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Connecting man to
man to God! Week of Issue 161 Dear
CONNECTIONS subscriber, This
may well be the last issue of CONNECTIONS.
Every week for the past three years this publication has been
faithfully issued. I appreciate the few comments and testimonies that have
come about as a result of this endeavor, however, after careful review of the
usage statistics, which tells me when you open the newsletter as well as
which links you follow; the expense and emotional energy that goes into researching,
reviewing and editing hundreds of articles, links and quotes every week for
this publication has drained my resources. The sponsors & advertisers
have pulled out due to inactivity from this newsletter. So, after 3years - 1
month - 1 day, CONNECTIONS must bid you, farewell. This may relieve some of
you that have continued to receive the newsletter out of “obligation.” You
are now free of this one invasion of your inbox. IHS
Min.
Frank Coleman "Be
still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be
exalted in the earth." Psalm
46:10 CONSIDER "I wish
you then, a very rich, deep, true, straight, and simple growth in the love of
God, accepted and willed gently but greatly, at the daily hourly cost of
self." Friedrich Von Hugel RUTH GRAHAM, WIFE OF BILLY GRAHAM, DIES Ruth Bell
Graham, the ailing wife of evangelist Billy Graham, died June 14. She had just turned 87 a few days
before. Bedridden for the last six
months, she contracted pneumonia two weeks ago and slipped into a coma June
13. In 1996 Ruth Graham was the
recipient, along with her husband, of the Congressional Gold Medal for their
"outstanding and lasting contributions to morality, racial equality,
family, philanthropy, and religion." See the Ruth
Bell Graham memorial at http://www.billygraham.org/RBG_Default.asp See coverage
at http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/160096.html http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770613061 Also see A Legacy of
Love: Things I Learned from My Mother by Ruth Graham, daughter of Billy and
Ruth Graham http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310804390 by Jonathan
Petersen "Now is
the time for churches and ministries to expand our vision beyond our
mainstream websites. If Christians are
going to continue reaching the world with the message of salvation, we must
embrace the mobility of the world and communicate with people where they are
and in ways expected by those people".... Read this in full at http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/worldreports/735 TOUGHER "Most of
us view challenges as unwelcome intrusions into our lives. But these intrusions have a way of
prompting us to get up and keep going.
They have a way of making us stronger. Tougher. Whenever you embrace a
challenge, you are sure to build your survival skills. Consider any company who has endured a
"downsize." Those who never
learned how to handle a challenge are the first to go, right? And even if they aren't, those who embrace
a challenge are the first to recover from the untamed territory of
joblessness. After all, it's simply a
matter of time before they are back on their feet again." Les Parrott, 3 Seconds: The Power of
Thinking Twice MORAL IRONY According to
a pair of somewhat ironic new http://www.pluggedinonline.com/cultureclips2/a0003285.cfm RELIGION FOR THE ROBOTS by Robert M. Geraci "Robots
are getting smarter. Some optimists in
artificial intelligence (AI) think that within just another decade or two
they will be smarter than human beings.
They will increasingly take over our most complicated work, from
surgery to teaching to running our economy.
Meanwhile, AI researcher Ray Kurzweil and
others believe that eventually robots will tell us they are conscious and,
having no good reason to deny their claims, we will believe them. "If
robots become conscious, they may desire entrance into our society. This notion was championed by the
well-known science fiction author Isaac Asimov, who named such a culture a
C-Fe society because it would be made up of human beings (carbon life-forms)
and robots (iron life-forms). Asimov
held C-Fe society to be both a moral good and beneficial toward our long-term
survival in the universe. But will
robots ever be religious?"....
Read this in full at http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/sightings/archive_2007/0614.shtml WORK "Physical
work gives us health and meaning.
