Connecting
man to man to God!
Week
of March 23, 2008
Issue 200
200
ISSUES STRONG!
On
May 16, 2004, I began sending a weekly collection of news clips
and articles to the men in my church's men's ministry group. 200
issues later, that ministry has grown to include over 1,000
subscribers around the world.
I thought about a compiling
a "special issue" commemorating the event but, God knew
better: "Just do what you do;" I heard him say. So, in
obedience...here is YOUR
200th issue of "CONNECTIONS."
Read the debut issue here:
http://www.geocities.com/newjoydivine/connections/msmconnectionsdebut.htm
Archives
of all issues begin
here:
http://www.geocities.com/newjoydivine/connections/archives_04.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Blessed
is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its
roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its
leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought."
Jeremiah 17:7-8
CONSIDER
"Christian
love is not the victim of our emotions but the servant of our
will." John Stott
JESUS
Jesus
had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet
they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him
Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no
military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no
crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He
lives today.
THE
EMPTY TOMB
"Early
on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed
from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have
taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have
put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for
the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in
at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then
Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the
tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the
cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth
was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.
Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also
went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not
understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead."
(John 20:1-9)
HAPPY
CROSSMAS!: WHY EASTER STUBBORNLY RESISTS THE COMMERCIALISM
THAT
SWALLOWED CHRISTMAS
by
James Martin
"Unlike Christmas, whose deeper spiritual
meaning has been all but buried under an annual avalanche of
commercialism, Easter has retained a stubborn hold on its identity
as a religious holiday. This is all the more surprising when
you consider what an opportune time it would be for marketers to
convince us to buy more stuff. Typically arriving around the
beginning of spring, Easter would be the perfect time for
department stores to euchre customers into buying carloads of
kids' outdoor toys, warm-weather clothes, and summertime sporting
equipment. And while Christmas is forced to contend with
Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, there is
little holiday competition around Easter time. (Passover and
Easter, despite their proximity in the calendar, don't seem to
interfere with each other much.) All in all, the church's
most important feast day comes at a terrific time of year for
Madison Avenue".... Read this in full
at
http://www.slate.com/id/2186633
HOW DO AMERICANS
DEFINE SIN?
Americans
overwhelmingly believe in the concept of sin whether they're
religiously involved or not, according to a new Ellison Research
study. "Sin," as defined by the research organization,
is "something that's almost always considered wrong,
particularly from a religious or moral perspective."
The study questioned more than 1,000 American adult respondents
whether they believe in such a thing as "sin" and then
asked them whether 30 different behaviors were sinful. Out
the list of 30 behaviors, adultery is most often described as a
sinful behavior by American respondents (81%). Following
adultery is racism (74%); using "hard" drugs such as
cocaine, heroin, meth, LSD, etc. (65%); not saying anything if a
cashier gives you too much change (63%); abortion (56%); and
homosexual activity or sex (52%) round out the top 5 behaviors
most often considered sinful by Americans. Other behaviors
with significant moral objections include reading or watching
pornography (50%); gossip (47%); swearing (46%); sex before
marriage (45%); harming the environment as a consumer (41%);
smoking marijuana (41%); getting drunk (41%); and not taking
proper care of your body (35%).... Read this in full
at
http://www.ellisonresearch.com/releases/20080311.htm
PROFOUND
"Forgiveness
has to be the highest level of spiritual development, I think.
Because as you read in the Bible, it says, 'God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son; that whoever believes in him
should not perish or be punished but have eternal life.' So
God had that dilemma with us human beings. God as judge had
to deal with us harshly because we've broken his laws. But
because God also is love and he's a loving Father he found a way
to forgive us judicially. And that's the mystery of the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Because it was God taking upon
himself the punishment that the human race deserved so as to be
able to forgive us and make us new people. It's a profound
thought. But that's what the cross is about."
Luis Palau, A Friendly Dialogue between an Atheist and a
Christian
ANGEL
IN THE WATER
Brian
Hart, a father reluctantly spending time on a lake with his
family, never expected that God had a plan for him beyond rowing a
canoe. But when a nearby tour boat capsized, Brian realized
he was the only one able to get some of the elderly passengers to
safety. He now believes that "being in the right place
at the right time" wasn't mere coincidence, but a life-saving
mission from God. Read his story, "Angel in the
Water"....
