MAY FLOWERS
April Showers brings May Flowers – right?!?!
As is the continued tradition, the first E-Mail Ministry message of the
month is my chance to talk to all of you about E-Mail Ministry and other
related items. So here goes this month’s edition (ok, it’s another long
one!!):
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR TODAY’S MESSAGE:
[WHAT’S NEW AT E-MAIL MINISTRY?] [MANY THANKS]
[“AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM” DISTRIBUTION LIST ERROR] [MIRACLE MAKER]
[OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY UPDATE] [PRAY2K] [A POEM] [A CHILD’S TESTIMONY]
[TAKE THIS QUIZ] [RETURNED MAIL/DROPPED E-MAIL ADDRESSES]
[FEED THE HUNGRY FOR FREE] [SPECIAL THANKS FROM DOUG]
* * *
WHAT’S NEW AT E-MAIL MINISTRY?
— Last Month’s Special Request: Guest Book and Question Poll: I had
several responses to my request for assistance in locating free
services, such as a guest book, bulletin board, revenue generating
banners, to add to the web site. A guest book, two question polls and
referral ability have been added to the front page. The guest book
gives you a chance to sign in and leave a message. The question poll is
a single question with multiple choices for answers. The first question
has to do with age group. The second question asks which gender you
are. I am curious of the demographics of our subscribers. I am not
sure how frequently the poll questions will change. At least once a
month but maybe more frequently. I am still investigating revenue
generating banners to help offset the costs of E-Mail Ministry. The
banners on the guest book, poll questions and referral do NOT support
E-Mail Ministry. Thanks to all who sent suggestions.
— Humor Pages: They have been updated!!! I have reconfigured the
‘Humor’ section to work much like the ‘Archives’ pages. 19 new humor
selections have been added for your reading enjoyment.
— Some Numbers:
Total number of subscribers: 4,842
Increase from last month: 888
Total number of web site hits: 7,482
Increase from last month: 1,743
Total number of countries with subscribers: 25
Increase from last month: 5
Countries with subscribers: Australia, Barbados*, Belize, Brazil,
Bulgaria*, Canada, China*, Czech Republic*, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand*, Nicaragua, Papua
New Guinea*, Russia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sweden, Venezuela,
United Kingdom, United States (all states except Vermont), Zimbabwe
* New countries this month.
If you are from a country other than those listed above, please let me
know by sending an e-mail to emailministry@emailministry.org
Only one state without an E-Mail Ministry subscriber: Vermont —
somebody has to be from the beautiful state of Vermont!
— Web Site Votes: This month marks the first month that E-Mail
Ministry is ranked number 1 in the “Computers & Internet – Mailing
Lists” category on the Cross Daily Awesome Christian Sites and we are in
the top 10% in overall ranking. We are consistently ranked number on in
the Christian Internet Resources’s Top 50 Sites. Thanks to all who vote
for us. The higher the ranking the more visibility the more people we
reach!
— Christian Site of the Day Award: On 17-April E-Mail Ministry was
notified that it had been awarded the “Christian Site of the Day Award”
due to its great content.
— Usage of E-Mail Ministry messages: I have received requests for
approval to use the E-Mail Ministry messages for bible studies, youth
groups, sermons, etc. I encourage you to use the messages in any way
the Lord leads you. I do have one request (and it is an optional
request). If you don’t mind, it would be nice if you put “message
distributed by E-Mail Ministry (https://www.emailministry.org)” at the
bottom of any material you use. That way more people will become aware
of this ministry.
* * *
MANY THANKS
I want to thank all of you who sent responses and e-cards in response to
the Easter card – more than I could count or respond to. I appreciate
your thoughtfulness, kind words and prayers.
* * *
“AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM” DISTRIBUTION LIST ERROR
Well, even an honest error can be used by God to make His point. The
message titled “And They Crucified Him” went out without all the e-mail
address blocked. I sent out an apology as possible. I had numerous
“don’t worry about it” responses but my favorite was this one:
“Let me give you another ‘take’ on the ‘mistake’ you made in not
blocking names.
I, at first, thought “Whoa, what is this?” By the time I finished the
list of names and began to read about the crucifixion, I had chill
bumps. My 10 yr old grandson was reading it with me and it occurred to
us that it was “people” (EVERY person) who crucified Christ, or at least
it was BECAUSE of and FOR every person that Christ was crucified. I
thought it was intentional to show person after person after person to
bring home a point.
May God bless you and the others at e-ministries as you glorify Him in
your messages.” – Peggy S.
Thanks Peggy. Good to hear how God is using even our mistakes to tell
others of the Good News!
* * *
MIRACLE MAKER
Based on feedback from those who watched the Miracle Maker on ABC it
seems the show was well accepted. Several people have asked for a way
to send opinions and feedback to ABC. Looking through their web site I
came across their E-Mail page:
http://www.abc.go.com/email_abc/mail_home.html
* * *
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY UPDATE
Last month I notified you of an outreach opportunity in Haiti. Here is
the original text and below it is are excerpts from an update e-mail.
Serge notified me that 3 subscribers inquired about this ministry
opportunity.
