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Connecting man to man to God! Week of February 3, 2008 Issue 193
"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts." Amos 5:14-15
CONSIDER "Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die." Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies
RELIGIOUS LITERACY: WHAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW Stephen Prothero, chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University, argues that religious illiteracy in the USA has a significant impact on politics and foreign policy. Calling it a "civic problem" that requires a "civic solution," Prothero offers a proposal for addressing religious illiteracy through mandatory courses in public schools.... Read this in full at http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=162 Take the religious literacy quiz http://pewforum.org/newassets/protheroquiz.pdf
IS MORMONISM CHRISTIAN? No. Mormonism is not Christian. The reason Mormonism is not Christian is because it denies one or more of the essential doctrines of Christianity. Of the essential doctrines (that there is only one God, Jesus is God in flesh, forgiveness of sins is by grace alone, and Jesus rose from the dead physically, the gospel being the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), Mormonism denies three of them: how many gods there are, the person of Jesus, and His work of salvation.
Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones and that Jesus is a creation. It teaches that he was begotten in heaven as one of God's spirit children. This is in strict contrast to the biblical teaching that he is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14), eternal (John 1:1, 2, 15), uncreated, yet born on earth (Col. 1:15), and the creator all (John 1:3; Col. 1;16-17). Jesus cannot be both created and not created at the same time. Though Mormonism teaches that Jesus is god in flesh, it teaches that he is "a" god in flesh, one of three gods that comprise the office of the Trinity. These three gods are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This is in direct contradiction of the biblical doctrine that there is only one God (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5).
Because Mormonism denies the biblical truth of who God is, who Jesus is, how forgiveness of sins is attained, and what the gospel is, the Mormon is not Christian -- in spite of all his claims that he is.... Read this in full at http://www.carm.org/lds/lds_christian.htm
KICKING IT UP A NOTCH Ross and Debbie Radke have turned their faith and their love for martial arts into ministry that's impacting their community.... Read this in full at http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2007/004/17.48.html
RECLAIMING THE LOST DISCIPLINE OF FASTING Simply stated, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. When you eliminate eating from your diet for a number of days, your spirit becomes both uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God.
The Bible records numerous circumstances under which God's people fasted. The duration of the fasts recorded by Scripture, as well as the type of fasting undertaken, differed a great deal.
Moses fasted 40 days when he received God's law (see Deut. 9:9). Joshua and the elders of Israel fasted for about 12 hours after Israel's armies were defeated at Ai (see Josh. 7:6). The apostle Paul fasted 14 days while he was in peril (see Acts 27:33-36). Jesus fasted too -- for 40 days before beginning His ministry (see Matt. 4:2).
These examples indicate that the duration of a fast often has a lot to do with what a person is facing. They also exemplify the three types of fasts modeled in Scripture -- absolute, normal, and partial.... Read this in full at http://www.newmanmag.com/e-magazine/012408/reclaiming.php
WASHINGTON ST. COACH WALKING BY FAITH Tony Bennett asks a lot of questions. When he attended his first Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp in Colorado as a teenager, it sparked a spiritual curiosity that eventually led to his salvation. Former Nebraska football coaching icon Tom Osborne was the keynote speaker, and Bennett, raised in a Catholic church, took a laundry list of questions back to the small-group follow-up sessions. "I remember asking a ton of questions," Bennett said. "That's my nature. I pinned the huddle leader against a wall."
Now, though, he is on the receiving end of questions. People want a lot more of your time when you preside over one of the best college basketball teams in the country. Bennett, the second-year head coach of Washington State University, is leading a modern-day hoops renaissance in obscure Pullman, Wash., where he is a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Last season, the Cougars went from perennial PAC-10 Conference doormat to national contender with a school-record-tying 26-8 mark, five wins over ranked opponents and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1994.
The Cougars, who lost to Vanderbilt in double overtime in the second round of the tournament, finished 13th in the Associated Press poll and 17th in the ESPN/USA Today poll, marking the first time since 1983 that the team had cracked the national rankings.... Read this in full at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27246
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE) "I remember one of my mentors years ago teaching me to 'let others go first' -- to have the strength of character to listen and reflect, knowing that my moment to speak will come and I don't have to force it. Having the confidence to wait, rather than jumping into the fray with guns blazing, and then to speak graciously is a hallmark of great maturity. Ambrose Bierce summed it up when he wrote, 'Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.'" Steve Chalke, Change Agents: 25 Hard-Learned Lessons in the Art of Getting Things Done
VERSE TO PONDER "Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13
CONSIDER "Teach me, Lord, to sing of your mercies. Turn my soul into a garden, where the flowers dance in the gentle breeze, praising you with their beauty. Let my soul be filled with beautiful virutes; let me be inspired by your Holy Spirit; let me praise you always." Teresa of Avila, Complete Works
GOD IS LIKE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS God is like BAYER ASPIRIN He works miracles.
God is like A FORD He's got a better idea.
God is like COKE He's the real thing.
God is like HALLMARK CARDS He cares enough to send His very best.
God is like TIDE He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God is like GENERAL ELECTRIC He brings good things to life.
God is like SEARS He has everything.
God is like ALKA-SELTZER Try Him, you'll like Him.
