"'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

     CONSIDER

"Love is the basic power of the universe. We must not treat it casually."  Lawrence Wood, One Hundred Tons of Ice and Other Gospel Stories

     WORLD SERIES

October 22

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/front.htm

     HOW WOULD JESUS ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF OUR DAY?

by Brian McLaren

(Sojourners) You've heard the old saying: The hard thing about being a bridge is that you get walked on from both ends.  As someone who spends roughly half of my time in the conservative world and half in the liberal (theologically and politically speaking), I suppose I qualify as a kind of bridge person. Unfortunately, my experience confirms the old saying, and I have a few boot marks on my backside to prove it....

If there is a rising purple peoplehood out there -- people who don't want to be defined as red or blue, but have elements of both, and for whom faith speaks to both abortion and war, both sexuality and ecology, both family values and fair, respectful treatment for gay people -- then we will need to learn new ways of communication.  Again, readily confessing that I'm no expert or example, here are a few hunches I have about those new ways of communication -- based on the maxim of one of my mentors, who says, "We must teach what Jesus taught in the manner that Jesus taught it."

1.    We must stop answering questions that are framed badly. When Jesus was asked a trick question by representatives of a conservative religio-political party of his day, he didn't fall for the trap (Luke 20).  Rather, he showed how the question was based on false assumptions and used the trick question as an opportunity to expose those false assumptions and instruct the questioners.

2.    We must start raising new questions and issues that need to be raised.  When Jesus was being tested in another politico-religious interview, he refused to answer the question of whether taxes should be paid to Caesar or not (Matthew 22:17-21).  In fact, he cleverly deconstructed and neutered the question and instead pushed another question to the surface: Were those asking the question willing to render to God what is God's?....

Read this article at

http://makeashorterlink.com/?X15251AFB

     AFFLUENZA, AN AMERICAN EPIDEMIC

by Dick Staub

Americans are infected with an all-consuming virus that threatens our individual and communal well-being.  It's called affluenza, which is defined as a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste, resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.

The symptoms are everywhere, the causes not so mysterious and the treatment available, but sadly there is little evidence that many Americans recognize they suffer from affluenza and even less evidence that those who are aware will actually take significant steps towards recovering from the disease....

Learn more about the disease AND possible solutions at

http://dickstaub.com/culturewatch.php?record_id=926

     FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  The die has been cast.  I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.  I'm a disciple of His.  I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.  I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity.  I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.  I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.  I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.  I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.  And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear!"

Source: Dr. Robert Moorehead

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

     BREAKFAST WITH ZONDERVAN

The Zondervan Breakfast Club invites readers to subscribe and receive daily excerpts from current and upcoming books.  A delighted subscriber said, "What a wonderful idea this service is!  For those of us who are joyfully addicted to reading, it's like finding chocolate on our pillows every morning."  The Club promises "a 5-minute nibble from a fiction or nonfiction book" every morning.....Every Monday a new book is featured."  Sign up for the club and invite a friend to join.  Sign up at

http://www.zondervan.com/desk/emas.asp

     MOVIES REVIEWED

There are still several weeks left before Narnia graces the big screen.  If Christian film buffs can't find anything they're interested in for now, perhaps they'll be surprised to learn that a film based on one of Christ's parables is presenting the gospel quite plainly on the big screen this week.  In fact, it's called The Gospel, from director Rob Hardy.  It features a rousing soundtrack of gospel music....

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/filmforum/051013.html

     HA!

*         The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

*         When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

*         A bicycle can't stand on its own because it's two tired.

     SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY

"So many of us have been conditioned to think of our faith as solely an issue of us and God. But faith is a communal experience.  A shared journey.  I have heard people say their stories are not exciting.  I can only imagine how deeply offended God is with comments like this.  Not exciting?  If the story is about me, then, yes, it is only exciting to a certain degree.  But the point of our stories and our faith journeys is that they are about something much bigger."  Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

     FAITH

"Even skeptics have faith.  They have faith that skepticism is true.  Likewise agnostics have faith that agnosticism is true. There are no neutral positions when it comes to beliefs."  Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

     RITUAL KISSING KEY FOR EARLY CHRISTIANS

(The Boston Globe) During Christianity's first five centuries, ritual kissing -- on the lips -- was a vital part of worship, says Michael P. Penn, who teaches religion at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley and is the author of Kissing Christians: Ritual and Community in the Late Ancient Church.  Read this interview at

http://makeashorterlink.com/?N64222AFB

     A BLESSING FOR YOU AS WE APPROACH 2006

Fulfilling work: May you take pleasure in all your work.  May every task you undertake succeed, and may you enjoy the good things your labor supplies. (Ecclesiastes 2:24; Psalm 128:2)

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 http://www.praymag.com

     BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINE

The Doctrine of the Church (continued)

III. The Ordinances Of The Church

B. Water Baptism

1. Definition: The use of water to symbolize outwardly the inner spiritual change that took place when we trusted Christ as Savior.

2. The Model: Baptism was commanded by Christ and practiced by the early church.

a. Christ commanded the disciples to "Go and make disciples" by means of "baptizing" and "teaching" until "the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19, 20).

b. Starting at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38,41) water baptism after conversion became standard practice (Acts 8:12,36-38; 9:18; 10:47,48; 16:14,15,33; 18:8; 19:4,15).

3. The Meaning: Baptism symbolizes what happened when we were saved.

a. It symbolizes the Holy Spirit's work of regeneration (making us spiritually new - Titus 3:5). = "I am a Christian."

-   Spirit (real) baptism is done by the Holy Spirit inwardly when we trust Christ as savior (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26, 27).

-   Water (ritual) baptism is administered by others outwardly after we're saved (Acts 8:3).

b. It symbolizes our new life of union with and identification with Christ (Romans 6:3-11). = "I intend to live like a Christian."

4. The Method: Immersion in water anytime after conversion seems most appropriate.

a. Immersion fits the significance (Romans 6:4) and early examples of baptism (Acts 8:38, 39).

b. New Testament examples of baptism are done immediately after a person is saved (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36-38; 9:18; 10:47, 48; 16:14, 15, 33; 18:8). So when a person is saved and realizes the significance of baptism, it would seem to be the right time.

c.  Young children who are saved might wisely wait until they understand the significance of baptism. There is no biblical support for baptizing infants with water.

C. The Lord's Supper

1. Definition: The regular use of the bread and cup to symbolically commemorate with other believers the saving work of Christ on the cross.

2. The Model: Christ initiated it at the Last Supper.

a. Christ gave the final two elements of that Passover meal a new significance to be practiced after His death (Luke 22:7-20).

b. This ordinance is a command ("Do this" - 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25) to be practiced regularly ("as often as" - 1 Corinthians 11:25, 26) throughout this church age ("proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" - 1 Corinthians 11:26).

3. The Meaning: The Lord's Supper is a memorial to Christ's saving work on the cross.

a. The bread represents Christ's substitutionary death in our place ("for you" - Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24).

b. The cup represents Christ's fulfilling of the old covenant sacrifice system ("the new covenant in my blood" - Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25).

4. The Method:

a. The early Church's form

-   The love feast (a shared meal - 1 Corinthians 11:20-22)

-   The elements (a shared loaf and cup - 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

-   Done weekly as the church gathered ("breaking of bread" - Acts 20:7, 11).

b. The basic function required

The Lord's Supper should be practiced regularly by churches using similar symbols with the identical significance Christ gave them.

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

     LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

When GE's CEO Jeff Immelt teaches up-and-coming leaders at the company's famed management-development center, he runs through a checklist of what he calls "Things Leaders Do."  In an interview with Fast Company, Immelt reveals his own leadership checklist.

