"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Romans 12:12 CONSIDER "The church is called to be a factory for discipleship
making, not a warehouse for believers."
Byron Maynard CHURCHES MUST BE
READY WITH ANSWERS TO 'DA VINCI' "The Da Vinci Code" is
releasing May 19 in theaters nationwide, and apologist Lee Strobel believes
churches must be ready to answer pointed questions about the Christian faith. The movie, based on a popular Dan Brown novel that's sold more
than 40 million copies, casts doubt on a number of key tenets of
Christianity, including the deity of Christ and the reliability of the
Bible. The movie's claims are refuted
easily, Strobel says, but Christians first must be equipped. A basic knowledge of church history shows that the book's claims
are false: -- There's no evidence -- inside or outside the New Testament --
that Jesus was married. In fact, the Apostle Paul writes at length about
marriage and doesn't mention Christ -- which presumably would have been a
good argument for being married if Jesus was married. The Da Vinci Code
asserts that the person presumed to be the Apostle John in Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" actually
was Mary Magdalene. But Da Vinci's own notes and sketches identity the person as
John. -- The 27 books of the New Testament were affirmed as Scripture
based primarily on their ties to an apostle, as well as their impact on the
church and their internal qualities.
The four Gospels were written within 50 years of Christ's resurrection
and accepted by the church as divinely inspired. But the texts that The Da
Vinci Code promotes in fact are not Christian documents and were rejected by
early Christians as heretical. -- The Da Vinci Code asserts that
Christ's deity was not embraced by the church until A.D. 325 at the Council
of Nicea. But the New Testament -- all of which was
written more than 200 years before Nicea -- claims
Jesus was God. In addition, the early
church fathers, including Ignatius in 105 and Clement in 150, said Jesus was
God. Strobel and http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23157 DA DUH VINCI CODE by ToTheSource "Let's look at 4 areas where Dan Brown's history is
bunk. First is his treatment of
Constantine the Great (d. 337), first Christian emperor of "These moves were not, as Dan Brown claims, an effort to
curry favor with the "new http://www.tothesource.org/5_3_2006/5_3_2006.htm Also see A Closer Look http://www.tothesource.org/4_19_2006/4_19_2006.htm and Engaging the Da Vinci Code http://www.tothesource.org/12_10_2003/12_10_2003.htm DAN BROWN'S GIFT TO
THE CHURCH by Jim Garlow "Many people believe the claims in The Da
Vinci Code; a recent poll showed that 17% of Canadians and 13% of Americans
think its claims are true. So, how
should Christians respond to all of this, especially as the movie brings the
Code to the fore of the cultural conversation? We could opt to skip the movie, and if the
Holy Spirit so directs you, that's a viable response. "My personal advice: Go to the movie, but not with other
believers. Go with
unbelievers/seekers; the ensuing conversation could eventually lead them to
faith in Christ. Christians, if
they're strategic, will be in prime position to answer seekers'
questions".... Read this
commentary in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/gifttothechurch.html NBA PLAYOFFS &
FINALS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/front.htm MOTHER'S DAY IS MAY
14 http://www.holidays.net/mother/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day http://www.annieshomepage.com/mothersday.html LIFE IN A COUNTRY OF
DEATH by Eugene Peterson (an excerpt from Living the Resurrection) "The psalmist's phrase "I walk before the Lord in the
land of the living" comes out of a context marked by a death: "the
snares of death" and "the cords of death." There are, in fact, 13 references to
life-threatening elements in this fairly brief Psalm 116: snares of death,
pangs of Sheol, distress, anguish, save my life,
brought low, death, tears, stumbling, greatly afflicted, consternation, death
of his saints, my bonds. That adds up
to a lot of trouble. This is our
context. The land of the living is
dangerous country. A lot goes
wrong. There is a lot of trouble
brewing out there and in here.
