Connecting man to man to God
For week of October 19, 2008
Issue 227


"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6


CONSIDER
“Think of the number of trees and blades of grass and flowers, the extravagant wealth of beauty no one ever sees! Think of the sunrises and sunsets we never look at! God is lavish in every degree.” Oswald Chambers


GOD'S SECRET AGENTS
by Greg Laurie
“Is it correct to assume that angels are the nonthreatening, loving beings that many people believe them to be? That all depends.” Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11582498/


INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH ENCOURAGES CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE TO PRAY
With the theme "Refined by Fire," Christians around the world are being asked to remember their brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith on the thirteenth annual International Day of Prayer to be held Nov.9. According to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined, and this onslaught has continued unabated into the new century, according to some, with over 200 million Christians in 80 countries worldwide being persecuted because of their faith.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2008/s08100037.htm


THE POVERTY AND JUSTICE BIBLE (CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION)
by World Vision and American Bible Society (2008)
The publishers of the Poverty and Justice Bible have highlighted almost 3,000 verses in which God has something to say about injustice and oppression. With bright orange highlighting, a quick glance is all you need to see that God cares about the poor -- a lot.
http://store.sojo.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK_PJB&Click=1041


CAST OF CHARACTERS: INTERVIEW WITH MAX LUCADO
Q: Max, your newest book is called Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God. Where did the title Cast of Characters come from?
A: Well, the title Cast of Characters is very intentional because the Bible is a collection of characters and all their stories and happenings and things they do and things they should have done. Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit, but she wasn’t the last. I think you can argue that every page of the Bible has stains of forbidden fruit upon it. Whether it be Abraham lying about Sarah or Peter lying about Christ or Jonah running away from God or Saul running down people who loved God, the Bible is a story of characters; but overall the Bible is a story of how God uses Characters to accomplish His purpose.... Read this interview in full at
http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11582386/


THE FULNESS OF LIFE
“I think one of life's great milestones is when a person can look back and be almost as thankful for the setbacks as for the victories. Gradually, it dawns on us that success and failure are not polar opposites. They are parts of the same picture -- the picture of a full life, where you have your ups and your downs.” Bob Dole


BUILDING "FIT" FAMILIES
by Jim Killam
What to do when the nest is finally empty? Pack away all that marriage and parenting experience, never to be accessed again? Or try something brand new? A ministry that imparts that knowledge and relates those experiences -- good and bad -- to the next generation of couples?

For Robb and Ruth Brandt, retiring from their medical careers certainly didn't mean retiring from active ministry. In fact, over the past dozen years they've thrown life into overdrive with a simple ministry idea: bring younger, Christian couples into their home for a weekend and mentor them. Help them refocus their marriages and parenting. Feed them. House them for two nights.

It all adds up to something the Brandts call Family Fitness Retreats. They say the idea has worked wonders in families while being intensely fulfilling for the two of them as leaders. "After the children grow up, there's a diversity of attitudes -- 'I'm going to go play golf,' or just, 'I'm glad that's over,'" Robb says. "But in the context of the kingdom, it's such a waste to have made all those mistakes raising children and then not pass on what you've learned.".... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2008/004/7.26.html


ON DEPRESSION
“Christian men are but men. They may have a bad liver, or an attack of bile, or some trial, and then they get depressed if they have ever so much grace. But what then? Well, then you can get joy and peace through believing. I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever gets to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to. But I always get back again by this: I know I trust Christ. I have no reliance but in Him. Because He lives, I shall live also, and I spring to my legs again and fight with my depressions of spirit and my downcast soul and get the victory through it. So may you do, and so you must, for there is no other way of escaping from it. In your most depressed seasons, you are to get joy and peace through believing.”
Charles Spurgeon


A PRAYER-LESS SOUL IS A CHRIST-LESS SOUL
“If, as Charles Spurgeon says, ‘A prayer-less soul is a Christ-less soul,’ how many of us go through our day without Him? How is it that we profess to know the Lord, claiming Him as our friend, yet spend so little time communing with Him in prayer? Our Lord Jesus set a beautiful example for us in communing with His heavenly Father. ‘Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed’ (Mark 1:35). Our Lord prayed often -- at the beginning of His day, before many of His miracles, before His meals, and before and during His crucifixion, just to name a few occasions. He prayed for the lost, for His disciples, for His enemies, for the world, and for Himself. Many of His prayers are recorded in His Word to teach us how to pray, when to pray, and for whom to pray. If Jesus, the perfect Son of God, needed such times with His Father, how much more do we?” Jim Reimann, Look Unto Me: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon


THE WITNESS OF FAITH IN TOUGH TIMES
by Chuck Colson
“Like many of you, I don’t look forward to turning on the financial news these days. These are troubling times. If you’re anywhere near my age, or about to send your kids to college, you can’t be happy when you see your retirement plans or college funds seemingly going up in smoke.

