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 connect you
with God and with other men at NJD. If you'd like its delivery to your email
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"To him who is able to
keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without
fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power
and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude
1:24-25 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"Do little things as
though they were great, because of the majesty of Jesus Christ who does them in
us, and who lives our life: and do the greatest things as though they were
little and easy, because of His omnipotence." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), Pensées
[1660]
PRAYER AT NATIONAL PRAYER
SERVICE, NATIONAL CATHEDRAL,
Rev. Billy Graham, Evangelist
"Our Father and our God,
we thank You that the last event of this historic week is a time of worship-a
time to hear Your Word, to pray and to declare our dependence on You.
"In the quietness and
calmness of this great cathedral, turn us away from everything that would
distract us and help us to focus on our need of You. We remember
that it is written in the Scriptures, "Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1).
"Our Father, we
acknowledge Your divine help in the selection of our nation's leaders
throughout our history and we believe that in Your providence You have granted
a second term of office to our President, George W. Bush, and our Vice
President, Richard Cheney. Their next four years are hidden from us
-- but they are not hidden from You. You know the challenges and
opportunities they will face. Give them a clear mind and a warm
heart, calmness in the midst of turmoil, reassurance in times of discouragement,
and Your presence always.
"We pray for their
families and we ask for Your protection and care for them during the pressures
of these next four years.
"Renew our vision,
restore our faith and rekindle our desire to love and to serve all
humanity. May we never forget that one day we each will stand before
You to give an account of what You have entrusted to us.
"Finally, our Father, we
pray for our nation and our world. We thank You for those who have
sacrificed their lives to give us our freedom, and we pray for those who
continue to serve our nation in places of great conflict and
danger. Above all, we join today with millions of others across this
torn and confused world in praying for peace.
"Thank you for the
overwhelming compassion that our leadership and our country have shown toward
the suffering in
"And now may this
service become a time of commitment for each one of us, as we rededicate
ourselves to You and Your will for our lives.
"We pray this in the
name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."
FEBRUARY DATES
February is Black History
Month and American Heart Month
Feb. 9 - Ash Wednesday
Feb. 13 - NFL Pro Bowl
Feb. 14 - Valentines Day
COVENANT MARRIAGE SUNDAY
February 13 is Covenant
Marriage Sunday, seeking to motivate entire congregations to take a stand for
marriage. God continues to raise up congregations around the world
to celebrate marriage as a covenant relationship through the observance of the
Covenant Marriage Sunday and we can be a part of this coordinated nation-wide
effort. Celebrating marriage as a congregation can occur anytime our
church deems appropriate. However, as the Bride of Christ we have a
unique opportunity to display to the world God's intent for marriage to be an
exciting journey together as husband and wife with Him at the heart of the relationship.
http://www.covenantmarriage.com
SUBJECT: TYPOGLYCEMIA
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I
cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor
of the hmuan mind. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it
wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed
ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig
huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thuohgt slpeling was ipmorantt.
EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS LEONARDO'S
'CURIOUS GENIUS'
An exhibit in
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4474265
VERSE TO PONDER
"'The LORD bless you and
keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the
LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.'" Numbers
6:24-26 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"God has no more
precious gift to a church or an age than a man who lives as an embodiment of
his will, and inspires those around him with the faith of what grace can
do." Andrew Murray
TIPS FOR MASTERING E-MAIL
OVERLOAD
by Steve Robbins
"Being at or near the
top of your organization, everyone wants a piece of you. So they
send you e-mail. It makes you feel important. Don't you
love it? Really? Then, please take some of
mine! Over 100 real e-mails come in each day. At three minutes
apiece, it will take five hours just to read and respond.
Let's not even think about
the messages that take six minutes of work to deal
with. Shudder. I'm buried in e-mail and chances are,
you're not far behind. For whatever reason, everyone feels compelled
to keep you "in the loop."
