Connecting
man to man to God
For week of October 5, 2008
Issue
225
"Come,
let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our
Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the
flock under his care." Psalm 95:6-7
CONSIDER
“We
can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in
prosperity we forget God.” Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
GOD IS IN CONTROL DURING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS
by
Charles Colson
Most of us have been badly shaken by the
tumultuous events on Wall Street in recent weeks. If you have an
IRA or some kind of retirement plan, no doubt you are licking your
wounds. You may even be fearful. I understand. I have experienced
those apprehensions myself. But we need to remember that fear is
always the enemy of faith. The financial markets are his. The
world is his.
Here is something else to remember: God often
uses adversity for his greatest blessings -- in several ways in
this case. Christians are called to do the best things in the
worst of times. Above all, remember this: God is on his throne.
Maybe the "eat, drink, and be merry" attitude of
Americans needed a little adjustment -- as does the spiritually
casual attitude of the church.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/octoberweb-only/140-42.0.html
CHURCH LEADERS URGE STEWARDSHIP, DECRY GREED
United Methodist leaders are calling for a biblical mandate of
stewardship over corporate greed. "All we have is ours 'on
loan' from God to be used for good in this world. John Wesley's
mandate to 'do no harm' is violated when we prey on the
vulnerable," the United Methodist Board of Church and
Society, the denomination's social action agency, said in a
statement. "The prophetic voices of the Bible repeatedly warn
against a society that favors the rich over the widows, aliens,
orphans and the poor," it further stated.
The church
leaders recognized that the "financial bubble has burst"
and said that the American people have "little appetite"
to "rescue the rich from their excesses."....Read this
in full
at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20081002/church-leaders-urge-stewardship-decry-greed.htm
OCTOBER 19: BREAD FOR THE WORLD SUNDAY
Bread
for the World Sunday is an opportunity for churches to renew their
commitment to overcoming hunger and poverty in God's world. On
October 19 and other Sundays this fall, worshipping communities
across the country will join together in lifting up their voices
on behalf of hungry people. This year's observance of Bread for
the World Sunday takes place at a time when soaring prices for
food and fuel have created an urgent hunger crisis -- both in our
own country and overseas. An additional 100 million people have
fallen into poverty and are at risk of hunger and starvation...
Read this in full
at
http://www.bread.org/get-involved/at-church/bread-for-the-world-sunday/
VIDEO: JESUS FOR PRESIDENT
by
Shane Claiborne
Shane Claiborne, co-author of Jesus for
President with Chris Haw, talks about their recently published
book. Despite the title, this book transcends politics and calls
for Christians to vote not just on Election Day, but “to
vote with their lives everyday” in their compassion and
justice on behalf of the poor.
http://is.gd/3sgp
PUBLISHER PUTS 'NIV' BIBLE IN AMERICANS' HANDWRITING
Once
only the elite, the educated and the holy had the privilege of
inscribing the words of the Bible, verse by verse. Now Americans
coast to coast will have a chance to hand-copy a verse of
Scripture to appear in a special edition of the New International
Version of the Bible, known as the NIV.
To mark the 30th
anniversary of the NIV, which has sold 300 million copies
worldwide, publisher Zondervan has launched a campaign to create
the unique edition, which will include its 31,173 verses, each
handwritten by a different person. A huge blue RV with the logo
"BibleAcrossAmerica.com" splashed on its side and
"Inspiration at every turn" on its back takes off on a
five-month journey bringing "writing stations" to 90
stops in 44 states at churches, landmarks and popular settings
such as NASCAR races.... Read this in full
at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-09-29-bible-tour_N.htm
also
see
http://www.bibleacrossamerica.com/home.php
‘FIREPROOF’ IS RED-HOT AT BOX OFFICE
Audiences turned out in force Sept. 26-28 for the opening week
of "Fireproof," the latest film from the makers of the
2006 surprise hit "Facing the Giants." Fireproof
generated the second-highest average revenue in theaters this past
weekend, beaten only by "Eagle Eye," a thriller that
showed in four times as many theaters and cost 160 times as much
to make.
Across the country, people hungry for family
friendly films packed the 839 theaters where Fireproof was
showing. Attendance was boosted by churches that promoted the film
to their members and in some cases bought out theaters as an
outreach to their communities.
