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Connecting man to man to God! Week of November 11, 2007 Issue 182
"If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
CONSIDER "God doesn't want us merely to 'get through' our problems. He wants us to 'grow through' them." Gary Oliver
IS THERE A GOD? by Marilyn Adamson A former atheist gives simple, straightforward reasons that would lead one to conclude there is a God. 1. Throughout history, in all cultures of the world, people have been convinced there is a God. Could one say with any sense of confidence that all those people have been mistaken? Billions of people, who represent diverse sociological, intellectual, emotional, educational makeups . . . all came to the same conclusion that there is a Creator, a God to be worshipped.
"Anthropological research has indicated that among the farthest and most remote primitive people today, there is a universal belief in God. And in the earliest histories and legends of people all around the world, the original concept was of one God, who was the Creator. An original high God seems once to have been in their consciousness even in those societies which are today polytheistic."
2. The complexity of our universe, our solar system and our planet Earth all point to a knowing, deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today. Pages and pages of examples showing God's design could be given here, possibly with no end. But here are a few.... Read this in full at http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/isthere/isthere2.html
ENDING THE CURSE by Kelly Boggs "Schools try hard to foil fans' curses," a recent USA Today headline stated atop an article on efforts at several colleges to dissuade sports patrons from using profanity at games. According to the report, a growing number of America's institutions of higher learning have become concerned about the frequent use of vulgar words and phrases by fans at sporting events, most of which is directed at referees as well as at opposing teams and their fans.
Many of the concerned schools are utilizing public service campaigns to try to persuade fans to police their own language. However, at least two schools have taken more stringent steps in an effort to stop foul language at sports venues.
Boston University outlawed cursing from its hockey arena in 2006. An effort to enforce the ban resulted in the revocation of 20 students' ticket privileges. Similarly, the University of Florida adopted a code of conduct for its fans in 2002. As a result, a few fans have been ejected....
If you think about it, a sporting event is really nothing more than a microcosm of culture. You have laws that are the rules of the game. There are the enforcers of the laws, the referees. You also have unwritten rules of good conduct, which is sportsmanship. And, of course, there's competition that is an inescapable reality in every culture....
American sports are merely a reflection of a culture that has become increasingly calloused and coarse. And sadly, the profanity used in sports stadiums can be heard when walking in a mall or turning on the television.... Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26749
THE WRONG PERCEPTION by Jerry Jenkins "I find it depressing, though I suppose inevitable, that evangelicals are all painted with the same brush. I hope we are not guilty of the same generalized thinking as we engage the culture. Yes, we extend across a wide philosophical spectrum from the Jim Wallises and Tony Campolos to the James Dobsons and Gary Bauers, but where we land on the political landscape should not be how we are judged. The New Testament makes clear that we should be known for our love for one another. It seems to me that the more political we get, the less loving we appear".... Read this in full at http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/2007/10/the-wrong-perception-jerry-jen.html
ON TEMPTATION "Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair." Martin Luther
NEW BOOK SUMMARY ONLINE The Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan is now summarized in detail online. The book's message: Striving to ease the burden of sin, we must come to Christ as prescribed by Christ, not allowing ourselves to turn to the right or the left. We must instead take comfort in the Word of God, fixing our hope on the promises of God as the only sure way of finding salvation.... http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/ Buy it here: http://www.christianconnectionbooks.com/content/search/product/view_item.php?dcn=24027&sm=
WE BEAR A HOPEFUL MESSAGE "Let me remind you -- you who are fellow Christ-followers -- that we steward the only message on planet Earth that can give people what their hearts need most, which is hope. Hope that sins can be forgiven. Hope that prayers can be answered. Hope that doors of opportunity that seem locked can be opened. Hope that broken relationships can be reconciled. Hope that diseased bodies can be healed. Hope that damaged trust can be restored. Hope that dead churches can be resurrected." Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision
MIND BENDERS Think about these mysteries and see if you can solve them. The answers are further down this newsletter: 1) A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?
2) A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
3) There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and till tell which water came from which jug?
4) What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?
5) Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
6) This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it? It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it! In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out! Try to do so without any coaching!
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) Good leaders are good listeners by Rick Warren Most of us simply talk too much. James 1:19 (NIV) says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." You may think you're already a good listener. But there's a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is simply the vibrations that take place in your ear. Listening is how you decode those vibrations in your brain. Many times I've heard my wife, my kids, or someone at the church say something -- but I didn't listen. Listening is a skill. It's developed through practice, desire, attention, and by simply wanting to become a good listener. Here are four tips to becoming a better listener.... http://www.pastors.com/rwmt/default.asp?id=335&artid=10928&expand=1
VERSE TO PONDER "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9
CONSIDER "The generous and the bold lead the most fulfilling lives." Chinese proverb
GOOD STEWARDSHIP AND GLOBAL WARMING by Chuck Colson For Christians, the question of global warming should not stop us from identifying a critical worldview issue here -- one on which every Christian can, or should, agree: and that's the importance of good stewardship toward the rest of creation. There are things we can do now to be good stewards that do not require us to get all of the answers that are going to come on global warming. A great example of this is a long-time friend of mine named Bill Spears. Bill is a solid Christian, a native oil-belt Texan, a conservative, and an environmentalist wrapped up in one. Bill started a company called Energy Education, Inc., which develops energy conservation plans for school districts, universities, and large churches that "share a common commitment to fiscal and social responsibility and to the wise use of financial and environmental resources." Why? As Bill Spears says, its clients can invest the financial savings "in the lives of people . . . not the utility companies.".... Read this in full at http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7193
NEW NATIONAL POLL SEEKS CHRISTIAN PARTICIPANTS Two leading Christian publishers launch a new polling initiative to gauge the opinion of a broad range of Christians on theology, politics, and cultural issues in the United States. It's called NationalChristianPoll.com, and polling participants are being recruited now. The project follows national research commissioned by Christianity Today International and Zondervan that shows diverse approaches to faith among American adults who identify themselves as Christian. The research indicates that traditional nomenclature -- including "evangelical" and "mainline" -- is less accurate today as Christians take an eclectic approach to theology, politics, and culture. Up to 80% of Americans call themselves Christian, but their definition of the term varies widely. This research shows that self-identified Christians can be almost evenly divided into 5 categories based on their views of God and Jesus, the Bible, the church as a center for personal spiritual development, their involvement in church leadership, and community life.
