MSM CONNECTIONS
For the week of 12/05/04
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
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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
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"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12 (NIV)
CONSIDER
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
AMERICANS DESCRIBE
SOURCES OF SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT AND FRUSTRATION
Most Americans consider themselves to be spiritual people. How committed are they to their faith? What gives them the greatest sense of spiritual satisfaction and fulfillment? And what's the one aspect of their spiritual life they would most like to change? A new survey from The Barna Group describes what gives people their spiritual satisfaction and how they believe it could be further enhanced. Reflect on George Barna's comments that most adults have neither a plan nor a process designed to help them effectively deepen their faith. Compare your personal thoughts on these matters to how the rest of the nation feels by reading this free report at
THE SCIENCE OF
LOSTOLOGY
by John Kramp
"Most Christians have no idea what it feels like to be a non-Christian on the receiving end of an evangelistic sales pitch. Raised in a "Leave It to Beaver" home with godly parents, I cannot ever remember feeling uncomfortable in church. Biblical truths are as much a part of my life as breathing. How can I possibly communicate with unsaved people if I don't know where they're coming from and how they feel?
"To that end, I'm pleased to introduce the science of lostology, a new field I've defined as "the study of being lost and what that experience can teach Christians about evangelism." If you draw on your experiences of being physically lost to understand how people feel when they're spiritually lost, you'll talk about faith more naturally, empathetically and convincingly. You'll get out of their faces and into their shoes...."
Read this article in full at
http://www.newmanmag.com/article.php?sid=565&mode=thread&order=0
CONSIDER
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." Corrie ten Boom
YOUR LIFE'S BIGGER PICTURE:
Seeing Beyond Your Limitations to Your True Potential "Blaine had just purchased an audio system for his ministry, Nehemiah Ministries, from a Wheaton, Maryland firm owned and managed by a man who'd been blind since age 13.
"It was a wake-up call like few I've experienced in a long time. As I drove home, I thought of the many limitations I bemoan in my own life that are very minor next to Greg's. I felt like God was shaking me by the shoulders, saying, 'Stop dwelling on your disadvantages. Stop worrying about what you don't have. Focus on what you do have -- the resources, gifts and opportunities that I've given you--and give your energy to making the best of them.' "
Read the rest of the story at
http://www.gospelcom.net/nehemiah/bigger2.htm
WHO IS JOHN STOTT?
by David Brooks, The New York Times
"Tim Russert is a great journalist, but he made a mistake last weekend. He included Jerry Falwell and Al Sharpton in a discussion on religion and public life.
"Inviting these two bozos onto "Meet the Press" to discuss that issue is like inviting Britney Spears and Larry Flynt to discuss D. H. Lawrence. Naturally, they got into a demeaning food fight that would have lowered the intellectual discourse of your average nursery school.
"This is why so many people are so misinformed about evangelical Christians. There is a world of difference between real-life people of faith and the made-for-TV, Elmer Gantry-style blowhards who are selected to represent them. Falwell and Pat Robertson are held up as spokesmen for evangelicals, which is ridiculous. Meanwhile people like John Stott, who are actually important, get ignored.
"It could be that you have never heard of John Stott. I don't blame you. As far as I can tell, Stott has never appeared on an important American news program. A computer search suggests that Stott's name hasn't appeared in this newspaper since April 10, 1956, and it's never appeared in many other important publications.
"Yet, as Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center notes, if evangelicals could elect a pope, Stott is the person they would likely choose. He was the framer of the Lausanne Covenant, a crucial organizing document for modern evangelicalism. He is the author of more than 40 books, which have been translated into over 72 languages and have sold in the millions. Now rector emeritus at All Souls, Langham Place, in London, he has traveled the world preaching and teaching...."
Read this Op-Ed piece in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/opinion/30brooks.html?oref=login
VERSE TO PONDER
"Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen." Romans 13:1 (Msg)
CONSIDER
"If the pleasures of love can attract a man to a woman, if hunger and loneliness can make a man travel miles in search of food and shelter, how much more will the desire for truth and holiness make a man seek God." Augustine of Hippo
PLAIN ENGLISH AWARDS
This organization rewards the best readable communication every year. It also spotlights miserable failures, such as last year's 'winner' for gobbledygook: Jungle.com for an email message. The company was asked a simple question - Do you still sell blank CDs? Instead of simply saying 'No', the company replied: "We are currently in the process of consolidating our product range to ensure that the products that we stock are indicative of our brand aspirations. As part of our range consolidation we have also decided to revisit our supplier list and employ a more intelligent system for stock acquisition. As a result of the above certain product lines are now unavailable through jungle.com, whilst potentially remaining available from more mainstream suppliers." See this year's winners at
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/awards.html
ALCOHOL ABUSE STATS
A 2002 study, commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, found the following results were true on a yearly average:
* 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related injuries.
* 500,000 students are accidentally injured while under the influence of alcohol.
