"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."
~Proverbs 17:9
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thought for today - 08/31/2011
VERSE TO PONDER
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thought for today - 08/30/2011
LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet."
~Theodore M. Hesburgh
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thought for today - 08/29/2011
TRANSCENDENT
"So what is it about the Bible that causes people to give their lives for it, causes oppressors to try to destroy it, and so infuriates the cultural elite today? Clearly, the Bible is unique. Over the centuries many great books have been written, including those by Aristotle, Plato, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and on and on; they have had an influence, of course. But no book has ever caused the controversy aroused by the Bible or invited such severe resistance or inspired its followers to such extraordinary actions.
"The reason is what the Bible claims for itself. Although it is in many respects a book like many others, a collection of ancient writings that includes a variety of genres from historical narrative to introspective philosophy, it is much more; it purports to be the Word of God itself. Through this book God speaks, giving us an understanding of reality that transcends anything that can be envisioned by the human mind alone (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)."
~Charles Colson, The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters
Sunday, August 28, 2011
CONNECTIONS News - 08/28/2011
For week of August 28, 2011
Issue 371
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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"To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Home interprets heaven;
Home is heaven for beginners.”
Charles Henry Parkhurst
QUAKE DAMAGES WASHINGTON'S NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
Three spires on the Washington National Cathedral, site of state funerals for several presidents, broke and fell and the Capitol suffered some minor damage in Aug. 23’s earthquake.
Richard Weinberg, director of communications at the Episcopal cathedral, said the 30-story-high central tower had suffered "significant" damage with three of the fleurs-de-lys shaped corner spires breaking off and falling to the ground.
"A fourth is leaning," said Weinberg. "There was other minor structural damage to buttresses and smaller pinnacles."
No one was injured but the cathedral -- host to state funerals and memorial services for many US presidents and the site of several presidential inaugural prayer services -- was closed to the public so the building could be inspected.
The National Cathedral, which weighs 150,000 tons and took 83 years to complete, is the highest point in Washington. It’s a solid masonry structure made of limestone blocks placed one atop another.... Read this in full at
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/23/us-quake-usa-cathedral-idUSTRE77M7O720110823
See photos
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/08/what-really-happened-national-cathedral-quake/41644/
WEBB SIMPSON GIVES JESUS CHRIST CREDIT IN FIRST PGA TOUR WIN
The PGA's Webb Simpson won his first title as a professional golfer Aug. 21, and he says it was Jesus Christ's presence that got him through.
"I'd be stupid not to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he told CBS Sports after winning the Wyndham Championship, “because it was tough out there and I was nervous, and I felt his presence all day."
Simpson, who is outspoken about his Christian faith, studied religion at Wake Forest University. In addition to his faith he also had the support of the hometown crowd. The tournament is played at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC, which is only about 30 miles from Wake Forest and 80 miles from Raleigh, where he grew up.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/webb-simpson-gives-jesus-christ-credit-in-first-pga-tour-win-54287/
FAITH INTO ACTION
“In today's world, wracked by terrorism, poverty, lawlessness, disease, and violence, the message of the gospel and the need for Christians who put their faith into action has never been more acute. We, the followers of Jesus Christ, are an integral part of God's plan for the world--the same world that God loved so much--"that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). In this famous verse we see the depth of God's love for our world. It was not a passive and sentimental love but rather a dynamic, active, and sacrificial love. For God so loved the world that he acted!”
Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, Inc., Introduction to Faith In Action Study Bible: Living God's Word in a Changing World [2005]
EUGENE NIDA, WHO REVOLUTIONIZED BIBLE TRANSLATIONS, DEAD AT 96
His name might not be prominent, but Eugene A. Nida's influence can be found in most Christian homes—more specifically, in their Bibles.
Nida, one of the leading advocates for dynamic equivalence translation, died August 25 at a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. He was 96.
