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Connections Connecting man to
man to God! Week of Issue 121 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 the instructions at the end of this
message. Also let me know if you
change your email address and want to keep subscribing to CONNECTIONS. "He who
dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the
Almighty." Psalm 91:1 CONSIDER "What
makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible,
but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through
you." Gipsy Smith BROKENNESS "If the
church is to be the hope of the world, its leaders must realize what a broken
world we live in. We must be prepared
to offer the hope and healing Christ offered to Zacchaeus the thieving tax
collector, to the Samaritan woman who was shacking up with her 6th man, and
to the woman caught in the very act of adultery. Can we lovingly accept them "as
is" and offer love, hope, and healing as Jesus did to "go and sin
no more"? To do this, we must
begin to see how we too are broken, and in need of a Savior. We must show others how our brokenness
leads us to daily dependency on a merciful Savior who brings healing for our
souls and hope for our futures." John Burke,
No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come-as-You-Are Culture in the Church 911 REMEMBRANCE Just as the
senseless attacks destroyed buildings and our feelings of security, they also
threatened our concept of a loving God.
We are led to ask the question, Where was God in those critical
moments that meant the difference between life and death for so many? He was there. He was with those who lived and those who
died, hearing every prayer. He felt
the anguish of every person suffering in confused darkness and silence. The 911Remembrance website is dedicated to
helping you see and know God better.
Visit it at http://www.911remembrance.com/ CAN IT BE? And can it be that I should gain An int'rest in the Savior's blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Charles Wesley, "And Can It
Be" DESPAIR IN Western
policy is in near despair over http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5317796.stm Also see Save http://www.savedarfur.org/faith Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict DarfurGenocide.org http://www.darfurgenocide.org/ Christianity
Today Darfur coverage http://www.christianitytoday.com/ctmag/features/international/africa/sudan.html " http://world.christianpost.com/article.htm?aid=24287&dat=20060905 World
Evangelical http://www.worldevangelicalalliance.com/news/view.htm?id=626 GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS, GOOD DEEDS:
HOW TO BUILD A RELIGION by Seth Godin If you want
to build a religion that spreads, here are some things to build into it: *
Bias for evangelism *
Sharp distinction between insiders and
outsiders *
Presumption that insiders are 'right' or
'blessed' or 'advantaged' *
Proscription against intermarriage
without conversion *
Forbid one gender to work outside the
home *
Central hierarchy that maintains the
faith and settles disputes *
Offer significant (very) long-term
benefits to believers Read this
blog posting in full at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/09/good_thoughts_g.html EVANGELISM IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (ABC
News/ESPN) The recent debut of Faith
Days at the Major League baseball level has raised the hackles of some
critics. Sportswriter Dave Zirin says
Faith Days "mark a tremendous step backward for the sport because
baseball has always been the great secular Americanizer for people of all
nationalities. Religion belongs in Major League baseball about as much as
fish belong on bicycles".... Read
this article in full at http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=2343316&page=1 Also see http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/rockies/2006-05-30-rockies-cover_x.htm Sporting
News: "Baseball Chapel brings sense of normalcy http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=117194 Baseball
Chapel http://www.baseballchapel.org/ TheGoal.com http://thegoal.com/players/baseball/anames.html Unlimited
Potential, Inc. THE LONG TAIL (BOOK REVIEW) “Stating the
thesis of The Long Tail requires merely a few words: the mass market economy
is turning into a niche economy.
That's it? Yep, that's it. I suspect those of us who fall in the
middle of Gen X will smirk at this proposition. Since approximately the day I left high
school, I've been told I'm part of a new micro-marketing culture, that the
difference between me and my parents is choice, that fame will be doled out
to my friends in tidy 15 minute portions.
I've been walking and breathing niche for so long, it's probably time
somebody stopped and asked: is all this true?”.... Read this blog review in full at http://www.fimoculous.com/archive/post-1055.cfm Also see LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) Top Mistakes
of Top Leaders Communication
is the key. Strong leadership is
critical yet good leadership can be elusive.