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2008/002/2.30.html
WHERE ARE THE
NAIL PRINTS?
by
Charles Colson and Harold Fickett
No one wants to suffer.
Instinctively we do everything we can to avoid it, unless, of
course, you're a stoic, like one of my former White House
colleagues, Gordon Liddy, who once held his hand over an open fire
to prove he feared nothing. Or some have martyr complexes
and go looking for suffering; but you don't need to -- it will
find you. It's a consequence of the fall, an effect of the
curse. Sometime in your life you will lose a loved one or
find yourself rejected. I have met very few who in the
course of life have escaped serious medical problems. Nobody
gets through scot-free.
More fundamentally, suffering
belongs to our calling as Christians. After their first
arrest, the apostles left the Sanhedrin's court "rejoicing
because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the
Name" (Acts 5:41). It was a privilege to share in His
work. In many places today Christians are called to suffer
persecution for the sake of the Gospel. In India, North Korea,
Myanmar (Burma), and scores of other countries, Christians risk
their lives by even professing Christ -- something most of us in
the West know little of.
This is why easy-believism, the
prosperity gospel, is so abominable: it sets a person up for a
terrible fall when the first hardship comes, as it will. Whatever
glimmer of faith the person might have had may well be snuffed
out.... Read this in full
at
http://zondervan.typepad.com/zondervaninspire/2008/03/where-are-the-n.html
SEARCHING
"The
story of the lost son is packed full with vital truth; no wonder
Latin tradition called it "the gospel within the gospel."
Here we see who we are, when we are at our best, and when we are
at our worst. What we see isn't encouraging. Humans don't do
well either as sinners or would-be saints. How easily we are
attracted by the slightest scent of sin; how frequently we tumble
headlong into the pit of dead, heartless religion. And then,
in just a few words, we see what God is like and we sigh with
relief. He is like the smitten father who anxiously scans
the horizon, looking for the crazy, mixed-up kid that is me and
you both. Prodigals utterly matter to God."
Jeff
Lucas, Creating a Prodigal-Friendly Church
LEADERSHIP TIPS
(BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"Good
is the enemy of great. That's why so few things become
great." Jim Collins
VERSE TO
PONDER
"Like
newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may
grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord
is good."
1 Peter 2:2-3
CONSIDER
"Honest
men fear neither the light nor the dark." Thomas
Fuller
NEW
STATISTICS ON RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION IN THE USA
1 of 3 American Protestants are Baptists (17% of all American adults).
2 in 5 Evangelical Protestants are Baptists.
1 in 10 Mainline Protestants are Baptists.
2 of 3 Black Protestants are Baptists.
10% Protestants in the US are former Catholics.
8% Roman Catholics in the US are former Protestants.
28% American adults have changed their religious affiliation from that in
which they were raised.
44% Americans have changed their denominational or religious affiliation from that in which they were raised.
Source: Pew Forum on Religion &
Public Life http://religions.pewforum.org/
ALLEGIANCE
"Jesus'
kingdom (and Paul's 'citizenship in heaven') was about the real
world, hear and now. It was about allegiance. Jesus
and Paul were telling the people that they must live here with
their identities as aliens. They must live by the rules of
heaven amid the violent earthly powers. And to claim that
one's citizenship is in heaven is to say that you pledge
allegiance not to any of the kingdoms of the world but to Jesus
and the body of those who take on his suffering, enemy-loving
posture toward the world. This is what Peter meant when he called
the church 'a holy nation. a people set apart,' a people who are
supposed to live as 'aliens and strangers in the land.'"
Shane Claiborne, Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary
Radicals
A
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
"I
pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ -- my rescuer and leader -- and
to his command, "Love one another, as I have loved you."
I pledge to live this day by faith in God, to love him with all my
prayer, passion, intellect, and muscle, and to bear the Holy
Spirit fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
(Copyright
2002, [email protected])
ALAN CHAMBERS
TALKS ABOUT HIS MINISTRY TO HOMOSEXUALS
Alan
Chambers is president of Exodus Ministries, a nonprofit ministry
"promoting the message of freedom from homosexuality through
the power of Jesus Christ." Chambers spoke with New Man
magazine about his own struggle with same-sex attraction,
homosexuality in the church and why we need to start reaching out
to the gay community.
