Connecting
man to man to God!
Week of April 13, 2008
Issue 203
"If,
when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son, how much more, having been
reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5:10
CONSIDER
“I believe that if there is one thing which pierces the Master's heart with unutterable grief it is not the world's iniquity but the church's indifference.” F. B. Meyer
CHRISTIANS WRONG ABOUT HEAVEN, SAYS BISHOP
N. T. "Tom" Wright, Bishop of Durham, doesn't believe in heaven in the way that millions of Christians understand the term. Wright quotes a children's book by California first lady Maria Shriver which describes heaven as "a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk... If you're good throughout your life, then you get to go [there]... When your life is finished here on earth, God sends angels down to take you heaven to be with him." That, says Wright is a good example of "what not to say." The biblical truth, he continues, "is very, very different".... Read this in full at
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1710844,00.html
BOOK REVIEW: COLSON THE CATECHIST
(Christianity Today) "...[The book The Faith by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett is] a winning combination of Christian apologetics and Christian doctrine -- a manifesto for looking at the world in a distinctly Christian way....The Faith is moved along by stories more than by systematic theology (though there's plenty of the latter in the book as well). Colson and Fickett bring together stories of courage and martyrdom from the annals of Christian history as well as riveting accounts of personal transformation from Colson's Prison Fellowship ministry. The contemporary stories help readers see what the Christian life looks like today. The ancient stories remind us that we are not the first generation of Christians to live this way. The stories aren't just inspirational. They're informative.... [T]he book indeed works as both catechesis and as apologetic, a strong defense for traditional faith without sounding overly defensive. The Faith is more a celebration of orthodoxy than a circling of the theological wagons. Its primary message is that Christianity is true, Christianity is good, and Christianity is beneficial for the world. Its primary method is to do so by explaining what Christianity is".... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/aprilweb-only/115-23.0.html
YOUNGER EVANGELICALS ARE TAKING MOVEMENT IN A NEW DIRECTION
They are 21st-century born-agains, unorthodox in their orthodoxy, a new generation of evangelical Christians. Evangelicalism is undergoing both a generational and thematic shift.... Read this in full at
UNCOMFORTABLE
“'Evangelical' means being radically open to the gospel in all of its implications, including challenges to our comfort zones and vested interest in upholding the status quo and reiterating the past." Roger E. Olson, in How to Be Evangelical without Being Conservative
FASCINATION
“If the people of God were to transform the world through fascination, these amazing teachings [in Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount,] had to work at the center of these peculiar people. Then we can look into the eyes of a centurion and see not a beast but a child of God, and then walk with that child a couple of miles. Look into the eyes of tax collectors as they sue you in court; see their poverty and give them your coat. Look into the eyes of the ones who are hardest for you to like, and see the One you love. God loves good and bad people. Even God doesn't grasp for the knowledge of good and evil but sends rain to water the fields of both the just and the unjust. That's why enemy love is the only thing that Jesus says makes a person like God -- perfect.” Shane Claiborne, in From Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals
KNOWING JESUS
“A knowledge of the real Jesus is essential, not just for Christians but for wider society, because his influence is so wide. The reality of an individual who has set the western calendar, permeated human thought and history for over 2,000 years, and influenced the culture of the dominant nations for a millennium demands to be taken seriously. The huge questions about just who Jesus is are more than mere theological musings.” Joel Edwards, in An Agenda for Change: A Global Call for Spiritual and Social Transformation
FAITH NUGGETS FROM THE KANSAS-MEMPHIS GAME
Something may have seemed amiss on the telecast of Kansas' victory over Memphis for the NCAA championship April 7. No coach or athlete voiced thanks to God. But the game had its faith moments. Dramatic ones, even.
ESPN online columnist Pat Forde recounted that Mario Chalmers, who sank a clutch 3-pointer to send Kansas into overtime, carried a little something extra in his pocket. With just over two minutes left in the game -- before Kansas mounted a 9-point comeback en route to a 75-68 overtime win -- Chalmers looked at two verses he had written on a piece of paper: Psalm 46:10 and verse 1.
