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Connecting man to man to God! Week of January 27, 2008 Issue 192
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8
CONSIDER "I chose to be rich by making my wants few." Henry David Thoreau
AMERICANS DESCRIBE THEIR MORAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS According to researcher George Barna, Americans are troubled by a diverse palette of concerns. Three types of issues are of particular concern, perceived as "major" problems facing the country by three-quarters of the population. Those include poverty (78%), the personal debt of individual Americans (78%), and HIV/AIDS (76%). A quartet of issues emerge as moderate concerns, including illegal immigration (60% of adults say this is a major problem facing the country), global warming (57%), abortion (50%), and the content of television and movies (45%). Following that, homosexuality is identified as a major problem facing the nation by about one out of every three Americans.... Read this in full at http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=288
OUR LIGHT "If we, who have become God's children, do not show Him to be personal in our lives, then in practice we are denying His existence." Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984), The God Who is There [1968] in The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, v. I., Good News Publishers, 1985, p.173
DR. BEN CARSON INTERVIEWED ON THE HOUR OF POWER Dr. Ben Carson: "Good risk-takers ask themselves 4 questions: what's the best thing that happens if I do this, what's the worst thing that happens if I don't do this, what's the best thing that happens if I don't do this, and what's the worst thing that happens if I don't do this".... View this interview at http://www.hourofpower.org/video/video.details.php?id=2652
AN IRONIC JUXTAPOSITION: EUROPE AND THE FAITH Charles Colson: "In my new just-released book, 'The Faith,' I argue that the two greatest challenges to the Christian worldview come from radical Islam and extreme secularism. Almost on cue, recent events in Europe have conspired to illustrate the point".... Read this is full at http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=969
'RETHINK' HUMAN CONNECTION, SAY SECULAR LEADERS TO CHRISTIANS A first-of-a-kind conference combining global secular and Christian leaders heard a common message from many of its non-religious speakers -- do not lose human connection due to technology. The advice given at the 'rethink' conference at the Crystal Cathedral can be a bit of a surprise coming from influential leaders who profit from mass communication technology. More than 30 prominent leaders speaking at the conference included former President George H.W. Bush, Rupert Murdoch, Larry King, Kay Warren, Charles Colson, Dr. Ben Carson, Lee Strobel, Henry Cloud, John Townsend, Dan Kimball, Mark Mittelberg, John Ortberg, and Les Parrott.... Read this in full at also see http://www.rethinkconference.com/
CHANGE THE WORLD WITH AN ANCIENT PRACTICE Q&A with Ed Gungor, Author of The Vow Q: If Jesus wants us to make vows, why is there so little instruction in the Bible regarding them? A: When I first began to unearth this whole vow-making enterprise, I couldn't help but wonder why both the Old and New Testaments only mention vows without much in the way of specific instruction regarding them. In his book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster makes the point that, though the Bible addresses ancient practices like solitude and fasting, it gives "almost no instruction about how to do them." He explains that the Bible doesn't give specific instructions because these practices "were so frequently practiced and such a part of the general culture that the 'how to' was common knowledge." It turns out the same holds true for vow-making. The truth is, these things were so common in the everyday experience of people during the time the New Testament was written, they needed no specific instruction on the how or why they should fast or vow-they just did it.
Q: Why is the concept of making vows such a radical idea in American culture? A: Vows are promises you make directly to God-we're not talking about New Year's Resolutions here. They are promises from which there is no retreat. They imitate the ancient warriors who burned their ships to cut off the possibility to run from battle. You are committed when you enter a vow to God. That is why they should not be entered into lightly.
But most Americans are in trouble in the "keeping your word" department. We are a flip-flop culture-you can have a strong opinion about something one day and completely change your mind the next. And this is considered OK; nobody bats an eye. We are part of an ideologically disposable and ever-changing society. What is "odd" is for people to stand firm in their convictions-that crowd is seen as "closed" and "narrow-minded." As a result, the average American feels he or she can make commitments and then back out of them whenever they become too hard to keep. Even the marital vow has become a pretty pale enterprise. When a vowing young couple says, "I promise to love and cherish you," to each other, they are really saying something more like, "I promise I will try." For many, the marriage vow comes with a prenuptial "out" implied. Our society really doesn't see a vow as something that is considered irrevocable. We have lost our capacity for integrity.... Read this interview in full at http://www.newmanmagazine.com/e-magazine/011708/change-the-world.php
SUPER BOWL XLII Feb. 3, University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona New England Patriots vs. New York Giants Fast Facts: I. This is the 42nd Super Bowl and the second time it has been held in Arizona. Super Bowl XXX was held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona (Cowboys 27, Steelers 17).
II. The NFC leads 21-20 all-time but the AFC has won 8 of the last 10 games after losing 13 straight.
III. The AFC is the home team in this year's Super Bowl.
IV. To date 3,205,733 people have attended Super Bowl games.
V. No Super Bowl has ever gone to overtime.
VI. The team that has won the coin toss is 19-22 all-time in the Super Bowl and has lost the past four straight and nine of the last 11 games. The Patriots lost the coin toss in each of their three Super Bowl wins. They won the coin toss for Super Bowl XXXI and lost the game; they lost the coin toss for Super Bowl XX vs. the Bears and also lost that game. The Giants won the coin toss in Super Bowl XXXV and lost that game; they lost the coin toss in both Super Bowls XX and XXV and won those games.
