Connecting
man to man to God
For week of July 27, 2008
Issue 217
“The
wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then
peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good
fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise
a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18
(NIV)
CONSIDER
“So
give it all to God: your past regrets, your present problems, your
future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts,
and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat of your
life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don’t be
afraid; nothing under his control can ever be out of control.
Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything.” Rick
Warren
AT
NATION'S CHURCHES, GUYS ARE FEW IN THE PEWS
Churches
nationwide are fretting and sweating to reel men into their
sanctuaries on Sundays. Women outnumber men in attendance in
every major Christian denomination, and they are 20% to 25% more
likely to attend worship at least weekly. Although every soul
matters, many pastors say they need to power up on reaching men if
the next generation of believers, the children, will find the way
to faith. So hundreds of churches are going for a "guy
church" vibe, programming for a stereotypical man's man....
Read this in full
at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-07-23-males-church_N.htm
EVERYTHING
BELONGS TO GOD
“I
am a fan of the budget that spends, saves, and gives. Any budget
from a Christian perspective must, I believe, have a component of
giving. Although people differ on whether a specific percentage
is required of Christians, all would agree that Christians should
give of their resources. The primary reason, of course, is that
we give in recognition that everything belongs to God. But giving
also challenges our natural inclination to depend on ourselves.
When we give, especially when we are in debt and do not have what
we think is enough, it forces us into a position of depending on
God (see Malachi 3:10). Terry Hargrave, Boomers on the Edge:
Three Realities That Will Change Your Life Forever
SON
OF EVANGELIST GREG LAURIE DIES IN ACCIDENT
The
son of prominent evangelist Greg Laurie died in a car accident the
morning of July 24. Christopher Laurie, 33, was killed when his
vehicle crashed into the back of a Caltrans truck on the eastbound
91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona, Calif. He was on his
way to Harvest Christian Fellowship in
Riverside....
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080725/son-of-evangelist-greg-laurie-dies-in-accident.htm
CHANGE
FROM WITHIN
“In
so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a
spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed
fear, a quiet sense of despair....God’s love can only
unleash its power when He is allowed to change us from within. We
have to let it to break through the hard crust of our
indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the
spirit of this age.” Pope Benedict XVI, challenging the
350,000 young Catholics gathered in Sydney, Australia, for the
World Youth Day festival [bbc.co.uk, 7/20/08]
LEADERSHIP
TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"Leadership
Gold" -- a free book summary
This is the book that John C.
Maxwell, motivational speaker and author of scores of books on
leadership, waited until his 60th birthday to write. The result,
drawn from his 40-year career, is practical coaching in how to
improve your performance as a leader. He lists specifics steps
you can take to stay on target, contend with critics, gain
credibility and leave a worthy legacy, among other achievements.
"Don't send your ducks to eagle school," one of his
maxims, is characteristic of his signature down-to-earth
approach....
http://www.summary.com/isroot/Soundview/Soundview/sample/smartbrief/3014w.pdf
VERSE
TO PONDER
“I
know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be
added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men
will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be
has been before; and God will call the past to account.”
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Apart
from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of
insignificance.” Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947),
"Immortality," The Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead,
1941, P. A. Schilpp, Ed., p. 698
WAITING
ON THE PROMISES OF GOD
by
James MacDonald
By nature, God is a promiser. He's made a ton
of them to His children. A promise is the assurance that God
gives to His people so they can walk by faith while they wait for
Him to work. You don't realize how much you need God's promises
until your smooth and easy life suddenly turns sideways. This is
the time to dig into God's Word and get something to wrap your
faith around. Now the Christian life would be easy if the space
in time is small between when you claim God's promises and when
you receive what He promised. Read it one day and get it the next.
Wow -- wouldn't that be great!? But life's not like that. The
hard part is in the waiting between the promise and the answer;
and even harder, when the waiting comes with uncertainties.
Where's this going? Where am I going to end up? What's my future
look like?
