~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because
when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him."
James CONSIDER "You will invest your life in something, or you will throw
it away on nothing." Haddon
Robinson OLIVES FOR LENT by Esther Epp-Tiessen "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever." Psalm 52:8 During this Lenten season, my heart turns to the land where
Jesus walked and to the olive trees that speak of suffering and resistance,
steadfastness and hope. The rugged
hillsides of the land in Israel-Palestine are dotted with olive trees. The trees grow amidst rocks and boulders in
areas that receive very little precipitation.
They live to be hundreds and even thousands of years old, and can be
moved and transplanted even when fully grown.
With their thick gnarled trunks and silver-green leaves, they thrive
where few other trees survive.... Read this in full at http://www.mcc.org/resources/resources/2006/2006-03-08_lent-olives.html DON'T FORGET MAUNDY
THURSDAY by Elesha Coffman Amid the bustle of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, Maundy
Thursday is easy to overlook. Few
calendars label it, and some churches don't observe it at all, though it may
be the oldest of the Holy Week observances.
It's worth asking why, and how, generations of Christians have revered
this day. Maundy comes, possibly by way of one or more European languages,
from the Latin mandatum, meaning command.
The reference is John 13:34: "A new command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another." Jesus spoke those words at the Last Supper,
which took place the Thursday before Easter.... In the Middle Ages, Maundy Thursday was sometimes called Shere
Thursday, shere meaning pure or guilt-free.
(Shere also had something to do with shearing, as it was customary for
medieval men to cut their hair and beards on this day.) Medieval Christians
achieved purity by performing penance throughout Lent. The Catholic Church recognized the
achievement by formally reconciling penitents and, in some areas, giving them
a green branch. New converts who had
prepared their hearts, and memorized their creed, during Lent were purified
through baptism at the Thursday service.... It's common to hear from the pulpit that no one can fully
appreciate the joy of Easter Sunday without experiencing the darkness of Good
Friday. But the disciples would have
been bewildered by both without the lesson of Holy Thursday.... Read this in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/110/52.0.html FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
REPORT ON JESUS Most experts hold that Jesus died primarily of asphyxiation, the
usual cause of death in crucifixion.
According to this view, Jesus died more quickly than most victims
because scourging and beating had gravely weakened him. He was eventually unable to pull himself up
on the cross in order to breathe and he asphyxiated in the "down"
position on the cross. In this case, the muscles around his lungs kept him
from exhaling and directly caused his death.
Some believe complications due to congestive heart failure were
likely as well. Others hold that the
internal hemorrhaging in the chest cavity caused by the fierce scourging was
a cause of death. The liquids slowly
compressed the lungs, causing asphyxiation by pleural effusion. Another view is that the pericardium, the
sac surrounding the heart, filled with fluid under the stress of
suffering. This liquid compressed the
heart, eventually causing heart failure.
After Jesus was dead, the Roman lance pierced both the pericardium and
the heart, and released the blood and watery fluid.... http://www.godonthe.net/evidence/forensic.htm MAKE TIME FOR
SOLITUDE "Modern civilization is so complex as to make the
devotional life all but impossible. It
wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down destroying our
solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength, before going
out to face the world again. The need
for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today. Apparently the masses want it the way it
is, and the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to this
present age that they, too, want things the way they are. They may be annoyed a bit by the clamor and
by the goldfish-bowl existence they live, but apparently they are not annoyed
enough to do anything about it."
