"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
~1 Peter 2:9
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thought for today - 04/30/2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thought for today - 04/29/2011
"Let me remind you -- you who are fellow Christ-followers -- that we steward the only message on planet Earth that can give people what their hearts need most, which is hope. Hope that sins can be forgiven. Hope that prayers can be answered. Hope that doors of opportunity that seem locked can be opened. Hope that broken relationships can be reconciled. Hope that diseased bodies can be healed. Hope that damaged trust can be restored. Hope that dead churches can be resurrected."
~Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Thought for today - 04/28/2011
"Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair."
~Martin Luther
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thought for today - 04/27/2011
"God doesn't want us merely to 'get through' our problems. He wants us to 'grow through' them."
~Gary Oliver
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thought for today - 04/26/2011
"If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
~Joshua 24:15
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thought for today - 04/25/2011
"Almighty God, who created humanity after your image and gave them living souls that they may seek you and rule your creation, teach us so to investigate the works of your hand that we may subdue the earth to our use, and strengthen our intelligence for your service. And grant that we may so receive your Word as to believe in him whom you sent to give us the science of salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. All this we ask in the name of the same Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
~James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
THE WORD "OFFICE"
The Word "Office"
It is common to hear people speak of "offices" within the "church." Some see offices as "positions" established by God. They are part of the structure in the church given by God. The assumed belief is that the existence of these offices or positions is necessary for good church government to exist. Among people who see the necessity for official positions there is disagreement on the different divinely appointed offices thought to exist.
Some Bibles have the word "office" in a context that speaks of believers
The following list is passages that mention "office" followed by the bible translations.
- Acts 1:20, another was to take Judas' "office" (WEB, ASV, NAS, and RSV).
- Romans 11:13, Paul magnifies his "office" (KJV, WBS).
- Romans 12:4, all members do not have the same "office" (KJV, ASV, DBY, WBS, and YLT).
- First Timothy 3:1, if a man desires the "office" of an overseer, he desired a good work (WEB, KJV, ASV, WBS, NAS, and RSV).
- First Timothy 3:10, the "office" of a deacon (KJV, WBS).
- First Timothy 3:13, the "office" of a deacon (KJV, WEY, WBS).
- Second timothy 4:5, Timothy was to discharge fully the obligations of his "office" (WEY).
What is the definition of "office"?
Among the more common uses for the word "office" is when speaking of a position, a function, a place, or power. Depending on its context, the word office can refer to "a position of authority in administration" or "the fact or state of holding a public position of authority." An example of this usage is when we speak of men in office. If we approach the reading of the passages previously cited with this understanding, then it is easy to imagine a "church" having individuals who occupy "positions" of authority. First Timothy 3:1 and First Timothy 3:10 tell us these positions include "overseer" and "deacon." We might also look at Ephesians 4:11 and envision the offices to include "some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." The alleged belief is the presence of these offices is vital among local voluntary fellowships. Is the conclusion that offices are necessary for good church government to exist true? What if we set aside our thoughts of what the term "office" means and take a closer at how the scriptures read?
We should think in terms of not "office" but of service, ministry, or work . . .
Romans 11:13. "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office" (KJV). Some translations read "ministry." Which translation is more accurate, office or ministry? How can we know? The Greek word is diakonia. It means service or ministering. It appears 34 times in the New Testament. In nearly every place where we see the word diakonia, our bibles read serving, ministry, or something similar. The one exception is Romans 11:13. Why did the translators of the King James Version use a different word this one time? The passage speaks of Paul being an apostle. Could it be the translators approached the passage with a preconceived belief of the Lord's body having offices? The accurate rendering of diakonia is not office but ministry or service.
Acts 1:20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it'; and, 'Let another man take his office'" (NAS). Does this passage support the concept of an apostolic office? The account relates the selection of Matthias to take Judas' "office." In this passage, the Greek word that corresponds to office is episkope (ep-is-kop-ay'). It occurs in only three other passages. In Luke 19:44 and First Peter 2:12, it is the word translated "visitation." Youngs Literal Translation reads "inspection." Both Luke and Peter use the word when speaking of God's visitation in judgment. The third occurrence is First Timothy 3:1, rendered "bishop" or "overseer." Episkope is from episkeptomai (ep-ee-skep'-tom-ahee), which means to view, inspect, visit. The prefix epi "denotes the activity of looking at or paying attention to a person or thing." Episkeptomai is the word translated "visited" in Matthew 25:36, "I was sick, and you visited me." Jesus was speaking of people who took notice of another's need and responded accordingly. It is also in Luke 1:68. Zacharias said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. Again, the concept is seeing a need and responding to it. Peter saw the twelve chosen by Jesus as having a ministry, diakonia (Acts 1:17). With Judas no longer numbered among the twelve, Peter knew someone else was to "take his office" and "occupy" or take part in "this ministry" (Acts 1:20, 25, compare Psalm 109:8). The twelve did not occupy an "office" but rather paid attention to a special ministry or service given them personally by Jesus, a special ministry in which they all took part. It is to this ministry that one would take the place of Judas.