The reality is, we just don't know and it's this
not-knowing that crushes us. We doubt because we don't know. We
worry and despair because we don't know. We falter and sometimes
fail - all because we don't know. If only we knew how this trial
was going to play out, we would be OK. But we don't.... Read
this in full
at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11579297/
LIVE
IN THE SUNSHINE
by
David Jeremiah
In times of suffering, choose to walk in the
light, to "cheer up" and "live in the sunshine."
We mind our attitude by minding our thoughts, for as a person
thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). "You will keep
him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You" (Isaiah
26:3). Jeremiah faced cruel days, but deliberately turned his
thoughts to God's unfailing compassion and great faithfulness.
"This I recall to mind," he wrote, "therefore I
have hope" (Lamentations 3:21-24). One of the greatest
discoveries of psychology is that it's our thoughts which
determine our emotions -- not feelings which control thoughts.
Suppose you found out a friend was treating you to a 2-week
vacation. Would that influence your emotions? Or, you learned a
loved one was rushed to the hospital, would that affect your
feelings? Suppose you learned that Jesus Christ is the Light, and
that in Him is no darkness. Suppose you wrapped your mind around
that. It would bring sunshine into the darkest corners of your
world. When our minds dwell on Jesus as the light, heavenly
sunshine can pour into our souls.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11578661/
REVIEW:
THE DARK KNIGHT
The
sequel to 2005's Batman Begins is the ideal summer blockbuster.
It's got the hype, the explosions, and the mass pop-culture
allure....Under all that, though, lives an unnerving, serious, and
ambitious crime drama about 3 good men with the courage to stand
against evil -- and how evil responds....There is hefty story
material here. Can decent people walk in a land of indecency
without being crushed, tainted, or turned? At what cost should
good men fight evil? How do you stop a terrorist with no limits,
no real motive, and no rules? If Batman Begins shows why a grown
man would dress up like a bat, its sequel shows why that figure
can't really be a white-hat hero -- but something far darker....
Read this in full
at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/darkknight.html
also
read “Can Batman Teach Spiritual
Truth”
http://christiannewswire.com/news/454007258.html
TRUE
GRACE
“God's
grace is not a static attribute whereby He passively accepts
hardened, unrepentant sinners. Grace does not change a person's
standing before God yet leave his character untouched. True
grace, according to Scripture, teaches us "to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously
and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:12 ). Grace is the
power of God to fulfill our new covenant duties (1 Corinthians
7:19), however inconsistently we obey at times. Clearly, grace
does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power
to live in the Spirit.” John MacArthur, The Gospel
According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith?
OBAMA,
MCCAIN'S FIRST JOINT APPEARANCE WILL BE IN A CHURCH
Barack
Obama and John McCain will make their first joint 2008 campaign
appearance to an audience of Christian activists at a Southern
Baptist church. The two have agreed to participate in a
"compassion forum" at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,
Calif. on August 16. Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren, author of The
Purpose Driven Life, extended the invitation.
"I just
got to thinking, you know what? These guys have never been
together on the same stage, it would be a neat way to cap the
primary season before they both go to the conventions and things
go dark for a couple of weeks," he told The New York Times.
"I've known both the guys for a long time, they're both
friends of mine, and I knew them before they ran for office, so I
just called them up."
Warren will moderate the forum,
which will focus on moral/values issues -- such as poverty, the
environment, and global AIDS relief -- in which many centrist and
younger evangelicals have taken an increasing interest.
It
will be in a non-debate format and Warren will interview the
candidates separately for about an hour each. Warren will pose
the questions. There will be no panel or questions from members
of the audience. Obama will go first, as determined by a coin
toss.