Verse 10 of Psalm 46 counsels, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Verse 1 reminds: "God is a refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble."
"We were in trouble at that time," Chalmers recounted, according to ESPN's Forde, who added, "Ya think?"
Then, akin to the oft-heard sports phrase, "the agony of defeat," the Associated Press recounted that Memphis Coach John Calipari was praying when the Tigers' freshman sensation Derrick Rose was at the foul line with about 11 seconds remaining in regulation. Capilari acknowledged to the media: "I said, 'Lord, if he makes this, these two, we're supposed to be national champs. And if that's Your will, I'm fine. And if he misses them and we're not, I'm fine with that, too.' That's what I said in my mind. I'm probably not supposed to say that, religiously, but that's what it was."
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27801
MORE NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE:
Jayhawks buoyed by Coach Self's faith
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27779
Winningest N.C. player: 'God is enough'
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27780
ESPN's Hubert Davis receives Wooden award
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27781
Disgraced Baylor coach seeks forgiveness
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27782
All-star guard ready 'to honor God'
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27783
THE GREAT ZAMPERINI: STILL CARRYING THE TORCH
Louis Zamperini has lived an amazing life. He ran in the Olympics, met Adolf Hitler, and spent more than two years as a POW. Now a movie about his life starring Nicolas Cage is in the works. But this feisty Italian’s greatest adventure came when God broke through his gruff exterior and changed his life forever.
Zamperini is 88 years old. His doctors at the VA say they’ve never met a man quite like him. “I’ve got 110/60 [blood pressure], a 60 pulse, 185 cholesterol,” he says, grinning as he rattles off the enviable stats. “I’m told I have the vitals of a 35-year-old. And with all I’ve been through, they thought I’d be dead by 55!" There’s good reason Zamperini’s life would not have lasted that long, given its hardscrabble start.... Read this in full at
http://newmanmagazine.com/e-magazine/041008/zamperini.php
RETURN TO NARNIA
In about a month, Hollywood will bring the second book of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia to the silver screen. And whether you're a parent introducing your kids to Narnia for the first time, or looking for an excuse to recapture the magical wonder of your own childhood, it's a good time to dust off a copy of Prince Caspian. While you will not find the spiritual lessons in Prince Caspian quite as obvious as those you remember from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you will find plenty of profound truths about the Christian faith -- delivered in a way that only the master, C. S. Lewis, could do".... Read this in full at
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7727
DARWINISM: THE IMPERIALISM OF BIOLOGY?
by Ben Stein
Ben Stein is an author and conservative commentator. His documentary, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," opens in theaters April 18. For information visit www.expelledthemovie.com.
“Let's make this short and sweet. It would be taken for granted by any serious historian that any ideology or worldview would partake of the culture in which it grew up and would also be largely influenced by the personality of the writer of the theory.
“No less a genius than the evil Karl Marx noted that even after capitalism succumbed to Communism, society would still be imbued with the class artifacts and cultural values of the system that preceded it. Much smarter analysts than I have noted that the whole system of Marxism, especially its sharp attacks on capitalists as a class, was motivated by Karl Marx's envy of the much wealthier industrialist/capitalist members of the Marx family.
“In other words, major theories do not arise out of thin air. They come from the era in which they arose and are influenced greatly by the personality and background of the writer. (In law, this theory is known as "legal realism". Judges make up their minds on the basis of their prejudices and then rationalize their decisions by pretending to be bound by prior case law. One might call what happens with ideologies "political realism." Persons make up their ideologies based on their times and their life situations.).... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27768
INTELLIGENT DESIGN FOES NO MATCH FOR STEIN IN 'EXPELLED'
Actor, commentator and comedian Ben Stein -- whose documentary film "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" opens April 18 -- believes he's involved in one of the leading cultural and political battles of his life: the fight for academic freedom against an establishment that teaches Darwinian evolution as fact. Intelligent Design (ID) -- the belief that certain aspects of the world are so complex that they must have been created by an intelligent being, instead of by a random process -- deserves a place at the academic table, he says.
