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Connections Connecting man to
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"Be of
sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour." 1 Peter 5:8 CONSIDER "One of
the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously
was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe -- a mighty
evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks
this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and
went wrong. Christianity agrees with
Dualism that this universe is at war. But
it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion,
and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory -- that is what
this world is." C. S. Lewis, Mere
Christianity MINISTRIES HELP THE VT GRIEVING As http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/aprilweb-only/116-31.0.html Gospelcom: Resources in response to tragedy http://www.gospelcom.net/virginiatech/ LIVING IN by Don Pucik It's happened
once again. Evil has surfaced
unmistakably in a form everyone can see.
The world will struggle with this for days to come, asking, "Why
would a good and loving God allow such evil to happen?" Meanwhile the parents and friends will
weep, struggling with their own questions drawn from a darkened, bottomless
well of unspeakable pain and disorientation. For believers
it's a harsh reminder that the world we live in is at war. Evil is not simply an idea or an act. Evil is fueled by an individual
consciousness nearly as old as creation itself. The early Christians never asked, "Why
did God allow....?" They knew
better. The world we see is profoundly
affected by a world we cannot see.... Read
this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=25430 EVIL IS REAL "Christianity
does not deny the reality of evil or try to hide from its true horror. Christians dare not minimize evil nor take
refuge in euphemisms. Beyond this, we cannot accept that evil will have the
last word. The last word will be the
perfect fulfillment of the grace and justice of God." R. Albert Mohler
Jr., washingtonpost.com and Newsweek's 'On Faith' website GOD AS CREATOR JUDGE "Bodily
resurrection is what you get at the intersection point between the lines of
God as the good and wise creator and God as the judge who will set everything
right at last. Give up either, or
both, and what you're left with isn't Christianity." Nicholas T. Wright, Jesus Lives or
Christianity Dies PUTTING EVIL IN PERSPECTIVE Q: If Christ
has truly defeated the powers of Satan on the Cross (Col. 2:15), why do the
powers of evil effectively operate in this world? Answered by
Richard B. Hays Christian
theology takes seriously the reality of evil.
How can we do otherwise, when the newspaper every day tells of war,
poverty, sexual abuse, and other signs that evil is afoot in our world? Some groups (e.g., Christian Scientists) have
claimed that evil is not real. Others (e.g., ancient Gnostics) have claimed
that those who truly know Christ have already been transported out of the
material world of suffering and evil. Historically
the church has judged such teachings to be heretical.... Read this in full at http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2004/february/25.74.html I AM COMMITTED I bind my heart, this tide, to the
Galilean's side, To the wounds of I bind my soul this day to the brother far
away And the brother near at hand, in this town
and in this land. I bind my heart in thrall to God, the Lord
of all.-- To God, the poor man's friend, and the
Christ whom He did send. I bind myself to peace, to make strife and
envy cease. God, knit Thou sure the cord of my
thralldom to my Lord! Lauchlan
MacLean Watt (1867-1957) NOTE::: ENVIRONMENTALISM AND THE GOSPEL It's
impossible to imagine that God is indifferent to the widespread destruction
of what he has created. Indeed, the
closing chapters of Job reveal God's compassionate, protective concern for
the mountain goat, the wild donkey, the young raven in its nest and countless
other creatures. To think that we can
claim on the one hand to love God and then to be indifferent to his creation,
or even worse to live destructively, is tragic.... Read this in full at http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/worldreports/652/03-2007 http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-04-03-tipping-points_N.htm http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-04-18-going-green_N.htm Evangelical
Environmental Network Evangelical
Climate Initiative http://www.christiansandclimate.org/ SHARED... On no subject
is Jesus more clear than on materialism: a life
focused on possessions is a poor and misguided life. Over and again, he urges us to seek a
spiritual path and a life of loving one another. It may not be technically impossible to get
to heaven if one is rich, but it is nearly so, he warns. Real treasures do not rust, run low on
power, become obsolete, clutter up closets and garages, or rack up credit
card debt. One need never worry about a
real treasure being stolen. Real
treasures are never hoarded. They are
shared." J. Matthew Sleeth, MD, Serve God, Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310275343 http://www.ServeGodSaveThePlanet.org/ LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) How to get
more out of your reading time by Rick
Warren All leaders
are readers. If you want your ministry
to grow, you have to keep growing personally.