“The primaries proved that Americans care
deeply about the faith, values, character, and leadership
convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,"
Warren said in a press release. "While I know both men as
friends and they recognize I will be frank, but fair, they also
know I will be raising questions in these four areas beyond what
political reporters typically ask." The four areas include:
poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate, and human rights.... Read this in
full
at
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3415&Itemid=53
ATHLETES
TO GET CHRISTIAN-ATHEIST BOOK AT BEIJING OLYMPICS
The
Chinese government has granted an American evangelist permission
to distribute a Christian-Atheist book to athletes and coaches
during the Beijing Summer Olympics. Evangelist Luis Palau will be
giving a copy of his book, A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist
and a Christian (www.zondervan.com/afriendlydialogue),
to athletes attending the Games. The book records a conversation
between atheist Chinese diplomat Zhao Qizheng -– a
high-ranking Chinese government official -– and the
Christian evangelist. It offers both the basic beliefs of
Christianity and a unique perspective on Christianity and
philosophy of religion as seen from Chinese culture and
beliefs.
Palau’s distribution approval comes just one
month after China announced that it will print and distribute
50,000 gospel booklets in Chinese and English for the Olympics.
China said it will also print 30,000 Chinese-English New
Testaments and 10,000 Chinese-English complete Bibles especially
for the Games.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080724/athletes-to-get-christian-atheist-book-at-beijing-olympics.htm
LOVE
HAS NO DEFENSES
“When
your primary concern is maximum security, you will soon find
yourself living in a prison. The anxiety and guilt you carry
unconsciously drives you to protect yourself from others. Robert
Frost gives helpful advice: "Do not build a wall until you
know what you are walling in and what you are walling out."
Whether you are aware of it or not, you are instinctively building
walls between you and other people. The bricks in your wall
include the defenses of denial, projection, and repression.
Beware of these psychological maneuvers and how you may be using
them to avoid responsibility for your condition. Love has no
defenses and only after you begin to break down your psychological
walls will you realize your full potential for enjoying love.”
Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott, Trading Places: The Best Move
You'll Ever Make in Your Marriage
'UNCHURCHED'
WORSHIPPING MORE, 'CHURCHED' LESS?
A
new survey shows that "unchurched" Americans may be
worshipping more, and "churched" Americans worshipping
less, than many people might think. Numerous surveys track trends
among "unchurched" Americans, but what does "unchurched"
really mean? Does it mean never attending religious services, not
attending regularly, or to simply be unaffiliated with a
particular congregation? Phoenix, Ariz.-based Ellison Research
said the most common definitions "often don't tell a complete
story about how Americans attend religious worship services."
The Ellison survey shows that 40% of the "unchurched"
do not entirely stay away from worship services, and 37% of
"churched" Americans do not make it to religious
services every week, even though they consider themselves regular
attenders…. Read this in full
at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-07-20-unchurched-worship_N.htm
CONSIDER
“Satan
promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and
pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he
promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with
death.” Thomas Brooks
VERSE TO PONDER
[The
Lord says,] “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not
be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help
you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’”
Isaiah 41:10
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: SUMMER SUNS ARE GLOWING
Words:
William W. How, 1871
Music: Samuel Smith, 1865
Summer
suns are glowing over land and sea;
Happy light is flowing,
bountiful and free;
Everything rejoices in the mellow
rays;
Earth’s ten thousand voices swell the psalm of
praise.
God’s free mercy streameth over all the
world,
And His banner gleameth, by His church unfurled;
Broad
and deep and glorious, as the heaven above,
Shines in might
victorious His eternal love.
Lord, upon our blindness Thy
pure radiance pour;
For Thy lovingkindness we would love Thee
more;
And when clouds are drifting dark across the sky,
Then,
the veil uplifting, Father, be Thou nigh.
We will never
doubt Thee, though Thou veil Thy light;
Life is dark without
Thee, death with Thee is bright;
Light of light, shine o’er
us on our pilgrim way;
Go Thou still before us to the endless
day.
>from CyberHymnal
at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/u/summersg.htm
ON
PRAYER
“Spiritual
growth is impossible apart from the practice of prayer. Just as
the key to enhanced relationships with other people is time spent
in communication, so the key to a growing relationship with the
personal God of heaven and earth is time invested in speaking to
Him in prayer and listening to His voice in Scripture.”
Kenneth Boa, author and President of Reflections Ministries
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.]
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