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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"He
gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"What
we do in life echoes in eternity!"
Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator)
QUANTUM SERVANTHOOD (knowing how to lead in chaos)
by John
O'Keefe
"...To
start with, let me say that I believe a "leader" in the 21C needs to
be more servants, poets, artists, and creative thinkers, while being far less
the "boss leader" to truly reach the postmodern/emerging mind for
Christ. I love the paradox of the term
"quantum." In general, quantum
means "a share or portion; a large quantity or bulk." And yet in physics, it means, "the
smallest quantity of radiant energy."
It is at both times the smallest and the largest -- I love that. What "quantum servanthood" says to
me is, being a servant is both something we do on a personal level and on a
community level; that we serve Christ and each other. I love the idea that in a "quantum"
reality we can be, when we are in true service to others, a small quantity of
the "radiant energy" that is Christ in us all. I work under the belief that Jesus never
called anyone to "leadership."
Jesus called us to servanthood; "So Jesus got them together to
settle things down. He said, 'You've
observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little
power goes to their heads. It's not
going to be that way with you. Whoever
wants to be great must become a servant.
Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.'" (Matthew
20:25-27); also, "And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of
them. There is only one Life-Leader for
you and them -- Christ. "'Do you
want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.
If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself,
your life will count for plenty.'" (Matthew 23:10-12)...."
Read this
article in full at
http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=927
THIEVES STEAL CONSUMER INFO DATABASE
Personal
info compiled by ChoicePoint stolen, including Social Security numbers;
thousands affected.
(Reuters)
- Tens of thousands of
http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/15/technology/identity_theft.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes
To request
your own credit report, see
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
HUSBANDS: SHOW YOUR LOVE
"For
Husbands Only" by Rev. John MacArthur, is a "loving lecture"
that says, "Valentine's Day may be the one time each year that most
husbands let down the macho exterior and actually demonstrate their love for
their wives in tangible ways.... But once the day ends, so does Prince
Charming, and you revert to your normal self and usual role." Read the entire article to find realistic
ways to continue the love affair with your lady.
http://www2.inhis.com/ministries/grace_to_you/Article.asp?article_id=415
LENTEN REFLECTIONS ON THE ROAD TO EASTER
Reflect on
the available online material about the Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Start at the beginning--the
darkest night in history--and end at the empty tomb--the brightest morning in
history. Explore "A Disciples'
Night of Desertion," "A Devotional Heart of the Believer,"
"A Dying Christ," "A Dedicated Mind," and "A Divine
Response." For the full story, read
Lenten Reflections on the Road to Easter at
http://ifc.gospelcom.net/spiritual_growth/477/
THE CROSS
Cahleen
Shrier, an associate professor of biology at
http://www.apu.edu/infocus/2002/03/crucifixion/
MAJOR
by Phil
Boatwright
Movie
producer Hunt Lowry is responsible for bringing such diverse films as "A
Walk To Remember," "White Oleander" and "The Last of the
Mohicans" to the motion picture screen.
During a recent interview, I discovered that Mr. Lowry is also a
Christian and weekly churchgoer. What's
more, looking over his body of work, which includes "A Cinderella Story"
with Hilary Duff, "First Knight" with Sean Connery and "Only The
Lonely" with John Candy, it becomes apparent that the majority of his work
examines family relationships or contains a moral message. In the case of "A Walk To
Remember," he did something unique in Hollywoodland: He dramatized a teen
story with a Christian as the film's central figure. "I look for a good story, good
relationships and a positive message. It
needs a message of growth, of triumph, of good winning out," Lowry
said....
As many
readers are well aware, I am angered with the constant misuse of God's name in
movies. Despite the third commandment,
which makes no dispensation for storytellers, profanity can be found in nearly
every film no matter the intended audience or movie genre. Lowry shares my frustration. "Sadly, profanity has become a casual
thing. And it's not a casual thing. When we preview our movies that have
profanity, it's the main complaint we receive.
It's a bigger complaint than most filmmakers realize. Profanity gets adlibbed a lot," he
said. "But if you've heard
profanity in any of my films, I can guarantee that there was a lot more in the
rough cut." Read this article in
full at
http://www.bpnews.net/bpcolumn.asp?ID=1719
THE FIGHT TO PRESERVE DeMILLE'S 'LOST CITY'
In 1983,
filmmaker Peter Brosnan set out to unearth a city buried beneath the desert
sands near
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4494713
http://www.lostcitydemille.com/
IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT FILMS
Looking
for some movie recommendations this year?