"I think I'm engaged in a struggle that's very much uphill in which the establishment is very much against me," he said in a recent telephone conference call with reporters. "But I'm a rebel to my core ... and happy to be in an uphill struggle, as long as the cause is right."
Conservatives and supporters of Intelligent Design believe "Expelled" -- one of the year's most controversial films -- has a chance to change dramatically the landscape in the ongoing struggle between evolution and Intelligent Design (ID). In the film, Stein travels the globe, interviewing scientists, philosophers, and doctors who believe in evolution and those who believe in Intelligent Design. In case after case, Stein recounts the story of ID supporters who lost their jobs or couldn't get tenure because of their supposed controversial beliefs.
The documentary, rated PG for thematic material and very brief language, ends in a climactic scene with Stein interviewing one of the world's leading backers of evolution, atheist and author Richard Dawkins.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27761
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” James Crook
VERSE TO PONDER
"At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
CONSIDER
“To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience.” A. W. Tozer
BIBLE TOPS ONLINE AMERICA'S 10 FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Regardless of which demographic group they belong to -- male/female, Republican/Democrat, old/young, race/ethnicity, level of education, regional location -- online Americans overwhelmingly name the Bible as their favorite book of all time.... Read this in full at
‘MUSLIMS ARE LEAVING ISLAM IN DROVES’
"Throughout much of the book Kingdom Triangle, J. P. Moreland discusses the global advancement of Christianity abroad, especially in non-Western countries. Latest reports confirm this reality, which Kingdom Triangle explains in view of the power and presence of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God being in our midst".... Read this in full at
http://kingdomtriangle.blogspot.com/2008/04/kingdom-triangle-confirmed-muslims-are.html
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, D. 9 APRIL 1945
When the effectiveness of the Confessing Church's opposition to Hitler was blunted and his efforts to bring the moral authority of the ecumenical movement to bear met with failure, Bonhoeffer became involved with the so-called Abwehr conspiracy, which was intended to assassinate Hitler and end the war.... Read this in full at
http://blog.acton.org/archives/2285-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer,-d.-9-April-1945.html
WORST ANALOGIES...EVER
~ He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.
~ Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
~ The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
~ The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
~ He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
~ McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.
~ Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
~ She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
~ She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
~ The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
~ He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
~ She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.
~ It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.
CONSIDER
“We are not retreating -- we are advancing in another direction.” Douglas Mac Arthur
VERSE TO PONDER
"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:3
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD
Words: Henry A. Becker, 1880
Music: Walter B. Gilbert, 1865
Christ is risen from the dead!
Darkness now no more shall reign;
Thorns no more shall crown the head
That was bowed with grief and pain:
Christ the Lord, the mighty King,
From our sin hath made us free.
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Where, O grave, thy victory?
Scoffers now no more will say:
If Thou be the Christ, come down
From the cross, and prove today
That to Thee belongs the crown!
For our risen Lord and King
From our sin hath made us free,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Where, O grave, thy victory?
Faith now knows He is the Lord,
Gives assent to His decree,
Trusts the promise in His Word,
And is crowned with victory,
Shouting praises to the King,
Who from sin hath made us free.
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Where, O grave, thy victory?
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/i/cirisenf.htm
ON PRAYER
“Belief
in law is essential to the philosophical conception of prayer. If
the universe were a mere chaos of chances, or if it were a result
of absolute necessity, there would be no place for intelligent
prayer; but if it is under the control of a Lawgiver, wise and
merciful, not a mere manager of material machinery, but a true
Father of all, then we can come to such a Being with our requests
-- not in the belief that we change His great plans, nor that any
advantage could result from this if it were possible, but that
these plans may be made in his boundless wisdom and love to meet
our necessities.” J. W. Dawson (1820-1899), The Origin of
the World [1877]
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.
SHARE YOUR
FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us
what sites you find enjoyable and why.
World vs. Christian
http://www.youthspecialties.com/ourfavoritevideos/vid_insideTrack_040908.php
Astronomy Picture of the Day (awesome!)
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
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.)
No matter how far you have gone on a wrong
road, turn back. (Turkish proverb)
Min. Frank Coleman,
Editor
[email protected]
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