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Connections Connecting man to
man to God! Week of Issue 141 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. "Do not
be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A
man reaps what he sows. The one who
sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the
one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8 CONSIDER "Most of
what we do in worldly life is geared toward our staying dry, looking good,
not going under. But in baptism, in
lakes and rain and tanks and fonts, you agree to do something that's a little
sloppy because at the same time it's also holy, and absurd. It's about surrender, giving in to all
those things we can't control; it's a willingness to let go of balance and
decorum and get drenched." Anne
Lamott, "Traveleing Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith" MOBILE USERS Zondervan's
mobile website can be taken with you on your handheld device as an AvantGo
channel or accessed directly through Wi-Fi.
It offers daily material (such as a Bible verse, Bible passage, church
word definition, and church history milestone), a weekly book excerpt and
author interview, and timely religion news.
It also is a portal of more than 270 links to other mobile-friendly
websites. Christian
Computing Magazine says, "...Zondervan's mobile site is a nice addition
to your Mobile Favorites list....very useful...." Check it out now! For
information about the Zondervan AvantGo channel http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Download/PDA.htm SUPER BOWL XLI HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED Super Bowl
XLI marks the 40th anniversary of the first AFL-NFL championship game, in
which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967: Reached
200 million in November 2007 (Jan.
1): 300.9 million World
Population 1967: 3.5 billion 2007: 6.6 billion Number of
people in 1967: 19.1 million 2005: 36.8 million Percentage of
the population 25 or older who had at least a high school diploma 1967: 51% 2005: 85% See more
stats at SUPER BOWL COACHES KNOWN FOR THEIR
CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY Super Bowl
XLI will feature two teams making their first super game appearance in
two-plus decades, two Midwestern teams separated by only a couple hundred
miles, but most importantly two coaches who are strong believers in Jesus
Christ. Head coaches Tony Dungy of "The
Lord set this up in a way that no one would believe it," Dungy said
following the Colts' win over The news that
two witnesses for their personal faith in Jesus Christ would have a two-week
international spotlight for their beliefs thrilled Christian leader William
Pugh, executive director of sports ministry Athletes in Action, a branch of
Campus Crusade for Christ. "We are
so excited to see the Bears and Colts in the Super Bowl," Pugh, a close
friend of both head coaches, said.
"We could not have picked two better coaches to represent all
that is good about sports." AIA organizes
and runs the annual Super Bowl breakfast the day before the game. Last year, Dungy was the keynote speaker
just weeks after his son's tragic death, giving an inspirational message
about God's love in the best and worst of times. Smith is in
his first tenure as a head coach and hasn't had the public opportunities to
share his faith like Dungy, but he has told the "I'm so
happy for Lovie who does things the right way, without cursing and shows
things can be done differently," Dungy said of Smith. "We give God all the credit." Dungy has
served as the cover spokesman for a special Super Bowl witnessing video and
tract. Several of his players,
including star tight end Dallas Clark, put out a special faith-based DVD
titled "Power to Win" about their faith in Christ and their need to
honor Him in all that they do. While the
media will concentrate on the game itself, the men in charge of leading their
teams to the big game plan on sharing the most important things in their
life, something that has nothing to do with runs or passes or even the final
score. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=24811 SUPER BOWL HIKES DISTRACTIONS AT WORK A new report
recently by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. suggests U.S. businesses
could lose as much as $810 million in lost productivity during the week
leading up to the Feb. 4 Super Bowl.
The report assumes employees will spend 10 minutes a day talking about
the game, making bets, surfing the Internet, or shopping for a new
television. That estimate does not
include any losses that could come the day after the game when employees may
discuss the game or the commercials or simply call in sick.... http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MQH5401.htm THE SOUPER BOWL OF CARING... is a
youth-led, grassroots movement of caring, the result of thousands of young
people joining together to fight hunger and poverty in their
communities. Since 1990, $33 million
has been raised for charities across the country, utilizing Super Bowl
weekend to mobilize youth to fight hunger and poverty in their local
communities.... DON'T FORGET! Valentine's
Day, Feb. 14 REVIEWING THE FUNDAMENTALS How do we
treat sinners (that is, one another) with compassion, while still taking sin
with utmost seriousness? Some call for
increased accountability that can sound like legalism. Others fall over backwards to dismiss sin
as mere human weakness that we must learn to live with. The Bible never divorces grace from
holiness, and we are wise to recall the great biblical principle: Only by
God's grace do any of us become holy.