Resurrection takes place in the country of death. "The land of the living is obviously not a vacation
paradise. It's more like a war
zone. And that's where we Christians
are stationed to affirm the primacy of life over death, to give a witness to
the connectedness and preciousness of all life, to engage in the practice of
resurrection. "We do this by gathering in congregations and regular
worship before our life-giving God and our death-defeating Christ and our
life-abounding Holy Spirit. We do it
by reading, pondering, teaching, and preaching the Word of Life as it is
revealed in our Scriptures. We do it
by baptizing men, women, and children in the name of the Trinity, nurturing them
into a resurrection life. We do it by
eating the life of Jesus in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. We do it by visiting prisoners, feeding the
hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, healing the sick, working
for justice, loving our enemies, raising our children, doing our everyday
work to the glory of God".... http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/115/32.0.html VERSE TO PONDER "The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God
first in your lives." Deuteronomy
CONSIDER "We are all missionaries. Wherever we go, we either bring
people nearer to Christ, or we repel them from Christ." Eric Liddell LEADERSHIP TIPS
(BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "If work could be grabbed with our hands, we should seek to
take only one fistful of work, and in the other we should grab a handful of
tranquility. This is a 50-50
proposition. Fifty percent of our day
should be given to work and production-this is good. Fifty percent of our day should be given to
relationships and sleep -- this is also good and necessary. It's a matter of balance." Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected
Relationships by Randy Frazee HOW THE INTERNET
DESTROYS COMMUNITY by Johann Christoph Arnold " http://www.beliefnet.com/story/186/story_18646_1.html OUTSMARTING INTERNET
CROOKS Almost 10 million people are victims of identity theft every
year. But there are steps you can take
to keep your identity safe, whether you're surfing the Net or shopping
online. Don't use personal information
to create your passwords, and guard them as you would your house keys. To keep thieves from stealing your personal
information, shred documents like bank statements, receipts, or credit card
bills that you might otherwise throw in the trash. Or consider enrolling in online banking to
receive account statements electronically.
You should also check your credit report from each of the three credit
reporting agencies once a year -- just to make sure no one's opened
unauthorized accounts in your name.
For more tips go to http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/press/nfcinternetcrooks06.htm PALESTINIAN
CHRISTIANS IN THEIR OWN WORDS by Saliba Sarsar
"Palestinian Christians -- be they Anglican, Episcopalian,
Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Latin, or Lutheran -- pride themselves on
their connections to faith and the land.
As Afif Safieh,
Palestinian Representative to the http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/sightings/archive_2006/0504.shtml PRIORITIES "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every
rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and
are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money
alone. It is spending the sweat of its
laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of
its children... This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under
the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of
iron." Dwight D. Eisenhower, in
his presidential address, WHAT TO NAME YOUR
BABY The Puritans liked to pull baby names out of the Old Testament
in order to distinguish them from everyone else. Many strange names therefore began to
appear in (Source: Summon's Christian Miscellany
by Parminder Summon) CONSIDER "It is unlikely that we will deepen our relationship with
God in a casual or haphazard manner.
There will be a need for some intentional commitment and some
reorganization in our own lives. But
there is nothing that will enrich our lives more than a deeper and clearer
perception of God's presence in the routine of daily living." William Paulsell VERSE TO PONDER "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 THIS WEEK'S HYMN: HE
IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME Words & Music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1902 So precious is Jesus, my Savior, my King; His praise all the day long with rapture I sing. To Him in my weakness for strength I can cling, For He is so precious to me. Refrain For He is so precious, so precious to me; For He is so precious, so precious to me. 'Tis heaven below, my Redeemer to
know, For He is so precious to me. He stood at my heart's door 'mid sunshine and rain, And patiently waited an entrance to gain. What shame that so long He entreated in vain, For He is so precious to me. Refrain I stand on the mountain of blessing at last, No cloud in the heavens a shadow to cast, His smile is upon me; the valley is past, For He is so precious to me. Refrain I praise Him because He appointed a place Where some day, through faith in His wonderful grace, I know I shall see Him, shall look on His face, For He is so precious to me. Refrain >from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/i/hisoprec.htm GOD FAQ Question 71: How is justification an act of God's free grace? Answer: Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a
proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in the behalf of them
that are justified; yet inasmuch as God accepts the satisfaction from a
surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety,
his own only Son, imputing his righteousness to them, and requiring nothing
of them for their justification but faith, which also is his gift, their
justification is to them of free grace. http://www.shortercatechism.com/ ON PRAYER "Let us never forget, when we pray, that things which are
impossible with men are possible with God. This is because He is
all-powerful. But let us remember, too, that some things that are possible
with men are impossible with God. This is because He is
all-loving." Elisabeth Elliot 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. Receive daily meditational ponderments capsulized as
simple one-liners in your e-mailbox as yet another path to spark the soul in
thought. Includes a daily spiritual acronym; a weekly spiritual affirmation,
a weekly spiritually oriented artwork, a weekly spiritual sharing, a weekly
spiritual prayer, a weekly spiritual poem, a weekly spiritually oriented
joke, and a weekly spiritually oriented cartoon. Ecumenical,
nondenominational. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpiritualWings/ Winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest http://www.flyaboveall.com/dogs.htm TV, movie, radio scripts http://www.simplyscripts.com/index.php 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. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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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subscribe to CONNECTIONS, send a message to [email protected] with
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