Dynamic equivalence translation (a phrase which Nida coined) is a "meaning-based" approach to biblical translation; it focuses on translating "thought-for-thought" rather than "word-for-word." In a 2002 interview with Christianity Today, Nida said that this shift in translation was his most important contribution: "To help people be willing to say what the text means—not what the words are, but what the text means." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/augustweb-only/eugenenida-obit.html
GOD BELIEVES IN YOU
by Rick Marschall
I currently am reading Timothy Keller’s book The Reason for God – rather overdue on my part – and enjoying his manner of sharing the Gospel with his congregation at Redeemer Church in Manhattan. “Enjoying” is an insufficient description – I am intrigued, challenged, provoked.
The book wastes no pages before listing Keller’s responses to contemporary culture’s main “problems” with what he calls his orthodox Christianity: hewing to scripture, stressing personal salvation, the centrality of Jesus. Many of the questions he confronts are variations of a basic challenge to the existence of God Himself. It is not new; it has been asked by skeptics, non-believers, and anguished doubters throughout history. “How can I believe in a God who…”. The sentences end with questions about “allowing” sickness, “overseeing” brokenness and hatred, “watching Christians kill each other.”
Keller brilliantly parries the arguments of those who claim a better, or “higher,” morality than the Bible’s; and who maintain that the natural state of the universe, and the universe’s inhabitants, can admit to no God of any sort.... Read this in full at
http://www.mondayministry.com/blog/2011/08/21/god-believes-in-you/
'SEVEN DAYS IN UTOPIA': NON-PREACHY FILM LOOKS TO INSPIRE
Using the game of golf as a metaphor for life, family, work, and faith, the new film “Seven Days in Utopia,” based on David L. Cook’s novel Golf’s Sacred Journey, gives audiences a whole new look at golf, on and off the course.
The movie, which stars critically acclaimed actor Robert Duvall, follows the story of a young golfer named Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black) set on making the pro tour.
When his first big shot turns out to be a very public disaster, Luke, hoping to escape the pressure and limelight, drives off from the tournament only to find himself stranded in a small town in Texas.
It’s there in Utopia – population of less than 400 – where he meets an eccentric rancher and former PGA Professional by the name of Johnny Crawford (Duvall) who teaches him not only about a better swing, but a better way of life.
The inspiring film, like the novel, hopes to offer everyone, not just golfers, insight and a different perspective that changes the way we think, play, and act.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/seven-days-in-utopia-non-preachy-film-looks-to-inspire-54490/
DUKE PROF.: AMERICAN'S RELIGIOUS FAITH WANING
Despite the prominence of religious believers in politics and culture, America has shrinking congregations, growing dissatisfaction with religious leaders and rising numbers of people who do not think about faith, according to a new study by a Duke University expert.
In "American Religion: Contemporary Trends," author Mark Chaves argues that over the last generation or so, religious belief in the US has experienced a "softening" that effects everything from whether people go to worship services regularly to whom they marry. Far more people are willing to say they don't belong to any religious tradition today than in the past, and signs of religious vitality may be camouflaging stagnation or decline.
"Reasonable people can disagree over whether the big picture story is one of essential stability or whether it's one of slow decline," said Chaves. "Unambiguously, though, there's no increase."
Chaves, who directs the National Congregations Study, used data from that research and from four decades' worth of General Social Survey results to draw what he aims to be an overview of contemporary American religion.... Read this in full at
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Duke-prof-American-s-religious-faith-waning-2133835.php
Also see “Americans Have Lost Faith In Religious Leaders And Church Attendance, New Book Says”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/21/religion-trends-clergy-church-attendance_n_929963.html
WORKING CLASS WHITES NOT SO FAITHFUL IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE
It has long been accepted wisdom that less-educated, working-class white Americans are the nation’s most faithful churchgoers. However, a study just released at the American Sociological Association’s annual convention dispels that widely-held perception.