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), Of God and Men [1960] AMERICANS' ON-THE-GO
LIFESTYLES AND ENTERTAINMENT APPETITES FUEL INCREASING RELIANCE UPON
TECHNOLOGY During the 1990s Americans widely adopted the personal
computer. During the second half of
that decade, the Internet and cell phones became mainstream tools. What technologies have ridden the wave of expansion
in http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=217 'EXPERIENCE' THE
BIBLE ( http://www.usatoday.com/life/2006-03-28-bible_x.htm See the emotional behind-the-scenes video http://www.inspiredby.com/BibleExperience.htm THE CENTRALITY OF THE
RESURRECTION "Now if the rising of Christ from the dead is the very
heart of our message, how can some of you deny that there is any
resurrection? For if there is no such
thing as the resurrection of the dead, then Christ was never raised. And if Christ was not raised then neither
our preaching nor your faith has any meaning at all. Further it would mean that we are lying in
our witness for God, for we have given our solemn testimony that he did raise
up Christ -- and that is utterly false if it should be true that the dead do
not, in fact, rise again! For if the
dead do not rise neither did Christ rise, and if Christ did not rise your
faith is futile and your sins have never been forgiven. Moreover those who have died believing in
Christ are utterly dead and gone. Truly,
if our hope in Christ were limited to this life only we should, of all mankind
be the most to be pitied! "But the glorious fact is that Christ did rise from the
dead: he has become the very first to rise of all who sleep the sleep of
death. As death entered the world
through a man, so has rising from the dead come to us through a man! As members of a sinful race all men die; as
members of the Christ of God all men shall be raised to life, each in his
proper order, with Christ the very first and after him all who belong to him
when he comes." 1 Corinthians 15:12-23 (J.B. Phillips) http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm DODGERS' DREW SEEKS
TO HONOR CHRIST THROUGH BASEBALL & LIFE J.D. Drew was warming up in the outfield with some of his Los Angeles
Dodgers teammates prior to a recent spring training game with the St. Louis
Cardinals. The Cardinals had just
arrived, and Drew's former The ploy worked, as Drew turned around and acknowledged A native of Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22917 LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS,
FAMILY, LIFE) Cultivating the Soul by Gordon MacDonald "The forming of the soul that it might be a dwelling place
for God is the primary work of the Christian leader. This is not an add-on,
an option, or a third-level priority. Without this core activity, one almost
guarantees that he/she will not last in leadership for a life-time or that
what work is accomplished will become less and less reflective of God's honor
and God's purposes".... Read this
in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2005/003/25.50.html VERSE TO PONDER "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV) CONSIDER "On the one hand, in matters of the spirit, nothing fails
like success. On the other hand, in
matters of the spirit, nothing succeeds like failure." Os Guinness, Dining with the Devil OVERCOMING DISTANCE
IN YOUR MARRIAGE by Dr. David B. Hawkins If conflict, busyness and temptations take us away from
closeness with our mate, what are the qualities that create intimacy? What are some strategies you can begin
practicing today to save your marriage? 1.
Create Safety 2.
Talk 3.
Listen 4.
Create Special Times 5.
Create New Dreams Read this in full at http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/1385642.html ARE YOU A GOOD
FATHER? by Bill Greenaway Howard Hendricks made the statement, "Our children are not
our prized possession to do with what we want, but are simply passing through
our lives on to theirs." Our job
is to help our children through our lives right on to theirs -- preparing
them to be mature and to make right decisions. To do this, I can't think of a better basic
guideline than Luke 2:52 -- "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men." We want
to help our children develop in those four ways -- mentally, physically,
spiritually, and socially. If we
shortchange them on any one of those, we're really hurting them. They won't be ready when they start playing
the "game of life" by themselves.
God lays this responsibility right at Dad's doorstep (Ephesians 6:4,
Colossians Read this in full at http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.1.13.html DELIVER US FROM EVIL by Wesley Smith The Read this in full at http://www.tothesource.org/3_16_2006/3_16_2006.htm A LETTER TO YOUR PETS
Dear Dogs and Cats, The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your
food. The other dishes are mine and
contain my food. Please note, placing
a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it
becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the
slightest. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a
racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is
not the object. Tripping me doesn't
help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I'm very sorry about this. Don't think I'll continue sleeping on the
couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and
cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It's not necessary to sleep perpendicular
to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight
out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing
but sarcasm. For the last time, there's not a secret exit from the
bathroom. If by some miracle I beat
you there and manage to get the door shut, it's not necessary to claw, whine,
meow, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull
the door open. I must exit through the
same door I entered. Also, I've been
using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or
cat's butt. I cannot stress this
enough! To pacify you, my dear pets, I've posted the following message
on our front door: Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Like to Complain About
Our Pets: 1.
