MSM CONNECTIONS
For the week of 05/22/05
The Men’s Ministry e-mail
newsletter of
New
Our mission: Our mission is to lead
men to
Jesus Christ and provide
opportunity for
Christian men to grow in their
faith
===== /\ =====
"The
LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who
understand, any who seek God."
Psalm 14:2 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"The
first step towards the solution of any problem is optimism." John Baines
STAR WARS SPIRITUALITY
In his
book, Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies, author Roy M. Anker writes
about finding meaning and morality in the intergalactic saga.
by Roy M.
Anker
...Against
all odds, wrapped in the pop space western that is Star Wars, lies a fetching,
luminous, and finally exultant fable of holy trust, apprenticeship, and
pilgrimage that culminates in a resplendent vision of servanthood,
reconciliation, and a winsome portrait of the new creation that awaits the
cosmos. At its core, the very heartbeat
of the Star Wars saga offers a riveting melodrama of redemption by love, the
unforeseen wild Force that runs all galaxies both near and "far
away." To be sure, much in this
saga is digressive and self-indulgent, especially chase sequences and the
special effects ad infinitum; but throughout the saga Lucas deftly displays in
fresh, crisp images the hidden forces whose conflict drive the story. From beginning to end, Lucas's wild and
fetching claims about the supernatural spangle forth, going where few films
even dream of venturing, turning the whole of his story on the lathe of
intergalactic metaphysical mystery....
Read this
in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/starwarspart1.html
DICK STAUB ON THE STAR WARS MYTH
Lucas's
stories may have more in common with Hinduism than Christianity, but it's still
True Myth, says the author of Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters.
In his new
book, Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters (Jossey-Bass), faith and culture
commentator Dick Staub uses the Star Wars mythos as a vehicle to share
Christian truth with a generation searching for authentic spirituality. Staub,
also author of Too Christian, Too Pagan, conducted many author interviews for
Christianity Today. This time, he's on
the other side of the desk, with CT senior associate news editor Stan Guthrie
conducting the interview.
Q: Which
is your favorite Star Wars movie?
A: The
Empire Strikes Back, because it reveals such essential elements of the
Luke/Leia/Vader relationship and introduces us to Yoda, through whom we learn
the sad tale of the Jedi decline. At the same time, we begin to see the Jedi
comeback as Yoda comes out of retirement to train Luke. We see Luke begin his
transformation from clueless young man to Jedi knight. In Christian Wisdom of
the Jedi Masters, I show how Luke's development is analogous to a serious
Christian's progression as a follower of Jesus.
Q: In the
book, you call both Star Wars and Christianity "mythology." What do
you mean?
A: A myth
is a story that confronts us with the "big picture," something
transcendent and eternal, and in so doing, explains the worldview of a
civilization. Given that definition,
Christianity is the prevailing myth of Western culture and Star Wars is a
prevailing myth of our popular culture.
However, one of these myths is actually true and historically based, and
that is Christianity. Both C.S. Lewis
and J.R.R. Tolkien loved great myths, but each believed beneath all
well-crafted myths there was the one true myth, Christianity....
Read this
interview in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/120/22.0.html
STAR WARS CRUCIAL DATES
An
online-only list of the events that shaped the saga
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1059915_1_0_,00.html
IN SEARCH OF THE REAL BALIAN
by Steven
Gertz
I have to
hand it to Sir Ridley Scott. He knows
how to grab your attention. In the
opening scenes of his epic
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/119/53.0.html
BUSINESS WEEK COVERS EVANGELICALS
The May 23
issue of Business Week addresses evangelicals' influence, Christian-market
growth, and megachurch pastors -- authors including Kirbyjon Caldwell, Ted
Haggard, Bill Hybels, Joel Osteen, and Rick Warren. Read the coverage at
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934001_mz001.htm
HEROES IN THEIR JOBS
When
things go wrong in an airplane cockpit, a few words from an air traffic
controller can save the day. On a clear
day last July, Scott Dittamo was training at the
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4654062
DR. BILLY GRAHAM TO HOLD FINAL
The beloved Billy Graham, evangelist to the world, will
return to the Greater New York area for a major crusade on June 24-26, 2005, at
-- Links in this story --
[1] http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s05040088.htm
[2] http://bgea.com/NYCrusade_Cover.asp
MAC SECURITY ALERT
Apple has
released Security Update 2005-005 to correct several vulnerabilities affecting
Mac OS X. These vulnerabilities have a
wide range of impacts, the most severe of which could allow an attacker to gain
access to your system. Install the
update located at Apple Security Update 2005-005:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301528
BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE
The Holy
Spirit's role prior to the Church Age
A. He
took part in creation (Gen.1:2; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30).