http://www.pastors.com/rwmt/default.asp?id=307&artid=10459&expand=1 VERSE TO PONDER "Keep a
cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would
like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these
hard times. It's the same with
Christians all over the world. So keep
a firm grip on the faith. The
suffering won't last forever. It won't
be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ -- eternal
and glorious plans they are! -- will have you put together and on your feet
for good. He gets the last word; yes,
he does." 1 Peter 5:8-11 (The
Message) CONSIDER "In my
own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come
the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God." Elisabeth Elliot COUPLES WHO WORSHIP TOGETHER, STAY
TOGETHER First time
married couples who attend worship, even if only several times a year, have a
10% to 31% lower risk of divorce than those who never attend, according
Statistics Canada. The data from 25,000
people and published in Canadian Social Trends, also says that choosing not
to live together before marriage, avoiding teen marriage, and accepting
children are even more statistically important in reporting a low rate of
divorce, reports the Canadian evangelical magazine Faith Today. Source: Religion
Watch NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER May 4 http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm?flash=1 TEN COMMANDMENTS DAY May 6 http://www.tencommandmentsday.com/ FAITH "Jesus
taught that just a little bit of faith -- faith the size of a mustard seed --
is all we need, which is his way of saying that quantity is not really the
point. Only a little bit of faith is
necessary so long as it is directed toward the right object, that is, toward
God. In fact, faith is not really the
main point. What matters is the one in
whom we place our faith. Once we try
to quantify faith, we misunderstand its nature. Faith is not like a stack of bargaining
chips we use in our relationship with God -- if we have enough chips, we can
pretty much force God to do whatever we want.
Faith turns away from self and comes empty-handed to God. Faith doesn't believe in itself; it
believes in God. It doesn't try to
manufacture confidence in itself; instead, it turns to God. Faith implies that we bring nothing to God;
it asks everything from God." Jerry
Sittser, When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer ONE NATION, UNINFORMED: POLL FINDS NEWS-SAVVY
GAP The American
public's grasp of current affairs has not changed in almost 20 years, despite
the heavy influence of cable news and the Internet, according to a study
released by the http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319 What's Your
News IQ? Take the Test! http://pewresearch.org/newsiq/ IT'S HARD OUT HERE FOR DECENCY by Gary Schneeberger "The
most shocking thing about the Don Imus story is how
shocked everyone is that he said something so hateful. This is the original "shock jock,"
after all, a man who has made a career out of saying outrageous, insensitive,
even blasphemous things. To be
surprised that he hung a racial/gender slur on the "While
there's no doubt Imus deserves every ounce of
excoriation he's received, there is equally little doubt that the
entertainment industry should shoulder as much blame as Imus. He is, after all, a creation of that
industry -- and an enduring one at that.
