MSM CONNECTIONS
For the week of 09/26/04
The Men’s Ministry e-mail newsletter of
Our mission: Our mission is to lead men to
Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for
Christian men to grow in their faith
and minister to others.
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MSM CONNECTIONS is the opt-in newsletter for the men of New Joy Divine Full Gospel Church. It's a periodic service that helps connect you with God and with other men at NJD. If you'd like its delivery to your email address stopped, scroll down and follow the instructions at the end of this message. Also let me know if you change your email address and want to keep subscribing to MSM CONNECTIONS.
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'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.' Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." Helen Keller
THE MORAL HOME FRONT
by Charles Colson with Anne Morse
"Six years ago, Harvard professor Samuel Huntington, in The Clash of Civilizations, argued that the world is divided not so much by geographic boundaries as by religious differences. Huntington predicted that in the 21st century, the great clash would occur between Islam and the West-and that Islam will ultimately prevail. Of course he's wrong about Islam winning. Or is he?
"For the answer, we must examine two things: the motivations of those waging a terror war on the West and the lessons of history. As Charles Krauthammer writes in Townhall the obvious reasons Islam is fighting "the great jihad" against the United States are religion, ideology, political power, and territory. But "this is also about -- deeply about -- sex." The jihadists claim that wherever freedom travels -- "especially in America and Europe -- it brings sexual license and corruption, decadence, and depravity."...
Read this commentary in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/010/18.152.html
THE QUESTION OF GOD
The PBS special "The Question of God" aired last week. Read a chat with the host.
Q: How has the class you teach affected your students and their perceptions of truth, reality and how one should live?
A: Armand M. Nicholi, Jr., M.D.: I think that the lives of Freud and Lewis present dramatic differences in how one's world view influences the quality of one's life. Lewis, as an atheist, experienced the same pessimism and despair that Freud experienced throughout his life but after Lewis changed his worldview and obtained spiritual resources to draw on, his life became considerably more optimistic and cheerful. I think my book and the television series conveys not only what life experiences one's choice of a worldview but also how one's worldview influences the quality of one's life.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29458-2004Sep17.html
IS THE "GOD
GAP" A MYTH?
The theory of the "God gap" -- often broadly suggesting that religious Americans are conservative and will vote Republican while non-religious Americans are liberal and will vote Democratic -- has been prominent in press reporting and political maneuvering in the 2004 presidential race. At their recent conventions, both parties seemed to grapple with faith dynamics and respond to the perceived God gap in interesting, unexpected ways.
Listen to this radio program hosted by Krista Tippett as she interviewed Steve Waldman of Beliefnet, who covered the 2004 Democratic and Republican conventions for religious messages, images, and language. He says that, strictly speaking, the God gap is a myth.
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2004/09/16_godgap/index.shtml
GUIDE TO CANDIDATES
POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES
If you're looking for non-partisan information on the Presidential candidates' (and others) positions on issues this election year, here's a site to check out. Whatever you do, think, pray, and decide whom you think will do the best job, and VOTE November 2nd.
http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm
SEVEN DEADLY SINS: PART
1 - GREED
by Michelle Mark
'They wouldn't be sins if they weren't so damned attractive.' The Seven Deadly Sins - greed, anger, gluttony, sloth, envy, pride and lust - have been around for as long as man. Here's a seven-part series looking at each sin and its new relevance.
http://www.calgarysun.com/perl-bin/niveau2.cgi?s=Lifestyles&p=88439.html&a=1
NOAH'S ARK QUEST - WAS
IT A STUNT?
(National Geographic News) In April businessman and Christian activist Daniel McGivern announced with great fanfare a planned summer expedition to Mount Ararat in Turkey. The project, he said, would prove that the fabled Noah's ark was buried there. Explorers have long searched for the ark on the Turkish mountain. At a news conference in Washington, D.C., McGivern presented satellite images, which he claimed show a human-made object -- Noah's ark -- nestled in the ice and snow some 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) up the mountain. "We are not excavating it," McGivern told the audience. "We're going to photograph it and, God willing, you're all going to see it." If successful, he said, the discovery would be "the greatest event since the resurrection of Christ."