First Timothy 3:1. "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work" (KJV). Young's Literal translation reads, "Steadfast is the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth." Robert Young's translation does not have "office." The Greek-English Interlinear also omits the word. In defining the Greek words found in this text, the Greek scholar, educator and editor William Edwy Vine (1873-1949) wrote the following.
"In 1 Tim. 3:1, the word 'office,' in the phrase 'the office of a bishop,' has nothing to represent it in the original."
The word rendered "bishop" or "overseer" is episcope. Paul make's the argument that if a man reaches out in looking to or paying attention to others with the intent of helping then he desires a fine work. The passage is not speaking of "aspiring to the office of overseer" as some translations have. Paul goes on to say the person who desires to pay attention to others needs to be "above reproach." The word "office" should not be in the text. (To see this thought further developed, read the article on "Overseer.")
First Timothy 3:10, 13 "10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (KJV). After observing the word "office" to not have anything representing it in the original, in First Timothy 3:1, Vine goes on to write the following.
...so in vv. 10, 13, where the A.V. has "use (and 'used') the office of a deacon," the R.V. rightly omits "office," and translate the verb diakoneo, to serve, "let them serve as deacons" and "(they that) have served (well) as deacons."
As in the other passages, we have a context in which Scripture speaks of serving or ministering and not an office. Instead of reading "let them use the office of a deacon," a more accurate rendering is "let them serve as deacons."
Romans 12:4. "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office" (KJV). The Greek word that appears in place of "office" is praxis (prax'-is). Thayer defines it as a doing, a mode of acting. Paul compares the believers' relationship to a body having many members. His use of praxis relates to the members of the one body. Some translations, such as the New American Standard Updated version has the word "function," which agrees with what Paul says of the body having many members. It also accurately conveys the meaning of praxis that Thayer gives. The concept of "office" does not fit the metaphor of "many members in one body."
Second Timothy 4:5 "But as for you, you exercise habitual self-control, and not live a self-indulgent life, but do the duty of an evangelist and fully discharge the obligations of your office" (WEY). The last passage we briefly take note of is from the Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech. Richard Weymouth's translation has "office" in Second Timothy 4:5. Other translations correctly read "ministry." The Greek word is diakoneo, which we already defined as meaning serve or minister.
Closing thoughts . . .
In this writing, the focus has been on the word "office." The primary concern has been to examine the inspired texts where some Bibles read office. Either we found the word not translated correctly or there was nothing to represent it in the original text. Based on what we saw of how the scriptures read, is it appropriate to use the word "office" in the context of a local fellowship (or church)? If we use it, what is the context of its use? How do we intend for others to understand the word? The passages addressed in this writing do not support the concept of the redeemed having "offices." Words like apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, overseer, bishop, or deacon apply to ministries or types of services. The Scriptures use these words in the context serving but not as positions that individuals held. Perhaps those who favor using the term "office" based on Scriptures addressed in this writing may want to search other Scriptures.
by Richard Amick
Thought for today - 04/24/2011
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
~Romans 12:2
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thought for today - 04/23/2011
"Christians should have...such abundant life that in poverty they are rich, in sickness they are in spiritual health, in contempt they are full of triumph and in death full of glory."
~C. H. Spurgeon
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thought for today - 04/22/2011
"We will never crave to be filled until we are convinced that we are empty."
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thought for today - 04/21/2011
"May the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
~1 Thessalonians 5:23
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thought for today - 04/18/2011
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thought for today - 04/17/2011
"I fear that many people seek to hear God solely as a device for securing their own safety, comfort and righteousness. For those who busy themselves to know the will of God, however, it is still true that 'those who want to save their life will lose it.' My extreme preoccupation with knowing God's will for me may only indicate, contrary to what is often thought, that I am over-concerned with myself, not a Christlike interest in the well-being of others or in the glory of God."
~Dallas Willard (b.1935), Hearing God [1999], p. 28
~Dallas Willard (b.1935), Hearing God [1999], p. 28
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thought for today - 04/16/2011
"The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
~Hebrews 4:12
~Hebrews 4:12
CONNECTIONS News - 04/17/2011
For week of April 17, 2011
Issue 352
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.