B. He
guided and protected
C. He
spoke through prophets to produce Scripture (1 Peter 1:11: 2 Peter 1:20, 21).
D. He
selectively and conditionally indwelt certain people in the Old Testament
(Joseph - Gen.41:38; Joshua - Num.27:18; Saul - 1 Sam.10:9, 10; David - 1
Sam.16:13 etc.). The Spirit's indwelling
was specifically related to enabling someone to do a particular task. The Holy Spirit could cease to indwell a
person because of their disobedience.
The Spirit left Saul (1 Sam.16:14).
When David sinned he pled that the Spirit not be taken from him (Psalm
51:11).
E. He
was the empowering Agent in Christ's earthly life.
1. He
was the Agent of Christ's virgin birth (Luke 1:35).
2. He
empowered Christ's ministry (Matt.12:28; Luke 4:1, 18).
3. He
was the Agent of Christ's resurrection (Rom.1:4; 8:11).
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=392
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"People
ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the
open, and the boss in covert. The leader
leads and the boss drives." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"The
marksman hitteth the target partly by pulling, partly by letting go. The boatsman reacheth the landing partly by
pulling, partly by letting go." (Egyptian proverb)
"No
man is fit to command another that cannot command himself." (William Penn)
http://www.alanchapman.com/leadership.htm
CHRISTIAN SPORTS BROADCASTERS TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN
Christian
sports broadcasters are making a difference in a world that often promotes
values contrary to the Bible. Along with
the avenue to reach millions of households, they also have the opportunity to
be an influence on the many people who work behind the scenes, the people who
rarely receive due credit.
As a CBS
college-football analyst and former star athlete with the Oklahoma Sooners and
Houston Oilers, Spencer Tillman is fully aware of the pitfalls of fame. "Temptation is always going to be out
there because people are drawn to some sense of celebrity," Tillman told
"New Man" magazine in the May/June issue, out now. The full report on Christian sports
broadcasters can be found in the magazine.
"The key is to start off knowing that is the case," Tillman
added. "When you understand the
nature of the business and the nature of people, then you can guard against
those things."
For Ernie
Johnson, it took some hard lessons as an unsaved journalist before he finally
found Christ in 1997. As the popular
studio host for Turner Broadcasting's NBA coverage, he too can easily pinpoint
the primary culprit that aims to tear down the character of Christian sports
broadcasters....
Read this
article in full at
http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=11108
THE NBA
*
Pre-Draft
Camp is June 7-10
at Moody Bible Institute;
*
NBA
Finals start June 7 or 9
http://www.nba.com/playoffs2005/
SPORTS: SOMETHING NOBLE AND GOOD
Professional
sports is often boring, but real sports is not.
by Mark Galli
I find
professional sports mostly boring. That
may surprise you, since I've spent some space in this column showing how
professional sports has those moments of transcendence: from the Kirk Gibson
home run in the 1998 World Series to a routine but elegantly executed pass over
the middle to the rhythm and story that are contained in every match-up....
The
problems of profession sports are legion -- selfishness of players, greed of
owners, rudeness of fans, the marketing and merchandizing, the gambling, the
groupies, the steroids, and on and on and on it goes. A fan has to be a master of denial to block
all that out to deeply enjoy a game, as a game, anymore....
