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Connecting man to
man to God! Week of Issue 159 CONNECTIONS is
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"I
consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and
complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to
the gospel of God's grace." Acts CONSIDER "What
you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." Ralph Waldo Emerson "Q" THE FUTURE by James
Emory White "...In
order to transform culture -- to make it, create it, forge it -- we must
become agents of transformation ourselves.
With the Great Commission comes a cultural commission; to work toward
the kingdom taking hold on our planet; in governments and institutions,
judicial systems, and media, as we take up our vocational calls and pursue
them to His glory. "Yet... "In so
doing, we must not forget the most critical cultural engagement of all
remains personal evangelism. In fact,
in many of the more advanced conversations about cultural engagement,
evangelism is conspicuous by its absence. "I sense
that among some, the goal is to "get" culture, and then participate
with it in such a way as to be seen as hip.
Those that are more missional understand
that such cultural engagement needs to be pursued as a bridgehead into the
culture -- a means, not an end. But
then what? Once we find ourselves in
positions of cultural influence, do we simply work within that particular
current from a sense of personal spiritual moorings, celebrating the small
turnings of the tide we might be able to bring?".... Read this in full at http://www.serioustimes.com/blog.asp?id=29 3 Family, friends,
and 3 former presidents were among the guests joining Billy Graham in President
George H.W. Bush delivered the keynote address. Presidents Bill Clinton and
Jimmy Carter also took part in the ceremony. The Billy
Graham Library honors and depicts the life of evangelist Billy Graham. The purpose of the Library is to serve as
an extension of the evangelistic ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association (BGEA) and continue the legacy it has had for 60 years of
delivering the simple gospel message around the world. The Library
allows visitors to walk through "One Man's Journey" -- that of
Billy Graham. The Library
is 40,000 square feet and the entrance is designed to resemble a barn,
harkening back to Graham's childhood on the family dairy farm in http://www.bgea.com/BGLibrary_Index.asp A museum that
tells the Bible's version of Earth's history -- that the planet was created
in a single week just a few thousand years ago -- attracted thousands to its
opening May 28 as protesters rallied outside.
The privately funded museum had more than 4,000 guests on opening day,
said Mark Looy, a co-founder of the $27 million
facility 20 miles southwest of http://www.creationmuseum.org/ SUNDAY SERVICES WITH A MASCULINE ACCENT
BETTER FIT FOR BORED MEN "Go for
the Guys Sunday" is a newly released action plan for churches to take
the first step to assure their service resonates with men, who are often
bored in or absent from the pews. Men
are the world's largest unreached people group,
according to Church for Men, founded by David Murrow. They currently make up less than 40% of
church attendants at a typical worship service. Murrow argues
that services are built around feminine values with worship songs that are
sweet and sentimental and sermons emphasizing the home, marriage and
family.... Read this in full at http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070520/27518.htm THE NEW MONASTICS At the age of
21 Shane Claiborne co-founded a small community, The Simple Way, in a row
house in one of the poorest neighborhoods of http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/newmonastics/index.shtml WHAT *DID* JESUS DO? by Mike
Fleischmann "I wear
a bracelet on my wrist with four letters: WWJD-What Would Jesus Do? This saying has become a guiding principle
for many Christians. For me it serves
as a moral compass, helping me apply abstract elements of my Christian faith
to the practical questions I face each day.
However, this hypothetical question presupposes we have already
answered another equally important, yet less obvious, question: What *did*
Jesus do? If we don't know what Jesus
*did* in his life, how can we expect to guess what he *would* do in ours? I looked at the 4 gospels with these
questions in mind and discovered 7 priorities that guided Jesus: 1. He sought
the Father 2. He
embraced the outcasts 3. He
restored broken lives 4. He
confronted hypocrisy 5. He taught
God's Word 6. He served 7. He
equipped leaders Read this in
full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2003/005/12.40.html STUDY: MOST PROFS HOLD UNFAVORABLE VIEW
OF EVANGELICALS The majority
of professors at Evangelicals
were the only major religious denomination to be viewed negatively by a
majority of faculty, the study released May 7 by the Institute for Jewish
& Community Research noted. Among
non-evangelical university faculty, 53% in a sampling of 1,200 said they held
an unfavorable view of evangelical Christians while expressing positive
feelings toward most other religious groups.
Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=25660 VERSE TO PONDER "Make
and keep your promises to the Lord your God." Psalm 76:11 (NCV) CONSIDER "The
Christian who is careless in Bible reading will be careless in Christian
living." Max Reich HA! Noah opens up
the ark and let all the animals out, telling them to "Go forth and
multiply!" He's closing the great
doors of the ark when he notices that there are two snakes sitting in a dark
corner. So he says to them,
"Didn't you hear me? You can go now. Go forth and multiply." "We can't," said the snakes. "We're adders." CHRISTIAN BOOK SUMMARY A detailed
summary of the book Growing in Christ by J. I. Packer is now online. Understanding biblical teachings requires
more than attending a weekly worship service, even if the sermon adequately
presents God's Word. The church may
have done a fairly good job teaching children the doctrines of the
faith. What is needed, however, is a
renewal of catechetical teaching for adults.
One cannot learn the essentials of the faith casually. The church must develop levels of
instruction that will provide a solid foundation for biblical theology. The simplest means to accomplish this task
is to focus on the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, baptism, and the
Lord's Prayer -- teachings that have been central to the Christian faith for
centuries. Read this summary in full
at http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/ FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 17 SECRETS OF FABULOUS FATHERS by Edwin
Louis Cole "Sons
and daughters are born, and fathers are made.
Any male can conceive a child, but only a man can father a child. The legacy of a father is the character he
instills in his sons and daughters.
The greatest words any man can hear are, 'That's my dad!' "A man's
life is summed up or founded on three things: stewardship, relationship and
leadership. All three are vitally
important with children. To be a
father is to be the procreator of a human life that is formed and fashioned
in the image and likeness of God. That
is a sacred matter. A child is to be
the product of love -- not lust. Too
often when it is just lust, the life given is not regarded as sacred, and
abortion is the result".... Read
this in full at http://newmanmag.com/display_cms.php?id=7568 MORE THAN BELIEF "It is a
great mistake, and of very pernicious consequence to the souls of men, to
imagine that the gospel is all promises on God's part, and that our part is
only to believe them and to rely upon God for the performance of them, and to
be very confident that He will make them good, though we do nothing else but
only believe that He will do so. "That
the Christian religion is only a declaration of God's goodwill to us, without
any expectation of duty from us--this is an error which one could hardly
think could ever enter into any who have the liberty to read the Bible and
attend to what they read and find there.
The three great promises of the gospel are all very expressly
contained in our Savior's first sermon upon the mount. There we find the promise of blessedness
often repeated but never absolutely made, but upon certain conditions,
plainly required on our part, as repentance, righteousness, humility, mercy, peaceableness, meekness, patience. Forgiveness of sins is likewise promised,
but only to those who make a penitent acknowledgement of them and ask
forgiveness for them, and are ready to grant that forgiveness to others which
they beg of God for themselves. "The
gift of God's Holy Spirit is likewise promised, but it is upon condition of
our earnest and importunate prayer to God.
The gospel is everywhere full of precepts enjoining duty and obedience
upon our part, as well as of promises on God's part, assuring blessings to us
-- nay, full of terrible threatenings also if we disobey the precepts of the gospel." John Tillotson
(1630-1694) "It is
no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is
similar in many ways. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and
timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all
parallels of profound importance. Yet
despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by
name, makes us His own, and delights in caring for us." W. Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks at
Psalm 23 SERIOUS RESCUE "When
you reflect upon Jesus Christ hanging on the cross of shame, you understand
the depth and weight of human sin. How
do we measure the size of a fire? By the number of firefighters and fire
engines sent to fight against it. How do
we measure the seriousness of a medical condition? By the amount of risk the doctors take in
prescribing dangerous antibiotics or surgical procedures. How do we measure the gravity of sin and
the incomparable vastness of God's love for us? By looking at the magnitude of what God has
done for us in Jesus, who became like a common criminal for our sake and in
our place." Fleming Rutledge, The
Undoing of Death THE EMPTY TOMB WAS WELL KNOWN "All the
references to the empty tomb come in the Gospels, which were written for
Christians who wanted to know the facts.