Today's issue is going out to 2,089 weekly subscribers. Thank you in advance for forwarding this issue to friends, family and associates! To have a friend start their own Free subscription to CONNECTIONS, please have them visit: http://www.pathoflifeministries.net/page33.html
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"I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9
CONSIDER
"I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so, and second, I've done business with him."
Dwight L. Moody
HUMAN REMAINS LINKED TO HUSBAND AND WIFE SAINTS MARTYRED NEARLY TWO MILLENNIA AGO
A scientific investigation of human bones locked in a crypt in the northern Italian cathedral of Reggio Emilia since the 10th century supports an ancient tradition that the remains belong to a husband and wife said to have been martyred almost two millennia ago.
The investigation is the first comprehensive battery of scientific tests ever conducted on the remains of a pair of Catholic saints -- in this case, two virtually complete skeletons -- along with a burial cloth and reliquary box. The team of scientists used a variety of advanced methods, including DNA analysis and carbon dating, to investigate the question, Are these the remains of the martyred Roman husband and wife Chrysanthus and Daria? Legend says the two were buried alive in the third century AD after becoming Christians and converting thousands of Romans to their fledgling religion. And can science work alongside religion to support the story of these iconic martyrs?
Now, in the week leading up to Easter, the National Geographic Channel world premiere documentary EXPLORER: Mystery of the Murdered Saints (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4837/Overview), premiering Tuesday, April 19, at 10 pm ET/PT, follows the investigation of the mystery surrounding the bones and the scientific studies.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3651216740.html
GOOD FRIDAY NATIONAL HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN IN THE UNITED STATES TO BE LAUNCHED
On Friday, April 22, 2011 the Campaign to Commemorate Good Friday as a National Holiday in the United States will officially launch its national campaign on the National Mall in Washington, DC and the collection of 1 million signatures needed to petition Congress.
"The campaign (http://www.goodfridaycampaignusa.com/)seeks to generate nation-wide support and collect 1 million signatures which it will use to petition the US Congress to officially commemorate Good Friday as a National Holiday in the United States," said a spokesperson for the campaign.
"Good Friday is a state holiday in 11 US states, Connecticut, Texas, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, and North Dakota. State and local government offices and courts are closed, as well as some banks and postal offices in these states.
"Good Friday has been an official holiday and day of closure for Wall Street since its inception, with stock exchanges around the world and many US and international banks closed in observance of the holiday." .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11040046.htm
THINGS EVERY MAN NEEDS TO KNOW: JESUS
by Patrick Morley, PhD
"As a Jew, I have had nothing but the greatest and most profound respect for Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He was, after all, Jewish -- born Jewish, died Jewish. I think Jesus Christ was the greatest single individual of both millenniums and He had more profound effect on mankind than any individual ever born. If there's one person in history I would like to interview, it would be Jesus."
Larry King, who has interviewed three American presidents and scores of movers and shakers on his TV program, would like to interview Jesus of Nazareth. No wonder. Jesus is the single most fascinating subject of all. Jesus is the perfect example of a man. Teach men about Jesus.
I did a series at my Friday a.m. Bible study that went over very well, "Hanging Out with Jesus: Stories about Jesus from the Gospels." The more men hear you talk about Jesus, the better they will know Him.
Talk about His identity, purpose, vision, mission, humanity, deity, strategy, determination, holiness, and leadership. Explain what He did, why He did it, who He did it with, and how He did it. Discuss what He thought, believed, wanted, said, and did.
Encourage men to let Jesus become their highest and best thought in every situation. Teach them that, yes, we believe in Jesus, but it's His belief in us that really transforms us.
Allow for mystery. There are only 14 verses in the Bible to describe the first 30 years of Jesus' life. God could easily have told us more, but He chose not to. We believe that if He didn't, He had good reasons for doing so, but we'll never know in this life.
Great Quote: Spurgeon said, "In 40 years I have not spent 15 minutes without thinking of Jesus."
For More: Go to www.pastoringmen.com and click on "36. Jesus" to watch the Hanging Out with Jesus series. For a book that helps men surrender to Christ, read Devotions for the Man in the Mirror.
http://www.maninthemirror.org/
THE WISDOM OF FOLLY
By Michael Duduit
Who is the fool in The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis?
"There are plenty of candidates among the unseen players. Certainly you can make a case that the Patient is a fool. The Patient is the young man who is being tempted by Wormwood under the experienced tutelage of senior devil Screwtape. Although the Patient becomes a Christian, he wastes much of his short life in side roads and misplaced enthusiasms. He could be our fool.