Don Imus has been popular for going on 40
years now not because he offers insightful analysis of the issues of the day
or even witty takes on those issues. He's
been popular because he calls people mean names...." Read this in full at http://www.citizenlink.org/clcommentary/A000004350.cfm PEARLS BEFORE BREAKFAST Recently,
commuters at a http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?hpid=topnews BBC SURVEY SAYS CHRISTIANS FEEL THEY'RE
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST A new survey
carried out by the BBC reveals that 33% of Christians in the The poll was
carried out for the BBC's Heaven and Earth program, based on a representative
sample of 604 people. Another 22% say
think Christians face discrimination in their local community. 19% say they'd be passed over for promotion. A third think the
media distort Christian issues. Matters like
the British Airways prohibition on costume jewelry, which prevented an
employee from wearing a cross, and suspicion towards Christian service
organizations by funding bodies, are cited as examples.... Read this in full at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/4865 CONSIDER "Make no
mistake: There is no promise of safety in Jesus' call. As he calls us into the frightening arena,
he points to the wounds in his hands and side, as if to remind us that we are
afraid for good reason. It really is a
dangerous world. It really does wound
us. Eventually, it kills us." Mark Galli,
managing editor of Christianity Today http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/aprilweb-only/116-23.0.html VERSES TO PONDER Ephesians 6:10-12
(Today's New International Version) "Be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against
the devil's schemes. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12
(The Message) "God is
strong, and he wants you strong. So
take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best
materials. And put them to use so you
will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that
we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to
the finish against the Devil and all his angels." THIS WEEK'S HYMN: THE WORLD IS VERY EVIL Words: Bernard
of Morlaix, 12th Century; translated from Latin to
English by John M. Neale, 1858 Music: Robert
L. Pearsall, 1795-1856 The world is
very evil, the times are waxing late, Be sober and
keep vigil, the Judge is at the gate. The Judge Who
comes in mercy, the Judge Who comes in might, Who comes to
end the evil, Who comes to crown the right. Arise, arise,
good Christian, let right to wrong succeed; Let
penitential sorrow to heavenly gladness lead, To light that
has no evening, that knows nor moon nor sun, The light so
new and golden, the light that is but one. O home of
fadeless splendor, of flowers that bear no thorn, Where they
shall dwell as children who here as exiles mourn; 'Midst power
that knows no limits, where wisdom has no bound, The beatific
vision shall glad the saints around. O happy, holy
portion, reflection for the blest, True vision
of true beauty, true cure of the distressed! Strive, man,
to win that glory; toil, man, to gain that light; Send hope
before to grasp it, till hope be lost in sight. O sweet and
blessed country, the home of God's elect! O sweet and
blessed country, that eager hearts expect! Jesu, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest; Who art with
God the Father and Spirit, ever blest. >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/o/worldisv.htm
GOD FAQ Question 121: Why is the word Remember
set in the beginning of the fourth commandment? Answer: The word Remember is set in the
beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of
remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and,
in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to
continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and
redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because
we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for
it, and yet it restrains our natural liberty in things at other times lawful;
that it comes but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come
between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to
prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much
labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all
irreligion and impiety. http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER "As a physician, I have seen men, after all other therapy has failed, lifted out of
disease and melancholy by the serene effort of prayer. It is the only power in the world that
seems to overcome the so-called "laws of nature;" the occasions on
which prayer has dramatically done this have been termed "miracles."
But a constant, quieter miracle takes place hourly in the hearts of men and
women who have discovered that prayer supplies them with a steady flow of
sustaining power in their daily lives."
Alexis Carrel (1873-1944), "Prayer is Power," [1941]
PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY http://christiansincrisis.net/
DAILY BLESSING PACT Use the following list as your daily
prayer guide. Think of a brother or situation that applies and lift them up
in prayer. I am agreeing in prayer with you for God’s
blessings to overtake you! PERSONAL Marital harmony Family unity Children saved Faithful pastor Spirit-filled church Real friendships Relatives redeemed Educational benefits Recreational time Fulfilling career Favor with God and man Be in God’s will FINANCIAL Better Jobs Raises or bonuses Benefits Sales & commissions Business Growth Settlements Estates & inheritances Investment increase Rebates & returns Checks in the mail Gifts & surprises Money to be found Bills decrease while blessings increase "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
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service, and do not imply endorsement by our church. (BTW: whenever the URLs in this
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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.) What's the speed of dark? Min. Frank Coleman, Editor 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... · Start Your Domain Name Search Here · Download & Share Your Favorite Music · Visit my blog - comment & share your thoughts email: [email protected] phone:
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