In the public preaching, to those who were not yet convinced, as
recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, there was an insistent emphasis on the
resurrection, but not a single reference to the tomb. For this I can see only one
explanation. There was no point in
speaking of the empty tomb, for everyone -- friend and foe alike -- knew that
it was empty. The only points worth
arguing about were why it was empty, and what its emptiness proved." J. N. D. Anderson (b.1908), Christianity:
the Witness of History [1969] GARDENING FOR GOOD Plant three
rows of peas: Peace of mind Peace of heart peace of soul Plant four
rows of squash: Squash gossip Squash indifference Squash grumbling Squash selfishness Plant four
rows of lettuce: Lettuce be faithful Lettuce be kind Lettuce be patient Lettuce really love one another Plant three
rows of turnips: Turnip for meetings Turnip for service Turnip to help one another Water freely
with patience Cultivate with love There is much fruit in your garden Because you reap what you sow. Let thyme do
its work Thyme for each other Thyme for family Thyme for friends and especially Thyme for GOD THE INTERNET'S GREATEST HITS 1. World Wide
Web 2. Email 3. Graphical
user interface (GUI) 4. AOL 5. Broadband 6. Google 7.
Mosaic/Netscape 8. eBay 9. Amazon.com 10. Wi-fi.... http://www.usatoday.com/tech/top25-internet.htm LIFE'S MEANING Like a grand
conductor who calls in the flutes at just the right time, your Father has
brought you into the Cosmic Symphony at your unique place in time and space
so you can be a vibrant outpost in your sphere of influence. In short, you are here to be an apprentice
of the Lord Jesus to learn how to live your life well as part of God's
broader purposes. This is your
calling, this is your destiny, this is your only
chance to have a life of genuine, full human flourishing." J.P. Moreland, Kingdom Triangle http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Mobile/MobileInterview.htm YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE A rough
workingman left his home one winter morning in CONSIDER "Faith
and works are as necessary to our spiritual life as Christians, as soul and
body are to our life as men; for faith is the soul of religion, and works,
the body." Arthur Colton VERSE TO PONDER "From
everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children
-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his
precepts." Psalm 103:17-18
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: COME, O SPIRIT Words: John
A. Dalles, 1983 Music: Arthur
S. Sullivan, 1872 Come, O
Spirit, with Your sound Like a wind,
quick rushing; Come from
heaven and stir our hearts, Each disciple
touching! Mold our
actions to Your will, You our
service giving; Move within
our fellowship, Transform now
our living! Come, O
Spirit, with Your flame, Leaping
tongues of fire; Come, and
with Your glorious light All our
thoughts inspire! Rest upon
each servant's head Till each one
is speaking Of our Christ,
the Holy One All the earth
is seeking. Come, O
Spirit, fill Your church, Making strong
our mission; Fill Your
daughters and your sons With a mighty
vision, Till the
great and glorious day When the
whole creation Sings Your
praise as Lord and King, Giver of
salvation! >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/s/cospirit.htm
GOD FAQ Question 127:
What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors? Answer:
The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in
heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of
their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and
counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense and
maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks,
and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering
them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government. http://www.shortercatechism.com/
ON PRAYER "What
a glorious thing it would be if millions of us would avail ourselves of the
greatest privilege and the greatest power this side of heaven -- the
privilege and power of prayer!"
Billy Graham
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
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why. Study Light Travel Tips
for Students http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/travel/tips4students/students.htm 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.) It
is foolish to worry about anything so temporary as today 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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