"Then there's the couple that befriends the Patient, offering him witty conversation and social status that is quite attractive. He enjoys being with these worldly wise folks who seem so trendy, so accomplished. They would draw him away from the faith he had come to hold and would redirect him into a worldly direction. Yes, we might think of them as fools.
"The more I thought of it, the more I realized the ultimate fool was Screwtape himself. In his very last letter to Wormwood, he closes with these words: 'Once again, the inexplicable meets us. Next to the curse of useless tempters such as yourself, the greatest curse upon us is the failure of our Intelligence Department. If only we could find out what He is really up to! Alas, alas, that knowledge in itself so hateful and mawkish a thing, should yet be necessary for Power!'
"For all his experience and skill -- shared with a young protégé -- Screwtape never really understood the power of the cross, never understood grace. He never understood what God was up to. In every way that ultimately matters, he was a fool.
"So there it is: In the economy of God, there truly is wisdom in folly. If you really want to be wise you should become a fool. A fool for Christ. A fool for the cross. A fool who trades everything this world values -- status, ambition, reputation -- for the only thing that can never be lost: the power of God and the wisdom of God." .... Read this in full at
http://www.preaching.com/sermons/11648667/
THE CRIMINAL ON THE CROSS
by Will Graham, Billy Graham's grandson
The cross means different things to different people. For some it's just a pretty piece of jewelry. To others it's a decoration for their home. To Christians it is a symbol of the sacrificial love of Christ and His conquering of the grave.
However, to criminals under Roman rule in the first century, and those who witnessed the punishment, the cross was a symbol of torture, cruelty, death and humiliation.
As we enter the Easter season, we can learn from a man on a cross. This individual's name is only known to God. We find this man - a criminal sentenced to death - hanging beside Jesus in Luke 23:39-43.
The first lesson that we learn is that he had a correct view of reality and a correct view of himself. He saw himself as a criminal who was rightly condemned for the deeds he had committed. He correctly realized that he deserved death. Further, he had a correct view of Jesus. He recognized Jesus as the spotless Lamb of God and he testified to this while hanging on the cross. He knew he was a sinner, and Jesus was innocent.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11040043.htm
BOOK REVIEW: THE CIVIL WAR AS A THEOLOGICAL CRISIS
For antebellum Americans, a belief in divine providence and adherence to Scripture provided purpose and stability in their lives. But, according to Mark Noll's latest book The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, religious leaders in the years leading up to the Civil War were unable to provide a definitive answer on the most difficult question of the period: Does the Bible condemn or condone slavery? Americans were also at odds over the workings of a providential God as both Northerners and Southerners tried to understand the meaning of the war and God's role in it. Relying primarily on the writings of 19th-century theologians and other religious thinkers, Noll concludes that the clashes over these two issues revealed a theological crisis and resulted in a major turning point in American religious thought.... Read this in full at
http://jsr.fsu.edu/Volume9/Dollar.htm
AFRAID OF THE GOSPEL?
by Tullian Tchividjian
I'm delighted about the resurgence of the gospel in so many churches. We are regaining the idea that the gospel is not only for those outside the church but also for those inside the church, that it not only ignites the Christian life but is the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing every day.
But for all the talk of gospel-centeredness, there's still some fear fueled by common misunderstandings of the radical nature of grace. I still hear talk about two equal dangers that Christians must avoid: legalism and lawlessness.
Legalism, they say, happens when we focus too much on law. Lawlessness, they say, happens when we focus too much on freedom. Therefore, in order to maintain spiritual equilibrium, we must balance justice and grace. But I've come to believe that this "balanced" way of framing the issue can unwittingly keep us from experiencing the gospel in all of its radical depth and beauty.
It's more theologically accurate to say that there is one primary enemy of the gospel — legalism — but it comes in two forms. Some people miss the gospel by trying to "save" themselves by keeping the rules, doing what they're told, maintaining the standards, and so on. I call this "front-door legalism." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/winter/afraidgospel.html
FOUR WAYS TO AVOID JOY
by Brady Boyd
I saw a few themes emerge that had kept us from knowing deep joy in the months following a shooting at our church. Perhaps you've seen one or two of these joy robbers show up in your life as well. If so, please take heart: hope doesn't have to stay hidden for long.
Joy Robber 1: Errant Expectations
Healing from life's heartbreaking events always takes longer than I think, and if you're anything like me, you get impatient with the process. We must leave room for healing even as we pursue the joy that is ours to reclaim.
Joy Robber 2: Isolation and Insulation
I felt guilty for having my own feelings of loss and compelled to turn my attentions toward those who "really" needed help. Fortunately, God would show me that by inviting others into my circumstances, I'd save myself boatloads of pain.
