Connecting
man to man to God
For week of June 01, 2008
Issue
210
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"God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him.” John 3:17
CONSIDER
“Fear
the Lord and you will do everything well.” Shepherd of
Hermas
MOODY'S PRESIDENT RESIGNS
Dr.
Michael J. Easley has announced his resignation from the
Presidency of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill., effective
June 30, 2008.
“After much thought, prayer, and
consultation, I have asked the Board of Trustees of the Moody
Bible Institute to relieve me of my duties as President so that I
may devote more time and energy seeking medical treatment for
my back,” said Dr. Easley in a letter to the Moody
community. “Surgery has already once interrupted my tenure
for several weeks, and unfortunately it has become clear that
more treatment is required. I have come to the difficult
conclusion that under the circumstances I cannot be as effective a
President as the Institute deserves.”
At a meeting on
May 16, the Moody Board of Trustees reluctantly accepted Dr.
Easley’s resignation. At the Board’s request, Dr.
Easley has agreed to serve as President Emeritus through the 2009
school year as they search for a new president.... Read more
at
http://www.moodyministries.net/crp_NewsDetail.aspx?id=19888
UNDERSTANDING
'PRINCE CASPIAN'
by Charles Colson
The
second film in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Prince Caspian, is
now in theaters. If you’ve read the book, you know the
storyline: the return of the 4 Pevensie children to a Narnia under
the rule of the evil King Miraz. But how many of us realize the
tale is undergirded by natural law lessons?
As Tim
Mosteller writes in a book titled The Chronicles of Narnia and
Philosophy, “There is a Tao of Narnia.” Tao is the
term that C. S. Lewis uses to describe “the doctrine of
objective value, the belief that certain attitudes are really
true, and others really false.” In other words, the Tao of
Narnia is what theologians call natural law -- the belief that
moral truths are present in the natural world that can be known by
all, which, in Narnia, includes dwarves, fauns, centaurs, and
mice.
As Mosteller notes, Lewis does not argue for the Tao
in his Narnia books; he illustrates it. Accepting the Tao
involves three things: “(1) A commitment to an objective
moral order that is independent of what I or anyone else thinks;
(2) an openness to moral development only within the Tao, and (3)
a willingness to follow the Tao in all situations.”
The
characters in Prince Caspian illustrate various responses to the
Tao. For example, the valiant mouse Reepicheep wholeheartedly
accepts the Tao and strives to live by it -- even at the loss of
his tail. By contrast, King Miraz denies that loyalty to his
nephew Caspian, the true king of Narnia, is a valid moral demand.
Yet, he demands unswerving loyalty from his own men. In other
words, Miraz tries to pick and choose which elements of the Tao he
wants to live by. But as Mosteller notes, this is impossible
because “all parts of the Law rest on the same self-evident
moral axioms; any moral values the picker-and-chooser may appeal
to have no authority outside the Tao as a whole.” Read this
in full at
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7935
LAY
DOWN OUR RIGHTS
“There
are some things we view as our rights that really aren't. We have
the right to speak our minds, but does that mean we always should
really say whatever is on our minds? Do we have the right to hurt
people with our words just because they're true? As Christians we
are to lay down our self-interest and consider others more
important than ourselves (see Philippians 2:3-4). This is so
different from our culture and what we usually feel in our hearts.
But if we're to follow the example Jesus set for us, sacrifice
for others can't be dismissed.” Zach Hunter, Be the Change:
Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World
BE
GRATEFUL
“To
be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy,
but to be grateful for all of our lives -- the good as well as the
bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the
successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the
rejections -- that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are
only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that
has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing
our lives between events and people we would like to remember and
those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our
beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let us not be afraid
to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and
trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving
God.” Henri Nouwen
BOOK
SUMMARY ONLINE
A
detailed summary of the book The Supremacy of Christ in a
Postmodern World, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor
(Crossway) is now available online. The book’s message: How
do the postmodern mind and the biblical Christian mind grapple
with life's ultimate questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is
wrong with the world? How can what is wrong be made right? How
should evangelicals respond to the challenges of postmodernism?
