Connecting man to man to God!

Week of September 2, 2007

Issue 172

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  2 Corinthians 7:1

     CONSIDER

"Conversion is but the first step in the divine life.  As long as we live we should more and more be turning from all that is evil and to all that is good."  Tryon Edwards

     REV. BILLY GRAHAM LEAVES HOSPITAL

Evangelist Billy Graham was released from a hospital Aug. 30, nearly two weeks after he was admitted for intestinal bleeding, officials said.  Doctors identified the source of Graham's bleeding during a colonoscopy, said Merrill Gregory, a spokeswoman for Mission Health & Hospitals in Asheville.  Physicians were able to treat the condition.  "We have been pleased that he has been able to come back from this incident as well as he has," said Dr. Lucian Rice, Graham's personal physician. "He will continue to have therapy at home, and I feel that he can have a very good recovery."  Read more at

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-08-30-graham-home_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

     D. JAMES KENNEDY RETIRES

Rev. D. James Kennedy, who presided over a multimillion-dollar, international evangelical empire but was sidelined from his pulpit at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church when he suffered a heart attack in December, is retiring at age 76.  A tribute service is planned for 11 a.m. Sept. 23 in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida church....  Read more at

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/216198.html

     MOTHER TERESA'S CRISIS OF FAITH

On Dec. 11, 1979, Mother Teresa, the "Saint of the Gutters," went to Oslo.  Dressed in her signature blue-bordered sari and shod in sandals despite below-zero temperatures, the former Agnes Bojaxhiu received that ultimate worldly accolade, the Nobel Peace Prize. In her acceptance lecture, Teresa, whose Missionaries of Charity had grown from a one-woman folly in Calcutta in 1948 into a global beacon of self-abnegating care, delivered the kind of message the world had come to expect from her.  "It is not enough for us to say, 'I love God, but I do not love my neighbor,'" she said, since in dying on the Cross, God had "[made] himself the hungry one -- the naked one -- the homeless one."  Jesus' hunger, she said, is what "you and I must find" and alleviate.  She condemned abortion and bemoaned youthful drug addiction in the West.  Finally, she suggested that the upcoming Christmas holiday should remind the world "that radiating joy is real" because Christ is everywhere -- "Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor we meet, Christ in the smile we give and in the smile that we receive."

Yet less than three months earlier, in a letter to a spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael van der Peet, that is only now being made public, she wrote with weary familiarity of a different Christ, an absent one.  "Jesus has a very special love for you," she assured Van der Peet.  "[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, -- Listen and do not hear -- the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me -- that I let Him have [a] free hand."

The two statements, 11 weeks apart, are extravagantly dissonant.  The first is typical of the woman the world thought it knew.  The second sounds as though it had wandered in from some 1950s existentialist drama.  Together they suggest a startling portrait in self-contradiction -- that one of the great human icons of the past 100 years, whose remarkable deeds seemed inextricably connected to her closeness to God and who was routinely observed in silent and seemingly peaceful prayer by her associates as well as the television camera, was living out a very different spiritual reality privately, an arid landscape from which the deity had disappeared.  And in fact, that appears to be the case....  Read this in full at

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html

Also see tothesource: "Mother Teresa's Dark Night of the Soul"

http://www.tothesource.org/8_28_2007/8_28_2007.htm

     TODAY

Every day is a little life.

Every waking and rising

is a little birth.

Every fresh morning

is a little youth.

Every going to rest and sleep

is a little death.

     Arthur Schopenhauer

     THE CASE FOR THE REAL JESUS

Has modern scholarship debunked the traditional Christ?  Has the church suppressed the truth about Jesus to advance its own agenda?  What if the real Jesus is far different from the atoning Savior worshipped through the centuries?  In his new book, The Case for the Real Jesus, former award-winning legal editor Lee Strobel explores such hot-button questions as: * Did the church suppress ancient non-biblical documents that paint a more accurate picture of Jesus than the four Gospels? * Did the church distort the truth about Jesus by tampering with early New Testament texts? * Do new insights and explanations finally disprove the resurrection? * Have fresh arguments disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah? * Did Christianity steal its core ideas from earlier mythology?  Evaluate the arguments and evidence being advanced by prominent atheists, liberal theologians, Muslim scholars, and others.  Sift through expert testimony.  Then reach your own verdict in The Case for the Real Jesus.  Listen to an interview with Lee Strobel at

http://www.leestrobel.com/info_TCFTRJ.php

     PRAYING "THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST" INTO PEOPLE

What should we ask God to do when the church or person we're praying for already seems established and spiritually healthy?  This was the situation with the believers in Ephesus as Paul prayed for them.  They were doing so well that "all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10).  Paul referred to the congregation in Ephesus as people who had "faith in the Lord Jesus" and "love for all the saints" (Eph. 1:15).  If prayer was only intended for solving problems, Paul would have had no reason to pray for the Ephesian church at that particular time.