Joy Robber 3: Fatigue
I had to recognize that sometimes it pays bigger dividends to adopt a strategy of rest instead of trying to power your way through the pain. I have counseled people in our church who were dealing with the loss of a business or a bank account, the agony of a spouse stuck in depression, the disillusionment of a prodigal teen, the despair over a bad medical report, and more. And to each of them I said, "Unless you find a way to get rest during this ordeal, the pain will do you in."
Joy Robber 4: [Fixating on the Past]
Satan loves nothing more than when you and I fixate on our past. Don't give him that kind of satisfaction! Focus on the good you see happening, and on all that lies ahead ... [We began to] shift from wringing our hands in frustration and fear to using them to serve God and our community at large.
Excerpt from Fear No Evil: A Test of Faith, a Courageous Church, and an Unfailing God by Brady Boyd
THURSDAY, MAY 5TH, IS THE 60TH ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
As American troops remain in harm's way, fighting for democracy and liberty around the globe, citizens of the United States are preparing to celebrate their freedom to gather, worship, and pray. Millions will answer the call to prayer on May 5th in observance of the 60th annual National Day of Prayer. Organized events will be held in thousands of public venues where intercession will be made for America and its leadership.
This year's theme, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," is based on Psalm 91:2: "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." National Day of Prayer Task Force (NDPTF) Chairman Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson, said "At this perilous and uncertain juncture in our country's history, it is critical that we remain in prayer. The American people continue to be plagued with challenges that defy simple answers, and our hope lies in humbly seeking the Almighty's guidance, protection, and blessing -- not only on the National Day of Prayer, but throughout the year." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5775216619.html
TRUE CHANGE
"Let a man go to a psychiatrist and what does he become? An adjusted sinner. Let a man go to a physician and what does he become? A healthy sinner. Let a man achieve wealth and what does he become? A wealthy sinner. Let a man join a church, sign a card, and turn over a new leaf and what does he become? A religious sinner. But let him go in sincere repentance and faith to the foot of Calvary's cross, and what does he become? A new creature in Jesus Christ, forgiven, reconciled, with meaning and purpose in his life and on the way to marvelous fulfillment in God's will."
Author Unknown
'SOUL SURFER' OPENS AFTER FIGHTS OVER DEPICTING FAITH
"Soul Surfer," the feature film based on the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton being attacked by a shark and her journey back to surfing, opened recently in the fourth spot on the box office charts - partly a testament to its appealing family-friendly message and a marketing campaign that heavily targeted religious groups.
But even though Hamilton's and her family's faith play key roles in the film, many audiences would be surprised to learn that the question of how to show the family's religion in the film caused huge debate on set.
"I think to get anything in the film was a battle," said Sarah Hill, who was Hamilton's real-life youth group leader at North Shore Christian Church and who was played by Carrie Underwood in the movie. "Basically, what you're doing is you have all these people who want to make a movie about Bethany and they don't know the Lord and they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. For what we have in the movie it was such a battle." .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/12/soul-surfer-opens-after-fights-over-depicting-faith/
PRO SPORTS TEAMS ADDING RELIGION TO PROMOTIONAL FAN DAYS
Pro teams are increasingly promoting Christian, Jewish, and Mormon fan days, because they help drive group ticket sales in a recession. Pro teams are also getting religion because groups approach them and promote the events. With more seats to fill during the course of a 162-game season than other sports, Major League teams are at the forefront.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2011-04-08-fans-religion-promotions_N.htm
HOW CHURCH HELPED SIGN JACKIE ROBINSON TO BROOKLYN DODGERS
by Jamie Crawford
Sometimes, matters of faith have a quiet yet powerful way of influencing history. Take, for example, the behind-the-scenes story that preceded the entry of the first African-American player to major league baseball more than six decades ago.
That player, of course, was the legendary Jackie Robinson, who shattered the big-league color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. The story of faith belongs to the baseball executive who signed Robinson, the equally legendary Branch Rickey, and to a New York minister who played a quiet role in a major decision.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/14/how-church-helped-sign-jackie-robinson-to-brooklyn-dodgers/
TALE OF SPORTSCASTER FACING DEATH PROVOKES SPIRITUAL OUTPOURING
Nick Charles' battle with terminal bladder cancer - and the way his faith is shaping his final days with his family - struck a deep spiritual chord with many of CNN's readers.
Megapastor Joel Osteen, an avid sports fan who had grown up watching the longtime sportscaster, was among those who reached out to Charles after reading about him on CNN.com.