The announcement received generous news coverage. But the U.S. $900,000 expedition quickly hit a snag: The Turkish government refused to grant the explorers permission to climb the mountain. Soon, the mission itself was put on ice. But how credible was the expedition in the first place? Read this story at
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0920_040920_noahs_ark.html#main
LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME
It is only a tiny rosebud
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
Then, in my hands, they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
The flower of God's design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So, I'll trust in Him for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the Pilgrim's way.
The pathway that lies before me
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.
CONSIDER
"In judging others a man laboureth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboureth to good purpose." Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471), Of the Imitation of Christ [1418]
VERSE TO PONDER
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 TNIV
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
ANALYSIS
Team Ministry/Church Growth Institute invites you to complete a brief online Spiritual Gifts Inventory and receive a detailed analysis of your dominant spiritual gifts. You'll see the results in a bar chart format, then receive a detailed commentary via email highlighting your two most dominant spiritual gifts and a list of other spiritual gifts-related resources.
http://www.teamministry.com/cgi-bin/gifts.cgi
HUMILITY
Chicago Cubs second baseman Todd Walker has learned he doesn't need to be a star player in order to make a difference. After six seasons of starting for mediocre teams, Walker helped Boston reach the post season in 2003, setting a Red Sox single-season record with five home runs in the AL playoffs.
When the Red Sox released the 6 foot tall, 180-pound ballplayer for a less-expensive fielder, the Chicago Cubs offered him a position as backup to second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.
Even though Todd would rather be starting at second base than playing second fiddle in the dugout, as a follower of Jesus Christ, he has learned not to try and call all the shots himself. Todd says, "The only time I really perform well is when I'm the most humble. When I start feeling like I'm better than I probably am, that's when things start to slip."
As the 2004 season began, Grudzielanek tore his right Achilles' tendon. It was the back-up second baseman, determined to be content in the dugout, that manager Dusty Baker placed in the lineup everyday.
Walker says, "My faith in Jesus Christ has played a huge role in my life from day one. Sometimes I've drawn upon his strength, and sometimes I've tried to just figure things out for myself. When I've been closest in my relationship with Christ and when I've drawn on his strength is when I've been the most powerful person."
(from Sports Spectrum, May 1999, as reported in Associated Press, 5-8-04)
MEN DO CRY - ALL OVER
THE WORLD
"The first study to quantify changing attitudes among British men towards crying has found that almost a third readily admit to weeping at least once a month. Almost a quarter of men in London admitted completely letting themselves go and sobbing or bawling in the past month.
"The research, by Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre, looked at more than 2,000 people over 18 and found 77% of men considered crying in public increasingly acceptable.
"Among the over-fifties, 63% have never seen their father cry, while for 18 to 29-year-olds the figure is 44%. British men have not yet caught up with America where males cry on average 1.4 times a month while women shed tears 5.3 times."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1268740,00.html
A GIFT FOR YOUR
DAUGHTER
by Tim Smith
"If you're the father of a daughter approaching her teen years, you'll relate to a recent discussion I had with my wife over lunch. "What should we get Brooke for her 11th birthday?" I asked my wife. "I don't think we should get her a phone yet," Suzanne said. "Other parents have bought their girls phones for their 10th birthdays. But it seems too soon." "I agree." Then we sat in silence. Our daughter was growing up, but we didn't want to give her too much too soon. We finally ended up buying her a basketball and enrolling her in a basketball program, which she really wanted. That discussion with my wife got me to thinking: What does our daughter need? It's easy to buy what our daughters want. They usually tell us. But what do they need?...
Read this article at
http://www.newmanmag.com/article.php?sid=555&mode=thread&order=0
CONSIDER
"As adults, we must ask more of our children than they know how to ask of themselves. What can we do to foster their open-hearted hopefulness, engage their need to collaborate, be an incentive to utilize their natural competency and compassion ... show them ways they can connect, reach out, weave themselves into the web of relationships that is called community." Dawna Markova
VERSE TO PONDER
As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: EVERY
MORNING THE RED SUN
Words: Cecil F. Alexander, 1848
Music: George C. Martin, 1889
Every morning the red sun
Rises warm and bright;
But the evening cometh on,
And the dark, cold night.
There's a bright land far away,
Where 'tis never-ending day.
Every spring the sweet young flowers
Open bright and gay,
Till the chilly autumn hours
Wither them away.
There's a land we have not seen,
Where the trees are always green.