1.    Personal Responsibility.

2.    "Enron and 9/11 marked the end of an era of individual freedom and the beginning of personal responsibility. You lead today by building teams and placing others first. It's not about you."

3.    Simplify Constantly.

“I always use Jack [Welch] as my example here. Every leader needs to clearly explain the top three things the organization is working on. If you can't, then you're not leading well."

Understand Breadth, Depth, and Context.

"The most important thing I've learned since becoming CEO is context. It's how your company fits in with the world and how you respond to it."

4.    The importance of alignment and time management.

"There is no real magic to being a good leader. But at the end of every week, you have to spend your time around the things that are really important: setting priorities, measuring outcomes, and rewarding them."

5.    Leaders learn constantly and also have to learn how to teach.

"A leader's primary role is to teach. People who work with you don't have to agree with you, but they have to feel you're willing to share what you've learned."

6.    Stay true to your own style.

"Leadership is an intense journey into yourself. You can use your own style to get anything done. It's about being self-aware. Every morning, I look in the mirror and say, 'I could have done three things better yesterday.' "

7.    Manage by setting boundaries with freedom in the middle.

"The boundaries are commitment, passion, trust, and teamwork. Within those guidelines, there's plenty of freedom. But no one can cross those four boundaries."

8.    Stay disciplined and detailed.

"Good leaders are never afraid to intervene personally on things that are important. Michael Dell can tell you how many computers were shipped from Singapore yesterday."

9.    Leave a few things unsaid.

"I may know an answer, but I'll often let the team find its own way. Sometimes, being an active listener is much more effective than ending a meeting with me enumerating 17 actions."

10. Like people.

"Today, it's employment at will. Nobody's here who doesn't want to be here. So it's critical to understand people, to always be fair, and to want the best in them. And when it doesn't work, they need to know it's not personal."

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/81/immelt.html

     CONSIDER

"If every call to Christ and His righteousness is a call to suffering, the converse is equally -- every call to suffering is a call to Christ, a promotion, an invitation to come up higher."  Charles Brent (1862-1929)

     VERSE TO PONDER

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."  Proverbs 29:7 (NIV)

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

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN (meaningful poetry): LORD, IN THY NAME THY SERVANTS PLEAD

Words: John Keble, 1856

Music: "Lincoln," Thomas Ravenscroft, 1621

Lord, in Thy Name Thy servants plead,

And Thou hast sworn to hear;

Thine is the harvest, Thine the seed,

The fresh and fading year.

Our hope, when autumn winds blew wild,

We trusted, Lord, with Thee:

And still, now spring has on us smiled,

We wait on Thy decree.

The former and the latter rain,

The summer sun and air,

The green ear and the golden grain,

All Thine, are ours by prayer.

Thine too by right and ours by grace,

The wondrous growth unseen,

The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,

The love that shines serene.

So grant the precious things brought forth

By sun and moon below,

That Thee in Thy new heav'n and earth

We never may forgo.

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/t/litntspl.htm

     GOD FAQ

Question 42: Why was our Mediator called Christ?

Answer: Our Mediator was called Christ, because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure; and so set apart, and fully furnished with all authority and ability, to execute the offices of prophet, priest, and king of his church, in the estate both of his humiliation and exaltation.

http://www.shortercatechism.com/

     ON PRAYER

"Mind how you pray.  Make real business of it. Let it never be a dead formality.  Plead the promise in a truthful, business-like way.  Ask for what you want, because the Lord has promised it.  Believe that you have the blessing, and go forth to your work in full assurance of it. Go from your knees singing, because the promise is fulfilled: thus will your prayer be answered.  The strength [not length] of your prayer...wins...God; and the strength of prayer lies in your faith in the promise which you pleaded before the Lord."  C.H. Spurgeon, 19th century preacher and author

     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.

Creative Pumpkin Carving

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z576359FB

What your computer does when you go to bed

http://www.justracin.net/is.swf

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.)

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

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