"He had to call me and inspire me to fight this," said Charles, who was CNN's first sports anchor.
Charles said he watches Osteen "all the time." When Charles underwent chemotherapy at a Texas hospital, his wife, Cory, attended Osteen's church in Houston.
Charles said he was humbled to hear from one of the nation's top preachers. While on the phone, Osteen prayed for Charles' family, especially his 5-year-old daughter, Giovanna.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/13/tale-of-sportscaster-facing-death-provokes-spiritual-outpouring/
ERNIE JOHNSON JR. SHARES ABOUT HIS DEEP-ROOTED CHRISTIAN FAITH
by Dan Wooding
Some sports fans in America have called Ernie Johnson Jr. "The Perfect Ringmaster" because of the way he deftly endeavors to control the eccentric "Sir Charles" Barkley and the milder Kenny "The Jet" Smith, on his hit show "Inside the NBA" on TNT (Turner Network Television).
Johnson never quite knows what will happen when they go on the air, but behind his smooth demeanor is another drama that has been playing out in his life; his battle with cancer.
In 2003, Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but continued his work through June 2006, when he began treatment.
Due to his cancer, Johnson Jr. missed TNT's coverage of the British Open and PGA Championship, the last two golf major tournaments in 2006. Mike Tirico replaced him in the British Open, and Verne Lundquist in the PGA Championship.
He returned to "Inside the NBA" on October 31, 2006, while continuing his chemotherapy treatments and continues to this day.
I was able to catch up with Ernie Johnson Jr. after the recent 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend chapel service in Los Angeles when I asked him why he was there.
"It's one of those things where, in the midst all the hype and the hoopla of this weekend, you can kind of sit back get yourself grounded again in the Word of God," he said. "I am also here because of my devotion to my Savior, Jesus Christ. I also couldn't pass up the opportunity to hear Francis Chan preach this morning." .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11040064.htm
JERRY COLANGELO: A GOLD MEDAL LIFE
by Dan Wooding
Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939), is an American businessman and sports executive who has had a rather amazing life.
Among his many accomplishments, Colangelo owned the NBA's Phoenix Suns, built two state-of-the-art sports facilities and brought Major League Baseball to Phoenix with the Arizona Diamondbacks expansion team. Additionally, he won a world championship with the Diamondbacks and returned the once-tarnished U.S. Olympic men's basketball team to glory.
But he says that the greatest thing that has happened in his life was then he handed his life over to Jesus Christ.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11040065.htm
EARLY MANUSCRIPT OF THE BIBLE BOOK OF HEBREWS DISCOVERED
Report: A papyrus fragment containing a portion of Hebrews 11 was discovered in a funerary mask and is dated to the second century. Scholars aren't confirming yet.... Read this in full at
http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com/2011/04/early-manuscript-of-hebrews-discovered.html
THE BIBLE IS LAST WEEK'S MOST ENGAGING PAGE ON FACEBOOK
The best-selling book in history took the top spot the week of Apr. 11 in the ranking of Facebook fan pages from Justin Bieber.
Page Name # Fans # Interactions
1. The Bible 6,543,523 905,125
2. Justin Bieber 24,294,726 872,809
3. Manchester United 11,276,931 632,811
4. Mario Teguh 3,772,546 627,859
5. Real Madrid C.F. 10,749,781 623,348
http://www.allfacebook.com/the-bible-is-this-weeks-most-engaging-page-2011-04
THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS HAVE FLED IRAQ SINCE CHURCH MASSACRE
"If this exodus is not stopped, Iraq will not have any Christians left in three years." This statement is from Steve, an uncover field worker for Open Doors, and based on disturbing, updated statistics on the number of Christians left in the Muslim-dominated country.
Since the al-Qaeda-linked massacre that killed almost 60 Christians at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad on Oct. 31, 2010, an estimated 45,000 to 95,000 Christians have left the country. Sources have told Open Doors that only an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Christians remain in the country. Many sources reported that in 1991 Christians in Iraq numbered around 850,000, including those living in the Kurdish region. In 2003 the number dropped to 550,000 and in early 2010 there were 345,000.
"Due to killings, attacks and threats, many Christians have lost relatives and have become so afraid that they have left Iraq for such countries as Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan or for countries in the West," says Steve.... Read this in full at
http://christiannewswire.com/news/2283316699.html
DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST
"It seemed to me that God had looked over the whole world to find a man who was weak enough to do His work, and when He at last found me, He said, "He is weak enough- he'll do." All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them."