VII. The Giants-Patriots Super Bowl is the 12th Super Bowl to feature two teams that met during the regular season. The team that lost the regular-season meeting has won six of the previous 11 matchups. The last matchup was Super Bowl XXXVI between the Patriots and Rams (Rams won regular season; Patriots won the Super Bowl)
VIII. The Giants-Patriots Super Bowl is only the second time that the two Super Bowl participants have met in the final regular season game; the other occurrence was in 1977 when the Cowboys and Broncos met in Week 14 and then in Super Bowl XII. The Cowboys won both games. (The Giants and Patriots also met in the final game of this year's preseason; the Patriots won that game 27-20).
IX. The Patriots have 20 players with Super Bowl experience on their current roster; the Giants have 3.
X. Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi will be playing in his 5th Super Bowl; he is the 15th player to play in 5 Super Bowls. He is the 7th player to play in 5 Super Bowls with the same team, joining Larry Cole (Cowboys), Cliff Harris (Cowboys), D.D. Lewis (Cowboys) Charlie Waters (Cowboys), Rayfield Wright (Cowboys) and John Elway (Broncos).
SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS See the rings the winners wear at http://jewelry.about.com/od/famousjewels/ss/super_bowl_ring.htm
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "My experience has confirmed the wisdom of so much of what the Bible teaches. In my career I have seen how often ego and selfishness are the root of conflict in people's lives. Too many people are more concerned with their reputations and what other people think than they are about the best course of action or what risks they really ought to take. It all boils down to your values. If your priority is to look good in front of people, your life will take a different direction than if your priority is to use the talents God has given you to make a positive difference in the world. Such values will influence what risks you choose to take." Ben Carson, MD, Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk
VERSE TO PONDER "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3
CONSIDER "If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk together." African Proverb
AFFLICTION "The glory to come far outweighs the affliction of the present. The affliction is light and temporary when compared with the all-surpassing and everlasting glory. So Paul, writing against a background of recent and (even for him) unparalleled tribulation, had assured his friends in Corinth a year or two before this that 'this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison' (2 Cor. 4:17). It is not merely that the glory is a compensation for the suffering; it actually grows out of the suffering. There is an organic relation between the two for the believer as surely as there was for the Lord." F. F. Bruce (1910-1991), The Letter of Paul to the Romans, An Introduction and Commentary, p. 159 [1997]
KIDS ARE QUICK TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America. MARIA: Here it is. TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America? CLASS: Maria.
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TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor? JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
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TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell "crocodile?" GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L TEACHER: No, that's wrong GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
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TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? DONALD: H I J K L M N O. TEACHER: What are you talking about? DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
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TEACHER: Name one important thing we have today that we didn't have 10 years ago. WINNIE: Me!
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TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty? GLENN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
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TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with "I." MILLIE: I is... TEACHER: No, Millie. Always say, "I am." MILLIE: All right. "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
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TEACHER: Clyde, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his? CLYDE: No, teacher, it's the same dog.
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TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested? HAROLD: A teacher.
FUNERALS: A CONSUMER'S GUIDE The idea of making funeral arrangements in advance is most likely something you don't want to think about. But with the costs of a traditional funeral, including a casket and vault, running more than $6,000, you may want to consider pre-need planning. It allows you not only to designate your funeral preferences but also to compare the prices offered by several funeral providers. Find out more with Funerals: A Consumer Guide from the Federal Trade Commission.... http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/misc/funeral/funeral.htm
CONSIDER "A God you understood would be less than yourself." Flannery O'Connor
VERSE TO PONDER "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: STANDING AT THE PORTAL Words: Frances R. Havergal, 1873 Music: Franz J. Haydn, 1775
Standing at the portal Of the opening year, Words of comfort meet us, Hushing every fear; Spoken thru the silence By our Savior's voice, Tender, strong and faithful, Making us rejoice.
Refrain Onward, then, and fear not, Children of the day; For His Word shall never, Never pass away.
"I, the Lord, am with thee, Be thou not afraid; I will help and strengthen Be thou not dismayed. Yea, I will uphold thee With My own right hand; Thou art called and chosen In My sight to stand." Refrain
For the year before us, O what rich supplies! For the poor and needy Living streams shall rise; For the sad and sinful Shall His grace abound; For the faint and feeble Perfect strength be found. Refrain
He will never fail us, He will not forsake; For His eternal covenant He will never break. Resting on the promise, What have we to fear? God is all sufficient For the coming year. Refrain >from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/standpor.htm
ON PRAYER "God
invites us to ask plainly for what we need. We will not be
scolded any more than a child who climbs into her parent's lap and
presents a Christmas wish list. Dr. Vernon Grounds says that when
he hears of someone in need of healing, he prays like this: 'God,
I know you have your own purposes and undoubtedly have a plan for
this person, but I'll tell you straight out what I would like to
see happen.' If diagnosed with a serious illness, I would ask
directly for physical healing. We are commanded to pray for
healing, Jesus decisively demonstrated God's desire for human
health and wholeness, and dozens of studies have borne out the
effectiveness of prayer in the healing process. Faith works. It
aligns body, mind, and spirit, and galvanizes the healing
processes built into our bodies." Philip Yancey, Prayer:
Does It Make Any Difference?
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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Here is a video of an amazing contraption! http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/player.swf?b=10&l=197&u=ILLUMllSOOAvIF//P_LxP92A42lCHCeeWCejXnHAS/c
Explorersweb: High Altitude Climbing
I always make the same resolution and I've never once broken it: Every year I resolve to give something up for Lent and then when Lent comes I give up my New Years resolution. Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
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We offer a variety of activities for men to interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ. Contact Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, [email protected] if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
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