"Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history.  Be alert, be present.  I'm about to do something brand-new.  It's bursting out!  Don't you see it?  There it is!  I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.  Wild animals will say "Thank you!'  -the coyotes and the buzzards-  Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, drinking water for the people I chose"  Isaiah 43:18-20 (Msg)

     CONSIDER

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year.  It is that we should have a new soul."  G.K. Chesterton

     WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs, and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastroenterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber, and the IRS.

May you find a way to travel from anywhere to anywhere during rush hour in less than an hour, and when you get there may you find a parking space.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may your checkbook and your budget balance, and may they include generous amounts for your church and charities.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, and your parent(s).  You can say it to your secretary, your nurse, your photographer, your masseuse, your seamstress, your hairdresser, or your tennis instructor, but not with a "twinkle" in your eye.

Bless you with every happiness, great health, peace, and much love during the next year and all those that follow.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

(Jeremiah 29:11-13)

http://www.mikeysFunnies.com

     "TIME THAT IS LEFT"

by Mark Schultz/James Isaac Elliot

What will you do with the time that's left

Will you live it all with no regret?

Will they say that you loved till your final breath?

What will you do with the time that's left?

Oh, Hallelujah!

Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Amen

What will you do with the time that's past?

Oh and all the pain that seems to last?

Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?

What will you do with the time that's past?

Oh, Hallelujah!

Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Amen

What will He say when your time has come?

When He takes you into His arms of love?

With tears in His eyes will He say well done?

What will He say when your time has come?

Oh, Hallelujah!

Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

(Lord be present in all my ways,

help me follow You all my days oh Father God)

Amen

What will you do with the time that's left?

Will you live it all with no regret

Will they say that you loved till your final breath?

What will you do with the time?

http://markschultzmusic.com/main.php

     SOLID PROMISES

Writer and speaker Lewis Smedes says:

Yes, somewhere people still make and keep promises.  They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through.  They stick to lost causes.  They hold on to a love grown cold.  They stay with people who have become pains in the neck.  They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make.  I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God.

What a marvelous thing a promise is!  When a person makes a promise, she reaches out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay.  When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be.  With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

When a person makes a promise, she stakes a claim on her personal freedom and power.  When you make a promise, you take a hand in creating your own future.

(Source: Lewis Smedes, "The Power of Promises")

     LEADERSHIP TIP (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

"No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself." William Penn

     IS CHRISTIANITY A CASUALTY OF WAR?

by Tony Campolo

"Recently, I sat in dismay as I watched a television show that featured a prominent Christian author defending the use of torture in the war against terrorism.  I was outraged that this man could try to make a case for followers of Jesus condoning such an immoral practice.  I shared my feelings with a group of fellow Evangelicals and was stunned when the consensus that emerged from this group of Christians was in agreement with this author.  One of those in the group was wearing one of those WWJD bracelets that proposes that when facing any decision and in every circumstance, the question should be asked, 'What would Jesus do?'  He evaded the question as to whether or not Jesus would torture a terrorist.  The question is would Jesus ask, 'What doth it profit if you gain information from a tortured terrorist and lose your own soul?'...."

Read this commentary in full at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060105/cm_huffpost/013329_200601051610

     WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?

by Peter Kreeft

"...Why won't we be bored in Heaven?....We will complete the very love-works we are meant to do on Earth.  There are only six things that never get boring on Earth, six things that never come to an end: knowing and loving yourself, your neighbor, and God.  Since persons are subjects and not objects, they are not exhaustible; they are like magic cows that give fresh milk forever.  The two great commandments that are our job description for life, in both this world and the next, express this plan:  We must love God wholly and we must love our neighbor as ourself.  And in order to love we must know, get to know, as endlessly as we love endlessly.  This never gets boring, even on Earth: getting to know and love more and more someone we already know and love. It is our clue and our preparation for our eternal destiny of infinite fascination...." Read this article in full at

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/122/51.0.html

     THOUGHTS ON EXERCISE

~  I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks.  Haven't lost a pound.  Apparently, you have to show up.

~  If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put our toes further up our body.

~  I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them

~  If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

~  I don't jog.  It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

~  I like long walks, especially when they're taken by people who annoy me.

~  I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

A doctor has a stethoscope up to a man's chest.  The man asks, "Doc, how do I stand?"  The doctor says, "That's what puzzles me!"

http://www.mikeysFunnies.com

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

     CONSIDER

"If all of the unchurched people in the United States were a nation of their own, they would be the eleventh most populated country on Earth.  Only Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia would have a greater head count."  George Barna, Grow Your Church From the Outside

     REVIEW OF GEORGE BARNA'S BOOK, REVOLUTION

"According to researcher George Barna, we're in the midst of a "spiritual revolution that is reshaping Christianity, personal faith, corporate religious experience, and the moral contours of the nation."  Who's leading the coup d'état? Some 20 million people, dubbed Revolutionaries, who live "a first-century lifestyle based on faith, goodness, love, generosity, kindness, and simplicity" and who "zealously pursue an intimate relationship with God."