While the disciples sailed, Jesus walked across the THE PROBLEM WITH by Pat
Williams with Peggy Matthews Rose "Instead
of wasting time on mindless pursuits or frantically striving to keep up with
a world moving at warp speed, why not read a book -- and learn
something! Feed your mind. While you're at it, make sure your kids see
you making this wise choice. "Writer
Charley Reese, formerly of the Orlando Sentinel, observed, "I feel sorry
for people who grow up not liking to read, as apparently more and more young
Americans are doing. They are
inadvertently shortening ... their lives.
Not physically, of course, but the life of a human is essentially the
life of the mind. With good books, you
can live several thousand years in the short physical span you have, and you
can live a life far more rich in experience than all but the most heroic
adventures. ... Nothing in my life was so fortuitous
as falling in love with books at an early age."... If winning this war
against the decline of reading is to be achieved, each of us must play our
part. Here are a few solid
suggestions:".... http://www.pastors.com/rwmt/default.asp?id=315&artid=10647&expand=1 LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "God
shapes character by bringing together three converging streams that flow
toward his purpose -- the Bible, circumstances, and disciplined discernment
of his purposes." Jeff Iorg, The Character of Leadership VERSE TO PONDER "God in
his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking God's
word, make sure what you say agrees with the faith." Romans 12:6 (GW) CONSIDER "It's
easy to make a buck. It's a lot
tougher to make a difference."
Tom Brokaw PATRIOTS "Christians
who are faithful to Scripture should be patriots in the best sense of that
word. They are "the salvation of
the commonwealth," said Augustine, for they fulfill the highest role of
citizenship. Not because they are
forced to or even choose to, not out of any chauvinistic motivations or
allegiance to a political leader, but because they love and obey the King who
is above all temporal leaders. Out of
that love and obedience they live in subjection to governing authorities,
love their neighbors, and promote justice.
Since the state cannot legislate love, Christian citizens bring a
humanizing element to civic life, helping to produce the spirit by which
people do good out of compassion, not
compulsion." Charles Colson, God
& Government WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU READ
ZONDERVAN? Zondervan is
inviting people to post photos of themselves reading
Zondervan Bibles and books, listening to Zondervan audios, or viewing
Zondervan videos in as many different venues as possible. Learn about it and where to send your photo
at http://zondervan.blogspot.com/2007/06/where-in-world-do-you-read-zondervan.html REEL LIFE by Laura
Coulter "Movies
satisfy our need for stories that help us make sense of the world. They can also provide us with meaningful
ways to stretch our faith and enrich our connections with those around
us".... Read this in full at http://www.esa-online.org/Images/mmDocument/PRISM%20Archive/Features%202007/May_June07ReelLife.pdf YOUR FAMILY DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT In the event
of an emergency or disaster situation, is your family prepared? The Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit
publication from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the
American Red Cross can help. This
publication provides the necessary steps to assemble your own at-home
kit. It lists, item by item,
specifically what youll need in terms of water,
food, first-aid supplies, tools, sanitation items and family documents.... http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/family/disaster/famlykit.htm MANY TEENS CONFUSED ON ETERNITY A new study
indicates that many teens are confused about what it takes to get to
heaven. Results show that 69% of teens
believe heaven exists. And a majority strongly agree with the traditional Christian
belief in Jesus Christ's death for their sins as the reason they'll go to
heaven (53%). While many teens believe
they'll go to heaven because of their belief in Jesus Christ, one-quarter
trust in their own kindness to others (27%) or their religiosity (26%) as
their means to get to heaven. Out of the
69% of the teens who strongly or somewhat agree they'll go to heaven because
Jesus Christ died for their sins, 60% also agree they'll go to heaven because
they're religious and 60% also agree they'll go to heaven because they're
kind to others. Read this report in
full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=25708 DODGER HEAVEN Baseball, hot
dogs, and an afternoon with my dad was a foretaste of glory divine. by Gordon
MacDonald "From my
journal: For most of my life, my father and I have struggled to connect with
each other. We are very different men,
and our differences have grown during the passage of the years. Nevertheless, there were occasional
exceptions to this distancing, and I think I remember almost everyone of
them. They were the events when, for a
short while, there was -- between him and me -- a sense of sublime
closeness".... Read this in full
at http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2007/cln70604.html TOP 10 FATHERING FACTS 1.