While evangelical, mainline, and Catholic adherents were more prevalent in some categories, the diversity of denominations represented in the categories demanded that new names be developed to identify both the beliefs and behaviors of respondents. Unlike other studies, this survey did not categorize respondents based on their association with a particular denomination, but on their beliefs and resulting behaviors.
These categories are Active Christians, Professing Christians, Liturgical Christians, Private Christians, and Cultural Christians. They represent a broad range of opinion on key elements of Christian faith and practice. A detailed report appears in Leadership journal (http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/004/1.19.html).
This research prompts a new polling initiative, NationalChristianPoll.com. The views of Christians are often reported as a bloc, but NationalChristianPoll.com seeks to survey the range of Christians on many issues, and to report diverse opinions held by people of common faith. The polling will provide quick assessments of current events and breaking news. Christians who wish to join the polling database can sign up at www.NationalChristianPoll.com. http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/144694692.html
HA! A baby-sitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.
NEARLY 80% OF ADULTS ARE ONLINE The number of American adults who regularly use the Internet has grown to 178 mil, or 79% of the U.S. population, according to a new Harris poll. Polls have shown a steady rise over the years, with 9% of U.S. adults accessing the Net in '95, then 57% in '00 and 77% in '06. The latest poll also indicates the online population is more closely mirroring the general population as an increasing number of seniors and minorities have started surfing the Web. The average time spent online is 11 hours a week. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/IBD-0001-20819862.htm
BIBLE AT OLYMPICS: MIXED REPORTS CIRCULATE The Chinese government seems to be sending mixed messages about religion and religious freedom during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and conflicting reports have clouded the issue of the legality of Bibles at the Olympics. The most recent information indicates that Bibles will be allowed at the Olympics, but that each visitor to China will be allowed to bring in only one Bible. This follows an AP story from early September, in which Olympics officials in Beijing said they planned to build a multi-faith worship center in the Olympic Village.... Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26783
VETERANS DAY WAS 11/11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." Thomas Paine, US Founding Father
"Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us re-consecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain." Dwight D. Eisenhower
THE FOUR CHAPLAINS While U.S. military history holds countless stories of heroism and sacrifice, within that history stands the story of the Four Chaplains, considered the greatest heroes of the Army Chaplaincy. The backgrounds of these men were diverse, reflecting their constituency on the Dorchester, the transport ship on which they served. Chaplain George Fox was a Methodist minister from Vermont; Chaplain Alex Goode, a rabbi from Pennsylvania; Chaplain Clark Poling from Michigan, a former pastor in the Christian Reformed Church; and Chaplain John Washington, a Roman Catholic priest from Newark, New Jersey... Read this in full at http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ppt_heritage_061109
OBTAIN FREE CREDIT REPORTS One way to help protect your identity is to check your credit reports on a regular basis. By doing so, you can ensure that there are no loans, credit cards, or other financial obligations that have been fraudulently initiated in your name. By U.S. law, you're entitled to 3 free credit reports every 12 months -- one each from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the national consumer credit reporting agencies. If you haven't requested free credit reports in the past year, visit https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
ANSWERS TO MIND BENDERS ABOVE 1) The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.
2) The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.
3) Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.
4) The answer is Charcoal.
5) Sure you can: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
6) The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph.
CONSIDER "If there is the tiniest grudge in your mind against anyone...your spiritual penetration into the knowledge of God stops." Oswald Chambers
VERSE TO PONDER "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8-9
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: GIVE THANKS Words & Music: From the Shaker Hymnal, 1906
O give thanks, give thanks unto the Lord, For He is good, and His mercy endureth forever. To Him which led His people through the wilderness, For He is good, and His mercy endureth forever. He turnèd the wilderness into a standing water, And dry ground into water springs. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees, Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with a recompense. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened And the ears of the deaf, of the deaf unstoppèd. And a highway shall be there, And it shall be callèd the way, the way of holiness, The unclean shall not pass over it, The unclean shall not pass over it, But the redeemèd of the Lord shall walk therein; And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion, To Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. >from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/i/givthank.htm
ON PRAYER "We can come to God at any time, because He wants our fellowship. God doesn't keep office hours! And He also welcomes us because He knows we need Him, and He wants to help us. No situation is beyond His concern, because He loves us and wants what is best for us. Prayer is not an obligation but an opportunity -- an opportunity for us to grow closer to God and seek his will for our lives. Does this mean God wants us to lock ourselves in our rooms 24 hours a day, with our eyes closed and our lips constantly moving in prayer? No, this isn't what he commands. Instead he wants us to cultivate the habit of quietly praying in our souls about everything throughout the day. Even when you are talking with someone, you can be praying for them in your spirit." Rev. 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 have something to sell? Let me know and I'll put it in this newsletter.
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