Connecting man to man to God!

Week of July 8, 2007

"Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Psalm 73:25-26

     CONSIDER

"The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes.  It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life."  James Christensen

     LEADING GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST COMES OUT OF HOMOSEXUALITY

Young Gay America Magazine is on hiatus.  Its founding editor has left the magazine and gay activism and has now publicly announced that he's been "healed."  Michael Glatze, who had become a leading activist in the homosexual community, made the shocking announcement in a World Net Daily column titled "How A 'Gay Rights' Leader Became Straight."  "It became clear to me, as I really thought about it - and really prayed about it - that homosexuality prevents us from finding our true self within.  We cannot see the truth when we're blinded by homosexuality," he wrote....  Read this in full at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070705/28312.htm

     FORMERLY GAY CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES HIS 'EXODUS'

Alan Chambers, head of Exodus International, describes his "choice to come out of homosexuality," and his life as a husband and father.  More at

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11417438

     LAUSANNE CONFERENCE ENDS WITH MESSAGE OF HOPE

The year 2007 is a "happy new era for world evangelization," 400 Christian delegates were told in the closing message at the Lausanne Bi-Annual International Leadership Meeting in Budapest, Hungary. Lausanne members were gathered to pray, plan, and work together for Lausanne III, a major world mission congress to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2010....  Read more at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070622/28105_Lausanne_Conference_Ends_with_Message_of_Hope.htm

     OVER 16,000 COLLEGE STUDENTS CALLED TO SPARK SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION

Leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI), one of the world's largest Christian ministries, are targeting campuses across the globe for world evangelization.  And the agents for a global missionary movement are college students....  Read more at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070702/28267.htm

     RADICAL INDIVIDUALISM

"Many Christians have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls "radical individualism."  They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is "Jesus and me," but in doing so, miss the point altogether.  For Christianity is not a solitary belief system.  Any genuine resurgence of Christianity, as history demonstrates, depends on a reawakening and renewal of that which is the essence of the faith-that is, the people of God, the new society, the body of Christ, which is made manifest in the world-the church."  Chuck Colson, The Body

     RELIGIOUS RUTS

"Think about people who find themselves in religious ruts.  They discover a number of things about themselves.  They will find that they are getting older but not getting any holier.  Time is their enemy, not their friend.  The time they trusted and looked to is betraying them, for they often said to themselves, 'The passing of time will help me.  I know some good old saints, so as I get older I'll get holier and better.  Time will help me, purify me and revive me.'  They said that the year before last, but they were not helped any last year.  Time betrayed them.  They were not any better last year than they had been the year before."  A. W. Tozer in Rut, Rot or Revival. 

     THE HEALTHY 12

Good ideas for better health from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.  Put them into practice for more energy and enjoyment in life!

1.      Skip the buffet.

2.      Do sit-ups in front of the TV.

3.      Avoid food portions larger than your fist.

4.      Walk instead of drive whenever you can.

5.      Sit up straight at work.

6.      Eat breakfast every day.

7.      Ask a friend to exercise with you.

8.      Drink 100% fruit juices over soda and sugary drinks.

9.      Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.

10.  Drink lots of water.

11.  Choose a physical activity that fits into your daily routine.

12.  Snack on fruits and vegetables.

http://www.smallstep.gov

     LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

Maxwell Tops 30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus

Excluding political and military leaders, Leadership Gurus International and the public ranked John Maxwell #1 among the top 30 "gurus" from around the world.  The list focused on those practitioners who develop and instill leadership in others....  Read more at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070703/28278.htm

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."  Psalm 90:2

     CONSIDER

"The unbelieving mind would not be convinced by any proof, and the worshiping heart needs none."  A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

     AVID GOLFER CARRIES FAITH TO THE FAIRWAYS

Scott Lehman has always been passionate about golf, beginning at age 8 with a shortened 7-iron golf club on a backyard course marked by six buried clay flowerpots.  Later, as a golf teaching professional and sports apparel salesman, Lehman was caught up in the pursuit of wealth, travel and hiding financial difficulties from his wife of two years, Leslie.

