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Connecting man to
man to God! Week of Issue
111 CONNECTIONS
is the opt-in
newsletter for the men & friends of Minister Frank Coleman. It's a periodic service that helps connect
you with God and with other men. If
you'd like its delivery to your email address stopped, scroll down and follow
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Also let me know if you change your email address and want to keep
subscribing to CONNECTIONS. "As a
father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those
who fear him." Psalm 103:13 CONSIDER "Now is
our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that
chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it." C.S. Lewis HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/fourthofjuly/ http://peggiesplace.gospelcom.net/july4.htm WORLD
CUP Until July 9 http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/index.html OUR PRINCIPAL MALADIES "It is
in vain, O men, that you seek within yourselves the cure for your
miseries. All your insight only leads
you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover the
true and the good. The philosophers
promised them to you, and have not been able to keep their promises... Your
principal maladies are pride, which cuts you off from God, and sensuality,
which binds you to the earth; and they have done nothing but foster at least
one of these maladies. If they have
given you God for your object, it has only been to pander to your pride; they
have made you think that you were like Him and resembled Him by your
nature. And those who have grasped the
vanity of such a pretension have cast you down into the other abyss by making
you believe that your nature was like that of the beasts of the field, and
have led you to seek your good in lust, which is the lot of
animals." Blaise Pascal
(1623-1662) OUR EVERYDAY "[Christ]
tells us plainly, and without any qualifications, that we are involved in a
war in which there is no room for neutrals.
Yet people attempt to evade His statement. Generally speaking, these are the very
people who are the quickest in laying the blame upon God for all the sorrow
and sin in the world. They argue that
He could prevent it. They excuse their
own do-nothing attitude by making of evil's apparent predominance a ground
for doubt of His loving kindness. It
never seems to occur to them to look for the cause in mankind." Hugh Redwood, Live Coals A SKEPTICAL VIEW OF CHRISTIANITY by J.
Budziszewski, Ph.D. Let's start there: What's skepticism? Doubting
everything. There's your first mistake. Already? Why? You say a skeptic doubts everything. What would it be like to doubt everything? It would make
you cautious. You'd reason instead of
accepting things blindly. You wouldn't
be taken in by falsehoods. Are you sure? If you doubted everything, wouldn't you
doubt the good of caution too? Hmm. Yeah, I guess you would. And if you doubted everything, wouldn't
you doubt whether reasoning works? I suppose
that's true too. But doubting
everything would keep you from being taken in by falsehoods, wouldn't it? Yes, but wouldn't it also keep you from
being "taken in" by truths? Why? Because you can't know a truth unless you
believe it, and you can't believe it unless you stop doubting it. Read this
article in full at http://www.boundless.org/1999/regulars/office_hours/a0000011.html CHRISTIAN BOOK SUMMARY The spiritual
fervor of the early church was contagious.
God used the church to both engage and to transform the culture; and
the world has never been the same again.
Author Robert Lewis, founding pastor of Explore ways
that "a bridge changes everything" in the summary of the The Church
of Irresistible Influence just posted at http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/ SHINING A RAY OF LIGHT ON by David
Batstone "My
ongoing investigation of the slave trade -- 27 million people around the
globe are trapped in forced labor at this moment -- took me to "In Read this in
full at http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.current_issue LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "Virtually
every leader in Scripture endured some type of conflict in his or her
life. The cost of following Christ is
great. We cannot become complacent
with the status quo just to avoid conflict.
We must lead. Yes, we must love
the people, and we must console them when change becomes increasingly painful
to them. But we must lead. We cannot be content with a life and a
ministry that could be described in the epitaph: 'This leader avoided
conflict well.'" Thom S.
Rainer (Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap) VERSE TO PONDER "Our
citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord
Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20 CONSIDER "Human
beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave
in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it." C.S. Lewis EXPLORING GOD'S WILL TOGETHER The Thorpes,
an Click the
link to read the rest of this story.
