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Connecting man to man to God! Week of December 9, 2007 Issue 185
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12
CONSIDER "A man is as big as the things that make him angry." Winston Churchill
CHURCH "The miracle of church is that familiarity breeds, not contempt, but comfort. It's not the artistry of the stained glass that pulls us back; it's the people. It's wanting Nicholas [my newborn son] to be connected to something bigger than himself -- bigger even than his family. At church we're part of a body that meets, week by week, to light a candle against the darkness of individualism. It's this body -- this motley collection of broken and beautiful aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters -- that teaches Nicholas that church is worth showing up for." David Jacobsen, Rookie Dad: Thoughts on First-Time Fatherhood
ROMNEY SEEKS TO DEFUSE CONCERNS OVER MORMON FAITH Seeking to defuse suspicions about his Mormon faith, Mitt Romney declared Dec. 6 in a heavily anticipated address that the nation's foundation of religious liberty bars a religious test for higher office, but unites the country under a common moral heritage that he would champion if elected president. He did not dwell on the doctrines of his faith, mentioning the word Mormon only once. But he promised that he would not be beholden to the authorities of his church. An excerpt: "My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree".... Read more at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26977
Christian, Mormon Doctrinal Differences http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26979
FEAR NOT THE COMPASS Movie critic Jeffrey Overstreet is being asked about the fantasy novel, The Golden Compass, now in the news as a major motion picture from New Line Cinema. The film is based on the first book of a trilogy by Philip Pullman, an atheist who has expressed his disdain for Christianity and who, in the course of his 3 books, has the protagonist -- a young girl named Lyra -- join people who are trying to kill God and the Christian faith ... and they succeed. Many Christians have expressed their concerns regarding the film. Overstreet recently blogged some common questions on the topic, and how he's answering those questions. His answers represent a calm, rational, and Christlike response in the eye of this Golden storm.
Q: Should Christians be afraid of The Golden Compass? A: No. Let's not be afraid. Discerning, yes. But not afraid. God is not threatened by Philip Pullman. And people who stop to think through Pullman's story, and how he "refutes" Christianity, will see what a feeble "attack" against Christian belief it really is.
Pullman has painted a picture of the church -- represented by "The Magisterium" in his stories -- that basically reflects only those ways in which the church has abused power. And he has used that selective reflection as an excuse to write off Christianity as a whole. That's sort of like condemning the entire produce section in a grocery store because a few of the apples were bad. (And "Magisterium" is not something Pullman just made up. It's a very real word referring to the church, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. So he's not trying to cloak his intentions here.)
It's interesting to note that Pullman's dismissal of Christianity skips over one little detail: Jesus. Pullman's story never makes any attempt to explore or refute the claims and ministry and person of Christ. He has, in effect, set up a "straw God" rather than a "straw man," and his fans are congratulating him for knocking down Pullman's flawed perception of God rather than the God of Christianity. He's not really undermining Christian belief as he thinks he is; he is undermining the abuse of authority, something altogether contrary to the gospel....
The full version of the blog is at An abridged version is at http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/fearnotthecompass.html
MTV AIRING 'UNREAL' GOSPEL CAMPAIGN (NeedHim) For the next 4 weeks, MTV is airing 10 "startling and edgy" non-commercial spots based on the Ten Commandments produced by NeedHim Ministries. Possible viewership is estimated to be 1.5 million 18-34 year-olds. The NRB Network, broadcast on Direct TV, will begin airing the series the week of December 10. "For those who know the distortion and despair of our culture today, the message of the UNREAL spots is hope. As the characters remind the viewer: through Jesus, I am real again," says Drew Dickens, NeedHim Ministries' Executive Director. View the spots at http://www.needhimresources.net/m/unreal-tv.php
POLL: MORE AMERICANS BELIEVE IN DEVIL THAN DARWIN More Americans believe in a literal hell and the devil than Darwin's theory of evolution, according to a new Harris poll. The research also finds 82% believe in God, 79% believe in miracles, 75% believe in heaven, and 72% believe that Jesus is God or the Son of God.... Read this in full at http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKN2922875820071129
ON ETERNITY "If human beings were created for an eternal existence, nothing could be more important than finding out what that eternal future is all about and making sure that we are going in the right direction." Kenneth D. Boa & Robert M. Bowman, Jr., Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell
GODTUBE OFFERS WILDLY POPULAR ALTERNATIVE TO YOUTUBE Chris Wyatt started GodTube.com, a Christian video-sharing and social-networking site, and is now the CEO of a company that employs about 20 people and has a distinctly Christian outlook. "We're a traditional Christian site," said Wyatt, a 38-year-old student at Dallas Theological Seminary. "Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, period." According to comScore Inc., which tracks the growth of websites, GodTube grew nearly 1,000% in its first month, and had 1.6 million unique visitors every month. There are currently more than 38,000 videos on GodTube.... Read this in full at http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-12-04-god-tube_N.htm
