"If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing his ignorance."  1 Cor. 8:2 (LB)

     CONSIDER

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others.  It is the only thing."  Albert Schweitzer

     PREPARING FOR BATTLE

by David Jeremiah

Police officers depend on their bulletproof vests.  Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare against a powerful enemy.  "You're going to face a powerful, invisible enemy every day-the Devil. -- Put on your body armor and be prepared to fight him and his demonic hosts.  Put on every piece of your battle dress" (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Paul lists seven pieces of equipment every Christian should wear to win this spiritual battle:

The Combat Harness (truth)...

The Bulletproof Vest (shield of righteousness)...

The Tactical Duty Boots (gospel of peace)...

The Riot Shield (faith)...

The Helmet (salvation)...

The Assault Rifle (word of God)...

The Radio (prayer)...

Read this article in full at

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/ministry_articles/1347296.html

     IN GOD, THESE EXECS TRUST

by Jesse Noyes, Boston Herald

Once a month, a small group of local business executives meet together in the quiet confines of the North Shore.  They don't plan hostile takeovers or a future union busting.  Instead, they gather in fellowship, pray and consult scripture together.

Each member of the group brings up a business-related issue and other participants ask questions about it, said William G. Messenger, director of the Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in the Workplace.

"Then we will specifically look at passages or stories from the Bible," he said.

The Mockler Center, headquartered at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Ken Soper's an MDiv graduate) in South Hamilton, brings together various members of the local business community looking to integrate their Christian values into the daily ritual of workplace life.

The Center is just one example of a growing number of corporate Christians groups -- comprised of rank and file employees as well as top executives -- seeking business advice from a higher power.

More information at

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=105627&format=text

Mockler Center for Faith and Ethics in the Workplace

http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/mockler/

     SKELETON OF DOUBT

"Doubt is the skeleton in the closet of faith and I know no better way to treat a skeleton than to bring it into the open and expose it for what it is: not something to hide or fear, but a hard structure on which living tissue may grow."  Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God: What Can You Expect to Find?

     LIVE DANGEROUSLY

"The Signature of Jesus is offered to Christians who want to live by faith and not by mere "religion," for those who recognize that many of the burning theological issues in the church today are neither burning nor theological, [for those] who see Christianity neither as a moral code or a belief system but a love affair, who have not forgotten that they are followers of a crucified Christ, who know that following Him means living dangerously, who want to live the gospel without compromise, who have no greater desire than to have His signature written on the pages of their lives."  Brennan Manning, The Signature of Jesus

+++++AND NOW, A PAID ADVERTISEMENT…+++++

     FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

October 9-15

http://makeashorterlink.com/?E5FF21DEB

     BASEBALL DATES

October 11 - League Championship Series begin

October 22 - World Series begins

http://www.mlb.com

     HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

On Tuesday, October 11, Canada observes its annual Thanksgiving Day.

http://www.thinkquest.org/library/site_sum.html?lib_id=2994&team_id=6101

http://www.care2.com/send/catcanadathanks.html

http://www.joyfulheart.com/thanksgiving/

     P*RN SUNDAY?

National P*rn Sunday was October 9, sponsored by the xxxChurch ministry, which encourages churches around the nation to spend time focusing on an uncomfortable topic that's painfully relevant but difficult to discuss openly in a church setting: the problem of p*rnogaphy, especially among Christian men.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2005/cln50919.html

http://xxxchurch.com

     CONSIDER

"Never esteem anything as of advantage to thee that shall make thee break thy word or lose thy self-respect."  Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

     VERSE TO PONDER

"I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity."  1 Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

     SINGLE MAN: ARE YOU A SCHLUMP?

by Tessie Güell

"My female friends and I often talk about how single men and women treat each other. Sadly, too many Christian singles have bruised one another's hearts without even knowing it.  We've created a new term for people who repeatedly bruise one another with their behavior: Schlump.  When a man and a woman are physically intimate, they are no longer "just friends."  When they spend all their time alone together, they are not "just friends."  In my relationships with single men, I have been a schlump, and my friends are also first-class schlumps at times.  Single men can be schlumps too. Since I'm writing this for men, here are three ways single men can inflict pain upon single women:..."