Once the PDF opens, you'll find this article on page 8. http://www.navpress.com/Assets/PDF/Product/Sample/50.pdf CHARITABLE GIVING IN The urgent
needs created by three major natural disasters - the tsunami in Asia,
earthquake in Pakistan and hurricanes Rita, Katrina and Wilma - drove
American philanthropy to its highest level since the end of the technology
boom, a new study shows. The report by
the Giving USA foundation estimates that in 2005 Americans gave $260.28
billion, a rise of 6.1%, which approaches the inflation-adjusted high of
$260.53 billion that was reached in 2000. About half of
the overall increase of $15 billion went directly to aid victims of the
disasters. The rest of the increase, meanwhile, may still be traced to the
disasters since they may have raised public awareness of other charities. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060619/D8IB8N001.html B.C. OR B.C.E.? Forget public
schools' religious wars about intelligent design and evolution, students'
religious songs and artwork, after-school Bible clubs, graduation prayers and
gay sensitivity training. The new
perplexity for http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/14855064.htm THE Over-use of
water from the southern stretch of the http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/727922.html TAKE ON TASKS by Pat Morley "I
noticed something interesting the other day in John 4:1-2, the Pharisees
heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although
in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. "Notice
that Jesus didn't baptize, but tasked his disciples. Remember also sending them out two by two
on short trips, sending them to get a donkey for him to ride on, and sending
them to prepare a room for them to eat the Passover meal. "Men are
made for task, for mission. Here's
what Jesus had to say: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much
fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:8). At some point, every true believer quivers
a bit when he reads that text. Once
the grace and love of Christ sinks in, a man won't be able to contain
himself. He will feel compelled to do
something to serve his Lord. "To God
be the glory for the great things he has done and continues to do!" http://www.maninthemirror.org/ SINGING THROUGH THE LORD'S PRAYER, PART
1 by Dr. Ray
Pritchard A few years
ago I wrote a book on the Lord's Prayer called And When You Pray. Shortly after I turned in the manuscript
but before the book was published, I spent a week speaking at Word of Life in
http://blogs.keepbelieving.com/2006/06/singing_through_the_lords_pray.html OUR FATHER IN
HEAVEN All Creatures of Our God and King Awesome God Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Crown Him King of Kings Crown Him With Many Crowns Hosanna How Great Thou Art HALLOWED BE
YOUR NAME Ancient of Days Blessed Be Your Name Come, Thou Almighty King Here I Am to Worship El Shaddai Glorify Your Name Great is the Lord YOUR KINGDOM
COME All Hail King Jesus All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name Celebrate Jesus Forever Christ the Lord is Risen Today Emmanuel He is Exalted YOUR WILL BE
DONE As the Deer Have Thine Own Way I Surrender All I Will Never Be the Same Again Give Me Jesus Just as I am Lord, I Want to be a Christian You can reach
the author at MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH (Fast
Company) When it comes to global
warming, Richard Cizik and Jim Ball are hell-bent on making fellow
evangelicals see the light. "This
has been perceived as a left-wing issue, not a mainstream issue or a
spiritual issue, but we're changing that," Cizik says. Cizik has heard all the objections. He rejects them. "We're on a collision course of
monumental proportion," he says.
"Twenty million to 30 million people could be victims. As evangelicals we can't just ignore it and
hope it goes away." According to
polls, 70% of 1,000 evangelical respondents believe climate change is a
threat to future generations. Half
believe something should be done now, even if that causes economic
fallout. "There's a leadership
transition under way," says Cizik.
"We are the future, and the old guard is reaching up to grasp its
authority back, like in a horror movie where a hand comes out of the
grave." Read this article in full
at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/106/moving-heaven-earth.html CONSIDER "Try to
exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the
existence of free-wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life
itself." C.S. Lewis VERSE TO PONDER "The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display
knowledge." Psalm 19:1-2 THIS WEEK'S HYMN: ONCE TO EVERY MAN AND
NATION Words: James
R. Lowell, 1845 Music: Thomas
J. Williams, 1890 Once to every
man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife
of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great
cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the
choice goes by forever, 'twixt that darkness and that light. Then to side
with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause
bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just; Then it is
the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside, Till the
multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied. By the light
of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, Toiling up
new Calv'ries ever with the cross that turns not back; New occasions
teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth, They must
upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth. Though the
cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong; Though her
portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong; Yet that
scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown, Standeth God
within the shadow, keeping watch above His own. >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/n/oncetoev.htm GOD FAQ Question 79:
May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many
temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace ? Answer: True
believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and
covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his
continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in
them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. http://www.shortercatechism.com/ EXPLORE Discover your
inner Lewis and Clark this summer with Explore http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/travel/nattrails/trailmap.htm Before you
head out, read Handout on Health: Sports Injuries from the National Institute
of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Find out how to avoid spraining your ankle
or pulling a muscle while you're enjoying the National Trails System. And get helpful advice on how to
effectively treat these injuries, if one occurs. http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/sports/injuries.htm ON
PRAYER "Pray so
that there is a real continuity between your prayer and your whole actual
life." P. T. Forsyth 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. SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES Tell us what
sites you find enjoyable and why. GraceFM105.9 Christian MP
- Free and Legal Music Downloads http://christianmpfree.com/index.html Two Great
Sites for Christian Music News http://www.christianmusic.org/ Christian
Music Guitar Site http://www.christianguitar.org/ 10w40 Auto
Repair Directory http://www.10w40.com/default.asp SizeMatcher. See how tall you are as compared to
hundreds of celebrities 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.) Don't ask to
know God's will until you are ready to do it. 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, 773-410-1483 We offer 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.
To subscribe to CONNECTIONS,
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