A new study by The Ken Blanchard Companies finds many staffers see
their leaders lacking key communications skills. The study indicates that one of the
greatest challenges organizations face today is developing leaders to their
full potential, says research coauthor Scott Blanchard. Skilled leaders create the vision, support
the strategies, and serve as the catalysts for developing individuals and
moving their organizations forward.
With changing demographics predicting an exodus of the baby boomers,
who are currently in leadership positions but soon headed for retirement,
developing leadership takes on a new significance for today's leaders as well
as those who will follow, he says. Among the
results: *
43% of those in the survey said
communications skills are the most critical to those in leadership roles; 41%
said poor communication is a leader's most common mistake. *
27% cited over- or undersupervising as a
problem for leaders. *
15% identified empathy and emotional
intelligence as a key factor for leadership success. *
Top failures by leaders include: failure
to provide appropriate feedback, praise, or redirection; failure to listen;
failure to set clear goals and objectives; failure to train and develop
people. http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/publications/smm.jsp VERSE TO PONDER "Fathers,
do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and
instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4 CONSIDER "My own
idea, for what it is worth, is that all sadness which is not now either
arising from the repentance of a concrete sin and hastening towards concrete
amendment or restitution, or else arising from pity and hastening towards active
assistance, is simply bad." C. S.
Lewis (1898-1963) BAPTISTS AMONG MOST OBESE The Chicago
Sun-Times ran a column Aug. 25 deriding Baptists -- and especially Southern
Baptists -- for being guilty of gluttony as they avoid other sins such as
drinking and smoking. " Ferraro
studied the correlation between religious behavior and body mass index, and
his most recent study was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study
of Religion earlier this summer. About 27% of
Baptists, including Southern Baptists, North American Baptists, and
fundamentalist Baptists are obese, Ferraro found, making them the most
overweight group of religious adherents in "Baptists
may find food one of the few available sources of earthly pleasures,"
Ferraro said, which has led to overeating becoming the "accepted
vice." Food plays an
important social role in most Baptist churches, Falsani noted, drawing from
her experience growing up in a Southern Baptist church. From the coffee and
doughnuts on Sunday morning to the potluck dinners and ice cream socials,
Baptists seem to get their fill of casseroles, pudding, fried chicken and
sweet tea. By contrast,
about 1% of the Jewish population and less than 1% of other non-Christians
including Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists are obese. Daniel Sack, a historian and author in ANOTHER SCIENTIST DEFENDS GOD Owen
Gingerich, an emeritus professor of astronomy at Referring to
German astronomer Johannes Kepler, Gingerich "argues that an individual
can be both a creative scientist and a believer in divine design -- that
indeed the very motivation for scientific research can derive from a desire
to trace God's handiwork," according to Harvard University Press, the
book's publisher. "Gingerich
accepts Darwinism. But he denies that
either Darwinism or modern cosmology makes the existence of God less
likely," George Scialabba wrote in a review for The Boston Globe. "On the contrary, by demonstrating the
extreme improbability, the sheer fortuitousness, of cosmic and biological
evolution, both Darwinism and cosmology make the existence of a creator more
plausible." FAITHFUL DEMOCRATS A group
calling itself Faithful Democrats has created a Web community. This is what the organizers of the new site
have to say about themselves: "We are
an online community of Christian Democrats - religious leaders, political
leaders, writers, and regular Americans who are committed to the Gospel and
the common good. We discuss, we
debate, we take action. And we will
make our voices heard in the 2006 election season and beyond." "We
don't believe that good Christians have to be Democrats. Nor do we believe that one religion has a
monopoly on faith. But we make no
apologies for rooting our identity as Democrats in our faith as
Christians. That is who we are. And we
are eager to act on our beliefs to make the country we love a more just and
compassionate place." Read this
blog post in full at http://www.thinkchristian.net/?p=869 Also see http://www.faithfuldemocrats.com/ LASSIE THE MOVIE (REVIEW) “This feature
by Charles Sturridge will delight viewers of all ages, and is bound to become
a classic. Lassie isn't just better