Read this in full at

http://www.newmanmag.com/article.php?sid=609&mode=thread&order=0

     TRICK OR TREAT: CHRISTIAN ALTERNATIVES

Are you wondering how (or if) you should take part in Halloween's annual quest for candy, or are you looking for ways to turn the year's spookiest night into an evangelism opportunity?  Gospelcom.net's alliance ministries provide Halloween resources and guidelines specifically designed to address this "dark" holiday from a spiritual perspective.

http://www.gospelcom.net/content/halloween/

http://chi.gospelcom.net/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps094.shtml

http://www.atstracts.org/halloween/

http://www.peggiesplace.com/halloween.htm

http://www.reverendfun.com/artchives/results.php?request=halloween

http://www.intervarsity.org/slj/fa99/fa99_cn_trick_or_feeding.html

     A BLESSING FOR YOU AS WE APPROACH 2006

Purpose: As you complete your daily tasks, may you understand how they contribute to the larger purpose of your life.  May you experience deep satisfaction as you discover and carry out your unique role. (Psalms 25:12, 139:16; Jeremiah 29:11)

http://www.navpress.com/Assets/PDF/Product/Sample/1576839494.pdf

Blessings for Your New Year cards (ISBN #1576839494, in packs of 50) are available by calling 1-800-366-7788 or online at www.praymag.com

     VERSE TO PONDER

"You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."  Luke 6:36 (NLT)

     BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE

The Doctrine of the Church (continued)

III. The Ordinances Of The Church

A. Common questions about ordinances/sacraments

1. What is an ordinance?

    An ordinance is a physical ritual prescribed by Christ to illustrate a spiritual reality (sacrament = sacred sign).

2. How many ordinances should be practiced?

Some believe there are up to seven.

Most Protestants believe there are only two (Lord's Supper and baptism). Why?

-   Only these two are specifically prescribed by Christ and clearly practiced by the early church.

-   Only these two symbolize the saving work of Christ.

3. What do they have to do with a person's salvation?

-   Practicing these "symbols" in no way saves or even helps a person have eternal salvation (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8,9).

-   These ordinances are meaningful only to a person who has already personally trusted Christ for salvation.

http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=424

     LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

The Fast Company Interview: Jeff Immelt

A candid conversation with the CEO of General Electric about leadership, creativity, fear -- and what it's really like to run the world's most influential company.  The year Jeff Immelt's career almost blew up was 1994.  He was vice president and general manager of GE Plastics Americas, and his division was caught in a classic profit squeeze -- the crunch that comes when raw-material costs rise and a company is locked into fixed-price contracts with customers.  Instead of making his 20% profit-growth goal, he delivered earnings growth of just 7%.  The upshot: Immelt missed his net-income number by $50 million.

The story, of course, has a fairy-tale ending.  And that's probably why Immelt often tells it.  "It was definitely the most painful period of my career," he says.  "Even though I came close to being fired, I never considered quitting.  I knew the issues were my fault, and I didn't want to let my people down." Besides, he adds, "surviving a failure gives you more self-confidence.  Failures are great learning tools -- but they must be kept to a minimum."

Immelt clearly redeemed himself, gaining a crucial promotion in 1997 to president and CEO of GE Medical Systems and winning the race to succeed Welch three years later, at age 45.  Welch would have been a tough act to follow under any circumstances, but the timing of Immelt's ascension was particularly bad: He became CEO four days before September 11, 2001.  The terrorist attacks, the bursting of the stock-market bubble, and a recession depressed some of GE's key markets.  Both revenue and earnings growth slowed, and the stock slumped. ...

Read this in full at

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/jeff-immelt.html

+++++AND NOW, A PAID ADVERTISEMENT…+++++

     HOW INTELLIGENT DESIGN WORKS

by Julia Layton

Not so long ago, there were two major competing theories in the United States regarding the origins of life: evolution and creationism. Evolution represented science's opinion of how the universe began, and creationism offered the religious explanation. It was pretty cut and dry. Then came "intelligent design."

The intelligent design (ID) movement claims that life as we know it could not have developed through random natural processes -- that only the guidance of an intelligent power can explain the complexity and diversity that we see today.  In 2004, the school board of Dover, Pennsylvania, voted to require the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution in science classrooms, and other school boards in the United States are considering the issue.  Proponents of ID claim it is a scientific theory that deserves equal time with evolution; opponents argue that ID is a metaphysical theory, not a scientific one.