Leslie saw their lives drifting apart and told Lehman she couldn't continue in the marriage.  Lehman looked for answers in a shopping mall.  "There was a Christian bookstore.  I had never been in a Christian bookstore before," he said.  "I turned in and found a little book called 'In His Grip' [by Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong].  It was a golf devotional book.  I never knew they existed.  I bought it, looked inside and didn't know that there were Scriptures in there.  I asked Leslie if we had a Bible and she said 'On the bookshelf.  You will have to dust it off.'

"In golf, the most important key fundamental is the grip and how your hands are placed on the club," Lehman said.  "The book started to talk about the key fundamental in life is living a lifestyle in His grip. God began to open my heart to His message."  Lehman said as he began to read God's Word, he was drawn to Proverbs 3:5-6, which is now his life verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."  Read this in full at

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=25985

Also see "Pastor's Masters links golf with evangelism"

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=25986

     CHRISTIAN BOOKS STILL DOMINATE ALL-TIME BEST-SELLERS LISTS

The Bible, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren together hold some of the world records for bestselling books in history....  Read this in full at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070704/28293.htm

     CHRISTIAN MEN CALLED TO STAY MARRIED FOR LIFE

Promise Keepers launched its 17th season of man-to-man talks in Mobile, Ala., over the weekend with more than 4,100 men and boys.  "This year, Promise Keepers is positioned to equip and encourage men in their transformation from promise maker to promise keeper," said Dr. Tom Fortson, president of the international men's ministry. "We have located thousands of men around the world who are identified by the word 'integrity,' as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. It's time to equip these men to put integrity into action."  Promise Keepers' 2007 seven-city conference tour is themed "Flood: Energizing Men of Integrity" and Fortson says, "It's time for men to move to action."  For some, that means staying married for life.  Giving some tips on understanding women to thousands of men at the first 2007 Promise Keepers event at the Mobile Convention Center, Dan Seaborn, founder of Winning At Home, Inc., lit a candle flame to illustrate that they need to do everything they can to keep that flame burning especially when Satan is trying to extinguish that fire.  Love your wives like Christ loved the Church, Seaborn told them at the June 29-30 conference.  Seaborn made it clear that once that flame is lit, it needs to stay burning....  Read more at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070702/28273.htm

     STATS OF THE IMMORAL

Twenty-nine percent of men say they've had 15 or more sexual partners in their lifetime, according to research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Among women, that percentage is 9%.  The CDC study examined the sexual behavior of 6,237 people between the ages of 20 and 59.  It also finds that 96% of Americans over age 20 have had sex, and 16% first had sex before age 15.  The median number of sexual partners for men was seven and four among women.  Mexican-Americans are slightly more likely to stay on the straight and narrow:  17% waited to have sex until age 21, compared to 15% of Caucasians and 6% of African-Americans. [foxnews.com, 6/24/07 stats]

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/cultureclips2/a0003297.cfm

     AS MARRIAGE AND PARENTHOOD DRIFT APART, PUBLIC IS CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACT

A new PewResearchCenter study concludes:  * Younger adults attach far less moral stigma than do their elders to out-of-wedlock births and cohabitation without marriage.  * Adults of all ages consider unwed parenting to be a big problem for society.  * Even though a decreasing percentage of the adult population is married, most unmarried adults say they want to marry.  * Children may be perceived as less central to marriage, but they are as important as ever to their parents.  * With marriage exerting less influence over how adults organize their lives and bear their children, cohabitation is filling some of the vacuum.  * Americans by lopsided margins endorse the mom-and-dad home as the best setting in which to raise children....  Read the report

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/526/marriage-parenthood

     WHISPERS

"We each have a destiny, a legend that only we can live.  To embrace it is scary and dangerous, and most choose not to.  Most put it off until tomorrow, until after high school, until after college, until after establishing a financial base.  Can't they see?  We only get one shot at this life.  Tomorrow may never come.  The time is now!  To find the passion that is inside us and embrace it, to listen to its subtle whispers."  Erik Mirandette, The Only Road North