Little birds sing songs of praise
All the summer long,
But in colder, shorter days
They forget their song.
There's a place where angels sing
Ceaseless praises to their King.
Christ our Lord is ever near
Those who follow Him;
But we cannot see Him here,
For our eyes are dim;
There is a most happy place,
Where men always see His face.
Who shall go to that bright land?
All who do the right:
Holy children there shall stand
In their robes of white;
For that Heav'n, so bright and blest,
Is our everlasting rest.
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/e/m/emredsun.htm
A BIBLE BOOK PUZZLE
Go to this website and read a paragraph in which are hiding the names of 30 books of the Bible. You'll need to work hard to find them all! The solution is provided.
http://www.nccogop.org/30_books_of_the_bible.htm
PROSTATE CANCER RISK
FACTORS
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. It's a good time to educate yourself and your loved ones about the most common risk factors and what, if anything, can be done to avoid them.
* Diet: Men who eat more red meat and high-fat dairy products and fewer fruits and vegetables are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer. A diet like The South Beach Diet(tm)-low in saturated fats and high in fruits and vegetables-is the healthier choice to prevent prostate cancer.
* Age: The majority of prostate cancers occur in men over the age of 65, though it's not understood why. You can't stop the aging process, but you can try to live a healthy, balanced life.
* Race: Prostate cancer is much more prevalent in African-American men. Unfortunately, this is a risk factor that cannot be controlled.
* Nationality: Prostate cancer is more common in the Western world (North America and Western Europe). Don't bother moving to Asia-your risk of developing the disease is unlikely to have anything to do with your geographic location. It's more likely related to differences in diets and physical activity levels.
* Physical Inactivity: Studies have shown that including regular exercise in your weekly routine can lower your risk of developing cancer.
* Family History: Prostate cancer can be inherited from family members. A man whose father has prostate cancer is twice as likely to develop it than a man whose father does not have prostate cancer. Unfortunately, genetics cannot be altered and this risk factor cannot be controlled.
ON PRAYER
"The main lesson about prayer is just this: Do it! Do it! You want to be taught to pray. My answer is: pray and never faint, and then you shall never fail." John Laidlaw
CRITICAL PRAYER
REQUESTS FOR STRATEGIC NATIONS
We're praying for our fellow believers in a different nation each week.
Please pray for...RÉUNION
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/re.html
Although Catholicism is the professed religion of over 80% of the population, the Malabar religion -- a synthesis of Hinduism and African witchcraft -- is the real faith of half the population and probably 90% are involved in some way. Since Vatican II, Bible reading has been promoted in the Catholic Church, and there is now a vigorous charismatic renewal movement. Pray for the eyes of many nominal Christians to be opened to their need and to the Savior.
http://www.gmi.org/ow/index.html
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
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).
PRAY FOR THESE BROTHERS
Elder Dalter Yarbrough
Elder Tim Howard
Apostle Aaron Royster
Bro. Robert Allen
Bro. Raymond Jones
Apostle Meredeth Shackleford
Bro. Paul Burton
Minister Corey “Keyz” Martin
Bro. Byron Hayes
[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.
Great Church Websites
http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/
Stop the ACLU’s attack on the Ten Commandments
Rachel’s Vineyard is an interdenominational retreat set up for men and women who are suffering the pain of abortion and it’s aftermath.
http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/
Motorcycle Racing
http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games/turbospirit/index.htmlf
Longest burning lightbulb is over 100 years old and still glowing!
http://www.centennialbulb.org/newsppr3.htm
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.)
Whoever said nothing is impossible never tried to slam a revolving door!
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
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MSM CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming MSM CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
Who to contact:
Minister Frank Coleman, Men Servants Ministry Chairman, 773-410-1483,
Minister Arnold Whitehead, Men Servants Ministry Vice-Chairman, 773-846-6090
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The mission of New Joy Divine Full Gospel Church is to be a Christ-centered, Bible based, Spirit guided church meeting the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of its members and the community it serves.
The Men Servants Ministry (MSM) Team offers a variety of activities for men to interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ. Contact Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, [email protected] if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
New Joy Divine Full Gospel Church is located at 7625 S.
Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60620.
Tel: 773-224-5683. Founded & Pastored by Apostle
Aaron L. Royster & Prophetess Mable L. Royster.
Visit our website at:
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