“But as I got on my knees in my library yesterday morning in my devotional time, God really convicted me -- in a way that was unmistakably from Him. As I started through my laundry list of thanking God for the blessings He’d given me, praying for my family and for my own, personal concerns, God stopped me short. I felt convicted this was no way to start my prayer time. No, I needed to start by offering myself to God, to be fully used by Him.”.... Read this in full at
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=9573


LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
“Marketing CEO Dave Balter on achieving the corporate full Monty”
Dave Balter, the founder and CEO of the word-of-mouth media company BzzAgent, wants you to see his company naked—even the ugly bits. His problem: Achieving that wind-on-bare-skin feeling gets tougher as the company becomes better established. With 90 employees in Boston, New York, Chicago, and London—and clients including Philips, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Barilla—the firm marshals nearly 500,000 volunteer “buzz agents” to talk up products in exchange for perks and gifts. Balter is passionate about the power of word of mouth and equally so about what might be called radical corporate transparency.... Read this interview in full at
http://is.gd/3kKO


VERSE TO PONDER
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12


CONSIDER
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in." Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing -- but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection.” Mother Teresa


WHY MIKE GUGLIELMUCCI LIED TO THE WORLD
by J. Lee Grady
“Thousands of churches have been singing the popular worship chorus ‘Healer’ since Australian youth pastor Michael Guglielmucci wrote it in 2007. The Aussie worship band Hillsong United has made it a global anthem, and it’s especially popular among people battling illness. But the song took on a darker meaning in August when Guglielmucci admitted it was part of an elaborate hoax he created.

“Christians around the world felt shocked and betrayed when the 29-year-old minister admitted he had faked cancer for two years in a strange ploy to hide his secret pornography addiction. The fiasco has become one of the biggest scandals to rock Australia’s Christian community in years”.... Read this in full at
http://fireinmybones.com/index.php?col=100108~Why%20Mike%20Guglielmucci%20Lied%20to%20the%20World


THE ORIGINS AND IMPACT OF PENTECOSTALISM
Pentecostalism is sometimes confused with Fundamentalist Christianity, but it is historically distinct and spiritually different. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where it is growing most rapidly, Pentecostal Christianity is often associated with emancipation for women, the poor, and the disenfranchised. This is "main street mysticism," as one sociologist puts it. And it began on the American frontier, with an African-American son of slaves a century ago. Hear an hour-long radio program on this subject at
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2008/azusarevival/


RESOURCES ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Oct. 27 marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the International Religious Freedom Act, which made the promotion of religious freedom a basic aim of US foreign policy. The Pew Forum has assembled a variety of resources on international religious freedom, including event transcripts, Q&As, and news clips. See the resource page at
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=360


NET, NIV, ESV: A BRIEF HISTORICAL COMPARISON
by: Daniel B. Wallace , ThM, PhD
“Recently I received an email from a pastor about which translation is the best in terms of ‘scholarly lineage.’ His church has been using the NIV for years, but they are thinking of switching to the ESV. He wrote:

‘What I need to know is which version, the NIV or the ESV, has the best scholarly lineage of historical texts. This is really important for me, because I want to work with a translation that is true to our best known, most reliable manuscripts. Which of these two translations comes from the most reliable, historical texts available, and is truest, accordingly?’

“I filled in a little background on the two translations and also spoke a bit about the NET Bible. Below is my response.

“Michael, you’re asking a tough question. In terms of solid scholarship, the ESV has behind it a long history: the KJV (1611), RV (1885), ASV (1901), and RSV (1952). Each of these was consciously in the tradition of Tyndale (1526, 1534) and was a revision of it to some degree. Beginning with the RV, the textual basis was updated from the Textus Receptus (the Greek text that stands behind the KJV) to essentially the Westcott-Hort text. The ASV was the American counterpart to the RV. In 1952, the RSV set the gold standard for translations for the 20th century. It still commands great respect. In 1989 it was updated to the NRSV. The scholarship was still solid, but it seemed to many that the translation now was bowing to egalitarian concerns by going too far in its gender inclusiveness. The ESV was an evangelical response to that. The elegance of the translation is excellent, and the translation is very good. I am happy to endorse the ESV, with the understanding that the scholarship, largely because it was restricted to evangelicals and was, within this realm, not as broadly based as some would like to see, took a downturn from previous iterations. (The translation committee, for example, used some irritating evangelical ‘trump cards’ in places where the text really does not say what they want it to say. No cardinal doctrine is involved in these places, but they nevertheless are problems in regard to accuracy.).... Read this in full at
http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=6097