But Paul did pray for them.  To grasp the significance of what he prayed, we need to look at the context of the prayer.  The Ephesians had just been told a secret that had been unknown to previous generations.  Paul called it "the mystery of Christ" (Eph. 3:4): They, the Gentiles, had become heirs together with the Jews.  You can sense Paul's excitement over the revelation of this secret when he says, "For this reason I kneel before the Father" (Eph. 3:14)....  Read this in full at

http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/2/2.10.11.html

     RELIGIOUS WRITING GOES WIKI

An online Christian publishing experiment called the Wikiklesia Project has produced its first collaborative ecclesial e-book, VOICES OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD.

The Wikiklesia Project collected the thoughts of more than 40 writers--from technologists to theologians--to reflect on the influence of technology on the global Christian church.  The book took just a few weeks to complete, according to Wikiklesia co-founder John La Grou.

Could the project be a bellwether for changes in the church itself?  "We long to see a church saturated with decentralized cooperation," according to the publisher's statement.  "The improbable notion of books that effectively publish themselves is one of many ways that can help move us closer to this global ecclesial connectedness."

http://www.wikiklesia.wikidot.com

     FAITH HEALING: BELIEVERS VS. SKEPTICS

In an era when people invest billions of dollars searching for the next medical breakthrough, more people are turning to faith.  While people have always prayed for good health, experts say the number who believe in divine healing is increasing, partly due to the influence of charismatic churches, one of the fastest-growing segments of Christianity....  Read this in full at

http://origin.mercurynews.com/religion/ci_6677110?nclick_check=1

     DR. DEL TACKETT'S BLOG

An exciting personal description aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier:

Part 1

http://deltackett.com/2007/08/06/hats-off-to-the-us-navy-the-flight-of-the-cod/

Part 2

http://deltackett.com/2007/08/08/hats-off-to-the-navy-trapping-flight-ops/

Part 3

http://deltackett.com/2007/08/10/hats-off-to-the-us-navy-the-crew-of-the-uss-abraham-lincoln/

     IS MY LEADERSHIP SPIRITUAL?

by Ruth Haley Barton

"Most Christian leaders sense that there should be something different about our leadership than what is offered in the secular marketplace, but we're not always sure what that is. Spiritual leadership emerges from the soul of us -- that place where God's spirit and my spirit commune.  This kind of leadership is not about roles and titles within organizational hierarchies; it has to do with our desire and ability to recognize and respond to the presence of God. It depends on our willingness to lead from a place of communion with him"....  Read this in full at

http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/articles/le_2006.003.14.75.html

     LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

"All big men are dreamers.  They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening.  Some of us let our dreams die, but others nourish and protect them, nurse them through bad days till they bring them to sunshine and light, which always come to those who sincerely believe that their dreams will come true."  Woodrow Wilson

     VERSE TO PONDER

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

     CONSIDER

"Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow; we push it in front of us in the direction we want to go."  Billy Graham

     NFL '07 SEASON BEGINS...

Sept. 6

http://www.nfl.com

     CULTURE CLIPS FROM PLUGGED IN

"In my career as a gamer, I've racked up quite a virtual body count.  And I've just taken down one more: Big Daddy, a hulking monster with a giant drill bit for an arm.  I had to unload all my armor-piercing rounds into his body suit, and I barely escaped with my life.  And now for my reward: a bioenhanced substance that will give me more superhuman powers.  To claim it, all I've got to do is kill the thing the monster was protecting: a tiny little girl, known as a Little Sister, staring up at me with tear-filled eyes.  Can I do it?  Could you do it?  She's not real.  It's just a videogame.  But that doesn't matter: I put her down and let her go free, forgoing my power upgrade so she can scamper away.  It'll be that much harder to take down the next monster, but I feel better about myself."  -Wired game reviewer Chris Kohler, commenting on the "creepy moral dilemmas" in the new Xbox 360 and PC game BioShock [wired.com, 8/24/07]

"It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs.  Recently, I relapsed and did things for which I am ashamed.  I broke the law, and today I took responsibility by pleading guilty to charges in my case.  No matter what I said when I was under the influence on the day I was arrested, I am not blaming anyone else for my conduct other than myself. I thank God I did not injure others.  I easily could have.  I very much want to be healthy and gain control of my life and career and have asked for medical help in doing so."  -21-year-old actress Lindsay Lohan, in a statement issued after she decided to plead guilty to misdemeanor DUI and drug charges. Lohan will spend one day in jail, serve 10 days of community service and complete an 18-month drug-treatment program.  She'll also be on probation for 36 months and must finish a 3-day program in which she visits a morgue and talks with families hurt by drunk drivers.  Los Angeles deputy district attorney Danette Meyers said after Lohan's hearing, "She's getting what everyone else would get." [mtv.com, 8/23/07; AP, 8/24/07]

"I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts.  What I did was very immature. ... I need to grow up."  -27-year-old Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting charge and been suspended indefinitely by the NFL, on the bad example his choices have set for young fans [AP, 8/27/07]

"We are so obsessed about the dangers of adolescence [that] we have all sorts of mechanisms to prevent kids from disaster.  But we don't have that for young people in their 20s.  It's the 20s that are risky."  -University of Houston professor Steven Mintz, commenting on the fact that the 20s, not the teen years, are for many young adults the season of life during which they're most likely to engage in risky sexual activity, violent behavior, and binge drinking. [usatoday.com, 8/14/07]