IN GOD'S NAME "Jesus" or Yeshua, a form of "Joshua," means this: "Yahweh is salvation." [In Jesus,] Yahweh was present with his people not in the form of a burning bush but in the shape of a small child who would later provoke people to violence precisely because he echoed God's self-revelation to Moses in the desert: "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!" (See John 8:58.) Though Christmas Day may still be a few weeks away, this is a perfect day to bow down before our faithful, covenant-keeping God, praising him for the gift of his only Son, Jesus, the One who reminds us still that "Yahweh saves." Ann Spangler, Immanuel: Praying the Names of God through the Christmas Season
"MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR" IN 40 LANGUAGES Apache (Western) - Gozhqq Keshmish Arabic - I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida Croatian - Sretan Bozic Danish - Glædelig Jul og godt nytår Farsi - Sal-e no Mubarak French - Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! German - Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! Greek - Kala Christougenna Ki'eftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shanah Tova Hindi - Shubh Naya Baras Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit Iroquois - Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson homungradon nagwutut & Ojenyunyat osrasay Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha Kyrghyz - JangI jIlIngIz guttuu bolsun! Latin - Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis Maori - Kia orana e kia manuia rava i teia Kiritimeti e te Mataiti Ou Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye Nepali - krist Yesu Ko Shuva Janma Utsav Ko Upalaxhma Hardik Shuva & Naya Barsa Ko harkik Shuvakamana Norweigan/Nynorsk - Eg ynskjer hermed Dykk alle ein God Jul og Godt Nyttår Polish - Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku. Portuguese - Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo Romanian - Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom Samoan - Ia manuia le Kilisimasi ma le tausaga fou Somali - ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican. Spanish - Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo Sudanese - Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal Swedish - God Jul och Gott Nytt År Tagalog - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon Tahitian - Ia ora i te Noere e ia ora na i te matahiti 'api Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai Ukrainian - Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku! Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Giang Sinh - Chuc Mung Tan Nien Zulu - Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo
See the full list of 350+ languages: http://snipurl.com/350languages
BUY NOTHING CHRISTMAS... ...is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites but open to everyone with a thirst for change and a desire for action. Buy Nothing Christmas is a stress-relieving, though-provoking, and delightfully subversive movement that wakes participants up from our media-induced consumer trance! You can change your world by simply putting up one of the posters in your church, place of worship, home or work. One poster has Jesus saying, "Where did I say that you should buy so much stuff to celebrate my birthday?" The point is to get people thinking.... http://buynothingchristmas.org/
BUT IF YOU *DO* BUY :)... Ben Witherington says "The Bible Experience is a Great Christmas Gift" "Perhaps you're not much into audio books. Perhaps you don't spend a lot of time riding in a car, and would rather hear music anyway on such trips. But I have to tell you that you need to make an exception, and to help this along you can actually choose the all MP3 version of the entire Bible rather than the CDs of the whole set. Why? Because Inspired by...The Bible Experience is the best audio Bible of all time...." Read this in full at http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/12/bible-experience-great-christmas-gift.html
See samples at
Hear an interview at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16697288
SURRENDER "Someone once asked me to define Christianity in one word, and after some reflection, I responded, "It all boils down to surrender." Everything I know about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ begins and ends with surrender -- with saying yes to God. That tiny, simple word initiates an exhilarating, life-altering adventure that will take you places you never thought you'd go -- both literally and figuratively." Kay Warren, Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) AIDS And The Pastor's Wife (Newsweek) Kay Warren has for 32 years played the role of nurturer, best friend and helpmeet. But for the past year Kay has been on the lecture circuit herself, preaching that Christians ought to apply themselves to the problem of AIDS, even though it raises uncomfortable questions about sex. Her memoir, "Dangerous Surrender," has just come out, and now Kay Warren has emerged at the center of things. Asked if she's comfortable in this new role -- with the hustle and bustle and aides and assistants, her office resembles a senator's -- she starts to cry. "I didn't see it coming," she says, sitting in a conference room in her suite of offices not far from Saddleback. "I never, ever saw it coming".... Read this in full at http://www.newsweek.com/id/72052
VERSE TO PONDER [Jesus said,] "'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep.'" John 10:14-15
CONSIDER "One must not always think so much about what one should do, but rather what one should be. Our works do not ennoble us; but we must ennoble our works." Meister Eckhart
AN EVANGELICAL STATEMENT ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE "As evangelical Christians committed to the full authority of the Scriptures, we feel compelled to make a statement together at this historic moment in the life of the Holy Land
"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is near a momentous turning point. The strife has continued -- sometimes simmering, sometimes exploding in terrible conflict -- for decades.