The Arts and Faith discussion group has compiled a list of their Top 100
Spiritually Significant Films--enough to keep even the most ardent film
enthusiast occupied for quite some time.
The films chosen vary widely in subject, theme, and seriousness, and
include a good mixture of well-known and obscure movies. Each item on the list is accompanied by a
short piece of commentary to give you a basic idea of each film's focus.
http://www.filmsite.org/top100spiritual.html
WHY ARE REVIEWERS PRAISING A NEO-NAZI MOVIE?
by Dr. Ted
Baehr
The
forerunner of the current movie "Million Dollar Baby" was the very
entertaining Nazi movie "I Accuse", which won the top prize at the
Venice Film Festival and was the propaganda that Joseph Goebbels used to convince
the German people to switch their vote from "vehemently opposed to the
holocaust" to over 60% in favor of so-called "mercy
killing." In fact, "I
Accuse" is a very subtle film that inspired the killing of millions of
people.
Goebbels
was the National Socialist (Nazi) propaganda minister from 1933 to 1945. He exploited radio, press, cinema, and
theater in
"Million
Dollar Baby" has been blasted by critics as a "million dollar
euthanasia movie." ... Jewish columnist Don Feder says that "the
screenplay could have been smuggled out of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's prison
cell."...
Read more
of this review at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s05020057.htm
FEBRUARY DATES
Feb. 25 -
Longhorn World Championship Rodeo
Feb. 26-27
- Big 10 Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships
http://bigten.collegesports.com/sports/m-itrack/big10-m-itrack-body.html
Feb. 27 –
Heritage Day Program
New
IDENTITY THIEVES CAN LURK AT WI-FI SPOTS
Coffee
shop web surfers beware: An evil twin may be lurking near your favorite
wireless hotspot. Thieves are using
wireless devices to impersonate legitimate Internet access points to steal
credit card numbers and other personal information, security experts warn. So-called evil-twin attacks don't require
technical expertise. Anyone armed with a
wireless laptop and software widely available on the Internet can broadcast a
radio signal that overpowers the hot spot. Read more at
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-02-06-evil-twin-usat_x.htm
CHURCHES DON'T SHARE PRIORITIES
What are
the top ministry priorities of Protestant churches? The Barna Research Group asked a national
sample of Protestant Senior Pastors to identify the top three emphases of their
church for the coming year and received a clear sense of the ranking of what
churches are focusing upon. Read their
answers -- and how different types of churches are distinct in their priorities
-- by going to
BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE
IV. Canonicity - How do we know the
right books are in the Bible?
A. Definition:
The collection of 66 books were properly recognized by the early church as the
complete authoritative scriptures not to be added to or subtracted from.
B. Tests
of Canonicity
1. Is
it authoritative ("Thus saith the Lord")?
2. Is
it prophetic ("a man of God" 2 Peter
3. Is
it authentic (consistent with other revelation of truth)?
4. Is
it dynamic (life-changing)?
5. Is
it received (accepted and used by believers)? (Norman L. Geisler & William
Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp. 137-144)
C. Formation
of the Canon
1. How
the Old Testament books were determined.
a. The
New Testament refers to Old Testament books as "scripture"
(Matt.21:42, etc.).
b. The
Council of Jamnia (A.D. 90) recognized our 39 books.
c. Josephus
(A.D. 95) indicated that the 39 books were recognized as authoritative.
2. How
the New Testament books were determined.
a. The
apostles claimed authority for their writings (1 Thess.5:27)
b. The
apostle's writings were equated with O.T. Scriptures (2 Pet.3:2,15,16).
c. The
Council of Athenasius (A.D. 367) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397)
recognized the 27 books in our N.T. today as inspired.
D. The
Apocrypha (other books included in the Catholic Bible) is not Scripture.
1. The
Apocrypha is never quoted as authoritative in scriptures.
2. Matthew
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=672
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
Take time
to listen to and really understand people.
Walk the job. Ask and learn about
what people do and think, and how they think improvements can be made.
http://www.alanchapman.com/leadership.htm
IS YOUR GOD TOO SMALL?
by Randy
Davis
Dorthy
Sayers said something to the effect that we often try to pare the claws of the
Lion of Judah to make him less dangerous.
I wonder if sometimes we use theology and our intellect to try to put
God in a controllable box? We're scared
of what's there but if we can define it and put it on paper, it's like we
control the content. But sooner or
later, God loses patience with us and roars.
