a stretch, then delivered. I fouled off his pitch, and then I worked the count to 2-2. He then reared back and hung a curve right in my wheelhouse. I took a big swing -- and whiffed!
Rats! In a clutch situation, I had let my team down. On my way back to the dugout, I dropkicked my helmet and flung the bat. My head was hanging as I looked for my mitt, but as I passed several teammates, a chorus of encouragement greeted me. "You'll get him next time," said the center fielder, slapping me on my backside. "Don't worry about it." "There's plenty of time," piped another. "We'll get this guy."
But one phrase -- a standard baseball cliché -- stood out in my mind that day. "Hey, Vince," said the star shortstop, "Shake it off." Shake it off. What my buddy was saying was for the good of the team, I had to put my inning-ending strikeout behind me. They knew I'd get another chance to bat with runners on the corners and the game on the line. My teammates didn't want me dwelling on my strikeout; instead, they wanted me in the right frame of mind -- the get-a-hit kind.
These days, however, I know too many men who have not been able to "shake off" the strikeouts of their lives. These men have not been able to let go of the past, and, as a result, they are often bound to it. In my "Men on Target" seminars, I deal with what I call the four negative influences of our past: fear, anger, unforgiveness and guilt. Let's take a closer look at these adversaries...."
Read this in full at
http://www.newmanmag.com/article.php?sid=569&mode=thread&order=0
First, take 12, finely aged months; see that they've been thoroughly peeled and cleaned of any lingering bitterness, resentment, envy or spite. Pick off any unpleasant memories that may remain and wash away all feelings of anger and hatred. Make sure these are completely cleansed of the past.
Divide these months into parts, 30-31 per month (one month may only have 28). A full batch will keep for a year, so don't attempt to prepare the entire batch at once. Prepare one day at a time, as follows:
Into each day mix these ingredients:
Faith Patience
Courage Work
Hope Devotion
Faithfulness Liberality
Rest Prayer
Meditation Humility
Knead all ingredients together with love, grace, and kindness, then place on a well blessed sheet of honor. Bake with joy and optimism!
For the icing, mix a cupful of good humor, a teaspoonful of good spirit, a dash of fun, and a pinch of silliness. Spread generously over each new day, then top with a sprinkling of playfulness and garnish with the Resolution of your choice and a smile! Serve with cheerfulness, enthusiasm, and unselfishness.
Television's treatment of religion has become increasingly negative in recent years even though mentions of God are occurring more often, according to a joint study by the Parents Television Council and the National Religious Broadcasters. PTC watched a total of 2,385 hours of primetime entertainment programming on the 7 commercial broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, and NBC, during the 2003-04 season and found 2,344 treatments of religion. In a similar study released in 1997, they found only 551 treatments of religion in 1,800 hours of programming.
Among those 2,344 mentions of religion, PTC judged 22% as positive, 24% as negative, and the remainder neutral. Negative depictions of clergy were more than twice as frequent as positive depictions, the study said, and more than 32% of mentions of religious institutions and doctrine were negative while just 11.7% were positive. References to faith in general were most common and most likely to be positive, PTC said. "These findings lend credibility to the idea that Hollywood accepts spirituality but shies away from endorsing, or even tolerating, organized religion," says PTC President Brent Bozell.
NBC was the worst culprit, programming at least 9.5 negative depictions of faith and religion for every positive depiction. An example of a mention on NBC that PTC judged as negative was on the Feb. 10 episode of "Will and Grace" in which Karen, in an attempt to cheer Grace up, remarks, "Let's go buy that historic church and turn it into a gay bar."
For more information about the study, visit
CONSIDER
"The renewal of our natures is a work of great importance. It is not to be done in a day. We have not only a new house to build up, but an old one to pull down." George Whitefield (1714-1770)
VERSE TO PONDER
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN:
ANOTHER YEAR IS DAWNING
Words: Frances R. Havergal, 1874
Music: Samuel S. Wesley, 1864
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.
Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/n/anothery.htm
GOD FAQ
Question 2: How does it appear that there is a God?
Answer: The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his Word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
UPDATE YOUR HEALTH PROFILE
Assessing your risk for heart disease from obesity-related diseases is a good place to start. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute can walk you through this with their Aim for a Healthy Weight page
(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/ris
k.htm). Its Portion Distortion page
(http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/) also gives much-needed advice on managing the amounts of what we eat. Need some ideas to get more active and lose a little weight? Visit HHS's SmallSteps site for 100 ways to get moving
(http://www.smallstep.gov/sm_steps/sm_steps_index.html).
Healthfinder offers over 50 more interactive online checkups, organized by health topic, to help you get started
(http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/Topics.asp?context=6&keyword=122&Branch=5).