"In the context of our ongoing support for the security of Israel, we believe that unless the situation between Israel and Palestine improves quickly, the consequences will be devastating. Palestinians -- especially the youth who have no economic opportunity -- are increasingly sympathetic to radical solutions and terrorism. As a result, the threat to Israel's security is now greater.
"Likewise, the threat to America's national security is greater. Because so many of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims see America through the prism of Israel-Palestine, the longer the current situation continues, the more likely it is that anti-American attitudes, policies, and terrorist activities will increase dramatically among Muslims worldwide.
"As evangelical Christians, we believe our faith compels us to speak a word together at this crucial moment...." Read this in full at http://www.esa-online.org/Display.asp?Page=EvangelicalLeadersStatement
A CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT by Greg Burch A glimpse of how the Father of the fatherless meets hurt children and helps them turn their lives around.... http://www.lam.org/news/article.php?id=331
BE TRANSFORMED "I've come to realize that when I refuse to face the pain of transformation, eventually I must endure the misery of my immaturity. I can drive like a Christian, or I can fork over hundreds of dollars for traffic fines. I can eat and drink in moderation, or I can spend time in a hospital. I can be selfless and loving toward my family, or I can endure the cold scorn and lack of respect of my wife and kids. I have found, from far more experience than I care to admit, that sin overpromises and underdelivers. It shouts its promises but then mockingly reneges on its pledge. Obedience whispers its alternative but then shouts its affirmation." Gary Thomas, The Beautiful Fight: Surrendering to the Transforming Presence of God Every Day of Your Life
REST, SLEEP Americans don't get enough rest. Millions, especially middle-aged adults, get less than the recommended seven to eight hours per night. An estimated 50-70 million people suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia, and the consequences can be huge. "Sleep debt" can lead, for example, to car accidents, irritability, inability to concentrate at work or school, a weakened immune system, and even chronic depression. Why the lack of sleep? Researchers believe it's a consequence of longer working hours and more access to and stimulation from media such as television and the Internet. Maybe this is why God's invitation for us to rest in Him sounds so appealing (Isaiah 40:28-31)! http://www.todayintheword.com/GenMoody/default.asp
TV SPECIALS * Billy Graham television special celebrating the life and legacy of Ruth Bell Graham will be streamed online Saturday, December 15 at 10:00 pm ET and Wednesday, December 26 at 7:00 pm ET http://www.billygraham.org/TV_Index.asp?QR=196&BA=1010
* 'Xavier: Missionary & Saint' to Premiere on PBS Stations Nationwide
SUPERBOWL Feb. 3, 2008
MAUREEN GIRKINS APPOINTED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ZONDERVAN Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, has announced the appointment of Maureen "Moe" Girkins as President and CEO of Zondervan. Beginning January 2, 2008, Girkins will be responsible for overseeing and directing Zondervan's growth strategy in addition to managing day-to-day operations as president. She will report to Friedman. "Moe brings years of experience and business acumen to the position. Her success rate is impressive; as is her strong faith. She will be a wonderful leader for Zondervan," said Friedman.... Read this in full at
CONSIDER "I can say from experience that 95% of knowing the will of God consists in being prepared to do it before you know what it is." Donald Barnhouse
VERSE TO PONDER "Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" John 6:35
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, REJOICE Words: Thomas T. Lynch, 1856. Music: John Stainer, 1875.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh; Now breathes a softer air, now shines a milder sky; The early trees put forth their new and tender leaf; Hushed is the moaning wind that told of winter's grief.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh; Now mount the laden clouds, now flames the darkening sky; The early scattered drops descend with heavy fall, And to the waiting earth the hidden thunders call.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh; O note the varying signs of earth, and air, and sky; The God of glory comes in gentleness and might, To comfort and alarm, to succor and to smite.
He comes, the wide world's King, He comes, the true heart's Friend, New gladness to begin, and ancient wrong to end; He comes, to fill with light the weary waiting eye; Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh.
>from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/u/lupyhrej.htm
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER Most Holy & Majestic Father,
There's so much "hype" around Christmas time. I have to admit that I enjoy all the jolly jingle and festive frolic as much as anyone. But, Lord, as I enter into the fast-paced season ahead, help me walk slowly and quietly.
Let me stop and listen to the angels sing of the greatest news ever told! Let my heart, mind and soul join the chorus. "Glory in the Highest!! The Messiah has been born!"
Among all the bright sparkling lights and cheery holiday tunes, let my spirit travel once again toward Bethlehem to honor and worship Jesus, my King! The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Hosts, Mighty Counselor, Son of God, the Lamb. All Your love, mercy and power somehow made flesh in the tiny form of a humble baby born in a manger. Let me worship the only one who is worthy to take our sin away and open the gates of all eternity! Amen
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.]
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