In Starke, Fla., almost 20%
of the entire population of the city saw the movie, said Joe
Fennell, executive pastor of First Baptist Church. The
congregation contracted with the local theater to show Fireproof
free to all comers and in three days 1,121 people attended a
screening in the north Florida city.... Read this in full
at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29022
HOW 'FIREPROOF' WOOED CHRISTIAN MOVIEGOERS
(AdAge.com)
-- Box office watchers keeping an eye on this past weekend's
grosses might have been surprised by one of the films to make the
top-five list, but to some on the outskirts of Hollywood, the
results might not seem so miraculous.
The movie was written
by Alex and Stephen Kendrick (Alex Kendrick, a Georgia-based
pastor, directed the motion picture), and while most of Hollywood
is slack-jawed, one woman is not. "I used to be an Army
officer, and we run this like a war," said Kris Fuhr, a
former captain in the U.S. Army's military intelligence section
and now VP of Provident Films.
"You've got troops on
the ground, and you've got air support," she said of the
marketing campaign she fashioned. "You need both to establish
a relationship with thousands of people before the movie opens."
The air support was advertising on Christian radio
stations. Her troops on the ground were the scores of fans of
Provident's last release, the 2006 film "Facing the Giants"
(also directed by Mr. Kendrick), who were required by the company
to rally at least 1,000 fans to commit to seeing "Firewall"
if they wanted a print of the new film delivered to their town. In
the end, 98 of the 839 screens on which "Fireproof" was
shown had already sold 1,000 tickets before the film even
opened.... Read this in full
at
http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=131369
A CHRISTIAN BELIEVES
“A
Christian is one that believes things his reason cannot
comprehend, and hopes for things which neither he nor any man
alive ever saw. He believes Three to be One and One to be
Three; a Father not to be older than His Son, and the Son to be
equal with His Father. He believes himself to be precious in
God's sight, and yet loathes himself in his own. He dares not
justify himself even in those things wherein he can find no fault
with himself, and yet believes that God accepts him in those
services wherein he is able to find many faults. He is so ashamed
that he dares not open his mouth before the Lord, yet comes with
boldness to God, and asks him anything he needs. He hath within
him both flesh and spirit, and yet he is not doubleminded; he is
often led captive by the law of sin, yet in never gets dominion
over him. He cannot sin, yet can do nothing without sin. He is so
humble as to acknowledge himself to deserve nothing but evil, and
yet he believes that God means him all good.” Frances
Bacon
OCTOBER 22: WORLD
SERIES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_World_Series
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
The
12 Do's of Change Leadership
1. Catalyze change.
2. Cope
with transition
3. Show a sense of urgency
4. Demonstrate
realistic patience
5. Be tough
6. Be empathetic
7. Show
optimism
8. Be realistic and open
9. Be self-reliant
10.
Trust others
11. Capitalize on strengths
12. Go against the
grain
Read this in full
at
http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/hmu/2008/09/leading-in-times-of-change.php#trackback
VERSE TO PONDER
“This
is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I
am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who
directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17
CONSIDER
“Live
as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back
again tomorrow.” Martin Luther
AFTER THE ALOHA SHIRTS
Tossing
out his iconic collection of aloha shirts isn't the only big
change Saddleback Church's Rick Warren is making these days. His
2005 signature strategy for global missions, the PEACE Plan, is
now PEACE 2.0 and includes the PEACE Coalition, a three-legged
stool of private, public, and church partnerships, as well as a
new focus on reconciliation and civil discourse. Timothy C.
Morgan, Christianity Today's deputy managing editor, interviewed
Warren at length in recent months to survey these changes.
Q:
Where did the PEACE Plan's emphasis on government, business, and
church partnerships come from?
A: When I was at the Davos World
Economic Forum for the first time, I kept hearing people talk
about public and private partnership. What they meant was that
government and business need to get together to work on poverty,
disease, and illiteracy. I'm thinking, ‘Wait a minute. You
are close, but no cigar. You are missing the third leg of the
stool—the church. You are missing the component that has the
most distribution, that has the most volunteers, that already has
the boots on the ground, that already has the motivation to do it
for free’.... Read this interview in full
at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/october/16.42.html
TOUCH THE FACE OF GOD
“The
journey to the Celestial City can be every bit as arduous as John
Bunyan depicted in his famous Pilgrim's Progress. It will not
always be filled with happy faces, fun times, and an incessant
fare of upbeat praise choruses. There will be tears too, and
through it all the ache of yearning. We face into the wind as we
journey through this fallen world, and there are plenty of
struggles ahead. Nowhere does the Bible say it will be easy. We
have only been assured that it is infinitely worthwhile.
