Connecting man to man to God!

Week of October 14, 2007

Issue 178

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."  Psalm 34:14

     CONSIDER

"Christ has transformed all our sunsets into dawn."  Clement of Alexandria

     THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIAN MEN PLEDGE TO BE JESUS 'WARRIORS'

It was a hot and blazing day, much like 10 years ago, when thousands of men stood on the National Mall Oct. 6 praising God.  Despite the scorching rays, their faces looked up to the heavens in remembrance of the holy God they serve and to renew their commitments as "mighty warriors for King Jesus," as popular speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby said.  It was a pledge some made 10 years ago at Stand in the Gap, then organized by the flourishing men's ministry Promise Keepers, which had drawn over a million Christian men to the Mall.  Ten years later, old and young generations of men gathered not to recreate that historic assembly but to begin a tradition to restore their lives to God, to their families, and to society.  During the day-long event, 10 leaders were honored as the first inductees to a virtual Wall of Honor: Billy Graham, William Wilberforce, Charles Colson, William Booth, D.L. Moody, Bill Bright, Edwin Cole, Jerry Falwell, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bill McCartney....  Read this in full at

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071008/29621_Thousands_of_Christian_Men_Pledge_to_be_Jesus_%27Warriors%27.htm

Wall of Honor

http://www.honormen.org/

     OUR TRUE IDENTITY

"The Bible says the first step toward reclaiming our identity is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  Believe that he is the way, the truth, and the life as he said he is.  Believe that he rose from the grave and that he's coming back again.  And believe that Jesus Christ is the substitution for the penalty of your sin; that he took on your punishment for all the wrong things you've ever done.

"Believing in God and actually believing God are two different things.  Maybe you've believed in God for a long time, but you've never let the truth that God took your place on a cross eat all the way through you.  When you believe God, you trust that what he says about himself -- and what he says about you -- is absolutely true.  You renew your mind to the truth that it's his grace that sets you free.  The truth of his unfailing love becomes the foundation for your life.  You believe -- *really* believe."  Mike Breaux, Identity Theft: Reclaiming Who God Created You to Be

     LISTEN

The first service one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them.  Just as love of God begins in listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.  It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear.  So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]

     OUR SHEPHERD

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Psalm 23

     YOUTH AND THE RELEVANCE OF THE GOSPEL

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Osama Bin Laden is bidding his followers to come and die for him, and we can't even ask our kids to stay awake during prayers?....  Read this in full at

http://blog.acton.org/archives/1868-Youth-and-the-Relevance-of-the-Gospel.html

     TRUST THE BIBLE

"So many [New Testament] copies (manuscripts) have survived that we can compare the places where minor discrepancies occur.  Less than 1% of the accuracy of the New Testament text, for example, is seriously questioned.  That is just one word out of every four thousand words.  More significantly, none of the teachings of the Bible are affected by any variation in the text.

"Over four thousand Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have survived. Two of the oldest complete New Testament manuscripts that survive were copied about AD 350 -- some 250 years after the New Testament was completed.  In addition we have fragments of various New Testament books that can be dated 100 to 200 years earlier, to within 150 years of the writing of the New Testament.  Other ancient writings don't even come close."  Douglas Connelly, The Bible for Blockheads

     TRUTH

"In no segment of society can we survive without truth.  Whether the setting is in the courts or in the marriage bond, we simply cannot live without truth.  Truth will sooner or later catch up to us, and we will have to pay its dues.  The scientist must test his or her theories by observation and verification -- but how does one find out whether someone ought to honor his or her marital vows?  To do this requires a worldview, and that worldview must be subjected to the tests of truth.

How does one find the thread of truth?  By looking at the One who claimed to be the Truth -- Jesus Christ.  In him, "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us..., full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).  Truth, with its handmaiden of grace, was incarnate in Jesus Christ.  With Jesus in your life, the most important thread holds everything else together."  Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives

     BAD HEADLINES

~ L.A. Voters Approve Urban Renewal By Landslide

~ Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through

~ Diaper Market Bottoms Out

~ Antique Stripper to Display Wares at Store

~ Lawyers Give Poor Free Legal Advice

~ Lingerie Shipment Hijacked--Thief Gives Police The Slip

~ Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

~ Fund Set Up for Beating Victim's Kin

~ Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years

~ Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy

~ Autos Killing 110 a Day--Let's Resolve to Do Better

~ 20-Year Friendship Ends at Altar

~ War Dims Hope For Peace

~ If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While

~ Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

~ Man is Fatally Slain

~ Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say

~ Death Causes Loneliness, Feelings of Isolation

~ Defendants Speech Ends in Long Sentence

~ Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

~ House Passes Gas Tax Onto Senate

~ Police Discover Crack in Australia

~ William Kelly, 87, was Fed Secretary

~ Collegians are Turning to Vegetables

~ Caribbean Islands Drift to Left

~ Farmer Bill Dies in House

~ Nation's Head Seeks Arms

~ Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted

~ Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case

~ Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents

~ Stud Tires Out

~ Eye Drops off Shelf

~ Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim

~ Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66

~ Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax

~ Two Ships Collide, One Dies

~ Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

~ Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge

~ Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

~ Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge

~ New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

~ Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

~ Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

~ Ban On Soliciting Dead in Trotwood

~ Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

~ Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing

~ Air Head Fired

~ Bank Drive-in Window Blocked by Board

~ Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

~ Include your Children when Baking Cookies

http://www.mikeysFunnies.com/

     HA!

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today.  They left a little note on the windshield that said "Parking Fine."  That was so nice.

     HOW CONGREGATIONS CAN HELP THEIR PASTORS STAY FOCUSED FOR THE LONG HAUL

by Ron Benson

Four years ago I walked away from the ministry.  According to statistics, it's a surprise more pastors don't.  The Alban Institute estimates that 17% of pastors are experiencing burnout.  A study of one major denomination concluded that less than 1/3 of its pastors were happy in their work.  Another 30% were "deeply ambivalent" about ministry.  And 40% described themselves as "heading for burnout."  When clergy are facing this level of dissatisfaction, the congregations they serve cannot be expected to thrive.  Is there an answer?  There is.  It's biblical, practical, and beneficial for both pastor and congregation.  In my case, I resumed my position as senior pastor after 90 days.  My church had given me a gift -- nothing to do for three entire months, a sabbatical.  And it made all the difference....  Read the rest at

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2005/005/4.48.html

(October is Clergy Appreciation Month)

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."  Philippians 4:9-9

     CONSIDER

"The Bible is a rock of diamonds, a chain of pearls, the sword of the Spirit; a chart by which the Christian sails to eternity; the map by which he daily walks; the sundial by which he sets his life; the balance in which he weighs his actions."  Thomas Watson

     LIVE TODAY

"The Big Moment is an urban myth. Some people have them, in a sense, when they win the Heisman or become the next American Idol.  But even that football player or that singer is living a life made up of more than that one moment.  Life is a collection of a million, billion moments, tiny little moments and choices, like a handful of luminous, glowing pearls.  And strung together, built upon one another, lined up through the days and the years, they make a life, a person.  It takes so much time, and so much work, and those beads and moments are so small, and so much less fabulous and dramatic than the movies.

"But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it.  This is it, in the best possible way.  That thing I'm waiting for, that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully.  This is it.  Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets -- this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience."  Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life

     BASEBALL UMPS EMBRACE CALLING FOR CHRIST

"You're out!"  "Safe!"  Both are frequently heard calls in baseball -- and a group of umpires who make those calls wants to be sure their colleagues are not "out" but "safe" in the arms of Jesus.  "Calling for Christ" is an organization of Christian umpires that got its start at Oklahoma's Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center.

Major League umpires Ted Barrett and Rob Drake were attending a men's retreat when they got the idea for a similar kind of retreat for baseball umpires.  "As a believer who grew up in church, when I got to umpire school I thought maybe it was someplace I shouldn't be," said Barrett, who has been a Major League umpire for nine years.  "It is a pretty dark world.  Umpire school is similar to the military with the tough language, heavy drinking, and other things that go along with a group of guys getting together."  Barrett, who was one of 14 out of 300 in umpire school to get jobs, said when he went to the minor leagues, it got worse, and by the time he reached the Majors, he found that sharing his faith led to being ostracized....  Read this in full at

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26591

     REDISCOVERED PASSION

The incredible story of Dave Roever

He was a "Brown Water, Black Beret," a forward gunner on a river patrol boat in the Mekong Delta.  It was January 1969, and the United States was in the thick of the Vietnam conflict.  The Viet Cong had occupied an island, and on this day it had fallen to him and his mates to root them out.  After the screaming and the firing had ceased, every member of the Viet Cong had died.  So, too, had the passion in Dave Roever's soul.