than the other films currently being marketed for all ages. It's a rare work of substance, simplicity,
and grace. Sticking to the basic plot
of Eric Wright's 1940 novel Lassie Come Home, this film returns Lassie to her
native http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2006/lassie.html SCIENTISTS REPORT BALDNESS BREAKTHROUGH In a finding
that could help treat an inherited form of baldness, a research team in http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060830/wl_uk_afp/afplifestylebritainhealthhair FAITH WORKS Americans are
willing to expend some energy in religious activities such as attending
church and reading the Bible, and they are willing to throw some money in the
offering basket. Because of such
activities, they convince themselves that they are people of genuine
faith. But when it comes time to truly
establishing their priorities and making a tangible commitment to knowing and
loving God, and to allowing him to change their character and lifestyle, most
people stop short. We want to be spiritual
and we want to have Gods favor, but were not sure we want him taking control
of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we've worked so hard to
produce." George Barna WALK THE TALK "It is
fatally easy to think of Christianity as something to be discussed and not as
something to be experienced. It is
certainly important to have an intellectual grasp of the orb of Christian
truth; but it is still more important to have a vital, living experience of
the power of Jesus Christ. When a man
undergoes treatment from a doctor, he does not need to know the way in which
the drug works on his body in order to be cured. There is a sense in which
Christianity is like that. At the
heart of Christianity there is a mystery, but it is not the mystery of
intellectual appreciation; it the mystery of redemption." William Barclay (1907-1978), The Gospel of
John [1975] (Vol.1), p.123 CONSIDER "We must
face today as children of tomorrow. We
must meet the uncertainties of this world with the certainty of the world to
come." A. W. Tozer VERSE TO PONDER "Sing to
God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is
the Lord - and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of
widows, is God in his holy dwelling."
Psalm 68:4-5 THIS WEEK'S HYMN: ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG
TO SAVE Words:
William Whiting, 1860 Music: John
Dykes, 1861 Eternal
Father, strong to save, Whose arm
hath bound the restless wave, Who biddest
the mighty ocean deep Its own
appointed limits keep; Oh, hear us
when we cry to Thee, For those in
peril on the sea! O Christ!
Whose voice the waters heard And hushed
their raging at Thy Word, Who walked on
the foaming deep, And calm
amidst its rage didst sleep; Oh, hear us
when we cry to Thee, For those in
peril on the sea! Most Holy
Spirit! Who didst brood Upon the
chaos dark and rude, And bid its
angry tumult cease, And give, for
wild confusion, peace; Oh, hear us
when we cry to Thee, For those in
peril on the sea! O Trinity of
love and power! Our family
shield in danger's hour; From rock and
tempest, fire and foe, Protect us
wheresoever we go; Thus evermore
shall rise to Thee Glad hymns of
praise from land and sea. >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/e/t/eternalf.htm GOD FAQ Question 89:
What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment? Answer: At
the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ's left hand, and, upon
clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the
fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and
thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the
glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into
hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with
the devil and his angels forever. http://www.shortercatechism.com/ SPIRITUAL WINGS 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. -"May
the road always lead, where you need to be." http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpiritualWings/ ON PRAYER "Helplessness
is the real secret and the impelling power of prayer." O. Hallesby PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY PRAY FOR A COUNTRY TODAY DAILY BLESSING PACT I
am agreeing in prayer with you for God’s blessings to overtake you! 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. Foodie View:
Got a lot of stuff in your fridge and don't know what to cook? Enter the ingredients and find a recipe! http://www.foodieview.com/index.jsp 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.) A
procrastinator's work is never done. Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS
into your in-box! 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. Quick Links... · Here's How to Download & Share Your Favorite Music email: [email protected] phone:
1-773-410-1483 To subscribe to CONNECTIONS, send a
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