MTV and the Associated Press have published the results of their Youth Happiness Study, which offers a revealing look at what today's 13- to 24-year-olds value.  If you've watched MTV recently, you might think the answer to the question, "What one thing in life makes you most happy?" would be sex, money or reality shows. In fact, the top 5 answers to this open-ended, multiple-response question were spending time with family (20%), spending time with friends (15%), spending time with a spouse or loved ones (11%), children (6%) and a relationship with God (5%) which tied with the ambiguous other miscellaneous mentions.  When asked specifically about relationships with their parents, 72% said that this important connection made them either "very happy" or "somewhat happy."  In comparison, 51% said their "religious or spiritual life" made them very or somewhat happy, while just 36% of respondents picked those two categories to describe their feelings about money. Exercise (or playing sports) and music rated high in providing satisfaction (67% and 88% respectively), while various rebellious behaviors rated lower (sex: 29%; drugs: 7%; and drinking: 25%). [AP-MTV Youth Happiness Poll, 4/16-23/2007; AP, 8/20/07 stats]

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/cultureclips2/a0003381.cfm

     VATICAN AIRLINE TAKES TO THE SKIES

While some passengers only turn to prayer when jolted by turbulence, the Vatican made it standard by launching the world's first airline for Catholic pilgrims.  Complete with Vatican logos on headrests and air hostesses' uniforms, the inaugural flight traveled from Rome's Fiumicino airport for the shrine of Lourdes in France.  The charter flight's slogan: "I'm Searching for Your Face, Lord."  Read more at

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/27/business/mistral.php

also

Air pilgrims face holy water ban

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6969748.stm

     HANDYMAN?

A man wanting to earn some money decided to hire himself out as a handyman and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighborhood.  He went to the front door of the first house, and asked the owner if she had any odd jobs for him to do.

"Well, you can paint my porch," she said.  "How much will you charge me?"  After looking about, the handyman responded, "How about $50?  The woman agreed and told him the paint and other materials he might need were in the garage.

A short time later the handyman came to the door to collect his money.  "You're finished already?" the woman asked.  "Yes," the man replied, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats."  Impressed, the woman reached into her purse for the $50.00.  "And by the way'" the handyman added, "it's not a Porch, it's a Lexus."

     10 WAYS TO WORK OUT AT WORK

1.  Park farther away from the office, or get off public transportation at an earlier stop, and walk the rest of the way.

2.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, especially if you're only traveling a few floors.

3.  Go for a walk during lunch.  One way to do this is to skip your usual salad spot on the corner and find one a little farther away.  If you bring your lunch to work, use the time you save buying lunch to take a walk around the block.

4.  Deliver messages by hand instead of by phone or e-mail, and walk over to co-workers when you need to chat with them.

5.  Instead of meeting in the office or over lunch, meet in the gym or while taking a walk.

6.  Take frequent breaks to get up and walk around.

7.  Find a gym near your workplace and exercise for 20 minutes during your lunch break or just before or after work.

8.  Use your headset or cell phone and walk around while talking on the phone.

9.  Stretch occasionally while sitting at your desk.

10.         Participate in workplace-sponsored sports activities or athletic fund-raising events.

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/public/dailydish/dd_20070820.asp

     CONSIDER

"Anxiety comes from strain, and strain is caused by too complete a dependence on ourselves, on our own devices, our own plans; our own idea of what we are able to do."  Thomas Merton

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: BEGONE UNBELIEF

Words: John Newton, 1779,

Music: Johann M. Haydn, 1737-1806

Begone unbelief, my Savior is near,

And for my relief will surely appear:

By prayer let me wrestle, and He wilt perform,

With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm.

Though dark be my way, since He is my Guide,

'Tis mine to obey, 'tis His to provide;

Though cisterns be broken, and creatures all fail,

The Word He has spoken shall surely prevail.

His love in time past forbids me to think

He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink;

Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review,

Confirms His good pleasure to help me quite through.

Determined to save, He watched o'er my path,

When Satan's blind slave, I sported with death;

And can He have taught me to trust in His Name,

And thus far have brought me, to put me to shame?

Why should I complain of want or distress,

Temptation or pain? He told me no less:

The heirs of salvation, I know from His Word,

Through much tribulation must follow their Lord.

How bitter that cup, no heart can conceive,

Which He drank quite up, that sinners might live!

His way was much rougher, and darker than mine;

Did Jesus thus suffer, and shall I repine?

Since all that I meet shall work for my good,

The bitter is sweet, the medicine is food;

Though painful at present, wilt cease before long,

And then, O! how pleasant, the conqueror's song!

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/e/g/begonunb.htm

     ON PRAYER

"Prayer is self surrender."  Gordon MacDonald

     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.

     MAKE MONEY MEET PEOPLE!

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     SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES

Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.

Google Sky

http://earth.google.com/sky/skyedu.html

Tombstone Generator

http://www.jjchandler.com/tombstone/

Business Dictionary

http://www.businessdictionary.com/

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 magnificent to grow old if one keeps young." (Harry Fosdick)

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

[email protected]

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