An estimated 24.7 million children
(36.3%) live absent from their biological father. 2.
There are almost 17 million children
(25%) living with their single mothers. 3.
1.25 million or
32% of all births in 1995 were out-of-wedlock. 4.
Today nearly 4 out of 10 first marriages
end in divorce, 60% of divorcing couples have children, and over one million
children each year experience the divorce of their parents. 5.
One out of every six children is a
stepchild. 6.
There are nearly 1.9 million single
fathers with children under 18. 7.
4 out of every 10 cohabitating couples
have children present, and of children born to cohabitating couples, only 4
out of 10 will see their parents marry. Those who do cohabitate experience a
50% higher divorce rate. 8.
26% of absent fathers live in a
different state than their children. 9.
About 40% of the children who live in
fatherless households haven't seen their fathers in at least a year while 50%
of children who don't live with their fathers have never stepped foot in
their father's home. 10.
Children who live absent from their biological fathers, on average, are
more likely to be poor, experience educational, health, emotional and
psychological problems, be victims of child abuse, and engage in criminal
behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological mother and
father. From the 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!" Society,
which begins in the church, must affirm traditional marriage as vital, teach
parents to love and care for their children, strengthen families to
strengthen the community, and teach children the importance of relationships. 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. As a father
you are responsible for the child you have conceived. You are responsible for the child you made
the mother abort. You are responsible
for the child on drugs, in jail or in prostitution that you abandoned. Sons and daughters
are born, and fathers are made. Any
male can conceive a child, but only a man can father a child. Our
responsibility is to raise trustworthy children who respect and admire their
fathers. God's admonition to us is not
to provoke them to wrath, but to raise them in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. To do that takes time.
Quality time. There is no substitute
for time. To give time is to give yourselves, and that is what it takes. I was
privileged to be the speaker at a Promise Keepers meeting at the Los Angeles
Coliseum, where 78,462 men were in attendance. I said something and the whole crowd let
out a concerted groan. All I said was:
"A practicing atheist does not stand on a street corner and shake his
fist at heaven shouting that he doesn't believe in God. He just lives as if there is no God. Most of you go to church on Sunday, then
come home and do nothing spiritual during the week -- such as reading the
Bible or praying -- and to all intents you are a professing Christian on
Sunday and a practicing atheist during the week." GROAN!.... Read this in full at http://newmanmag.com/display_cms.php?id=7568 CONSIDER "Whatever
comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a
choice. ... It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always
choose to do what's right." Peter
Parker in Spiderman 3 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: HOLY FATHER, IN THY
MERCY Words:
Isabella S. Stephenson, 1869 Music:
Ebenezer Prout, 1887 Holy Father,
in Thy mercy, Hear our
anxious prayer. Keep our
loved ones, now far distant, 'Neath Thy care. Jesus,
Savior, let Thy presence Be their
light and guide; Keep, oh,
keep them, in their weakness, At Thy side. When in
sorrow, when in danger, When in
loneliness, In Thy love
look down and comfort Their
distress. May the joy
of Thy salvation Be their
strength and stay; May they love
and may they praise Thee Day by day. Holy Spirit,
let Thy teaching Sanctify
their life; Send Thy
grace, that they may conquer In the
strife. Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, God the One
in Three, Bless them,
guide them, save them, keep them Near to Thee. >from
CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/f/hftmercy.htm
ON PRAYER "A
clasp of the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the
disorder of the world." Karl Barth
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
why. Christian
classics on the Web All links to websites are provided as a
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the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a temporary email
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paste it into your web browser and hit enter.) There's
more to life than increasing its speed. 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 · Visit my blog - comment & share your thoughts email: [email protected] phone:
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