True grace not only treats sinners with compassion, but it also calls
and enables them to live a life of holiness.... Read this in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/january/13.27.html LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "2006: A
Year of Great Minds and Fascinating Business Ideas" This is a
summary of each edition of Fast Company magazine from last year. Certainly not spiritual content, but these
articles hold some leadership elements that are worthy of consideration. http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2006/12/creative_minds.html VERSE TO PONDER "What
good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not
have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks
daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat
your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the
good of that? So faith by itself, if
it has no works, is dead." James
2:14-17 CONSIDER "We are
pilgrims, not settlers; this earth is our inn, not our home." J. H. Vincent LESSONS LEARNED IN A CRISIS OF LIFE by R. Albert
Mohler Jr. "...I
grew particularly worried when they rushed me into the Intensive Care
Unit. That sign was memorable, and the
sense was ominous. Within a relatively
short time, a pulmonary specialist was in the room, and he was both honest
and assuring. That started a 4-day
adventure in the ICU I will never forget.
After 3 more days in a medical-surgical unit -- 2 full weeks in the
hospital -- I was finally discharged and went home to heal ... slowly. I was (and am) a very thankful man. What lessons come through this
experience?... Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/bpcolumn.asp?ID=2515 10 QUESTIONS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE What you need
to ask the doctor when every moment counts by Pamela F.
Gallin, MD Ten minutes:
That's often all the time you have with your doctor. Whether you're seeing an internist,
pediatrician or specialist, during that brief period the physician needs to
listen to your complaints, make an assessment and clearly explain a
recommended treatment. To make the
most of your time, even in the ER, you have to be prepared. By asking the right questions, you can
direct the doctor's decision making.
Your MD is morally obligated to address your concerns honestly and directly. That might mean running an extra test,
taking a second look or even getting another, more senior opinion on your
symptoms or treatment. In my career as
a surgeon, I have found there are key, little-known questions about specific
symptoms and life situations that could make a difference in the outcome of
your care -- and potentially save your life.
Here are 10 common conditions and the questions you need to ask.... http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=33004&trkid=rdinsider_feb_07 CAN THE 'E-WORD' (EVANGELICAL) BE SAVED? Who's an
evangelical? Until last year the
answer seemed clear. Now the word may
be losing its moorings, sliding toward the same linguistic demise that
"fundamentalist" met decades ago because it has been misunderstood,
misappropriated, and maligned.... http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-01-22-evangelicals-usat_x.htm STUDY: MOST 'EVANGELICALS' DO NOT MEET
CRITERIA The Barna
Group charts criteria for what it calls "9-point
evangelicals." But while 38% of
the population (84 million) accepts the label of evangelical, only 8% of the
population (18 million) fits the 9-point criteria. Barna defines evangelicals as holding to
the following 9 tenets: ·
a personal commitment to Jesus Christ
that's still important in their life today ·
believing that when they die they'll go
to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ
as their savior ·
saying their faith is very important in
their life today ·
believing they have a personal responsibility
to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians ·
believing that Satan exists ·
believing that eternal salvation is
possible only through grace, not works ·
believing that Jesus Christ lived a
sinless life on earth ·
asserting that the Bible is accurate in
all that it teaches ·
describing God as the all-knowing,
all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it
today.... http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=263 WHAT JESUS LOVED by Michael J.