New Man: You struggled with same-sex
attraction yourself. Did that experience lead you to the
ministry you're in today?
Alan Chambers: Definitely.
When I was growing up the only thing you ever heard about from the
Bible regarding homosexuals was that they don't inherit the
kingdom of God. That's the one thing that rings in my head
from childhood. So when I found out that there was a local
Exodus ministry, that there was help for people like me, I jumped
at it.
New Man: So years later you have come back to be the
president of Exodus?
Chambers: Yes, I'm the president of
Exodus. Really from the time I was 18 until now -- I'm 36 -- I've
never left the ministry. I started out as someone who was
participating and someone who needed help and then I was a
volunteer, than on staff at a local ministry and worked through
the ranks and to where I am now.. Read this in full
at
http://www.newmanmag.com/e-magazine/032008/alan_chambers.php
JESUS DOESN'T
LOOK LIKE JESUS ANYMORE, SAYS SCHOLAR
Amid
a technology-driven culture where latest means better, it may not
surprise many to find out that historical Jesus has also received
a makeover. He used to be known as Messiah, Son of God,
Redeemer and Christ. Now, he's spiritual guru, philosopher,
political pundit, hippie, and rock star. Will the real Jesus
please stand up? Ben Witherington, author of "What Have
They Done to Jesus?," observes that today's image of Jesus
has ranged from historical to hysterical in a society that is
becoming increasingly less Christian. "He is an icon
but also a swear word," says Witherington. "When
your culture is biblically illiterate, anything can pass for
Jesus," adds the New Testament professor at Asbury
Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. Even takes on Jesus
that borrow from Buddhist philosophy and Gnosticism are finding an
audience.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080321/31608_Jesus_Doesn%27t_Look_Like_Jesus_Anymore%2C_Says_Scholar.htm
SCIENCE, BIBLE
AGREE: GIVING IS BETTER
Money
can buy happiness, but only if you spend it on someone else,
researchers report. Spending as little as $5 a day on
someone else could significantly boost happiness, the team at the
University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School found.
Their experiments on more than 630 Americans show they were
measurably happier when they spent money on others -- even if they
thought spending the money on themselves would make them happier.
"We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their
money is at least as important as how much money they earn,"
said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British
Columbia.... Read this in full
at
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKN2042446720080320
FACEBOOK
NATION
by
John Koessler
"Our personal tastes affect the people we
choose to associate with and those people in turn impact our
values. 'Bad company corrupts good character' and character
shapes the company we choose to keep".... Read this in
full
at
http://zondervan.typepad.com/zondervan/2008/03/facebook-nation.html
FRUITFUL
GOAL
"The
goal of moving from decay to restoration is not simply for the
church to grow numerically, not simply to have more churches with
more people sitting in them. Instead, the goal is to move
the church into more fruitful ministry so that the church can
transform culture with the love and grace of God. Spiritual
transformation gives rise to both personal and societal change."
David T. Olson, The American Church in Crisis
CONSIDER
"We
first make our habits, and then our habits make us."
John Dryden
VERSE
TO PONDER
"The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against
such things there is no law."
Galatians
5:22-23
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: LOW IN THE GRAVE HE LAY
Words
& Music: Robert Lowry, 1874
Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my
Lord!
Refrain
Up from the grave He arose,
With a
mighty triumph o'er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark
domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He
arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Vainly they
watch His bed, Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!
Refrain
Death cannot keep its Prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my
Lord!
Refrain
>from CyberHymnal
at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/lintgrav.htm
ON PRAYER
"You
can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people
pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never
understand prayer. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming:
You learn by doing."
Luis Palau
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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SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find
enjoyable and why.
Radio Time: Free Talk and Music Radio
Online
http://radiotime.com/Index.aspx
Old
Time Jazz
Online
http://www.jazz-on-line.com/pageinterrogation.php
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.)
Any simple idea
will ultimately be worded in the most complicated way.
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
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