MSM CONNECTIONS
For the week of
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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"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to
save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his
love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah
CONSIDER
"Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on Earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, smile into His eyes -- ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself." Jim Elliot (1927-1956)
CHEATING EPIDEMIC REVEALS A DEEPER ISSUE.
Forget the flu. From Wall Street to
Consider:
* More than 90% of college students say they would cheat to get a job, according to a recent survey. Donald McCabe, founding president of the Center for Academic Integrity, uncovered a 30% to 35% jump in some types of cheating among college students in the 1990s.
* Celebrity academics such as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose, and Michael Bellesiles have faced public humiliation for plagiarism or falsified research.
* In journalism, Jayson Blair, Jack Kelley, and CBS News are the latest examples of cheating in the newsroom.
Christians are not exempt from such temptations, and
apparently neither are their pastors. Last fall, the prominent
pastor of a megachurch in
Read this editorial in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/25.27.html
THE INAUGURAL BENEDICTION
By Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell
"Let us pray, please. Oh, Lord, God
almighty, the supply and supplier of faith and freedom, how excellent is your
name in all the Earth. You are great and greatly to be
praised. Oh, God, as we conclude this 55th inaugural ceremony, we
conclude it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Thank you for
protecting
"Thank you for our armed service personnel. And
it is with unswerving thanksgiving that we pause to remember the persons who
have made the ultimate sacrifice to help ensure
"Thank you, oh, God, for surrounding our personnel,
their families, their friends and our allies with your favor and your
faithfulness. Deploy your host from heaven so that your will for
"I confess that your face will shine upon the
"Rally the Republicans, the Democrats, and the
Independents around your common good so that
"Oh, God, I declare your blessings to shower upon our president, George W. Bush. Bless him, his family, and his administration. I once again declare that no weapon formed against them shall prosper.
"And God, forgive us, forgive us. Forgive us for becoming so ensnarled in petty partisan politics that we miss your glory and flunk our purpose. Deliver us from the evil one, from evil itself, and from the mere appearance of evil. Give us clean hearts so that we might have clean agendas, clean priorities and programs, and even clean financial statements.
"And now, unto you, oh, God, the one who always has been, and always will be, the one king of kings, and the true power broker we glorify and honor you. Respecting persons of all faiths I humbly submit this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, an old friend of President Bush,
is pastor of
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/159/story_15972_1.html
ROLLING STONE AGREES TO
RUN BIBLE AD
Rolling Stone magazine will run an ad for the Holy Bible in
February - the same ad it rejected two weeks ago for its "spiritual
message." The magazine was drummed by critics for turning down
a low-key ad for a new translation of Scripture, Today's New International
Version (TNIV). Read the
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2005-01-24-rolling-stone-bible_x.htm
Also visit
and
SUPER BOWL XXXIX
Feb. 6
The Men Servants Ministry invites you to join NFL star Kurt Warner at the POWER TO WIN party!
SPECIAL VIDEO PRESENTATION!
NFL star Kurt Warner of the NY Giants shares his Power to Win with you.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Join the millions of fans who have attended Power to Win parties nationwide.
7836
Kick-off:
ASH WEDNESDAY
Feb. 9
One way to prepare for Easter during Lent is to read Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin, Jr.
http://www.zondervan.com/books/Detail.asp?ISBN=0310755301
THE WONDER OF GOD'S
CREATION
A Harvard mathematician makes some startling new findings on just how the famous plant that has no nerves or muscles, snaps its jaws shut in less than 1/10 of a second. Listen to this NPR report at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4467935
VERSE TO PONDER
"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back." Babe Ruth
BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE
V. In What Form Does God Exist?
A. God is a "personal" being. God is not human yet He is "person" like man in that He has intellect, emotions and will (see "communicable attributes"). It is in this sense that we are in the "image of God" (Gen.1:26,27; 9:6). He does not share our imperfections but he does share our personal nature. God is not a "force". He is a personal being.
B. God
is a "spiritual" being. God does not consist of any material
substance. He is spirit (John
C. God is a "triunity." "Trinity" is a term that describes the "threeness" of God. But that is only a partial description. God is also "one" - He is a unified being. So a good term to describe both truths is "Triunity." "Trinity" may always be the most-used term, but we must understand that biblically "trinity" is really "triunity".