God is like SCOTCH TAPE You can't see Him. But you know He's there.
God is like DELTA He's ready when you are.
God is like ALLSTATE You're in good hands with Him.
God is like VO-5 HAIR SPRAY He holds through all kinds of weather.
God is like DIAL SOAP Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did?
God is like THE U.S. POST OFFICE Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.
God is like CHEVROLET The heartbeat of America
God is like MAXWELL HOUSE Good to the last drop.
God is like BOUNTY He is the quicker-picker-upper. . . can handle the tough jobs . . . and He won't fall apart on you.
EXPLORING THE STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN EUROPE As immigrants from the Muslim world continue to settle in Europe, governments are questioning the notion of multiculturalism, which has often created separate, parallel societies. Officials are now focusing on the status of women, with the notion that empowering them is key to helping communities integrate..... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18330334
POPE LAMENTS MEDIA VIOLENCE, VULGARITY Pope Benedict XVI praises the mass media for helping to spread democracy and knowledge around the world, but laments that it also tends to hype violence, vulgarity, and consumer products. Benedict suggests there might be a need for an "info-ethics" field in the media, just as there's a bioethics field in medicine and science, to guarantee that human dignity is respected.... Read this in full at http://www.indcatholicnews.com/commsv326.html
15 EXERCISES WE'D BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT IN 2008... ~ Jumping on the bandwagon ~ Wading through paperwork ~ Running around in circles ~ Pushing your luck ~ Spinning your wheels ~ Adding fuel to the fire ~ Beating your head against the wall ~ Climbing the walls ~ Beating your own drum ~ Dragging your heels ~ Jumping to conclusions ~ Grasping at straws ~ Fishing for compliments ~ Throwing your weight around ~ Passing the buck
NEW BOOK SUMMARY ONLINE The Prayer: Deepening Your Friendship with God by Dr. James Houston, founder of Regent College in Vancouver, is now summarized in detail online. The book's message: Too many people see prayer as a rigorous exercise in which they must steadily improve their performance. When they view prayer in this manner, they find themselves quickly falling out of the habit of consistent prayer and missing out on opportunities to become more intimate with God. A healthier perspective is to see prayer as a way to enhance one's relationship with God. When viewed in this light, prayer becomes a means by which a person deepens his friendship with God and experiences life transformation. Through prayer, mere humans can engage in intimate conversations with the God of the universe!.... Read the detailed summary at http://www.christianbooksummaries.com Buy this book here: http://www.christianconnectionbooks.com/content/search/product/view_item.php?dcn=37091&sm=
CHILD-MAN IN THE PROMISED LAND Today's single young men hang out in a hormonal limbo between adolescence and adulthood. Kay Hymowitz argues that it's time for 20- and 30-year-old guys to put down the Xbox controller and grow up. It wasn't long ago, Hymowitz argues, that the average man in his mid-20s had achieved many of life's major milestones -- he had a job, a marriage, perhaps even kids and a house. Today's mid-20something male "lingers happily," Hymowitz writes, "in a new hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance".... http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_1_single_young_men.html
MENTORSHIP "What a man needs is a brother to draw close, minister to him, and help him mature. He needs somebody to demonstrate to him another way to live, modeling a godly marriage, biblical parenthood, and the love of Christ." Steve Sonderman, Effective Men's Ministry
HEALTHY MINUTE Do you know the warning signs of a stroke? ACT F.A.S.T. * FACE - Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? * ARMS - Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? * SPEECH - Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly? * TIME - If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important. Call 911 or get to the hospital fast. Brain cells are dying. http://www.strokeassociation.org/
CONSIDER "The test of forgiving lies with healing the lingering pain of the past, not with forgetting that the past ever happened." Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive and Forget
VERSE TO PONDER "Be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: GREAT GOD, WE SING YOUR MIGHTY HAND Words: Philip Doddridge, 1755 Music: William Gardiner, 1815
Great God, we sing Your mighty hand By which supported still we stand; The opening year Your mercy shows, That mercy crowns it 'til its close.
By day, by night, at home, abroad, Still are we guarded by our God, By His incessant bounty fed, By His unerring counsel led.
With grateful hearts the past we own; The future, all to us unknown, We to Thy guardian care commit, And peaceful leave before Thy feet.
In scenes exalted or depressed, You are our joy, and You our rest; Your goodness all our hopes shall raise, Adored through all our changing days.
When death shall interrupt our songs And seal in silence mortal tongues, In fairer realms, O God, shall we Your praises sing eternally. >from CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/g/ggwesing.htm
ON PRAYER "The
most important thing we can do is grow in our relationship to
Christ. If we have not learned to pray in our everyday lives, we
will find it difficult to know God's peace and strength through
prayer when the hard times come. If we have not learned to trust
God's Word when times are easy, we will not trust his Word when we
face difficulties. And I am convinced that one of the greatest
things we can do is to memorize Scripture. The Scriptures speak
to us in those moments when we look to the Lord for sustenance and
strength." Rev. Billy Graham in an interview with Harold
Myra, Editor of Christianity Today, July 17, 1981
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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Journey to the Edge of the Universe http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr7wNQw12l8&feature=related
Newseum
If you can be discombobulated, can you be combobulated? 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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