"The message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God." 1 Corinthians
1:18
CONSIDER "It is one of the ironies of the
ministry that the very man who works in God's name is often hardest put to
find time for God. The parents of
Jesus lost him at church, and they were not the last ones to lose him
there." Vance Havner
In April 1906 two events focused the
world's attention on Los Angeles: The city was impacted by an earthquake that
also devastated San Francisco, and services conducted in a small holiness
mission on Azusa Street birthed spiritual renewal globally. Thousands of individuals converged on the
city to attend the revival at More at http://www.azusastreet100.net/home.cfm
DEFINING EVANGELICALISM The term "Evangelicalism"
is a wide-reaching definitional "canopy" that covers a diverse
number of Protestant groups. The term
originates in the Greek word evangelion, meaning
"the good news," or, more commonly, the "gospel." During the Reformation, Martin Luther
adapted the Greek term, dubbing his breakaway movement the evangelische kirke, or
"evangelical church" -- a name still generally applied to the More at http://www.wheaton.edu/isae/defining_evangelicalism.html
KISS AND TELL THE GOSPEL Most of us give little attention,
other than winks and giggles, to the verses commanding us to "greet one
another with a holy kiss." Q: Let's first define "ritual
kissing." When did early
Christians kiss and who kissed who? A: Our earliest reference to the kiss
is from the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians.
He doesn't give us very many details, which suggests that it was
already a well-established practice.
It's only decades later that other Christians give us more details. We discover that early Christians kissed
each other in a variety of different rituals, as part of prayer, baptism,
Eucharist, everyday greeting, martyrdom, and so forth. In the first two centuries, at least, not
only did men kiss other men and women other women, but men and women kissed
one another. And most often this was a kiss on the lips. Q: What did the kiss mean culturally
in the broader Greco-Roman context? A: The short answer is that it meant
a heck of a lot of different things, just as it does in our own time
period. We find everything from a
romantic kiss to a familial kiss to a kiss between friends. One difference between us and the ancient
world, however, is that then when people kissed, particularly on the lips, it
was seen as an exchange of spirit.
Sometimes Christians would take the contemporary cultural meaning
wholesale, and other times they would modify it.... Read this interview in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/112/22.0.html
ENTERTAINING OURSELVES TO DEATH by Kelly Boggs Charles Colson is concerned about a
trend in Christian radio that is jettisoning teaching and talk-oriented
programs and replacing them with programming that is more oriented toward
entertainment. Voicing his concerns in a recent
issue of Christianity Today, the founder of Prison Fellowship wrote,
"One station canceled my 4-minute BreakPoint
commentary saying that four minutes is the equivalent of one song....
Besides, the station manager allowed, BreakPoint is
too serious and not contemporary enough." It is not only his radio commentaries
that Colson is concerned about.
"Several stations recently -- many acting on the advice of a
leading consulting firm -- have dropped serious programming in favor of
all-music formats," he reported. "For example, a major station in American society and even Christians,
it seems, are surrendering to the insatiable desire to be entertained. Our
quest for amusement has become not only a national past-time, it has become
an addiction".... Read this in full at
MORNING BREAKS
Morning breaks upon the tomb,
Jesus scatters all its gloom.
Day of triumph through the skies--
See the glorious Savior rise.
Christians! Dry your flowing tears,
Chase those unbelieving fears;
Look on his deserted grave,
Doubt no more his power to save.
Ye who are of death afraid,
Triumph in the scattered shade:
Drive your anxious cares away,
See the place where Jesus lay.
... William Bengo Collyer
(1782-1854)
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) The Lord's Career Advice by Max Lucado "Contrast two workers. The first one slices the air with his hand,
making points, instructing the crowd.
He is a teacher and, from the look of things, a compelling one. He
stands on a beach, rendering the slanted seashore an amphitheater. As he talks, his audience increases; as the
audience grows, his platform shrinks.
The instructor steps back and back until the next step will take him
into the water. That's when he spots
another worker. "A fisherman. Not animated, but frustrated. He spent all
night fishing, but caught nothing. All
night! Double-digit hours
worth of casting, splashing, and pulling the net. But he caught nothing. Unlike the teacher, the fisherman has
nothing to show for his work. He draws
no crowds; he doesn't even draw fish.
Just nets. Two workers. One pumped up. One worn-out. The first, fruitful. The second, futile. To which do you relate?".... Read this in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2006/002/10.36.html
BE A DOER, NOT A HEARER ONLY "I think the greatest source of
danger in this world is indifference.
