CONNECTIONS 07/27/08
Connecting man to man to God
For week of July 27, 2008
Issue 217
“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“So give it all to God: your past regrets, your present problems, your future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don’t be afraid; nothing under his control can ever be out of control. Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything.” Rick Warren
AT NATION’S CHURCHES, GUYS ARE FEW IN THE PEWS
Churches nationwide are fretting and sweating to reel men into their sanctuaries on Sundays. Women outnumber men in attendance in every major Christian denomination, and they are 20% to 25% more likely to attend worship at least weekly. Although every soul matters, many pastors say they need to power up on reaching men if the next generation of believers, the children, will find the way to faith. So hundreds of churches are going for a “guy church” vibe, programming for a stereotypical man’s man…. Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-07-23-males-church_N.htm
EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD
“I am a fan of the budget that spends, saves, and gives. Any budget from a Christian perspective must, I believe, have a component of giving. Although people differ on whether a specific percentage is required of Christians, all would agree that Christians should give of their resources. The primary reason, of course, is that we give in recognition that everything belongs to God. But giving also challenges our natural inclination to depend on ourselves. When we give, especially when we are in debt and do not have what we think is enough, it forces us into a position of depending on God (see Malachi 3:10). Terry Hargrave, Boomers on the Edge: Three Realities That Will Change Your Life Forever
SON OF EVANGELIST GREG LAURIE DIES IN ACCIDENT
The son of prominent evangelist Greg Laurie died in a car accident the morning of July 24. Christopher Laurie, 33, was killed when his vehicle crashed into the back of a Caltrans truck on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona, Calif. He was on his way to Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside….
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080725/son-of-evangelist-greg-laurie-dies-in-accident.htm
CHANGE FROM WITHIN
“In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair….God’s love can only unleash its power when He is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it to break through the hard crust of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age.” Pope Benedict XVI, challenging the 350,000 young Catholics gathered in Sydney, Australia, for the World Youth Day festival [bbc.co.uk, 7/20/08]
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
“Leadership Gold” — a free book summary
This is the book that John C. Maxwell, motivational speaker and author of scores of books on leadership, waited until his 60th birthday to write. The result, drawn from his 40-year career, is practical coaching in how to improve your performance as a leader. He lists specifics steps you can take to stay on target, contend with critics, gain credibility and leave a worthy legacy, among other achievements. “Don’t send your ducks to eagle school,” one of his maxims, is characteristic of his signature down-to-earth approach….
http://www.summary.com/isroot/Soundview/Soundview/sample/smartbrief/3014w.pdf
VERSE TO PONDER
“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance.” Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), “Immortality,” The Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, 1941, P. A. Schilpp, Ed., p. 698
WAITING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD
by James MacDonald
By nature, God is a promiser. He’s made a ton of them to His children. A promise is the assurance that God gives to His people so they can walk by faith while they wait for Him to work. You don’t realize how much you need God’s promises until your smooth and easy life suddenly turns sideways. This is the time to dig into God’s Word and get something to wrap your faith around. Now the Christian life would be easy if the space in time is small between when you claim God’s promises and when you receive what He promised. Read it one day and get it the next. Wow — wouldn’t that be great!? But life’s not like that. The hard part is in the waiting between the promise and the answer; and even harder, when the waiting comes with uncertainties. Where’s this going? Where am I going to end up? What’s my future look like?
The reality is, we just don’t know and it’s this not-knowing that crushes us. We doubt because we don’t know. We worry and despair because we don’t know. We falter and sometimes fail – all because we don’t know. If only we knew how this trial was going to play out, we would be OK. But we don’t…. Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11579297/
LIVE IN THE SUNSHINE
by David Jeremiah
In times of suffering, choose to walk in the light, to “cheer up” and “live in the sunshine.” We mind our attitude by minding our thoughts, for as a person thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You” (Isaiah 26:3). Jeremiah faced cruel days, but deliberately turned his thoughts to God’s unfailing compassion and great faithfulness. “This I recall to mind,” he wrote, “therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21-24). One of the greatest discoveries of psychology is that it’s our thoughts which determine our emotions — not feelings which control thoughts. Suppose you found out a friend was treating you to a 2-week vacation. Would that influence your emotions? Or, you learned a loved one was rushed to the hospital, would that affect your feelings? Suppose you learned that Jesus Christ is the Light, and that in Him is no darkness. Suppose you wrapped your mind around that. It would bring sunshine into the darkest corners of your world. When our minds dwell on Jesus as the light, heavenly sunshine can pour into our souls…. Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11578661/
REVIEW: THE DARK KNIGHT
The sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins is the ideal summer blockbuster. It’s got the hype, the explosions, and the mass pop-culture allure….Under all that, though, lives an unnerving, serious, and ambitious crime drama about 3 good men with the courage to stand against evil — and how evil responds….There is hefty story material here. Can decent people walk in a land of indecency without being crushed, tainted, or turned? At what cost should good men fight evil? How do you stop a terrorist with no limits, no real motive, and no rules? If Batman Begins shows why a grown man would dress up like a bat, its sequel shows why that figure can’t really be a white-hat hero — but something far darker…. Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/darkknight.html
also read “Can Batman Teach Spiritual Truth”
http://christiannewswire.com/news/454007258.html
TRUE GRACE
“God’s grace is not a static attribute whereby He passively accepts hardened, unrepentant sinners. Grace does not change a person’s standing before God yet leave his character untouched. True grace, according to Scripture, teaches us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12 ). Grace is the power of God to fulfill our new covenant duties (1 Corinthians 7:19), however inconsistently we obey at times. Clearly, grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.” John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith?
OBAMA, MCCAIN’S FIRST JOINT APPEARANCE WILL BE IN A CHURCH
Barack Obama and John McCain will make their first joint 2008 campaign appearance to an audience of Christian activists at a Southern Baptist church. The two have agreed to participate in a “compassion forum” at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. on August 16. Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, extended the invitation.
“I just got to thinking, you know what? These guys have never been together on the same stage, it would be a neat way to cap the primary season before they both go to the conventions and things go dark for a couple of weeks,” he told The New York Times. “I’ve known both the guys for a long time, they’re both friends of mine, and I knew them before they ran for office, so I just called them up.”
Warren will moderate the forum, which will focus on moral/values issues — such as poverty, the environment, and global AIDS relief — in which many centrist and younger evangelicals have taken an increasing interest.
It will be in a non-debate format and Warren will interview the candidates separately for about an hour each. Warren will pose the questions. There will be no panel or questions from members of the audience. Obama will go first, as determined by a coin toss.
“The primaries proved that Americans care deeply about the faith, values, character, and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,” Warren said in a press release. “While I know both men as friends and they recognize I will be frank, but fair, they also know I will be raising questions in these four areas beyond what political reporters typically ask.” The four areas include: poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate, and human rights…. Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3415&Itemid=53
ATHLETES TO GET CHRISTIAN-ATHEIST BOOK AT BEIJING OLYMPICS
The Chinese government has granted an American evangelist permission to distribute a Christian-Atheist book to athletes and coaches during the Beijing Summer Olympics. Evangelist Luis Palau will be giving a copy of his book, A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian (www.zondervan.com/afriendlydialogue), to athletes attending the Games. The book records a conversation between atheist Chinese diplomat Zhao Qizheng -– a high-ranking Chinese government official -– and the Christian evangelist. It offers both the basic beliefs of Christianity and a unique perspective on Christianity and philosophy of religion as seen from Chinese culture and beliefs.
Palau’s distribution approval comes just one month after China announced that it will print and distribute 50,000 gospel booklets in Chinese and English for the Olympics. China said it will also print 30,000 Chinese-English New Testaments and 10,000 Chinese-English complete Bibles especially for the Games…. Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080724/athletes-to-get-christian-atheist-book-at-beijing-olympics.htm
LOVE HAS NO DEFENSES
“When your primary concern is maximum security, you will soon find yourself living in a prison. The anxiety and guilt you carry unconsciously drives you to protect yourself from others. Robert Frost gives helpful advice: “Do not build a wall until you know what you are walling in and what you are walling out.” Whether you are aware of it or not, you are instinctively building walls between you and other people. The bricks in your wall include the defenses of denial, projection, and repression. Beware of these psychological maneuvers and how you may be using them to avoid responsibility for your condition. Love has no defenses and only after you begin to break down your psychological walls will you realize your full potential for enjoying love.” Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott, Trading Places: The Best Move You’ll Ever Make in Your Marriage
‘UNCHURCHED’ WORSHIPPING MORE, ‘CHURCHED’ LESS?
A new survey shows that “unchurched” Americans may be worshipping more, and “churched” Americans worshipping less, than many people might think. Numerous surveys track trends among “unchurched” Americans, but what does “unchurched” really mean? Does it mean never attending religious services, not attending regularly, or to simply be unaffiliated with a particular congregation? Phoenix, Ariz.-based Ellison Research said the most common definitions “often don’t tell a complete story about how Americans attend religious worship services.” The Ellison survey shows that 40% of the “unchurched” do not entirely stay away from worship services, and 37% of “churched” Americans do not make it to religious services every week, even though they consider themselves regular attenders…. Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-07-20-unchurched-worship_N.htm
CONSIDER
“Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.” Thomas Brooks
VERSE TO PONDER
[The Lord says,] “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’” Isaiah 41:10
THIS WEEK’S HYMN: SUMMER SUNS ARE GLOWING
Words: William W. How, 1871
Music: Samuel Smith, 1865
Summer suns are glowing over land and sea;
Happy light is flowing, bountiful and free;
Everything rejoices in the mellow rays;
Earth’s ten thousand voices swell the psalm of praise.
God’s free mercy streameth over all the world,
And His banner gleameth, by His church unfurled;
Broad and deep and glorious, as the heaven above,
Shines in might victorious His eternal love.
Lord, upon our blindness Thy pure radiance pour;
For Thy lovingkindness we would love Thee more;
And when clouds are drifting dark across the sky,
Then, the veil uplifting, Father, be Thou nigh.
We will never doubt Thee, though Thou veil Thy light;
Life is dark without Thee, death with Thee is bright;
Light of light, shine o’er us on our pilgrim way;
Go Thou still before us to the endless day.
>from CyberHymnal at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/u/summersg.htm
ON PRAYER
“Spiritual growth is impossible apart from the practice of prayer. Just as the key to enhanced relationships with other people is time spent in communication, so the key to a growing relationship with the personal God of heaven and earth is time invested in speaking to Him in prayer and listening to His voice in Scripture.” Kenneth Boa, author and President of Reflections Ministries
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.]
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