Since play
is an expression of the Sabbath, and the Sabbath a glimpse of the coming Kingdom,
one wonders whether the principalities and powers the apostle Paul speaks of
have managed to turn play into mere gossip, business, and entertainment.....So
where exactly can the true spirit of play -- Sabbath play, play that points
toward the Kingdom -- be found today?
It can be
found, I think, on the golf course, when four friends gather for their weekly
nine or eighteen holes. The game
includes a fair amount of ribbing ("You can't hit that shot!"),
frustration ("I can't believe I hit that shot!"), and astonishment
("I can't believe you hit that shot!") -- and bunches of "if
only" stories when afterwards they share a beer in the clubhouse....
Read this
article in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/119/52.0.html
VERSE TO PONDER
"I
will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your
wonders." Psalm 9:1 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"Don't
judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson
S*X IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
by Lauren
F. Winner
A word
like chastity can set our teeth on edge.
It's one of those unabashedly churchy words. It's a word the church uses to call
Christians to do something hard, something unpopular. Chastity is one of many Christian practices
that are at odds with the dictates of our surrounding, secular culture. It challenges the movies we watch, the
magazines we read, the songs we listen to.
It runs counter to the way many of our unchristian friends organize
their lives. It strikes most secular
folk as curious (at best), strange, backwards, repressed.
Chastity
is also something many of us Christians have to learn. I had to learn chastity because I became a
Christian as an adult, after my s*xual expectations and mores were already
partly formed. But even many folks who
grow up in good Christian homes, attending good Christian schools, and hanging
out with good Christian friends -- even these Christians-from-the-cradle often
need to learn chastity, because unchaste assumptions govern so much of
contemporary society.
I am not
an expert on chastity. I am not a
theologian or a member of the clergy.
I'm just a fellow pilgrim. I
offer only a flawed example, a few suggestions, and the reminder of why, as
Christians, we should care about chastity in the first place....
Read this
article in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/005/34.28.html
TEN WAYS TO BOOST YOUR SPIRITUAL IMMUNE SYSTEM
by David
Jeremiah
Everybody
knows the principles for maintaining good physical health -- nutritious food,
exercise, pure water, lay off the junk food, plenty of sleep, healthy and
loving relationships -- right? But, one
third of Americans are now obese, and another third are overweight. That means two-thirds of Americans, in spite
of knowing better, are living unhealthy lifestyles.
The same
is true for the way many Christians approach spiritual health -- keeping their
spiritual immune systems in top shape.
Most of us know what to do; we just have a hard time putting it into
practice. The disciplines of physical
and spiritual exercise are equally challenging -- and the results of inaction
and apathy equally life-threatening. So
don't think the list that follows is too "basic" or "common
sense." Read through this list
carefully and prayerfully, and let the Holy Spirit speak to you about boosting
your own spiritual immune system.
Ten ways
to prepare yourself for spiritual "germ warfare":
1. Bible Study (2 Peter 1:4) When troubles in life come, God's great and
precious promises are what keep us from becoming infected with fear and
doubt. God's promises are found in only
one place: the Bible. Daily doses of the
Word of God are required for continuing spiritual health.
2. Prayer (Philippians 4:6-7) Prayer is like a healthy dose of vitamin C at
the first sign of a cold -- the first thing we should do when troubles
come. Pray for strength, pray for
wisdom, pray for help. And most of all,
pray for endurance and faithfulness. In
prayer we claim God's promises.
3. Scripture Memory and Meditation
(Psalm 1:2) The more we incorporate
Scripture into our hearts and minds, the more we think like God. When troubles come, instead of trying to
think of a Scripture verse, the Word of God is there because that's how we
think anyway. Take time to dwell on what
God says.
4. Clear Conscience (Psalm 32:5) No one who has a guilty conscience -- one
defiled by unconfessed sin -- can be spiritually healthy. Guilt leads to physical complications, and it
certainly leads to spiritual ill-health.