* More than 600,000 college students are assaulted by other students who've been drinking.
* More than 70,000 students are sexually assaulted or date-raped by people who've been drinking.
* More than 100,000 students say they were too drunk to know if they willingly had sexual relations.
* 2.1 million students drive under the influence of alcohol.
* 31% of students qualify for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6% for alcohol dependence.
* More than 150,000 students report a health problem related to drinking alcohol.
* About 25% say they have academic problems stemming from alcohol use.
The consequences of excessive drinking are far too common on many college campuses nationwide, and efforts to reduce high-risk drinking and its related problems have largely failed," task force co-chair Mark Goldman of the University of South Florida said in a written release. The study, based on data from a variety of sources, reports students who drink the most include first-year students, males, whites, athletes and fraternity and sorority members. Students who drink the least are found at religious schools, two-year institutions, commuter schools, and historically black schools, according to the report.
Although recent studies show the percentage of college students who abstain from alcohol has increased from 15% to 19% between 1993 and 1999, binge drinking has become a concern, according to the report. About 40% of students binge drink. Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least five drinks in a row for men and at least four in a row for women. About 20% of students say they've binged more than three times in the last two weeks, according to the report.
CHRISTIAN VALUES
GAINING CREDIBILITY IN ERA OF BUSINESS REFORM
The first principle in creating a growing and sustainable work culture is simple, says business consultant Ken Jennings. "Good people make good companies. Self-serving leaders create self-serving followers, and self-serving followers do only what they're told. They lack ingenuity and overall responsibility. Self-sacrificing leaders, on the other hand, serve their workers and see them as a precious resource. They're willing to divest themselves of power when necessary to remove barriers to their workers' success, unleashing workers' gifts or strengths. They're not threatened by their workers' promotions....."
Read this article in full at
http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=7514
A DEFINITION OF
LEADERSHIP
"The process of motivating, mobilizing, resourcing, and directing people to passionately and strategically pursue a vision from God that a group jointly embraces." George Barna, A Fish Out of Water (Integrity, 2002)
BIBLICAL BLOOPERS
Here are New Testament bloopers from Sunday school students:
* When the three wise guys from the East Side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager. Jesus was born because Mary had an emaculate contraption.
* St. John, the Blacksmith, dumped water on his head.
* Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. He also explained, "Man doth not live by sweat alone."
* It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.
* The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.
* A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.
* The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
* One of the opossums was St. Matthew, who was by profession a taximan.
* When Mary heard that she was the Mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
* St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
CONSIDER
"Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord." John Baillie (1886-1960)
VERSE TO PONDER
"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others." 2 Peter 1:5 (Msg)
LISTEN TO "THE
TWELVE VOICES OF CHRISTMAS"
Back to the Bible invites you to hear Dr. Kroll's The Twelve Voices of Christmas on its website. It's an audio reenactment of the stories of 12 people who were witnesses to the coming of the Messiah. Hear the powerful retelling of the impact that Christ's birth had on these well-known individuals and hear the voices of disclosure, disbelief, blessing, preparation and more. Enjoy this popular Christmas feature as you reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.
http://www.backtothebible.org/christmas/12home.htm
THIS WEEK'S HYMN:
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
Words: Translated from French to English by James Chadwick, 1862
Music: French carol melody arranged by Edward S. Barnes
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Refrain
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Refrain
Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Refrain
See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.
Refrain
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/n/angelswe.htm
HEALTHY CHRISTMAS
Every year, many people feel ill after consuming their holiday feast or the leftovers the next day. Apparently, many of us aren't paying close attention to the rules of food preparation and storage -- or maybe we don't know the rules as well as we should. To help prevent holiday food disasters, here's advice from Ron Schmidt, Ph.D., food science professor at University of Florida and coauthor of Food Safety Handbook (Wiley):
PREPARATION
Most critical to food safety, says Dr. Schmidt, is the foods' temperature. Anything between 40°F and 140°F is considered the danger zone -- not cool enough to keep pathogens at bay and not hot enough to kill them.
Never thaw a turkey on the counter. Reason: The bird's internal temperature is likely to rise into the danger zone above 40°F. To defrost the turkey faster than the several days it takes in the refrigerator (24 hours per five pounds), you can thaw the bird in a sealed bag kept in cold water in a bowl or the sink. But be sure the water does not go above the requisite 40°F. Change it regularly -- at least every 30 minutes -- to keep it cold. When cooking a turkey, bring the internal temperature to 180°F. Use an instant-read cooking thermometer inserted in the inner thigh, but don't let it touch bone.
BOTULISM IN BENIGN PLACES
An innocent onion or clove of garlic can cause botulism, an extremely serious form of food poisoning. Dr. Schmidt explains that sautéed onions allowed to sit at room temperature for more than one hour can be a potential source of botulism. Garlic, when it's stored in oil, such as in homemade garlic-infused oils, also sets the stage for possible botulism. This is because garlic and onions both contain clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that is safe unless it is deprived of oxygen, in which case its spores will become toxic.