If true, this is amazing news, the best for American Christians in generations.  But before we break out the party poppers, we should note that, like every revolution, this one has a loser: the local church.

Unlike the Great Awakenings, which brought people into the church, this new movement "entails drawing people away from reliance upon a local church into a deeper connection with and reliance upon God." Already "millions of believers have stopped going to church," so Barna expects that in 20 years "only about one-third of the population will rely upon a local congregation as the primary or exclusive means for experiencing and expressing their faith." Down will go the number of churches, donations to churches, and the cultural influence of churches...."  Read this review in full at

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/001/13.69.html

     STORY OF THE YEAR: THE WEB'S REBIRTH

Cnet has a look back at 2005, dubbing it the year of Web's rebirth.  Five years after the dot com meltdown triggered a nationwide recession, Internet media is thriving as it never has before.  Cnet writes that convergence is now upon us, a generation that has grown up with the Web is coming of age, and a digital, social revolution is imminent.  Not only is the Web bringing the once anonymous to prominence through tools like blogging, but it's also leading countries like India into a technology renaissance.  Read the whole story...

http://makeashorterlink.com/?U27B5286C

     ATLANTA FALCONS KICKER PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON CHRIST

"I don't have a game plan when I share my faith," Todd Peterson, a kicker for the Atlanta Falcons, says.  "If I act like Jesus, if I'm controlled by the Holy Spirit, and if God is the One who is empowering me, I don't really have to have a game plan or a strategy for sharing. God will give me that opportunity."

Team evangelism is quite familiar to this 12-year NFL veteran after previously playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers.  Step aside from his field goal career stats that include an impressive number of long kicks and you'll catch a glimpse of his much larger career focus -- sharing Christ with his teammates....  Read this story in full at

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22357

Also see

http://www.thegoal.com

     CONSIDER

"While sitting on the bank of a river one day, I picked up a solid round stone from the water and broke it open.  It was perfectly dry in spite of the fact that it had been immersed in water for centuries.  The same is true of many people in the Western world.  For centuries they have been surrounded by Christianity; they live immersed in the waters of its benefits.  And yet it has not penetrated their hearts; they do not love it.  The fault is not in Christianity, but in men's hearts, which have been hardened by materialism and intellectualism."  Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929)

     VERSE TO PONDER

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: TIME, BY MOMENTS, STEALS AWAY

Words: John Newton, 1779

Music: Arthur S. Sullivan, 1872

Time, by moments, steals away,

First the hour, and then the day;

Small the daily loss appears,

Yet it soon amounts to years:

Thus another year is flown,

Now it is no more our own

(If it brought or promised good)

Than the years before the flood.

But (may none of us forget)

It has left us much in debt;

Favors from the Lord received,

Sins that have His Spirit grieved;

Marked by an unerring hand

In His book recorded stand;

Who can tell the vast amount,

Placed to each of our account?

Happy, the believing soul!

Christ for you has paid the whole;

While you own the debt is large,

You may plead a full discharge:

But poor careless sinner, say,

What can you to justice pay?

Tremble, lest when life is past,

Into prison you be cast!

Will you still increase the score?

Still be careless, as before?

O, forbid it, gracious Lord,

Touch their spirits by Thy Word!

Now, in mercy, to them show

What a mighty debt they owe!

All their unbelief subdue,

Let them find forgiveness too.

Spared to see another year,

Let Thy blessing meet us here;

Come, Thy dying work revive,

Bid Thy drooping garden thrive:

Sun of righteousness arise!

Warm our hearts, and bless our eyes;

Let our prayer Thy bowels move,

Make this year a time of love!

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/b/tbmsaway.htm

     GOD FAQ

Question 54: How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God?

Answer: Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and does gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnishes his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and makes intercession for them.

http://www.shortercatechism.com/

      PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR

O Gracious God, The year that awaits us is full of promise, potential and opportunity for prayer.  Lead us into the New Year and make us good and faithful followers of Your Son.  Burden our hearts daily with the urgency of prayer.  As news stories hit, may we react with prayer, bringing every concern to Your throne, confident of Your providence and willingness to hear and answer our prayers.  Protect our nation, strengthen and guide our President and lead him as he leads us.  By Your goodness and grace, Amen.

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/

     PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY

http://christiansincrisis.net/

     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).

[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.

World Intelligence Agencies

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/index.html

Britain's SIS (MI6)

http://www.mi6.gov.uk/output/Page79.html

CIA

http://www.cia.gov/

Defense Intelligence Agency

http://www.dia.mil/

NGA

http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/nga01/

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service

http://svr.gov.ru/

Canada Privy Council Office

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/canada/pco/index.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.)

God loves us not according to how we do but according to who God is.  Be good.  Do good.

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

[email protected]

===== /\ =====

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 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/

===== /\ =====

To subscribe to MSM CONNECTIONS, send a message to [email protected] with "subscribe MSM" in the subject line.

To unsubscribe, send a message to [email protected] with "unsubscribe MSM" in the subject line.

THANK YOU FOR READING

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK!

It is my prayer that, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

© 2004, 2005, 2006 Frank Coleman