     AMERICANS ARE MISINFORMED ABOUT POVERTY, BUT WIDELY INVOLVED IN HELPING THE POOR

A new survey says most people are actively involved in trying to alleviate poverty, although they typically believe it's primarily the government's job to do so.  The religious faith of adults appears to have a limited influence on how people perceive and respond to poverty.  3 out of 4 adults (72%) consider poverty to be one of the most serious social problems facing the U.S. today.  Evangelical Christians are only 1/2 as likely (11%) as the rest of the adult population to deem poverty to be the nation's most vexing social challenge....  Read this in full at

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=273

     CENSUS: MOST AUSTRALIANS ARE CHRISTIAN

Christianity remains the religion of choice in Australia, but Hinduism and Buddhism are growing at a greater rate.  Almost 12.7 million Australians declared they were Christian in the 2006 census, up from 12.6 million in 1996.  But as a proportion of the population, Christianity fell from 71% to 64%.  In the same period, the number of people affiliated with non-Christian faiths almost doubled from 600,000 in 1996 to 1.1 million and now account for 5.6% of the population....  Read more at

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Most-Australians-are-Christian-census/2007/06/27/1182623973995.html

     MY JOB HISTORY

My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned...couldn't concentrate.

Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax.

After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it...mainly because it was a so-so job.

Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was too exhausting.  I wanted to be a barber, but I just couldn't cut it.

Then I tried to be a chef -- figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme.

I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

Next was a job in a shoe factory - I tried but I just didn't fit in.

I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.

I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.

I got a job at a zoo feeding giraffes, but I was fired because I wasn't up to it.

So then I got a job in a workout center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it.

My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.

So, then I retired...and found out I was perfect for the job!

http://www.mikeysFunnies.com

     CONFESSION BOOTHS GO SILENT

Only 26% of Catholics go to confession at least once a year, according to a 2005 poll by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.  A University of Notre Dame study in the early 1980s put the number at 74%....  Read this in full at

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=600534&category=REGION&newsdate=6/24/2007

     DON'T WORRY, LIVE LONGER

Stop that excessive worrying, and you just might lengthen your life.  That's what a study led by a Purdue University researcher found in evaluating data on personality change and mortality in 1,663 men ages 43 to 91.  During 18 years of follow-up, men who became increasingly neurotic had a much higher risk of dying than those who stayed the same or became less neurotic.  The good news, says Robert S. Wilson, professor of neuropsychology at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago, is that change -- learning to cope and overcoming the tendency to stew over things -- "seems to make a difference, and that's pretty exciting."  The study was published in May's Psychological Science.

http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/a2005-01-19-discoveries_05.html#worry

     CONSIDER

"Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian."  D. L. Moody

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."  1 Chronicles 29:11

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: DO NOT WORRY

Words: Susan H. Peterson, 1998

Music: HAVE YOU ANY ROOM FOR JESUS, C. C. Williams, ?-1882

Do not worry for your life,

What you'll eat or drink or wear;

Is not life much more important

Than these things that cause you care?

See the birds-they sow and reap not,

Nor in barns do store away.

Yet your heav'nly Father feeds them;

Have you not more worth than they?

And why worry about clothing?

See the lilies' glad array;

Solomon in all his splendor

Never dressed as fine as they.

This is how God clothes the grasses,

Though their life is but a day.

Will He not much more meet your needs?

Let your faith not fade away.

So I tell you, do not worry,

Asking what you'll eat or drink.

Nor be anxious about clothing-

These are things that all men seek.

And your Father knows you need them;

Worry won't command His power.

Which of you by constant fretting

Adds to life a single hour?

Seek first, then, your Father's kingdom

And His righteousness on high.

All these things will then be given;

God will not neglect your cry.

So fret not about tomorrow;

God directs the future, too.

Though each day will bring its troubles,

Trust in Him-He'll see you through.

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/o/n/donworry.htm

     ON PRAYER

"True prayer is asking God what He wants."  William Barclay

     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.

BookTV

http://www.booktv.org/

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 better to follow the straight path than to move in the best circles.

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

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