I have always believed that the opposite of love is not hate, but
indifference. The opposite of life is
not death, but indifference. The
opposite of peace is not war, but indifference to peace and indifference to
war. The opposite of culture, the
opposite of beauty, the opposite of generosity is indifference. Indifference is the enemy." Elie Wiesel
THE DYING by Thom S. Rainer "I am by nature an
optimist. I have seen the hand of God
too often in my life to live in a state of despair and defeatism. But the state of evangelism in the American
church is such that I do have my moments when I wonder if the church is
headed down the path of many European congregations: decline and death. "The facts of a 2004 research
project I led are sobering. It takes
86 church members in Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/bpcolumn.asp?ID=2197
CHRISTIAN BOOK SUMMARY A comprehensive summary of the book
Permission Evangelism by Michael Simpson (NexGen/Cook)
is now available online. Simpson,
recognized worldwide as a leading tech industry strategist, is a former
atheist who offers a unique perspective on personal evangelism. He contends Christians need to earn the
right to share Christ. And believers
need to learn to engage unbelievers in a way that honors God. http://www.christianbooksummaries.com
VERSE TO PONDER "All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 3:23-24
CONSIDER "God will answer all our
questions in one way and one way only- namely, by showing us more of his
Son." Watchman Nee
TEN COMMANDMENTS DAY - MAY 7, 2006 The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:
1-17) *
You shall
have no other gods before me. *
You shall not
make unto yourself any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth. *
You shall not
take the name of the LORD your God in vain. *
Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy. *
Honor your
father and your mother. *
You shall not
kill. *
You shall not
commit adultery. *
You shall not
steal. *
You shall not
bear false witness against your neighbor. *
Your shall not covet
your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his
manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that
is your neighbor's. http://www.tencommandmentsday.com
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE "On (the Absence of) the
Beatitudes" by Kurt Vonnegut "For some reason, the most vocal
Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they
demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that
the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. "Blessed are the merciful" in a
courtroom? "Blessed are the
peacemakers" in the Pentagon?
Give me a break!".... Read this commentary in full at http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey/
WHAT'S CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS DOING IN Ron Sider:
"It seems to me that not just from the pacifist side but from the
just-war side what CPT is trying to do should draw in thousands and thousands
and thousands of Christians across the Christian perspective. As I argued to my Mennonite brothers and
sisters in "The other side is that just war
criteria say very clearly that war must be a last resort. In the 20th century, we have seen massively
successful nonviolent campaigns. It's
not just that Martin Luther King non-violently changed American history, or
that Gandhi defeated the "Since the just-war criteria
require that war be a last resort, those who subscribe to just-war theory
should put millions and millions of dollars and thousands and thousands of
people into the campaigns of nonviolence like CPT to see how much we can do
that way. My appeal is both to
just-war people and to pacifists to massively expand what CPT is
doing".... Read this interview in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/113/22.0.html
CONSIDER "In my intellect, I may divide
[faith and works], just as in the candle I know there is
both light and heat; yet put out the candle, and both are gone." John Selden (1584-1654)
VERSE TO PONDER "God made him who had no sin to
be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God." 2 Corinthians
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: COME, SEE THE PLACE WHERE JESUS LAY Words: Thomas Kelly, 1804 Music: William Boyce, 1765 Come, see the place where Jesus lay, And hear angelic watchers say, "He lives, Who once was slain: Why seek the Living midst the dead? Remember how the Savior said That He would rise again." O joyful sound! O glorious hour, When by His own almighty power He rose and left the grave! Now let our songs His triumph tell, Who burst the bands of death and
hell, And ever lives to save. The first begotten of the dead, For us He rose, our glorious Head, Immortal life to bring; What though the saints like Him shall
die, They share their Leader's victory, And triumph with their King. No more they tremble at the grave, For Jesus will their spirits save, And raise their slumbering dust O risen Lord, in Thee we live, To Thee our ransomed souls we give, To Thee our bodies trust. >from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comeseep.htm
GOD FAQ Question 69: What is the communion in
grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? Answer: The communion in grace which
the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of
the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption,
sanctification, and: Whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with
him. http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER PRAYING FOR MISSIONARIES...BIBLICALLY by Dave Butts The most effective prayer is one that
comes directly from God's Word. When
we see something in the Bible and know it to be God's will, then we are able
to pray with greater faith. This
especially applies to our prayer for missionaries. In the Bible, we find a number of prayer
requests from the first great missionary, the Apostle Paul. Each of these requests should be included
in our prayers for missionaries.... Read this at PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY PRAY FOR A COUNTRY TODAY DAILY BLESSING PACT PERSONAL FINANCIAL Settlements "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. 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. Understanding Your Teenager http://www.understandingyourteenager.com/ All About God 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
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and copy it again. Then paste it into
your web browser and hit enter.) If you want your dreams to come true,
don't oversleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of announcements, news,
recommendations, articles, and other information helpful to men in our
spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming 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 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/
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