But
we also journey in hope, and by hope we mean a confident and
sustaining anticipation of a positive future. We have received
sufficient assurances that we are on the right track (traveling
mercies, Anne Lamott calls them) to keep us pressing forward. It
is true that for the time being we know only "in part."
But someday we will see him face-to-face, and will know him fully,
just as we are already fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12). The time
is coming when we will ‘slip the surly bonds of earth ...
and touch the face of God.’" Glen G. Scorgie, A Little
Guide to Christian Spirituality: Three Dimensions of Life with God
A MAN AND HIS BATTLES
"For
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 (English Standard Version)
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the
greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when
he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on
the field of battle ... victorious." Vince Lombardi,
legendary football coach.... Read this devotional in full
at
http://www.newmanmag.com/e-magazine/100108/story3.php
COLLEGE STUDENTS GET FREE RENT FOR SHOW OF FAITH
It's
dinner time in the small, two-bedroom apartment near Sacramento
City College. One by one, five students gather around a well-used
dining room table for a meal that begins with a prayer. ... (T)he
weekly dinner and the prayer are required. The students are
participants in a special program offered by All Saints Episcopal
Church in Sacramento that gives free housing to college students.
In exchange for living in one of the apartments owned by the
congregation, the students must meet the church's spiritual
requirements.... Read this in full
at
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1275905.html
I'M DONE WITH PLAYING CHURCH
by
Lorie Newman
* I'm done... with the plastic smiles
* I'm
done... with Christians who walk into church like they are walking
into a Country Club
* I'm done... with Christians pretending
they are perfect
* I'm done... with churches saying "that's
the way we've always done it"
* I'm done... with
Christians who avoid fasting
*I'm done... with people who sit
in church waiting for the pastor to "bless" them
*
I'm done... with those who think pre-schoolers are too small to
learn about Jesus
* I'm done... with Christians who mock
pastors that cast out demons in the name of Jesus
* I'm done...
with Christians who complain about their church but have never
given a dime to God's kingdom
* I'm done... with people who
stand and cheer at football games on Friday nights but walk into
church like they are at a funeral
Read this in full
at
http://www.wreckedfortheordinary.com/index.asp?filename=im-done-with-playing-church
WOMEN ARE GAINING GROUND IN FAMILY DECISION MAKING
Count
this as another busted myth of modern times: In family life, the
husband always wields the television remote. Lately, the wife is
just as likely to be changing the channels.
A poll
released by the Pew Research Center showed that 21st century
couples share decision making in many aspects of American family
life, and nowhere is that equity greater than in front of the
household television. The poll finds that 27% of people say women
control the remote; 26% say that men do; and 25% say the couple
decides together.
This change in everyday life could be
one small sign of a larger social shift in the last generation,
experts say.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/25/AR2008092504167.html
CONSIDER
“Lord,
give us grace and strength to preserve. Give us courage and joy
and the quiet mind.” Robert Louis Stevenson
VERSE TO PONDER
"What
you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with
faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you -- guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who
lives in us." 2 Timothy 1:13-14
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: O LOVE THAT CASTS OUT FEAR
Words:
Horatius Bonar, 1861
Music: Leighton G. Hayne, 1863
O
love that casts out fear,
O love that casts out sin,
Tarry
no more without,
But come and dwell within!
True
sunlight of the soul,
Surround us as we go;
So shall our way
be safe,
Our feet no straying know.
Great love of God,
come in!
Wellspring of heavenly peace;
Thou Living Water,
come!
Spring up, and never cease.
Love of the living
God,
Of Father and of Son;
Love of the Holy Ghost,
Fill
thou each needy one.
>from CyberHymnal
at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/
ON
PRAYER
“I
never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers
everywhere except on the course.” Billy Graham
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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Why
don't tomb, comb, and bomb sound alike?
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
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