For the next eight months of combat, Dave never cried a tear. He couldn't. He had been hardened by the harsh realities of war.  Then came the day his life nearly ended, and simultaneously was changed forever.  Dave was burned beyond recognition when a phosphorous grenade he was poised to throw exploded in his hand.  The ordeal left him hospitalized for 14 months, where he underwent numerous major surgeries.

Four months into his recovery, Dave was visited by a woman who herself had been burned in a house fire.  A Christian, she prayed for his healing and that day, Dave Roever cried again for the first time.  Her tender loving faith had rekindled the passion within his soul.  He's never lost it since....  Read this in full at

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ppt_AOT_071011

     PSA TESTING STILL VALUABLE FOR PROSTATE CANCER

For several years, doctors have debated the value of the prostate-specific antigen test to determine a man's risk for prostate cancer.  But now, a consensus seems to be emerging -- it's not the level of the antigen in the blood that helps predict the likelihood of aggressive disease, but whether that level is rising rapidly or not.  Men with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels that are growing rapidly -- even if those levels are still low -- should consider themselves at increased risk, said Howard Soules, executive vice president for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the world's largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research.

"Right now, if your PSA velocity is going up at an extreme rate, you need some additional monitoring for prostate cancer," Soules said.  The prostate gland, which produces seminal fluid, is part of the male reproductive system and is located in front of the rectum and under the bladder.  It surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine flows, and when healthy is about the size of a walnut.

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death, according to the American Cancer Society. Only skin cancer is more common, and only lung cancer kills more men.

The cancer society estimates there will be about 218,890 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2007, and about 27,050 men will die of the disease. Of every three men diagnosed with cancer each year, one is diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Despite its prevalence, prostate cancer is quite survivable. Overall, 99 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer live at least five years, according to the cancer society. And 92 percent survive at least a decade, and 61 percent at least 15 years. While one in six men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, only one in 34 will die of the disease.

"We're seeing people living 15 to 20 years with their prostate cancer, which we didn't see in the '80s and '90s," said Dr. Susan Slovin, chairwoman of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition's scientific advisory board.

But the key is early detection....  Read this in full at

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/10/07/hscout606713.html

     YOUR LIFE ADVICE KIT

Whether you're saving for your own home, starting your kid's college fund, or adding to your retirement nest egg, over time small changes in your spending habits can add up to big money.  Learn about the different ways you can develop and improve your savings, investment, and retirement strategies with the Life Advice(r) kit.  Get the facts on the different types of retirement savings accounts, such as 401(k) plans, and how to make the most out of your contributions.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/press/nfclifeadvice07.htm

     CONSIDER

"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who cannot repay you."  Ruth Smeltzer

     VERSE TO PONDER

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."  Matthew 6:14

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: FOUNTAIN OF MERCIES, GOD OF LOVE

Words: Alice Flowerdew, 1811

Music: Ralph Courteville, 1696

Fountain of mercy, God of love,

Whose gifts all creatures share,

The rolling seasons as they move

Proclaim Thy constant care.

When in the bosom of the earth

The sower hid the grain,

Thy goodness marked its secret birth,

And sent the early rain.

The spring's sweet influence, Lord, was Thine,

The seasons knew Thy call;

Thou mad'st the summer sun to shine,

The summer dews to fall.

The gifts of mercy from above

Matured the swelling grain;

And now the harvest crowns Thy love,

And plenty fills this plain.

O ne'er may our forgetful hearts

O'erlook Thy bounteous care,

But what our Father's hand imparts

Still own in praise and prayer.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

The God Whom we adore,

Be glory, as it was, is now,

And shall be evermore.

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/m/fmgolove.htm

     ON PRAYER

"[The prayer of faith] is a prayer willing to believe and prevail for God's answer in a situation that is utterly impossible.  Regardless of the difficulty of the situation, you require no external confirmation but believe God in spite of appearance.  Your eyes are on God, not on the situation."  Wesley L. Duewel in Mighty Prevailing Prayer

     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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http://www.directmatches.com/goglobal

     SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES

Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.

Small Steps to Getting Fit

http://www.smallstep.gov/

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.)

Worry is like a treadmill - it wears you out and gets you nowhere.

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

[email protected]

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