Wilkins "I just
don't love her anymore." In my
first year as a pastor, I heard those words from two different men, one
married for only four months, the other married for more than 50 years. That may sound bizarre, but it's tragically
true. Both men said they no longer
felt anything for their wives and weren't getting anything from the
relationship. Each also said he had
found another woman whom he "really" loved. These men eventually left their wives to
pursue what they described as their own personal happiness and fulfillment. I was
especially shocked because both men were professing Christians. Wouldn't their professed love for Jesus
make a difference in their other relationships? Those incidents forced me to take a hard
look at what we call love. Tune into
most radio stations, listen to a selection of songs, and you will hear love
used to express things ranging from infatuation, to brotherhood and good
will, to sexual activity. The way we
use the word love so generalizes the term that it could refer to almost
anything, especially when we get some kind of pleasure out of it. But love in
the New Testament is a term for a uniquely biblical orientation toward
relationships and life. We see it best
in the example of Jesus Christ. The
kind of love Jesus taught and displayed was revolutionary because it was
centered in giving, not in getting....
Read this in full at http://www.moodymagazine.com/articles.php?action=view_article&id=467 LOVE "Love
does not inquire into the character of the recipient but it asks what he
needs. It does not love him because he
is such-and-such a person but because he is there. In all this it is quite the opposite of
natural love: it "does not seek its own." It does not perform the characteristic
natural impulse of love and life.
Therefore it is basically independent of the conduct of the other
person; it is not conditional but absolute.
It wants nothing for itself but only for others. Therefore it is also not vulnerable. It never "reacts" but is always
"spontaneous," emerging by its own strength--rather, from the power
of God. Love is the real God-likeness
of man for which he has been created.
In so far as love is in man he really resembles God and shows himself
to be the child of God." Emil
Brunner (1889-1966), The Letter to the Romans [1959] DEAREST JESUS, HOLY CHILD Ah, dearest
Jesus, holy Child, Make thee a
bed, soft, undefiled, Within my
heart, that it may be A quiet
chamber kept for Thee. My heart for
very joy doth leap, My lips no
more can silence keep, I too must
sing, with joyful tongue, That sweetest
ancient cradle song, Glory to God
in highest heaven, Who unto man
His Son hath given While angels
sing with pious mirth. A glad new
year to all the earth. SOURCE: Martin Luther VERSE TO PONDER "By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another." John 13:35 CONSIDER "The
only purpose of the gospel is to reconcile people to God and to each
other. A gospel that doesn't reconcile
is not a Christian gospel at all. But
in THIS WEEK'S HYMN: ANGRY WORDS Words &
Music: Horatio R. Palmer, 1867 Angry
words! O let them never, From the
tongue unbridled slip, May the
heart's best impulse ever, Check them
ere they soil the lip. Refrain Love one
another thus saith the Savior, Children obey
the Father's blest command, Love each
other, love each other, 'Tis the
Father's blest command. Love is much
too pure and holy, Friendship is
too sacred far, For a
moment's reckless folly, Thus to
desolate and mar. Angry words
are lightly spoken, Bitterest
thoughts are rashly stirred, Brightest
links of life are broken, By a single
angry word. >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/n/angrywor.htm GOD FAQ Question 109:
What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment? Answer: The
sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling,
commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious worship not
instituted by God himself; tolerating a false religion; the making any
representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly
in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature:
Whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation
of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them;
all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or
taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by
tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion,
good intent, or any other pretense: Whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all
neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which
God has appointed. 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 "Jesus
valued prayer enough to spend many hours at the task. If I had to answer the question "Why
pray?" in one sentence, it would be, "Because Jesus did." He bridged the chasm between God and human
beings. While on earth he became
vulnerable, as we are vulnerable; rejected, as we are rejected; and tested,
as we are tested. In every case his
response was prayer." Philip
Yancey, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? 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. Vacuum the
house and win! http://www.hoover.com/FusionGame/ 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.) Blessed are
the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. 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... · Download & Share Your Favorite Music · Visit my blog - comment & share your thoughts email: [email protected] phone:
1-773-410-1483 To subscribe to CONNECTIONS, send a
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