Read the full article at How Stuff Works:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/intelligent-design.htm

     WILLING AS GOD WILLS

"Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervors, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills."  John Brown, 19th-century Scottish theologian, quoted in J. Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness

     LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

The father says, "You better get ready.  The bus will be here in a minute to pick you up and take you to Sunday School."

The boy asked, "Did you go to Sunday School when you were a boy?"

The father replied, "Yes I did."

The boy said as he was getting dressed, "It probably won't do me any good either!"

     THE PSALMS SET TO RENAISSANCE MUSIC

The British a capella group "The King's Singers" teamed up with the Middle Eastern group "Sarband" a couple of years ago to make an album. They wanted to perform sacred music that would bridge western and eastern cultures. They settled on psalms set to music in the 16th and 17th centuries. The "Book of Psalms" is part of both the Jewish and Christian traditions. Muslims have a version of the book of psalms as well. It was the sort of unifying element the two groups were looking for. Listen to this radio news report at

http://www.theworld.org/globalhits/index.shtml

     CONSIDER

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict."  Unknown Author

     VERSE TO PONDER

"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you." Isaiah 54:10

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: HIDDEN PEACE

Words: John S. Brown, 1899

Music: L. O. Brown

I cannot tell thee whence it came,

This peace within my breast;

But this I know, there fills my soul

A strange and tranquil rest.

Refrain

There's a deep, settled peace in my soul,

There's a deep, settled peace in my soul,

Tho' the billows of sin near me roll,

He abides, Christ abides.

Beneath the toil and care of life,

This hidden stream flows on;

My weary soul no longer thirsts,

Nor am I sad and lone.

Refrain

I cannot tell the half of love,

Unfeigned, supreme, divine,

That caused my darkest inmost self

With beams of hope to shine.

Refrain

I cannot tell thee why He chose

To suffer and to die,

But if I suffer here with Him

I'll reign with Him on high.

Refrain

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/i/hiddenpc.htm

     GOD FAQ

Question 41: Why was our Mediator called Jesus?

Answer: Our Mediator was called Jesus, because he saves his people from their sins.

http://www.shortercatechism.com/

     ON PRAYER

"The essence of prayer does not consist in asking God for something but in opening our hearts to God, in speaking with Him, and living with Him in perpetual communion.  Prayer is continual abandonment to God.  Prayer does not mean asking God for all kinds of things we want; it is rather the desire for God Himself, the only Giver of Life.  Prayer is not asking, but union with God.  Prayer is not a painful effort to gain from God help in the varying needs of our lives.  Prayer is the desire to possess God Himself, the Source of all life.  The true spirit of prayer does not consist in asking for blessings, but in receiving Him who is the giver of all blessings, and in living a life of fellowship with Him."  Sundar Singh (1889-1929)

     PLEASE PRAY FOR ASHLEY SMITH

by Rick Warren

"You probably remember the dramatic story from last spring when Ashley Smith was taken hostage in Atlanta by Brian Nichols, a man the police were searching for in connection with the murder of four people.  During the ordeal, Ashley read to Brian from The Purpose Driven Life and convinced him to surrender to police.  With the publication of her new book, Unlikely Angel, Ashley has been asked to do a whole assortment of media interviews about her experiences.  Will you join me in praying for her during this time?"

http://www.pastors.com/rwmt/default.asp?id=227&artid=8734&expand=1

     PRAY FOR A COUNTRY TODAY

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).

[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.

Watermelon Carving Art

http://takashi64.hp.infoseek.co.jp/page009.html

Foodie View Got a lot of stuff in your fridge and don't know what to cook?  Enter the ingredients and find a recipe!

http://www.foodieview.com/index.jsp

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.)

Always get the last word in: Apologize.

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

[email protected]

===== /\ =====

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

===== /\ =====

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: http://www.newjoydivine.org/

===== /\ =====

To subscribe to MSM CONNECTIONS, send a message to [email protected] with "subscribe MSM" in the subject line.

To unsubscribe, send a message to [email protected] with "unsubscribe MSM" in the subject line.

THANK YOU FOR READING

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK!

It is my prayer that, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

© 2004, 2005 Frank Coleman