Amazingly, the USDA warns that if you wrap potatoes in foil for cooking (which actually steams rather than bakes them), you should either refrigerate or serve right away. If kept at room temperature for any length of time -- such as overnight – they too may cause botulism.
In the dairy department, most people know that raw eggs in any form -- including eggnog -- can be dangerous. Additionally, people who have suppressed immune systems should not eat cheese made with raw milk. By law, labels must state whether the cheese is made with raw milk and whether it has been aged at least 60 days. These exotic and expensive cheeses are found in high-end stores, such as Whole Foods -- not in your neighborhood grocery store.
CROSS CONTAMINATION
The other ironclad rule of food safety is to avoid cross contamination. Turkey carries the same threat of kitchen contamination as chicken does, says Dr. Schmidt, so it's vital to be sure you cleanse effectively. Because most kitchens become overcrowded with food and people during holiday meal preparations, it will help to have some hygiene rules in effect ahead of time.
* Use two cutting boards, one for poultry and meat and one for everything else.
* Cleanse boards after every use and counters frequently. A bleach solution (one teaspoon bleach to one quart of warm water) will sanitize boards and counters from poultry residue. Pour the solution down the kitchen drain afterward to sanitize it and the pipes below.
* Replace cracked wood boards and nicked plastic boards. It is impossible to clean them thoroughly, says Dr. Schmidt.
* Clean the carving board and knives used for cooked poultry and meat with hot, soapy water right after use.
* Wash your hands often and thoroughly and always after handling poultry and meat. It doesn't matter what kind of soap you use, but scrub for at least 20 seconds each time.
STORING THE LEFTOVERS
When it comes to safety in storage, remember the 40°/140° rule. Cooked food should not sit out for more than a few hours. When you refrigerate, do it in such a way that the food will cool quickly to 40°F or below. Break up large batches of food into smaller containers and cut up chunks of turkey or meat into smaller pieces, then cover and refrigerate. And don't overstuff the refrigerator to the point that it compromises air circulation -- send at least some leftovers home with your guests.
THOSE GREAT TURKEY SANDWICHES
If you reheat turkey meat, bring it to 165°F and finish the bird off in no more than four days. Reheat gravy by bringing it to a boil, and don't keep it around for more than two days. It is okay to eat cold turkey, as long as it has been stored below 40°F and is eaten within a few hours once removed from the refrigerator.
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/
ON PRAYER
"May God open our eyes to see what the holy ministry of intercession is to which, as His royal priesthood, we have been set apart. May He give us a large and strong heart to believe what mighty influence our prayers can exert. And may all fear as to our being able to fulfill our vocation vanish as we see Jesus, living ever to pray, living in us to pray, and standing surety for our prayer-life." Andrew Murray, 19th century minister and author
CRITICAL PRAYER
REQUESTS FOR STRATEGIC NATIONS
We're praying for our fellow believers in a different nation each week.
Please pray for...UKRAINE
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/up.html
Ukraine is undergoing turmoil in the wake of recent elections. Listen to this NPR interview with Taras Kuzio, a visiting scholar at George Washington University, as he talks about the disputed presidential election in Ukraine.
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=4191998
Of the two men fighting for the presidency in the Ukraine, one has been painted as a reformer and a friend of Europe and the United States, the other, as a friend of Russia and the oligarchs. Steven Nix of the International Republican Institute talked about the two candidates to NPR's Renee Montagne. Listen at
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=4194506
One U.S. Christian who traveled to that country says, "Many people we met asked us to pray for their, at that time, upcoming election. We have and continue, but little did we realize to what extent this would be needed. Their threats from closer ties to Russia are very real: Russia would bleed the nation dry of its natural resources, return little or nothing and place its centralized restrictions on the populace that would not foster true freedom for its people. I know firsthand how the Russians view the Ukrainians. My parents are from Ukraine; my daughters are from Russia. While there to adopt our daughters I felt the overt disdain they have of Ukraine and its history. Not all Slav's are created equal. Following is a link for photo's of various cities within Ukraine."
http://mamba-real.crocodile.org/UA-Election-2004/
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
* Pastor Arnold Pulliam
* Bro. Gerald Williams
* Bro. Byron Hayes
* Bro. Damien Robinson
* Bro. Needle Wilson
* Bro. LaMallon Howard
* Bro. Joe Ross
* Bro. Lester Yancey
* Elder Tim Howard
* Pastor Alan Roundtree
[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.
Advent and Christmas
http://www.spirithome.com/advent.html
Belief Bulletins
http://www.namb.net/evangelism/iev/belief_bulletins/cults_sects.asp
Funstarters
Smart Leadership
http://www.SmartLeadership.com
List of Spiritual Blogs [From Beliefnet]
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/151/story_15149_1.html
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.)
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
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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: http://www.newjoydivine.org/
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