How can we place the emphasis on Christ rather than the culture as
we do so? This compilation of messages from the Desiring God
national conference, convened in the fall of 2006, seeks to
sharpen our thinking and motivate our ministry by helping us
address issues of culture, truth, joy, love, the gospel, and the
church as they intersect with the truth of Christ in our
contemporary world.
http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/
Purchase
your copy
here:
http://www.christianconnectionbooks.com/content/search/product/view_item.php?dcn=64048&sm=
FAITH
“Faith
is essentially the practice of trust. And our routine failure to
properly trust an infinitely wise God reveals something of our own
perversity. We all desire to control our circumstances, and faith
is a surrendering of that control. So we naturally tend to rebel
against faith. But God graciously counteracts this tendency by
nurturing us. Like a good parent, he consistently demonstrates
his love. And we, like kids, must trust him on this basis.”
James S. Spiegel, Gum, Geckos, and God: A Family's Adventure in
Space, Time, and Faith
THE
BIBLE IS...
the
mind of God
the state of man
the way of salvation
the
doom of sinners
and the happiness of believers.
Its
doctrines are holy
its precepts are binding
its histories
are true
and its decisions are immutable.
Read it to be
wise
believe it to be safe
practice it to be holy.
It
contains light to direct you
food to support you
and comfort
to cheer you.
It is the traveler's map
the pilgrim's
staff
the pilot's compass
the soldier's sword
and the
Christian's character.
Paradise is restored
heaven
opened
and the gates of hell disclosed.
Christ is its
grand subject
our good its design
and the glory of God its
end.
It should fill the memory
rule the heart
and
guide the feet.
Read it slowly
Frequently
prayerfully.
It
is a mine of wealth
a paradise of glory
and a river of
pleasure.
Follow its precepts
and it will lead you to
Calvary
to the empty tomb
to a resurrected life in
Christ
yes, to glory itself, for eternity.
...Unknown
LEADERSHIP
TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"Anyone
can count the seeds in a melon. It takes vision to count the
melons in a seed." Unknown
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VERSE
TO PONDER
"My
dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James
1:19
CONSIDER
“You
and I were created to tell the truth about God by reflecting His
likeness. That is normality. How many lies have you told about
God today?” Ian Thomas
RICK
WARREN GOES GLOBAL
Already
established as perhaps the most important voice in contemporary
American evangelical Christianity, Rick Warren recently pressed
the button that he hopes will take his "brand" to the
ends of the earth. Almost offhandedly at the conclusion of a
3-day meeting of 1,700 pastors that Warren later told TIME was
"the most important conference of my life," the author
of the Purpose Driven Life threw open participation in his PEACE
coalition to the wider evangelical community. It was the
evangelical equivalent of a long-awaited IPO of a tech start-up
whose brand the cognoscenti have predicted will become a global
juggernaut: The PEACE coalition is a plan of epic ambition, to
turn at least half of the world's tens of millions of Christian
churches into a giant "network of networks" dedicated to
relieving the poverty and misery of the developing world.... Read
this in full
at
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1809833,00.html
SOCIAL
NETWORKING, ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT, AND CHURCH PODCASTS
Christians
are statistically on par with national norms when it comes to
being plugged in to digital technologies and social networks,
according to new Barna research. The study finds that, in the
week before the poll, 78% of people had used email, 33% had used
Instant Messenger, and 30% had sent a text message with a mobile
phone. Barna also found that Christians are more likely to access
spiritual resources online. Roughly 45 million Americans report
acquiring church sermons and teaching online. Nearly 1 out of
every 4 adults -- 23% -- said they downloaded a church podcast in
the last week. Older adults are just as likely as young people to
download sermons.... Read this in full
at
http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=299
WATCHING
THE SPIRIT MOVE IN CHINA
by
Gary Gnidovic
"Early one evening, while hunting for a
Three-Self church, I dropped straight into an open, unguarded
manhole. I emerged quite shaken, bloody, and embarrassed. A group
of well-meaning people surrounded me in a tight circle. I did my
best to explain what happened, and was soon escorted to a waiting
squad car with a policeman holding the door -- offering to drive
me to the church. This experience gave me a new glimpse into the
world of the Chinese and the rapidly emerging Christian presence
in China. I went there with my camera to gain a better
understanding of its church. I came back with a sense that the
Spirit of God is moving in a special way”.... Read this in
full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/55380
Also
see “Changing China Audio
Slideshow”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/mayweb-only/121-12.0.html
CHAPLAIN
SHARES CHRIST WITH ARMY RANGERS
Even
on a warm day, the water in Ranger Lake at Fort Benning, Ga., is
so cold it hurts. Chaplain (Capt.) Jeff Struecker steps in
wearing black running shorts and a RANGER-emblazoned T-shirt. He
even flashes a bright grin. "Who wants to go first?"