The National Cancer Institute offers a new website at http://www.smokefree.gov that can help you quit smoking, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Quit Smoking: Consumer Interactive Tool
(http://pda.ahrq.gov/consumer/qscit/qscit.htm) can be downloaded to your Palm or Pocket PC or used on the web.
AlcoholScreening.Org (http://www.alcoholscreening.org/index.asp),
provides an interactive quiz that can help you figure out how much is too much, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also offers tips on how to cut down on your drinking
(http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/handout.htm).
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also gives both men (http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm) and women
(http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthywom.htm) checklists for their next checkup. New Year's is a good time to make those appointments. It's an easy way to remember to get your checkups on an annual basis.
Thinking of others is also a good way to start the New Year.
January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month
(http://www.aabb.org/Pressroom/NVBDM01/nvbdm0101.htm). Once again, the theme for this year's campaign, "Give Blood...The Gift of Life," highlights the importance of giving the gift of life through the donation of blood. Giving blood and donating organs have become increasingly important as our population ages and supplies are depleted over the holidays. The Health Resources and Services Administration's Organ Donation website
(http://www.organdonor.gov/) provides information on organ donation.
Vioxx and other Cox-2 inhibitor drugs have been in the news in recent weeks. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory recommending limited use of Cox-2 inhibitors
(http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2004/ANS01336.html). You can keep up with the latest health news by signing up to receive daily health news headlines by e-mail
(http://www.healthfinder.gov/aboutus/listserv.asp). Daily health news articles are featured on the Healthfinder website, with 1-year searchable archives. For a sample, check out
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=523204,
covering the tsunami death toll, Vioxx, mad cow disease, and more.
ON PRAYER
"Prayer grows out of faithful men and women, who take hold of a vision, pray about that vision, and continually seek God in prayer. I believe that prayer changes things and prayer can impact this country in a way that only can be done through His power." John Maxwell, bestselling leadership author and founder, INJOY Group
PRAY FOR A COUNTRY
http://www.gmi.org/ow/index.html
DAILY BLESSING PACT
Use the following
list as your daily prayer guide. Think of a brother or situation that applies
and lift them up in prayer.
I am agreeing in
prayer with you for God’s blessings to overtake you!
PERSONAL
Marital harmony
Family unity
Children saved
Faithful pastor
Spirit-filled church
Real friendships
Relatives redeemed
Educational benefits
Recreational time
Fulfilling career
Favor with God and
man
Be in God’s will
FINANCIAL
Better Jobs
Raises or bonuses
Benefits
Sales &
commissions
Settlements
Estates &
inheritances
Investment increase
Rebates &
returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts &
surprises
Money to be found
Bills decrease while
blessings increase
"And all
these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken
unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut. 28:2).
PRAY FOR THESE
BROTHERS
* Bro. Damien Robinson
* Bro. Joe Ross
* Pastor Alan Roundtree
* Bro. Michael St. James
* Bro. Robert Turner
* Bro. Eddie Watson
* Pastor Watson
* Bro. Rudolph West
* Minister Arnold Whitehead
* Bro. Lester Wilkerson
[As you travel on business or vacation, let me know if you'd like the church guys to pray for your safety and spiritual effectiveness. I'll add your name to the list for the time you'll be away.]
CLASSIFIEDS
Are you looking for something or do you have something to sell? Let me know and I'll put it in this newsletter.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE
WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
Jesus is history's most watched film
http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=7707
Lego Church
http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/photosfirst.html
World Almanac for January
http://www.worldalmanac.com/200501WAE-Newsletter.html
All links to Websites are provided as a service, and do not imply endorsement by our church.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a temporary email message. Then delete the return in the middle of it and copy it again. Then paste it into your web browser and hit enter.)
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." (Alexander Hamilton)
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MSM CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of
announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other information helpful
to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming MSM CONNECTIONS
into your in-box!
Who to contact:
Minister Frank Coleman, Men Servants Ministry Chairman,
773-410-1483,
Minister Arnold Whitehead, Men Servants Ministry
Vice-Chairman, 773-846-6090
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The mission of New Joy Divine
Full Gospel Church is to be a
Christ-centered, Bible based, Spirit guided church meeting the spiritual,
physical, and emotional needs of its members and the community it serves.
The Men Servants Ministry (MSM)
Team offers a variety of activities for men to interact with other men on our
journey of faith in Christ together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one
events encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that result
in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ. Contact Min. Frank Coleman,
773-410-1483, [email protected]
if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
New Joy Divine Full Gospel Church is located at 7625 S.
Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60620.
Tel: 773-224-5683. Founded & Pastored by Apostle
Aaron L. Royster & Prophetess Mable L. Royster.
Visit our website at: http://www.newjoydivine.org/
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