J. Hudson Taylor (when someone complimented him on founding the China Inland Mission)
GET IN SHAPE LIKE A SOLDIER -- THE ARMY'S NEW FITNESS TEST
In the 21st-century Army, sit-ups have gone the way of bazookas. Soldiers will soon find themselves doing "rowers." It's part of the Army's effort to update its old Physical Fitness Test and replace it with the Army Physical Readiness Test.
The old test has been in place since 1980, and it included three events: a two-mile run, two minutes of push-ups and two minutes of sit-ups. "We thought we had the right test," said Maj. Gen. Richard Longo, an Army training official.
But after nearly 10 years of war, the Army found the old test didn't help prepare a soldier for combat. Now it has a new five-exercise test that is "targeted at the warrior on the battlefield," Longo said at a demonstration Thursday inside the Pentagon Athletic Center. The five-event test better measures a soldier's strength, endurance and mobility. The events are:.... Read this in full at
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/08/army.fitness.test/index.html?hpt=C2
VERSE TO PONDER
"Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another."
Zechariah 7:10
CONSIDER
"God's people should plan for a voyage of a thousand years, but be prepared to abandon ship tonight."
Joseph Bayly
INTERVIEW: CRAIG GROESCHEL ON BEING 'WEIRD'
Normal isn't working, says Pastor Craig Groeschel. The LifeChurch.tv pastor wants Christians to stop blending in with the rest of the world and start standing out as God intended. It's time to live differently. It's time to get weird, he says.
Weird is Groeschel's latest book. In it, he tells readers of the many "normal" ways people are living and how that's only leaving people more stressed, more exhausted, more busy, more alone and more detached from God.
As someone who considers himself possibly the biggest weirdo in the Christian world, he reveals what identifying yourself as a Christian really means and how (practically) believers can move toward that "God kind of weird."
Q: The way you describe it in your book, normal doesn't really sound all that great – with stress, busyness, debt, affairs. So why are Christians, who have the much better alternative of living differently from that, sticking with that normal lifestyle?
A: I think the message of our culture is so strong, so loud and so persuasive that we're often overwhelmed, overrun by it. And I think Christians find comfort sometimes in doing what the crowd is doing when the call to follow Christ makes them uncomfortable because it is different. I argue from a practical standpoint, if you just look practically at what normal is doing to people, it's not working. I hope to encourage them to, Jesus said broad is the road that leads to destruction and many people are on it. I used to find comfort on being on that road because that's where everybody was. And I hope Christians and others will have the courage to step off that normal path onto a maybe a narrow one that's maybe a little more difficult but it leads to life instead of to death.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-craig-groeschel-on-being-weird-49806/
A BOOK THAT BROUGHT GOD CLOSER
by Gregory M. Lamb
Let us now praise a famous book – perhaps the most influential ever written in the English language. But here's the root of the matter: There's a fly in the ointment. To everything there is a season, and for some today the sway of this once mighty orator has shrunk to something akin to a still, small voice.
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible celebrates 400 years in print this year. Its impact is pervasive and almost impossible to fully calculate. The KJV, also often called the "authorized version," has embedded itself into the very "DNA of the English language," as one writer describes it. At least 257 common phrases (the previous paragraph is stuffed with five of them) in use today come from it, one scholar has calculated.
The effect of the KJV on the way people write – and think – can be seen in works from the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. to the spare prose of Ernest Hemingway to Milton's "Paradise Lost" to the text of Handel's oratorio "Messiah" to the style Herman Melville employed in "Moby Dick." .... Read this in full at
http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2011/0412/A-book-that-brought-God-closer
CATHOLICS AND EVANGELICALS USED TO FIGHT OVER RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. NOT ANYMORE.
by Chuck Colson & Timothy George
The most recent meeting of Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) witnessed not just another theological discus-sion, but the birth of an alliance that only two decades ago would have seemed improbable. Here were Catholic and evangelical theologians seeking common ground on religious liberty, an issue that has caused frequent strife between the two groups.
Now, we are standing together to defend the religious liberty of all believers, which is under assault around the world and in the US. Consider the Proposition 8 case, the proposed ban on gay marriage in California. In striking down the referendum, US District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote that Christian beliefs "harm gays and lesbians." Just months later, tech trendsetter Apple picked up the same refrain in removing a Manhattan Declaration app from its iTunes store.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/april/improbablealliance.html
BLOCKBUSTER 'LEFT BEHIND' SERIES RECEIVES MAKEOVER FOR NEW GENERATION OF READERS
Sixteen years ago, an apocalyptic thriller titled Left Behind quietly released to Christian bookstores nationwide. Little did its authors, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, or its publisher Tyndale House know that it would become a phenomenon, resulting in seven #1 bestselling titles and a product line with sales topping more than 63 million copies. Now, a decade and a half later, Tyndale is releasing the 12 primary titles with new covers and updated content to inspire a new generation of readers.