Struecker asks, signaling to a young soldier who likewise flashes
a smile in anticipation of the pain. He steps in quickly. Any
hesitation to undergo pain would seem out of sync in a place like
Fort Benning's Ranger Training School where the Army's toughest,
bravest and brightest experience the most discomfort and fatigue
many of them will ever face -- combat zones included. "You're
not only a fellow soldier and friend, now you're a brother in
Christ," Struecker says, slapping the soldier's wet
shirt.
In a place like Fort Benning, an activity like this
normally would work to toughen a soldier to the harsh elements
he'll face in battle. Today, though, these soldiers are stepping
into the frigid waters to celebrate a victory they've found in
Christ. An Army chaplain and fellow Ranger himself, Struecker on
this day is baptizing four Rangers -- the fruit of relationships
in which he has sown the Gospel. Often, such men have been
desperate, hurting, questioning and dealing with difficult pasts
that may have driven them to the military. Then they struggle
through basic, Ranger and other training.
"The Army
has a tendency to confront people with who they are -- physically,
mentally and spiritually," Struecker says. "I have the
opportunity to help them grow spiritually as they undergo these
harsh conditions." Read this in full
at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28045
10
THINGS YOUR KIDS MAY NOT TELL YOU
by
Christina Quick
Sure, they may talk back, roll their eyes and
tune you out at times. But take heart, parents. Your moody,
growing, changing, baffling children need you like crazy. In
fact, we’ve waded through mountains of research to find out
what your school-age kids might tell you -- if they didn’t
have an image to maintain.... Read this in full at
http://tpe.ag.org/Articles2007/4868_10Things.cfm
USEFUL
METRIC CONVERSIONS
1
million phones = 1 megaphone
2000 mockingbirds = two
kilomockingbirds
10 cards = 1 decacards
1 millionth
of a fish = 1 microfiche
453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound
cake
1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin
10 rations = 1
decoration
100 rations = 1 C-ration
10 millipedes =
1 centipede
3 1/3 tridents = 1 decadent
2 monograms
= 1 diagram
8 nickels = 2 paradigms
2 wharves = 1
paradox
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
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CONSIDER
“In
the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does not
daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is
impossible; he that gains not, loses; he that ascends not,
descends. If one does not ascend the ladder, one must descend; if
one does not conquer, one will be conquered.” St.
Bonaventure (1221-1274)
VERSE
TO PONDER
“Make
every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,
knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” 2
Peter 1:5-7
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: CHOOSE THE LIVING WAY
Words:
Neil Barham, 2007
Music: D. Evans, 1865
The Voice that
shook the mountains and covered them with smoke,
From cloud and
fiery pillar His great commandment spoke:
“I call the
earth and heaven as witness here today—
Before you now
are life and death;
Now choose the living way.
“The
Law of sweet, abundant life engraved by God on stone
Will lead
you to the Living Word and make you all His own.
Obey and seek
the blessing and shun the cursed way:
Before you now are life
and death;
Now choose the living way.
“If you will
love the Lord your God and listen to His voice,
The generations
after you forever will rejoice!
His beautiful commandment will
give you length of days.
Before you now are life and death;
Now
choose the living way.
“I am the God of Jacob, yes
Isaac’s God I Am,
By everlasting covenant, the God of
Abraham.
Hold fast to My strong Promise: Your life is in My
Praise!
Before you now are life and death;
Now choose the
living way.”
>from CyberHymnal
at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/h/o/choliway.htm
ON
PRAYER
“Lord,
grant me persistence in love.”
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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courage and act accordingly.
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
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