Annie
Dillard said when we go to church we should wear a crash helmet and strap on
our seat belts. And it was Lewis who
described God like a wild Lion.
Somewhere we discover that God is so much larger than our
intellects. It's like being caught in the
presence of God as did Isaiah, it is a "Woe is me for I am undone"
moment.
I cannot
cage God with my theology. I do not
think he violates his word, but he often violates my theology, sometimes shames
it. I wonder if it has something to do
with age. If you've read the Chronicles
of Narnia, you may remember that that as the children got older, the Lion
looked bigger. I think that's true for
our theology. The older we are, the more
grace we experience, the more failures we have, the deeper the love we know,
God is bigger. Soon our theology cannot
contain him, no matter how intellectual we are.
I live in
an intellectual world and a practical world.
I'm comfortable reading theology and philosophy. I have advanced degrees in theology. And I am a pastor consumed with mundane
things like helping a needy person, keeping others from fighting on church
committees, making sure we have enough money to do ministry. A lot of energy is expended on practical
matters. What gets lost is the
spiritual, the aloneness with God, the ear attuned to his voice, and sometimes
even the desire to know him. But,
sometimes God invades my busyness--doesn't he know I'm busy doing kingdom
work! But still he invades and
sometimes, that's the best of times, and sometimes it's the worst of
times. He's like a wild Lion.
VERSE TO PONDER
"Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you
have..." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"We
can offer up much in the large, but to make sacrifices in the little things is
what we are seldom equal to."
Goethe
SURVIVING INFORMATION OVERLOAD:
The Clear,
Practical Guide to Help You Stay on Top of What You Need to Know
by Kevin
A. Miller
Another
book of information on dealing with too much information? This one is different. The author, Christianity Today International
vice president Kevin Miller, opens with the words, "You don't have to
finish this book." For making sense
of the overwhelming amount of information that bombards us, this book is a good
place to start. A well-organized table
of contents allows readers to target the particular area of information
overload they are experiencing. Miller
offers systematic ideas for dealing with a variety of types of information
overload. One section deals with e-mail,
voicemail, finding information online, and filing and storing information. It's worth the price of the book. Other
sections target more subtle but profound problems, including the underlying
need for approval that may keep us overwhelmed.
The book includes a section for church leaders on information stresses
peculiar to ministry. Those drowning in
an information deluge will find that this refreshing, humorous book is
chock-full of practical ideas to stay afloat.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/009/22.91.html
CONSIDER
"The
whole being of any Christian is Faith and Love... Faith brings the man to God,
love brings him to men." Martin
Luther (1483-1546)
VERSE TO PONDER
"Look
to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." 1 Chronicles
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
8: Are there more Gods than one?
Answer:
There is but one only, the living and true God.
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER
"Prayer
is our only certain means for advancing righteousness in the Lord, and the only
effective wall against the tide of evil.
Prayer for our leadership not only assures their being resourced with
the wisdom only God can give, but will keep their hearts, minds and souls
guarded from the intrusions of pride, confusion and self-dependence." Jack Hayford
CRITICAL PRAYER
REQUESTS FOR STRATEGIC NATIONS
We're praying for our fellow believers in a different nation
each week. Please pray for...
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gh.html
Vision for the 21st Century. The 1989 Ghana Evangelism Committee national conference set goals for the '90s but they were only partially achieved. These are a continuing prayer challenge:
a) To increase congregations from 22,600 to 53,000. By 2000 there were probably 30-35,000 churches.
b) To plant 2,000 new churches for northern peoples in the East and West Upper regions, the Northern region and for northerners in the South. That goal has yet to be attained, but at least eight churches and agencies are actively and vigorously planting and multiplying churches in each of these regions.
c) An active, witnessing church for every
village, town, urban neighborhood and ethnic community. This goal is only
partially achieved, and 70% of
Pray that these goals might be achieved by 2010.
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. Gerald Williams
*
Bro. Damien Robinson
*
Bro. Needle
*
Bro. LaMallon Howard
*
Bro. Joe Ross
*
Bro. Lester Yancey
*
Elder Tim Howard
*
Pastor Alan Roundtree
*
Elder Dalter Yarbrough
*
Bro. Robert Allen
[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.
Strategic
Digital Outreach
http://www.strategicdigitaloutreach.com/
Who Is
Jesus, Really?
http://www.whoisJesus-really.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.)
I used to
have a handle on life...but it broke off.
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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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