D. Definition: There is only one God but in the unity of God there are three equally eternal Persons, the same in substance but distinct from each other (Adapted from B.B. Warfield).
1. Errors (Denials of the trinity)
a. There is not one God with 3 natures, roles or qualities.
b. There are not 3 different Gods.
c. The Son and the Holy Spirit are not less than God or creations of God.
2. The "oneness" of God
a. There is only one God (Duet.6:4; Is. 45:14;
James
b. The one God is not divisible into parts - Since God is spirit by nature and not material in composition, He cannot be divided into 3 parts of 1/3 God each. God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit therefore cannot be conceived of any anything less than wholly God in essence.
3. The "threeness" of God. Each of the 3 persons possesses what only God has, so each is fully God.
a. The Father is God.
Rom.1:7 - "God (who is) our Father"
John
b. The Son is God.
1) He possesses incommunicable attributes.
a) Self-existence (Heb.7:3; John 5:26)
b) Immutability (Heb.1:10; 13:8)
c) Infinity
d) Eternality (Heb.7:3)
e) Omnipresence (Matt.28:20)
2) He participates in the functions of deity.
a) He created
the world (John
b) He sustains the world (Col.1:15-17)
c) He forgives sins (Matt.9:1,2)
d) He performs final judgment (John 5:22; Rev.19:16)
3) He receives worship.
a) Of angels (Heb.1:6; Rev.5:12,13)
b) Of men (John
9:38;
4) He has divine titles.
a) Jehovah
(Luke
b) Son of God
(Luke
5) Jesus
claimed to be God (John
6) Other explicit claims (John 1:1; Rom.9:5; 1 John 5:20)
Also there are 4 texts with grammatical forms proving that Jesus Christ = God (2 Thess.1:12; 1 Tim.5:21; Tit.2:13; 2 Pet.1:1).
c. The Spirit is God.
1) Explicit claims (2 Cor.3:17,18)
2) Names and titles of deity
a) Yahweh (Yahweh in Isa.6:1-13 is called Holy Spirit in Acts 28:25.)
b) Spirit of God (Rom.8:9,14; 1 Cor.2:11; 12:3; Eph.4:30)
3) He possesses incommunicable attributes.
a) Self-existence (Rom.8:2)
b) Omnipresence (Ps.139:7 ff)
4) He performs incommunicable works (no one but God can do them).
a) Creation (Gen.1:2)
b) Resurrection (Rom.8:11)
5) Implicit claims
a) Acts 5:3,4 - lie to Spirit equals lie to God
b) 2 Cor.3:17 - "The Lord is the Spirit"
4. The "triuness" of God
a. Old Testament evidence
1) God speaks of Himself with plural pronouns
("us" Gen.1:26;
2) The "Angel of the Lord" is sometimes clearly "God" yet He is distinct from "God" (The Father). Thus He must be Christ in pre-incarnate human form (Gen.16:7-13; 18:1-21; 19:1-28; Mal.3:1).
3) Other passages clearly distinguish Persons of the Godhead (Father/Lord/Spirit - Isa.48:12,16; LORD/Lord - Ps.110:1).
b. New Testament evidence
1) God is "one" (Eph.4:6; James 2:19)
2) God is "three" (Matt.3:16; 1 Cor.12:4-6; 1 Pet.1:2).
3) God is "three in one" (Matt.28:19 - "In the name (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit").
5. Summary: The doctrine of the trinity (triunity) is "knowable" and "believable" but will never be completely "explainable" by human minds or human words. The mechanics of how triunity exists and functions remains a mystery to us just as the how of the Incarnation (Christ is God and Man) does. We know God is One. We know He is Three. Thus we know the Triunity is true.
Practically, for Christians, we know the triune nature of God was necessary:
a. Only
the perfect sacrifice of the divine Son could pay for our sin (John
b. Only
the divine Spirit could indwell all of us (John
c. The Father Himself must be distinct to perform such a plan.
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=176
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"Praise loudly, blame softly" (Catherine the Great). Follow this maxim.
http://www.alanchapman.com/leadership.htm
TWO KINDS
In Paths to Power, A. W. Tozer writes, "There are two kinds of ground: fallow ground and ground that has been broken up by the plow.