"What's the best way to
train everyone around you to better e-mail habits? You guessed
it: You go first. First, you say, "In order for me
to make you more productive, I'm going to adopt this new policy to lighten your
load..." Demonstrate a policy for a month, and if people like
it, ask them to start doing it too.
*
Use a subject
line to summarize, not describe.
*
Give your reader
full context at the start of your message.
*
When you copy
lots of people (a heinous practice that should be used sparingly), mark out why
each person should care.
*
Use separate
messages rather than bcc (blind carbon copy).
*
Make action
requests clear....
Read this article in full at
the Harvard Business School Working Knowledge website
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/tools/print_item.jhtml?id=4438&t=leadership
QUESTION
What is the beginning of
eternity. The end of time and space. The beginning of every
end. And the end of every place? (scroll down to my signature for
the answer :)
MEDIA'S MINDLESS
ENTERTAINMENT
by Dick Staub
"In newspapers you can
read about the 60th anniversary of the dismantling of the
"The
"The Sponge Bob and
Buster stories are unimportant and uninteresting by comparison, but I can
guarantee you they have been and will be the bread and butter of talk shows for
a few more days. Yesterday a quick turn of the dial revealed these
as the simultaneous subject of discussion on two national (one conservative and
one liberal) and three local
Read the full blog from Dick
at
http://dickstaub.com/culturewatch.php?record_id=812
CONSIDER
"The place to improve
the world is first in one's own heart and head and
hands." Robert M. Pirsig
BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE
I. Inspiration - How did God
produce the Bible?
A. Definition:
God's superintending of human authors so that, using their own individual
personalities, they composed and recorded without error in the words of the
original autographs His revelation to man (Ryrie).
B. Theories of
Inspiration
1.
Natural inspiration - There is no supernatural element.
The Bible was written by
great men, who often erred.
2.
Partial inspiration - The Bible contains God's words but must be sorted out
("demythologized") to find them. Other parts are purely
human and may be in error
3.
Conceptual inspiration - The thoughts of scripture are inspired but the actual words
used are not. There is factual and scientific error.
4.
Dictation theory of inspiration - The writers passively recorded God's words
without any participation of their own styles or personalities.
5.
Verbal, plenary inspiration - All of the actual words of the Bible are inspired
and without error (see definition). This fits the Bible's
description.
C. Defense for
verbal, plenary inspiration
1.
The Bible claims it (2 Tim.3:16)
2.
The Bible describes it.
a. "God-breathed writings (2 Tim.3:16)
b. "Spirit-enabled" writings (2 Pet.1:20,21)
c. God-superintended the writers and writings (2Pet.1:21)
d. Scripture describes the "God-Spirit-Man" interaction
1)
Zech.7:12 - "The words which the Lord of Hosts had sent by His Spirit
through the former prophets."
2)
Acts 4:24,25 - "God...who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our
father David...did say."
3.
God used several methods of inspiration.
a. Direct dictation (Deut.9:10)
b. Superintending human research (Luke 1:1-4)
c. Spoken revelation (Gal.1:12)
4.
Inspiration is "verbal." The very words are inspired. (1
Cor.2:12,13; Gal.3:16; Matt.22:31-32).
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=672
COLONOSCOPIES
A physician claimed that the
following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while
he was performing their colonoscopies:
*
"Take it
easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!"
*
"Find Amelia
Earhart yet?"
*
"Can you
hear me NOW?"
*
"Are we
there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
*
"Any sign of
the trapped miners, Chief?"
*
"You put your
left hand in, you take your left hand out...."
*
"Hey! Now
I know how a Muppet feels!"
*
"Hey, Doc,
let me know if you find my dignity."
*
"Could you
write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?"
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS,
FAMILY, LIFE)
1. Set one to three goals that you define clearly in
writing. Having too many goals makes it difficult to achieve the results you'd
like.
2. Ask yourself why you want to achieve these
goals. Do they relate to your mission? Asking yourself
"why" helps clarify your goals.
3. Achieving new results requires new
behavior. Write down three behaviors you will have to change to
reach each of your new goals.