They live here. You don't. 2.
If you don't want their hair on your
clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it 'fur'niture.) 3.
I like my pets a lot better than I like
most people. 4.
To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter
who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly. Dogs and cats are better than kids ...they eat less, don't ask
for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never
drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink,
don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes,
and don't need a gazillion dollars for college -- and if they get pregnant,
you can sell the 'children.' SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN
BORN AGAIN POPULATION Barna Research's annual tracking survey of the religious beliefs
and behavior among adults shows a significant increase in the percentage of adults
who are trusting Christ for their eternal salvation. Looking at data over the past 15 years,
there has been a dramatic upsurge in the proportion of "born again"
adults (31% to 45% since 1983). Read
about it at THINK ABOUT IT "The thing that really kills our outreach is our lack of
real conviction that when someone steps into eternity, he either goes to
Heaven or Hell." Quoted by Anne Graham Lotz in the March/April edition of Outreach
magazine "Cross and tomb go together in the Christian Gospel. Both
were occupied for a short span, both were abandoned, both were
defeated." Quoted by Mel Lawrenz, Putting the Pieces Back Together READING THE BIBLE IN
PUBLIC by Jim Skillen Recall for a moment the stories in Acts about Paul's being
kicked around from one court to another as he tries to defend himself against
threats and charges from his fellow Jews.
Paul is not going to a Roman court to ask for the protection of his
right to practice his religion privately in a pluralistic society. No, the question of which god or gods one
serves in the Read this in full at http://wrf.ca/comment/article.cfm?ID=178 A CONVERSATION IN THE
ART OF SPIRITUAL Mars Hill Audio Theologian and former pastor Eugene Peterson discusses his book
CHRIST PLAYS IN TEN THOUSAND PLACES.... http://www.marshillaudio.org/resources/article.asp?id=116 CONSIDER "It is no longer the fashion to suffer for the sake of God,
and to bear the Cross for Him; for the diligence and real earnestness, that perchance
were found in man, have been extinguished and have grown cold; and now no one
is willing any longer to suffer distress for the sake of God." Johannes Tauler (ca. 1300-1361) VERSE TO PONDER "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the
full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes." Ephesians THIS WEEK'S HYMN: A
CHARGE TO KEEP I HAVE by Charles Wesley A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, a never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage to do my Master's will! Arm me with jealous care, as in thy sight to live, and O, thy servant, Lord, prepare a strict account to give! Help me to watch and pray, and on thyself rely; assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die. >from CyberHymnal at GOD FAQ Question 66: What is that union which the elect have with
Christ? Answer: The union which the elect have with Christ is the work
of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and
inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in
their effectual calling. http://www.shortercatechism.com/ ON PRAYER "I poured out my soul before God, and arose from my knees
in peace, because the trouble that was in the soul was in believing prayer
cast upon God, and thus I was kept in peace." George Mueller, Answers to Prayer PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY PRAY FOR A COUNTRY TODAY DAILY BLESSING PACT PERSONAL FINANCIAL "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.] Are you looking for something or do
you have something to sell? Let me
know and I'll put it in this newsletter. Bookstore Entrepreneur Wanted Top income potential, flexible hours, Christian oriented, online required. 1-866-439-1617 http://www.thechristianconnection.net Looking for a good book? A new Bible? How about
some inspiring music? We’ve got what you need.
Visit our online Christian bookstore to get the best prices around. Visit us today
and you’ll find a huge inventory, totally convenient shopping and great
prices on the products you’re looking for. Are you using the power of books
to grow in your relationship with God and lead people to Christ? Books really
do change lives. Take this opportunity to bless your congregation so they can
go and bless others. Visit our bookstore today! http://christianconnectionbooks.spreadtheword.com SHARE YOUR FAVORITE
WEBSITES Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why. Eclipse coverage http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2006/index.html http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=1780648&page=1 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0329_060329_eclipse.html Top 100 April Fool's Day hoaxes http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/ The truth about urban legends http://urbanlegends.about.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.) If your knees are knocking -- kneel on 'em!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |