Path Of Life: February 2011

For week of February 27, 2011
Issue 345

The weekly newsletter of Path Of Life Ministries.
Our mission is to lead men to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for Christian men to grow in their faith and minister to others.

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"If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:3

     CONSIDER
"He is to be seen in the light of a cottage window as well as in the sun or the stars."
Arthur G. Clutton-Brock

     INTERVIEW: JOHN MACARTHUR ON BEING A 'SLAVE' FOR CHRIST, MIDDLE EAST UNREST
Evangelical preacher John MacArthur has been studying Scripture for more than 50 years. Yet in his new book, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, he reveals that only recently he discovered a centuries-long "cover-up" by New Testament translators.

"Slave" is the word that almost every English translation of Scripture has avoided using, in favor of the term "servant." But MacArthur insists that the image of a slave is absolutely critical for understanding what it means to follow Jesus.

MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., and author of more than 150 books, recently spoke to The Christian Post about his new book, the anti-government protests in North Africa and the Middle East, and his 50 years in ministry.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-john-macarthur-on-being-a-slave-for-christ-middle-east-unrest-49087/

Also see "John MacArthur: Mideast Uprisings Violate Biblical Command"
http://www.christianpost.com/news/influential-evangelical-mideast-uprisings-violate-biblical-command-49086/

and "Dr. Ken Boa on the Uprising in Egypt, Biblical Prophecy"
http://www.christianpost.com/news/dr-ken-boa-on-the-uprising-in-egypt-biblical-prophecy-48934/

and "Mideast Revolutions Draw Mixed Reactions from U.S. Christians"
http://www.christianpost.com/news/mideast-revolutions-draw-mixed-reactions-from-us-christians-49123/

     LIBYA SITUATION 'WORSE' THAN TV BROADCASTS PORTRAY
Open Doors reports that violence between pro-government forces and protesters in Libya is "much worse than what you see on the news," according to one contact who remains anonymous for security reasons. "There are no police in the streets and no safety and protection anymore," he said. Autocratic President Moammar Gaddafi has reportedly ordered military forces against his own people and thousands have confirmed dead despite government censors. Open Doors' source believes the situation could devolve even further. "Libya is a tribal society and that is affecting the situation for the worse. The tribe of Gaddafi will eventually turn against the other tribes and that will create civil war. The small indigenous church in Libya is very hard to contact, but Christians are under major pressure. Anything that is "different" is a cause for suspicion, and many believers are scared of what could happen to them. Libya is ranked No. 25 on the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians.... Read this in full at
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/media-center/press-release/2011/February/Libya-Situation-Worse-than-What-You-See-on-the-News

     SOMALI PIRATES KILL BIBLE DISTRIBUTORS
Bible distributors who were taken hostage by Somali pirates were killed while negotiations between the pirates and US military forces were underway Feb. 22.

US forces boarded the yacht in response to gunfire, and discovered that four hostages had been shot. Two of the pirates were killed, and 13 captured in a confrontation, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. Scott and Jean Adam's vessel Quest was taken hostage last week; 19 pirates were believed to be involved in the hijacking.

"As (US forces) responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors," the US Central Command statement said. "Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds."

Scott Adam is a master of divinity graduate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. He also received a master of theology from the school in 2010, says Fred Messick, Fuller's associate vice president of public affairs.

The couple had expressed some unease in an e-mail sent several days before the hijacking, says Craig Detweiler, a professor at Pepperdine University, who attended Fuller with Adam.

"They acknowledged that they were navigating a global hot spot," he said. "But it was also not like them to shy away. Things grew strangely silent in the last week."

The Adams were married later in life, Detweiler said, describing Scott as having a "deeply liturgical" Anglican and Catholic faith.

"They had a rooted confidence in the authoritative power of God's word," Detweiler said. "Their notion of traveling the world and spreading the word of God connected to all that they understood about our calling in life." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/februaryweb-only/somalipirates.html

Also see "Slain yachters called 'brave adventurers'"
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/22/somalia.boaters.profile/index.html?hpt=C2

and "Slain Americans were delivering Bibles"
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/22/slain-americans-were-delivering-bibles/

and "Fuller Seminary Professor Stunned by Scott Adam's Death"
http://www.christianpost.com/news/fuller-seminary-professor-stunned-by-scott-adams-death-49133/

     'ADOPT A TERRORIST FOR PRAYER,' SITE URGES
Could you pray for people who planned bombings, carried out shootings and terrorized civilians? A movement in the US is asking Christians to do just that.
At atfp.org, Christians are asked to "adopt a terrorist for prayer." A quote from the Bible on the site urges visitors to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Adopt a Terrorist For Prayer (ATFP) spokesman Thomas Bruce tells CNN the site's main goals are to teach people how to pray for their enemies and to spiritually reform the terrorists. While the idea of praying for your foes isn't new, Bruce says his team created the site in hopes of transforming the war against terrorists.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/25/adopt-a-terrorist-for-prayer-site-urges/

     RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PRAYER BULLETIN
by Elizabeth Kendal
During February we prayed for...

ARAB WORLD, where minority Christians wait to see what will emerge out of the chaos.

ETHIOPIA, where the federal government, due to ethnic federalism, seems unwilling or unable to intervene as Christians living in majority Muslim autonomous regions suffer rising levels of Islamic intolerance, violence and imposition of Sharia Law.

INDIA, where the dangerous ideology of fascist Hindutva (radical, militant Hindu nationalism) advances unchallenged..... Read this in full at
http://www.ea.org.au/ea-family/Religious-Liberty/February-Prayer-Update.aspx

     DOCTRINAL BOOT CAMP
by Chuck Colson
If you have survived a Marine Corps boot camp, read no further. If not, this article is for you.

Over the years I've grown concerned about Christians — especially younger ones — who express little interest in the basic doctrines of the faith. They don't want to appear to be dogmatic or judgmental. I can understand why; after all, as Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman pointed out in unChristian, we older evangelicals have often come across that way. But our failures do not alter the fact that understanding and living by these doctrines are essential to, well, being Christians.

An aversion to doctrine caused some thoroughly orthodox young evangelicals to decline to sign the Manhattan Declaration (which defends human life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty), even though the document is rooted in Scripture. As one young evangelical explained to me, "We don't like dogmatic statements that a lot of people have to sign." What about the Nicene Creed or the Westminster Confession of Faith?

So I was delighted recently to visit a 31-year-old evangelical who understood my concern. Like me, this young man, Donovan Campbell, was a former Marine Corps officer. He has written a gripping book, Joker One, about his experiences in Iraq as a platoon commander. I asked him about younger evangelicals who believe that we oldsters aren't being sensitive enough to their concerns. "Can you imagine," he asked, "what would happen if a scruffy young recruit were to tell his Marine drill instructor at Parris Island that he ought to be more sensitive to his needs?" .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/february/doctrinalbootcamp.html

     HOW TIMOTHY KELLER SPREADS THE GOSPEL IN NEW YORK CITY, AND BEYOND
In 1989, Timothy Keller moved from rural Virginia to New York City with his wife and sons to start Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The church started small but in the past two decades has grown to 5,000 weekly attenders, attracting attention from the New York Times for its ministry to New Yorkers after the September 11th attacks and New York magazine, which called Keller the "most successful Christian Evangelist in the city" in 2006. Keller's influence began to extend beyond New York in 2008 when he published The Reason for God, a rational defense of belief in God that became a New York Times bestseller. Keller spoke with The Atlantic about how his success as a writer has affected his church and the process he went through to write his latest book, The King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus.

Q: What made you decide to write a book about the life of Jesus?
A: In a way, the reason why I wrote the book is I'm a Christian minister. And a basic job, I think, is to get people to be attracted to Jesus. That's the purpose of the book: to take the continual, almost inexorable, interest that people have in Jesus—it seems like no matter whether people have a positive or negative view of the church, regardless of whether the culture is secular or religious, there is an interest in Jesus. I'm trying to connect with that because I find Jesus very attractive, and I want people to be attracted to him.... Read this in full at
http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/02/how-timothy-keller-spreads-the-gospel-in-new-york-city-and-beyond/71301/1/

     PRAYERS FROM THE AIR
They call Colorado Springs "Little Jerusalem" for good reason. Christian churches from mega to micro dot this city nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and prayer is an integral part of the lives of many of the worshipers who fill those pews.

Most prayers start on the ground and are sent heavenward. But helicopter pilot Will Sanders is taking prayer to the air by flying pastors up to the skies to pray down on the people below. "I believe prayer works, and I want to take prayer warriors up to pray for their community. Inspire them to see it from a different angle, from a different view," he said.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/21/prayers-from-the-air/

     THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU: FATE VS. FREE WILL, MATT DAMON STYLE
by Eryn Sun
How much power exactly do the agents of fate hold over someone's life? Can free will ever win over fate? And is it free will or fate that orchestrates action? Such are the questions that come to mind throughout George Nolfi's newest film, "The Adjustment Bureau," based on the short story by Phillip K. Dick.

"The intention of this film is to raise questions – that's what art should do," commented Nolfi about his soon-to-be released motion picture at an earlier Pasadena screening. And that, Mr. Nolfi, it definitely did.

The screening on Feb. 15 was followed by a discussion led by Craig Detweiler, associate professor of communication at Pepperdine University. "I don't think you can create an equivalency of this film to Christian theology or Scripture," Detweiler told The Christian Post. But "this is a film that deals with all kinds of forms of thinking about these issues. Is there one plan? Are there many plans? How do I find the plan? What if I get off the plan?" .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-adjustment-bureau-fate-vs-free-will-matt-damon-style-49022/

     THE SEASON OF LENT
Ash Wednesday is March 9, 2011. The season of Lent has not been well observed in much of evangelical Christianity, largely because it was associated with "high church" liturgical worship that some churches were eager to reject. However, much of the background of evangelical Christianity, for example the heritage of John Wesley, was very "high church." Many of the churches that had originally rejected more formal and deliberate liturgy are now recovering aspects of a larger Christian tradition as a means to refocus on spirituality in a culture that is increasingly secular.... Read this in full at
http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html

     "IS ROMANS 8:28 STILL IN THE BIBLE?"
by Michael Hyatt
Life is not problem-free. As one of my friends says, "You're either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to go into a crisis." The key to maintaining your balance is perspective. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to ask the right question.

Years ago, I went to Sam Moore's office for my weekly one-on-one meeting. He was the CEO of Thomas Nelson at the time and my boss. As I entered the executive suite, I felt my stomach tighten. I had bad news to report, and I was concerned how he might react.

As I entered his office, he greeted me in his usual, upbeat manner. "Michael Hyatt, good to see you, my man. Have a seat." I tried to smile, hoping his mood would rub off on me. It didn't.

I didn't beat around the bush. "Sam, I'm afraid I have some bad news to report." I then reported how my division had missed its budget for the previous month. This had not happened in well over a year. I was disappointed and, frankly, embarrassed.

I was also fearful. I was afraid how he might respond. Though I knew intellectually, I wouldn't get fired over one bad month, emotionally I felt that I was in danger. (Funny how the brain works this way.) .... Read this in full at
http://michaelhyatt.com/is-romans-8-28-still-in-the-bible.html

     I'VE LEARNED
I've learned...
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for the rest of your life.

I've learned...
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned...
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned...
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned...
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned...
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned...
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned...
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned...
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned...
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned...
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned...
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned...
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned...
that just because two people argue doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue doesn't mean they do.

I've learned...
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. Same goes for hearing.

I've learned...
that I can be bitter or better.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com

     DAYTONA WINNER OUTSPOKEN CHRISTIAN
Twenty-year-old Trevor Bayne -- an outspoken Christian who often uses social media like Twitter to talk about his faith -- became the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 Feb. 20 at the Daytona International Speedway.

Bayne testified about the Lord in his post-race interviews. "We said a prayer before," Bayne said in one interview. "We pray a lot, and we expect a lot of things, but this just shows how powerful God is."

In another interview with ESPN, Bayne talked about using his winnings to help support friends working on the mission field, and specifically mentioned his desire to donate to an organization called Back2Back Ministries that does mission work in Mexico. "I can't even describe it," Bayne said about his victory. "This is our first time ever coming here, so to win in our first time, I feel a little undeserving."

A native Tennessean, Bayne attends Fairview Baptist Church in Corryton, Tenn., outside Knoxville when he's home visiting his family.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=34693

Also see "Daytona 500 winner's race for faith"
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/21/daytona-500-winners-race-for-faith/

     DO CHRISTIAN ATHLETES STRIKE OUT ON BIG-DOLLAR CONTRACTS?
As contract talks broke down between Albert Pujols and the Cardinals, St. Louis baseball fans began nervously asking themselves a host of questions. He's a Cardinal for life, right? He wouldn't go to Wrigley Field because he likes winning too much, right?

But a particular group of Cardinals fans—those who share his evangelical faith—was asking a different kind of question. What does holding out for the largest contract in the history of baseball say about Albert's Christian testimony?

Pujols and his wife, Deidre, are evangelical Christians. They describe their charity, the Pujols Family Foundation, as "a faith-based nonprofit organization," and participate in Christian events around the city. So as Pujols began looking to many like a typical mega-wealthy superstar athlete angling for a record payday, some have asked how Pujols' public, God-fearing image squares with a private quest for wealth. Team officials have declined to describe the details of their offer to Pujols, but it's widely believed to have been worth about $200 million.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/februaryweb-only/christianathletecontracts.html

     AT CHICK-FIL-A, BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES SHAPE BUSINESS
In the woods surrounding Chick-fil-A's corporate headquarters, patriotic songs mix with hymns — "Amazing Grace," "How Great Thou Art," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" — chiming from a bell tower. Near the front door, a bronze plaque proclaims the company's purpose: "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."

Faith is never far from the front lines at Chick-fil-A, which has become the country's highest-profile business that touts the Bible as an operating manual. Chick-fil-A's creed of "second-mile service" is a reference to Matthew 5:41, in which Jesus tells his followers that if someone forces them to go one mile, they should go two instead.

But as Chick-fil-A grows, it is trying to pull off a balancing act: selling chicken and milkshakes while not exactly selling Christianity.... Read this in full at
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/at-chick-fil-a-845950.html

     WYCLIFFE TRANSLATORS LOOK FOR AIRPLANE TO AID EFFORTS
For Wycliffe Associates, an international Bible translation group, airplanes are just as important as alphabets. The organization is seeking to raise $1.5 million toward the purchase of a Pilatus PC-6 aircraft for operation in Indonesia. A former missionary pilot, Wycliffe Associates President and CEO Bruce Smith calls Indonesia "one of the most challenging mission fields on earth." This chain of islands in the south Pacific is among the least explored places on earth, and among the hardest to travel. Its people speak more than 700 separate languages. "It takes specialized airplanes to keep Bible translators at work, planes designed specifically to get in and out of the incredibly complicated terrain: steep cliffs, narrow gorges, short runways carved out of thick jungles," says Smith. "I've been in some pretty difficult situations as a missionary pilot, and I can tell you that a dependable airplane is not optional. An airplane is a lifeline."
http://www.wycliffe.org/

     40 YEARS OF OM'S SHIP MINISTRY
OM's Ship Ministry is celebrating 40 years of global impact that began on Friday, February 18, 1971, when OM's first ship Logos set sail for London from Rotterdam, Netherlands, where the ship had spent four months being made ready for ministry.

"The launch of the first Logos represented years of dreaming, praying and working to do something that had not been done before," said OM Founder George Verwer who first shared the vision for ship-based ministry to early OM co-workers in 1964. "We have much to be thankful for and celebrate at this special time."

In these 40 years of ministry more than 42 million people in 164 countries and territories have visited Logos (1970-1988), Doulos (1977-2010) Logos II (1989-2008) or the current vessel Logos Hope (since 2009). Most have come for the quality educational and Christian literature available on board. Many have left with new hope through the testimony and compassion of the international volunteer crew and staff.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11020120.htm

     ARCHITECT TO REMOVE 'CROSSES' FROM TOLEDO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
An architect is removing a design element from a new elementary school that looked liked the Christian cross. "I actually have not noticed a cross," said Mona-Mae Mitchell. "Is that a light pole?"

Some have never noticed the design at the Toledo Public Schools' new Beverly Elementary School construction site at the corner of Glanzman Road and Detroit Avenue, the former location of old Bowsher High School. Others say the designs look like Christian crosses.... Read this in full at
http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/Architect-to-remove--crosses--from-TPS-elementary-school

     FROM SACRIFICE TO RECONCILIATION, A YOUNG MAN DISCOVERS HIS HERITAGE IN 'THE GRANDFATHERS'
The Grandfathers, a motion-graphics film about a young man's struggle with his complicated heritage, completes a trilogy produced by EthnoGraphic Media (EGM) that includes End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor. These first two films, also from award-winning director Jim Hanon and producer Mart Green, tell the unforgettable and inspiring story of the killing of five missionaries by a stone-age tribe deep in the Amazon jungle. The impact of this tragic event lives on today in families of these slain men as well as among those responsible for their deaths.

Steve Saint consulted with Hanon and Green to help bring the story of his father, Nate, to screen through the feature film End of the Spear and the companion documentary film Beyond the Gates of Splendor. These films trace events leading up to and including the deaths of these men. More than that, they show the impact these events played on the lives of both their survivors and their killers. When the widows and their children went to live among the Waodani--a tribe regarded as the most violent on earth--they became an integral part of an incredible redemptive journey.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/841316283.html

     VERSE TO PONDER
[Jesus said,] "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12

     CONSIDER
"To realize God's presence is the one sovereign remedy against temptation."
Francois Fenelon

     RELIGION 2.0: TIMOTHY DALRYMPLE
After majoring in philosophy and religious studies at Stanford, earning an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religion at Harvard, and studying at Oxford as well as two universities in China, Timothy Dalrymple had had enough of academia. So he plunged into the online world at Patheos.com, a growing multireligious website, as manager of its evangelical portal.

In 2010, the multifaith site grew from 15,000 monthly visitors to about half a million with just 11 full-time employees. Most notably, Dalrymple lured North Park University professor Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog away from Beliefnet. (McKnight said he thought Patheos "was a better fit—more exclusively directed toward an educated audience.") Patheos is based in Denver, but Dalrymple, 34, works from his laptop in Atlanta.

"He's kind of come out of nowhere," said Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Patheos covers a wide range of topics, but Cromartie particularly notices Dalrymple's political commentary: "Many young evangelicals spend a lot of time saying, 'I'm not Dobson, I'm not one of them.' But [Dalrymple] is a very thoughtful, theologically orthodox, culturally and politically conservative guy. He writes with confidence and boldness that I find bracing and refreshing." .... Read this interview in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/february/religion2.html

     LEAD A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING: THE NEW HAS COME
by Cliff Young
If there is a choice between something old and something new, I would guess many of us would choose new. I love and appreciate historic and classic things, but there's just something about driving a new car, using new technology, wearing new clothes or moving into a new home. What may be one of the most "under-appreciated" new things in life is the new life in Christ.

Maybe I'm just speaking for myself, having received Jesus over 20 years ago, and maybe I am the only one who has from time to time missed that "new life in Christ smell" (or excitement).

In order to live a life worthy of the calling God has called us (Ephesians 4:1), we must rid ourselves of and forget about those things which have been an obstruction in our lives.

If anyone is in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come!(2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a new creation, our purpose changes, our perspective of life changes and our desires change, or at least they should.... Read this interview in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Christian%20Living/Features/11645001/

     CMA PHYSICIANS, FORMER HHS ASST. SECRETARY DECRY OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S REGULATORY ACTION ON CONSCIENCE AND DISCRIMINATION
The 16,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA) is protesting the Feb. 18 decision of the Obama administration to weaken the only federal regulation protecting the exercise of conscience in health care.

Dr. J. Scott Ries, a board-certified family physician and CMA's vice president for Campus & Community Ministries, said, "The administration has made changes in a vital civil rights regulation without evidence or justification. The administration presented no evidence of any problems in healthcare access, prescriptions or procedures that have occurred in the two years since the original regulation's enactment that would justify any change in this protective regulation.

"The administration, for example, contends that a rule change is necessary to protect access to contraception, but absolutely no evidence is presented to justify any such concern. In the process, the administration blatantly ignores the scientific evidence that certain controversial prescriptions that abortion advocates promote as contraception are actually potential abortifacients, ending the life of a living, developing human embryo. This is a critical concern for pro-life patients, healthcare professionals and institutions." .... Read this in full at
http://christiannewswire.com/news/3992216270.html

     WHAT PORN DOES TO RELATIONSHIPS
The blog begins with a startling confession: "Hi, my name is John, and I was a sex addict. I'm also a believer in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and am married to an amazing and beautiful woman of God."

Church leaders have long struggled talking about sex, much less pornography. But Relevant magazine made a daring move this month when it printed a blogger's confession about how his addiction to pornography affected his marriage.

The blogger is John Buckingham, and he is an English teacher, Relevant says. Buckingham said in the story that his addiction to pornography started when he was 12. He thought it would end after his girlfriend accepted his marriage proposal in early 2010.

Yet four months after getting married, Buckingham says he succumbed. He started watching pornography again. Burdened by guilt, Buckingham said he told his wife what he had done.... Read this in full at
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/24342-what-porn-does-to-relationships

     LIFEWAY STORES TO DROP WARNING LABELS
LifeWay Christian Stores, the Southern Baptist-owned US retailer, plans to drop its controversial "Read with Discernment" program.

The program, which began in 2007, listed popular authors such as Rob Bell, Donald Miller, Brian McLaren, and William Young, who the chain said "may have espoused thoughts, ideas, or concepts that could be considered inconsistent with historical evangelical theology." Such books, LifeWay said, are relevant "strictly for critical study or research to … understand and develop responses to the diversity of religious thought in today's postmodern world." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/february/discerningseller.html

     HANGING OUT WITH THE ROMEOs
When Earl Stinson started receiving radiation treatments for prostate cancer, he knew where to go for advice. He turned to Lindy Atkins, a cancer survivor and fellow "ROMEO."

"ROMEO (retired old men eating out) groups spring up all over the United States," Stinson tells CNN. "They have no organization, no members, no requirements, no dues and no officers, and if you try to organize it, you have a riot on your hands."

Across the country, men like Stinson and Atkins are joining the commitment-free club. These ROMEOS vacation in Florida, play golf during the week, and when they come together, they're just looking for fun. What it takes to become a real ROMEO is all in the name.

"No requirements," says Stinson. "Nothing required of us other than coming in and eating breakfast and talking about whatever you want to talk about." .... Read this in full at
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/02/19/breakast.with.romeos/index.html

     8 THINGS TO DO AFTER LOSING YOUR WALLET
Losing your wallet or purse is stressful. Your money, credit cards, driver's license--all gone. Don't fret too much about tracking down contact information to close accounts and get things replaced. This to-do list from the Federal Citizen Information Center puts the answers you need all in one place:
1. Make a list of what you had in your wallet and tackle the important things first.

2. Immediately cancel all your credit and debit cards, letting your bank know that your wallet was lost or stolen. Request new copies of the card with a new account number.

3. If you were the victim of theft, file a police report so there is an official record.

4. Report a missing driver's license to your state's department of motor vehicles and request a new copy.

5. Alert the fraud departments of the three major credit reporting companies. They will place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number, and you can request that they alert you before opening a line of credit in your name. (Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742; Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289)

6. Request a replacement Social Security card and consider not carrying it in your wallet in the future.

7. Contact either your company's HR department or your health insurance provider directly to get a replacement insurance card. If you've lost a Medicare card, contact the Social Security Administration to get a replacement.

8. For other club membership, video rental and bonus club cards, you'll have to contact the each company individually. Use the directory on consumeraction.gov to get a direct line to consumer affairs or member relations departments.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/

     CONSIDER
"Witnessing is not a spare-time occupation or a once-a-week activity. It must be a quality of life. You don't go witnessing, you are a witness."
Dan Greene

     VERSE TO PONDER
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
James 1:2-3

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: O LOVE THAT WILT NOT LET ME GO
Words: George Matheson, 1882
Music: Albert L. Peace, 1884

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/o/l/oltwnlmg.htm

     ON PRAYER
"There are, no doubt, passages in the New Testament which may seem at first sight to promise an invariable granting of our prayers. But that cannot be what they really mean. For in the very heart of the story we meet a glaring instance to the contrary. In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him. It did not. After that the idea that prayer is recommended to us as a sort of infallible gimmick may be dismissed."
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), "The Efficacy of Prayer" in The World's Last Night [1960], Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002, p. 5

     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 us to add you to our prayer chain 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.

Book your next vacation with us!
http://www.ChristianConnectionTravel.com

Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com

Get your domain name here!
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Let me show you how to earn money as you travel!
http://www.earnGlobalVacations.com/
It's as easy as 1-2-3!

     SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.

US Debt Clock
http://www.usdebtclock.org/

All links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply endorsement by this ministry.

(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.)

Could you call sweat "workman's condensation"?
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com

Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!

CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!

The CONNECTIONS 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, frank@frankcoleman.com if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
Path Of Life Ministries is located in Chicago, IL.
Visit our website at: http://www.pathoflifeministries.net/

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Path Of Life

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Thought for today - 02/25/2011