Over the past four decades, monthly church attendance by moderately educated whites – defined as those with high school diplomas and maybe some college – has declined to 37% from 50%, according to the study co-authored by sociologists W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia and Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins University.
Church attendance by the least educated whites – defined as those lacking high school diplomas – fell to 23% from 38%.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/working-class-whites-not-so-faithful-in-church-attendance-54324/
also see “Less educated Americans are losing religion, study finds”
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/24/less-educated-americans-are-losing-religion-study-finds/?hpt=hp_c2
CULTURE ISN'T KILLING THE CHURCH. GRIEF IS.
by Keith Anderson
I recently attended a retreat with a number of church friends. We spent part of our time together looking at sociological data on religion in America over the last 60 years. We paid particular attention to mainline denominations, including their declining attendance and size. Over the course of an hour, we talked about all sorts of political, cultural, and sociological reasons for that decline. Not once, however, did we talk about anything the church may have done (or not done) to contribute to its decline. To be fair, that question wasn't put to us, as such.
This rather remarkable omission highlighted for me the struggle the church has with honest self-critique. This one instance is entirely consistent with almost every other conversation I have with friends and colleagues about church decline. The discussion is mostly about how cultural forces are eroding the church. We portray the church as a victim of culture.... Read this in full at
http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1640/culture-isnt-killing-the-church-grief-is
HYPOCRISY VERSUS LIFE
Ye call Me master and obey Me not;
Ye call Me Light and see Me not;
Ye call Me Way and walk not;
Ye call Me Life and desire Me not;
Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not;
Ye call Me Fair and love Me not;
Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not;
Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not;
Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not;
Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not;
Ye call Me Just and fear Me not;
If I condemn you blame Me not!
Author Unknown
A MISSING MONUMENT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
by Seth Liipsky
The annual reading of George Washington's letter to the Jews—which took place this weekend at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I.—will echo with extra significance this year, as a campaign is now under way to make the original letter available for public viewing.
The campaign was launched earlier this year by the Jewish Daily Forward after the newspaper discovered that Washington's letter—in which he vowed that the new American government would "give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"—is locked away in storage by an owner who is loath to share access with the rest of his countrymen.
Neither the Forward nor anyone else is suggesting that the owner, who bought the letter in 1949, is not within his rights. The letter is, after all, private property. But it is also a national treasure, containing one of the greatest statements on religious liberty of all time. And the campaign to give it a public home—so it can be leaned over and read as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are—comes at a time when the free exercise of religion is increasingly constrained around the world.
The Pew Research Center found this month that between mid-2006 and mid-2009, restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose in 23 of the world's 198 countries, affecting roughly a third of the world's population. It's a trend that spans the globe, from Asia through Europe and into the Middle East.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424053111903327904576526242878889716-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwNDEyNDQyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email
A FEW TOOLS OF REDEMPTION
“I would like to think that I am basically okay, that I am not a person in need of major help. I would like to think that I am one of the good guys, that I am basically righteous. Okay, I'm not perfect. Maybe I do need some minor tweaking, but that's all. But the truth is, I am not okay. I have a deep and abiding sin problem that I have no ability whatsoever to solve. I give empirical evidence every day that this dark thing lives inside me. Maybe I show it as a moment of irritation or selfishness ... unkind words or a vengeful action. Maybe it's shown in an unwillingness to serve or a refusal to give in impatience with other people or anger at my circumstances. Perhaps it's revealed in demanding to be right or in control. Somehow every day I prove I am a person in need of help - and so do you. God is working and will continue to work to solve our biggest problem and to meet our biggest need. And he will be faithful to his agenda until forever is our final home.
“And how does God transform us? Well, he has chosen to keep us for a while in this terribly broken world, where he patiently uses surprise, hardship, disappointment, and trial to prepare us for the perfection that is to come. God doesn't allow us to be exposed to and personally experience these things because he doesn't care for us, but precisely because he does. With patient grace, he employs the hardships of life in this fallen world as his tools of redemption. He knows how self-righteous and self-reliant we can be how strong our trust is in our own wisdom and strength. He knows we think we're okay and the other guy is in need of redemption. So he leads us into situations that take us way beyond the limits of our own strength and wisdom to expose our weaknesses of character, wisdom, desire, thought, word, and action. And he does all of this so that we will admit our need, cry out for his help, and receive his transforming grace.