“March 28 2000
Greetings in the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
My name is Serge Montes. I am a Haitian pastor actually in Boston,
Massachusetts. I am from Pain de Vie Ministries. Pain de Vie is a small
outreach ministry located in Haiti, which offers basic biblical, and
leadership training to Haitian believers who have been called to the
ministry in rural areas of our country. I am returning back to Haiti
very soon, but before I do so, I am hoping, that God will lead us, to a
Ministry or a church here in the US which will be interested in
developing a working partnership with us in Haiti.
I wish to thank you in advance for your consideration and may God bless
your ministry.
In His service,
Serge Montes”
Update e-mail from Pain de Vie Ministries:
“April 29, 2000
To our dear friends at E-mail Ministry:
Greetings in the Name of the lord!
It’s a pleasure to hear from you again. Our visit in the US has been
wonderful and blessed by the Lord.
We know that God is never too late, and that He always acts, not
according to our schedule, but according to His own plan. On the other
hand, you probably know also that, it is totally against our nature as
human beings to stand still and do nothing when we face perplexing
trials. Therefore, pray for us, so that we believers will accept to
surrender to His will, His timing and His purpose, knowing that Our God
is always searching the earth for a people who will trust him in every
crisis, in every trial and in every hopeless situation. We believe that
God often leads us into situations that are alarming, critical, and
difficult, in order to test our faith. He wants to see if we’re willing
to stand still and wait for him to bring supernatural deliverance.
Accordingly to what we have mentioned earlier in our first letter, we
are leaving the US by the 10th of May. As of now, we have received a
message from three subscribers of E-mail ministry. We thank you for your
support. We will be praying for your ministry, and would like to offer
you our best wishes for the wonderful work of our Lord.
As we look forward to return home, we praise God for all the things that
He has done, and the privilege of being used by Him. We are certain that
He will continue to do Great things in the days to come!
In His Grace,
Serge Montes
PS. Please note that it would be a blessing to us if we could stay in
touch with the email ministry while we labor for our Lord in Haiti. Our
email address in Haiti is: smontes1@hotmail.com
Pain de Vie Ministries
Attn: Serge Borris Montes
PO Box 16265
Petion-Ville, Haiti WI”
This is a wonderful opportunity and I hope one that you will prayerfully
consider.
* * *
PRAY2K
This years National Day of Prayer is May 4th. From a bookmark I
received:
“As you go to prayer today, here’s a wonderful model to follow for more
effective intercession.
P raise
R epent
A sk
Y ield
Praise: Focus on God. Forget about yourself for a minute and give Him
the honor He deserves. When we praise God, we draw close and
acknowledge our dependence on Him. Psalm 135:1-3, Psalm 150 “Dear God,
You’re awesome! Here’s why I love you. . . “
Repent: Tell God you’re sorry. Confess all ungodly thoughts, words or
deeds. Be specific because our sin builds up a wall. Rely on God’s
strength to help you turn away from sin. Isaiah 55:6,7, Matthew 4:17
“Lord, I’m sorry I messed up. Please forgive me for. . .”
Ask: Call on God. Got a secret? Feeling depressed? Need some
answers? You can share anything with God and ask for help. His Word
promises He will listen and answer! Matthew 7:7-8 “Dear Father, I need
Your help. . .”
Yield: Trust God. You know of His great love for you and that His
answers are what’s best. Wait, watch and listen for God to move. James
4:7 “Dear Lord, I trust your love for me. . .”
* * *
A POEM
Each of us will eventually
give away all our earthly
possessions. How we choose to
do so, however, is a
reflection of our commitment
to the kingdom of God.
—-Charles Stanley
* * *
A CHILD’S TESTIMONY
When my daughter was age 3, we were driving her to daycare and that
particular day it was raining! She ask why is it raining? My response
was God is sad and that he is crying! Her response was “not my God, my
God is always happy.” It was then that I knew she truly understood God
and that going to church made more of an impression on her than I
realized. An I realized that those were tears of joy not despair. Now I
am grateful for everyday, where snowy, rainy or humid. We always have
the world to be thankful for.
— Norma B.
* * *
TAKE THIS QUIZ
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are
no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and
certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Wasn’t that much Easier?
What’s the lesson?
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones
that care.
* * *
FEED THE HUNGRY FOR FREE (and do it every day!):
You can help feed hungry people, at no cost to you, by pointing your
internet browser to http://www.thehungersite.com Click the Donate Free
Food button to bring up a page of corporate sponsors, each of whom
contributes 1/2 cent per click, which translates to 1/4 cup of cooked
food. The food is distributed through the United Nations World Food
Program. Founded by an unnamed “private individual,” the site displays a
map that dims one country every 3.6 seconds, signifying a death from
hunger. Three quarters of those deaths are children under 5. A link has
been placed on the E-Mail Ministry main page and link page to this site
to make it easier for your to click it each day!
“When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of
John, do you truly love me more than these?’. ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said,
‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.'” – John 21, 15
* * *
SPECIAL THANKS FROM DOUG
Well, if you got down this far last month you read that I presented the
message at my church’s April 9th contemporary worship. I appreciate all
the prayers I received. The service went quite well touching many
people’s hearts. Thanks, the Spirit did great work during that service.
* * *
Well, the flowers are starting to grow (and so is the grass!). I pray
you had a blessed season of Lent and Easter. The Lord is Risen! He has
Risen indeed!!
— doug
emailministry@emailministry.org