"The fallow field is smug, contented, protected from the shock of the plow and the agitation of the harrow. Such a field, as it lies year after year, becomes a familiar landmark to the crow and the blue jay. . . . Safe and undisturbed, it sprawls lazily in the sunshine, the picture of sleepy contentment. . . . Fruit it can never know because it is afraid of the plow and the harrow.
"In direct opposite to this, the cultivated field has yielded itself to the adventure of living. The protecting fence has opened to admit the plow, and the plow has come as plows always come, practical, cruel, business-like, and in a hurry. Peace has been shattered by the shouting farmer and the rattle of machinery. The field ... has been upset, turned over, bruised, and broken, but its rewards come hard upon its labors. The seed shoots up into the daylight, its miracle of life, curious, exploring the new world above it. Nature's wonders follow the plow.
"There are two kinds of lives also - the fallow and the plowed.
"The man of fallow life is contented with himself and the fruit he once bore. He does not want to be disturbed. He smiles in silent superiority at revivals, fastings, self-searchings, and all the travail of fruit bearing and the anguish of advance. The spirit of adventure is dead within him . . . he has fenced himself in, and by the same act he has fenced out God and the miracle.
"The plowed life is the life that has . . . thrown down the protecting fences and sent the plow of confession into the soul . . . Such a life has put away defense and has forsaken the safety of death for the peril of life. Discontent, yearning, contrition, courageous obedience to the will of God these have bruised and broken the soil till it is ready again for the seed. And as always fruit follows the plow." (Click here to learn more about the book Paths to Power.)
CONSIDER
"Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't." Pete Seeger
VERSE TO PONDER
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN:
AWHILE IN SPIRIT, LORD, TO THEE
Words: Joseph F. Thrupp, 1853
Music: Geistliche Lieder, 1543
Awhile in spirit, Lord, to Thee
Into the desert we would flee;
Awhile upon the barren steep
Our fast with Thee in spirit keep.
Awhile from Thy temptation learn
The daily snares of sin to spurn,
And in our hearts to feel and own
Man liveth not by bread alone.
O Thou once tempted like as we,
Thou knowest our infirmity;
Be Thou our Helper in the strife,
Be Thou our true, our inward Life.
And while, at Thy command we pray,
"Give us our bread from day to day,"
May we with Thee, O Christ, be fed,
Thou Word of God, Thou living Bread.
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/w/awhilein.htm
GOD FAQ
Question 5: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach,: What man is to believe concerning God, and: What duty God requires of man.
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
CYBER SHOPPING TIPS
To help ensure that your online shopping experience is a good one, keep the following tips in mind: Shop with companies you know. If you aren't familiar with a merchant, ask for a paper catalog to get a better idea of their merchandise and services. Guard your passwords, and avoid using personal information when creating one. And when you buy items online, get extra protection by paying with credit or charge card, and keeping copies of your purchase order and confirmation number. When you enter a site, check for the company's privacy policy. This policy should answer your questions about how your personal information will be used and whether it will be provided to third parties. And it will help you avoid online threats, such as sp*m, spyw*re, identity theft, and inappropriate content.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/press/nfccybershoppingtips05.htm
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia affects as many as one in six million Americans. And the vast majority of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women. This chronic disorder causes widespread pain, fatigue, and tenderness in muscles and soft tissues. Learn about causes, available treatment options, and latest research efforts with "Questions & Answers About Fibromyalgia."
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/press/shortfibromyalgia05.htm
ON PRAYER
"So many of us limit our praying because we are not reckless in our confidence in God. In the eyes of those who do not know God, it is madness to trust Him. But when we pray through the power of the Holy Spirit we realize the resources of God -- He is our perfect heavenly Father, and we are His children." Oswald Chambers
PRAY FOR A COUNTRY
TODAY
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. Fred Simms
* Minister Maurice Collier
* Bro. Danielle Metcalf
* Minister Lamont Smith
* Bro. Travis Collins
* Bro. Carl Modica
*
* Bro. Antonio Dawkins
* Elder William Moore
* Bro. Robert Turner
[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.
Make-a-Flake (a virtual snowflake maker)
http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/
Bible Maps and Photos
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.)
Ever wonder why "abbreviated" is such a long word?
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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
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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