"Sales for the Left Behind Series have remained consistently strong since we stopped publishing new titles in 2007," says Cheryl Kerwin, Tyndale senior marketing manager. "To this day, they are among our top-selling fiction month in and month out. We had begun this redesign process before the earthquakes and uprising in the Middle East this year. Events such as these tend to fuel interest in Bible prophecy, and we're seeing that in our sales of Left Behind." .... Read this in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/blockbuster_left_behind_receives_makeover_for_new_generation_of_readers/
AWAKEN US, O GOD!
by Peter Beck
One of the great things about studying history is that God brings to our remembrance the mighty and wonderful things he has done in the past.
Did you know that a number of great revivals have swept across our nation over the years? Jonathan Edwards, pastor of a small frontier town in Massachusetts in the 1730s, witnessed a great work of God in which 300 believers were added to his church in six months. For 25 straight years at the beginning of the 1800s revivals flared all across the nation. During the Civil War over 250,000 soldiers, Union and Confederate, made professions of faith.
However, studying history also reveals our shortcomings. Did you know that there's not been a great season of continual revival in America for over 100 years? .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11598028/
WILL GRAHAM REVEALS THE SURPRISING FINAL WORDS OF HIS GRANDMOTHER, RUTH GRAHAM, SHORTLY BEFORE HER PASSING
by Dan Wooding
The tall, willowy figure of William Franklin Graham IV (Will) is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
Will is the grandson of Billy Graham and the elder son of Franklin Graham. The oldest of the four children of Franklin Graham and wife Jane Graham, Will grew up in a farm house in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina, along with his two brothers and one sister. He converted to Christianity at the age of seven one Sunday after a church service.
Since second grade, Will Graham has felt the call to ministry. He later surrendered to God's call on his life at 15, during a youth camp at the Billy Graham Training Center near Asheville, NC.
After attending Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., he enrolled in Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Wake Forest, NC., during which time he was called to pastor a church near Raleigh.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11040039.htm
LEADING ATHEIST PUBLISHES SECULAR BIBLE
The question arose early in British academic A.C. Grayling's career: What if those ancient compilers who'd made Bibles, the collected religious texts that were translated, edited, arranged and published en masse, had focused instead on assembling the non-religious teachings of civilization's greatest thinkers?
What if the book that billions have turned to for ethical guidance wasn't tied to commandments from God or any one particular tradition but instead included the writings of Aristotle, the reflections of Confucius, the poetry of Baudelaire? What would that book look like, and what would it mean?
Decades after he started asking such questions, what Grayling calls "a lifetime's work" has hit bookshelves. "The Good Book: A Humanist Bible," subtitled "A Secular Bible" in the United Kingdom, was published this month. Grayling crafted it by using more than a thousand texts representing several hundred authors, collections and traditions.
Like the Bible, "The Good Book," opens with a garden scene. But instead of Adam and Eve, Grayling's Genesis invokes Isaac Newton, the British scientist who pioneered the study of gravity.
"It was from the fall of fruit from such a tree that new inspiration came for inquiry into the nature of things," reads a verse from "The Good Book's" first chapter.
"When Newton sat in his garden, and saw what no one had seen before: that an apple draws the earth to itself, and the earth the apple," the verse continues, "Through a mutual force of nature that holds all things, from the planets to the stars, in unifying embrace."
The book's final chapter features a secular humanist version of the Ten Commandments: "Love well, seek the good in all things, harm no others, think for yourself, take responsibility, respect nature, do your utmost, be informed, be kind, be courageous: at least, sincerely try." .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/leading-atheist-publishes-secular-bible/
CONSIDER
"I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell; and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself."
C. S. Lewis
VERSE TO PONDER
"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: MY SONG IS LOVE UNKNOWN
Words: Samuel Crossman, 1664
Music: composer unknown
My song is love unknown,
My Savior's love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?
He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.
Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then "Crucify!" is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and 'gainst Him rise.
They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.
In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav'n was His home;
But mine the tomb wherein He lay.
Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/
ON PRAYER
"Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine."
C. S. Lewis
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!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
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.
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring performed on a giant wood xylophone [video]
http://somersault.posterous.com/a-giant-wood-xylophone-video
Cat and Dolphin are best friends - cute video
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KLWY6PNX
Twin Babies Have a Conversation - cute video
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KL7KDPNX
Demistify Internet shorthand language
http://www.lingo2word.com/
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.)
I sat up all night thinking about the sun. Then it dawned on me.
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.
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