How can we call on God in times of trouble when we harbor sin in our
lives?
5. Worship and Church Attendance
(Hebrews 10:24-25) A healthy human is a
worshiping human-but not worshiping just anything. Because we were created by God, we are
destined to worship Him. Failure to
worship leads to isolation, introspection, and infection with the disease of
self-centeredness.
6. Service (1 Peter 4:10) Because we were created to serve, we will
only be truly spiritually healthy when we're using our spiritual gift(s) to
serve others. If we fail to serve, we
atrophy -- lose our strength and shrivel up.
Discover your gift(s) and stay healthy and strong by serving.
7. Relationships (Proverbs
22:24-25) The better part of wisdom is
to avoid unnecessary contact with carriers of contagious diseases. The same is true spiritually speaking. Anger, bitterness, resentment, envy, and
other carnal characteristics can be caught and spread. Choose your friends
wisely.
8. Lifestyle (Proverbs 3:5-6) Living a healthy lifestyle physically doesn't
guarantee perpetual good health -- but your chances are better. The same is true spiritually. Living a lifestyle of wisdom, acknowledging
God in all your ways, is foundational for spiritual health.
9. Giving (Luke 6:38) It takes an investment in a healthy lifestyle
to strengthen your body's immune system.
Investing your resources -- time, talent, and treasure -- in your spiritual
life will return to you an abundant spiritual health. We reap what we sow physically and
spiritually.
10. Fellowship with Other Christians
(Romans 12:10) Remove a part of the
human body and set it aside, and it dies within minutes. Remove yourself from relationships with
others, and the same is likely to happen spiritually. You're a "cell" in the body of
Christ, and you must stay connected to be nurtured as a part of the whole.
How
healthy is your immune system? You'll be
healthier spiritually when you implement more of these principles
consistently. And the healthier you are,
the more likely you are to withstand the infections of this world.
(This
article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional
magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of
Turning Points)
CONSIDER
"Show
me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are." Thomas Carlyle
VERSE TO PONDER
"Know
therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his
covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his
commands." Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: CREATOR OF THE STARS OF
NIGHT
Words:
Unknown author, 7th Century
Creator of
the stars of night,
Thy
people's everlasting light,
Jesus,
Redeemer, save us all,
And hear
Thy servants when they call.
Thou,
grieving that the ancient curse
Should
doom to death a universe,
Hast found
the medicine, full of grace,
To save
and heal a ruined race.
Thou
cam'st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew
the world to evening-tide;
Proceeding
from a virgin shrine,
The
spotless Victim all divine.
At Whose
dread Name, majestic now,
All knees
must bend, all hearts must bow;
And things
celestial Thee shall own,
And things
terrestrial, Lord alone.
O Thou
Whose coming is with dread
To judge
and doom the quick and dead,
Preserve
us, while we dwell below,
From every
insult of the foe.
To God the
Father, God the Son,
And God
the Spirit, Three in One,
Laud,
honor, might, and glory be
From age
to age eternally.
>from
CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/r/crestars.htm
GOD FAQ
Question
21: Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him?
Answer:
Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the
temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God in eating the
forbidden fruit; and thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they
were created.
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER
"It
is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God,
requires that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to
stir the man in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will
what the man in us wills." Thomas
Aquinas (1225?-1274)
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. Warren Baudy
*
Bro. Paul
*
Bro. Arthur Carr
*
Minister Frank Coleman
*
Minister Maurice Collier
*
Bro. Travis Collins
*
Bro. Antonio Dawkins
*
Minister Byron Dickens
*
Pastor Verdale Goines
*
Bro. Eric 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.
"Kidz-safe playground"
http://www.worldvillage.com/kidz/
God's
"Yellow Pages"
http://web2.airmail.net/dpelc/yellow/
Calculate
your body mass index
http://www.asbs.org/html/bmi.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.)
For a
healthy heart, exercise your faith.
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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
===== /\ =====
The
mission of
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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