4. Determine how you will measure your progress, and set deadlines
for yourself. Write your deadlines on your Planning Pages. We
respond better when we have a deadline to meet.
5. Keep your commitments.
INTERVIEW SLIDE SHOW
Here's a slide show that offers
tips on how to conduct a good job interview with a candidate.
http://www.inc.com/slideshow_INC/slideviewer.cgi?list=controllingtheinterview&refresh=12
MATURITY
"Maturity is the ability
to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending
it, and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even." Ann
Landers
CAN GOD BE SEEN IN ME?
God appears, and God is
Light,
To
those poor souls who dwell in Night;
But does a Human Form display
To
those who dwell in realms of Day.
William
Blake (1757-1827)
MALACHI 3:3:
"He will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver." A man wanted to know what this
verse was really saying, so he made an appointment to watch a silversmith at
work. As he watched, the craftsman held a piece of silver over the
fire and explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in
the middle of the fire where the flames are hottest as to burn away all the impurities. He
said he had to keep his eyes on the silver, because if it were left in the
flames a moment too long, it would be destroyed. The man asked the
silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully
refined? The reply: "When I see my image in it."
CONSIDER
"Go out into the world
today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light
in the hearts of people." Mother Teresa
VERSE TO PONDER
"Grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: BY PRECEPTS
TAUGHT OF AGES PAST
Words: Unknown author, 11th
Century
Music: Christliche
Gesangbüchlein, 1568
By precepts taught of ages
past,
Now let us keep again the
fast,
Which, year by year, in order
meet
Of forty days is made
complete.
The law and seers that were
of old
In divers ways this Lent
foretold,
Which Christ Himself, the
Lord and Guide
Of every season, sanctified.
More sparing therefore let us
make
The words we speak, the food
we take,
Deny ourselves in mirth and
sleep,
In stricter watch our senses
keep.
In prayer together let us
fall,
And cry for mercy, one and
all;
And weep before the Judge,
and say,
O turn from us Thy wrath
away.
Thy grace have we offended
sore
By sins, O God, which we
deplore;
Pour down upon us from above
The riches of Thy pardoning
love.
Remember, Lord, though frail
we be,
That yet Thine handiwork are
we:
Nor let the honor of Thy Name
Be by another put to shame.
Forgive the ill that we have
wrought,
Increase the good that we
have sought;
That we at length, our
wanderings o'er,
May please Thee now and
evermore.
Blest Three in One, and One
in Three,
Almighty God, we pray to
Thee,
That Thou wouldst now
vouchsafe to bless
Our fast with fruits of
righteousness.
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/y/byprecep.htm
GOD FAQ
Question 6: What do the
Scriptures make known of God?
Answer: The Scriptures make
known: What God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution
of his decrees.
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER
"Often we think of
prayer as a means of getting God to do our bidding, instead of a way to let us
do His. Prayer is the surrender through which an avenue of new energy
strengthens the disciple for obedient service. Christians come to believe that prayer
not only releases spiritual influences in the lives of others but also has
profound effects on their own lives. When a sailor throws out the
line to dock his boat, he doesn't pull the shore to him; he pulls his boat to
the shore. Prayer brings us to the heart of God. Here we want to conform to His
purposes. We do not suggest that God conform to ours. Here close to God, we
learn of His priorities and pray that they may become our
own." Rev. Randolph J. Klassen, American pastor and author
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
*
Minister Byron Dickens
*
William Moore,
Jr.
*
Bro. Eddie Watson
*
Pastor Verdale Goines
*
Minister Aaron O’Tey
*
Pastor Watson
*
Bro. Eric Gray
*
Bro. Edward Corey
Phillips
*
Bro. Rudolph West
*
Bro. Johnie Gray
[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.
The Art of God (beautiful!)
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O2F44144A
The Words of Jesus Christ for
the world
Mikey’s Funnies Biblical
Bloopers
http://www.mikeysfunnies.com/archive/20040712/index.html
Narnia3.com
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.)
ANSWER: The letter
"E" :)
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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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