WE ARE WIRED FOR GOD
“Without forgiveness, our lives would be hopeless because our connection with God would be broken forever. Like buildings wired for electricity, we are "wired" for God. But sin breaks that connection. Without God's forgiveness, we would be like a city that has suddenly gone dark because of an irreparable break in its electrical grid. Because of God's great compassion and his desire to restore our vital connection to him, he graciously extends forgiveness to anyone who asks and who is also willing to extend it to others. In the New Testament, Paul views forgiveness not just as the removal of guilt for past sins but as deliverance from the power of sin itself. The primary Greek word in the New Testament for divine forgiveness is aphesis. It is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that brings forgiveness for all who belong to him.” Ann Spangler, The Tender Words of God


TRIATHLON A SPIRITUAL RACE FOR SEMINARY STUDENT
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student Michael Diaz recently faced the most arduous day of his seminary career. But it wasn't difficult because of tests, papers or staying up late to parse Hebrew verbs. Diaz, a master of arts student from Ocean Springs, Miss., completed Louisville's Ironman Triathlon Aug. 30, which involved a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26-mile run.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done, for sure," Diaz said. "I've been a soccer player for many, many years and been racing triathlon. But it was definitely the most pain I've ever experienced, but I knew I couldn't do anything about it. I had to stick with it. I'd come too far to stop."

In addition to the grueling distance, Diaz had other obstacles to overcome in order to finish the race. Forty miles into the bike ride the chain on his bicycle broke, forcing him to wait an hour by the road for a mechanic. Then during the run, he experienced stomach problems that forced him to walk at times when he physically couldn't continue running.

Stomach problems are particularly devastating during a triathlon, Diaz said, because to have enough energy to complete the race, an athlete must ingest thousands of calories during the event. The diet of a triathlete includes energy gels, power bars and Gatorade. Yet after eating 2,000 calories during the bike ride, Diaz's physical problems prevented him from continuing to eat during the run, he said.

"The key is whoever can eat the most will have the most energy for the run," he said.

In preparation for the race Diaz trained for eight months, putting in as much as 15 to 20 hours per week at times. He previously had participated in six other triathlons but never one as long as the Ironman.

After the race, it took several days for Diaz to recover. He said the most uncomfortable part of recovering was taking an "ice bath" immediately following the race. In order to prevent intense muscle soreness, he filled his bathtub with 27 pounds of ice and sat in it for five minutes.

Racing has a spiritual, as well as physical aspect for Diaz.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29093


CONSIDER
“Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead.” John Chrysostom (345?-407)


VERSE TO PONDER
"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:20-21


THIS WEEK'S HYMN: CALM ME, MY GOD
Words: Horatius Bonar, 1857
Music: Frederick C. Maker, 1876

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm,
While these hot breezes blow;
Be like the night-dew’s cooling balm
Upon earth’s fevered brow.

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm,
Soft resting on Thy breast;
Sooth me with holy hymn and psalm,
And bid my spirit rest.

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm;
Let Thine outstretchèd wing
Be like the shade of Elim’s palm
Beside her desert spring.

Yes, keep me calm, though loud and rude
The sounds my ear that greet,
Calm in the closet’s solitude,
Calm in the bustling street;

Calm in the hour of buoyant health,
Calm in my hour of pain;
Calm in my poverty or wealth
Calm in my loss or gain;

Calm in the sufferance of wrong,
Like Him Who bore my shame,
Calm ’mid the threatening, taunting throng
Who hate Thy holy Name;

Calm as the ray of sun or star
Which storms assail in vain;
Moving unruffled through earth’s war,
The eternal calm to gain.

>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/a/l/calmmemg.htm


ON PRAYER
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” Philippians 1:9-10


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.

Book your next vacation with us!
ChristianConnectionTravel.com

Books, Music & More!
ChristianConnectionBooks.com

Get your domain name here!
GoGlobalDomains.com

Let me show you how to earn money as you travel!
FrankColeman.com
It's as easy as 1-2-3!


SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.

TheFactChecker
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/

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.)


If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]


Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!


Subscribe!
Subscribe to CONNECTIONS here


Get Archives of all past issues here:
http://www.geocities.com/newjoydivine/connections/archives_08.htm


Check out my blog