May forever give all of us eyes to see and hearts to understand. May we look at difficulty and see God's grace. When we are asked to wait, may we remember that we are being blessed with God's patient love. When our plan fails, may we remember that we are being graced with a much better plan. And when our suffering seems too much to bear, may we remember that a day is coming when we will look back and think that our sufferings were small in comparison to the glories that are ours to enjoy forever.”
Paul David Tripp in Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It
CAN THE CHRISTIAN CRUSADE AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY BEAR FRUIT?
Not long ago, it was unheard of for a pastor to talk about sex from the pulpit. Today, clergy are talking about porn.
Many evangelical pastors say they don’t have a choice. The Internet has made porn unavoidable; it’s everywhere. And porn, they say, leads to a lack of intimacy in marriage, threatening the biblical mandate to get and stay married.
In the past few years, Christian leaders have established online ministries to tackle the problem, hosting anti-porn podcast sermons and Web chats. The popular evangelical blog Crosswalk.com recently ran an article headlined “How many porn addicts are in your church?” .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/21/can-the-burgeoning-christian-crusade-against-pornography-bear-fruit/?hpt=hp_c2
STURGIS: 539 PROFESSIONS OF FAITH & FIRST VOLUNTEER FATALITY
Encounters at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally between 160 evangelistic volunteers and 4,800-plus biker enthusiasts led to 539 professions of faith in Jesus Christ over an 8-day period at the famed event.
It was the sixth year for the outreach to bikers, biker-wannabes, and onlookers organized by the Dakota Baptist Convention (DBC) and supported by volunteers from across the nation drawn by word of mouth and by the ministry's website, www.sturgisbikegiveaway.com.
Motorcycle enthusiasts comprise one of the nation's largest affinity groups, with South Dakota the rally drawing about a half-million participants each August.
"We know that what we do in Sturgis is not just dependent on people being prepared to share their testimony, or in the number of volunteers, but on the Holy Spirit being there in power," said Garvon Golden, DBC interim executive director and coordinator of the Sturgis ministry. "Prayer is the key component to the effectiveness of our ministry in Sturgis." .... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35967
TOM CLANCY AND TERRORISM: IN A DANGEROUS WORLD, GOD DOES NOT OFFER SECURITY, BUT SIGNIFICANCE
by Jim Denison
Tom Clancy first introduced us to Jack Ryan nearly 30 years ago. Fans have watched as Ryan saved the world from nuclear war, single-handedly defeated Irish terrorists, took down a Colombian drug cartel and eventually became president.
Now we have a new Clancy hero -- a Navy SEAL turned CIA operative named Max Moore. Moore is the star of Clancy's latest novel, Against All Enemies.
Guilt-plagued over the death of his best friend during an earlier operation, Moore compensates by risking his life on seemingly every one of the novel's 768 pages. The plot is fast-paced and brings the usual Clancy techno-warfare to bear on the latest headlines.
The plot is frightening: Islamic terrorists use Mexican cartel drug-smuggling tunnels to bring surface-to-air missiles into our country, which they fire on commercial jets as they take off from indefensible airport runways.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6665/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1(ESV)
CONSIDER
“Watch lest prosperity destroy generosity.”
Henry Ward Beecher
VIRGINIA MAN LOBBIES FOR RELIGION MUSEUM
Chris Stevenson first became interested in the intersection of faith and public life while studying civics in college.
A few decades later, he had a revelation of sorts: “There was one great story that remains to be told by a professional museum, the indispensability of faith in America’s history.” Thus, the idea to create a National Museum of American Religion in the District was born.
But Stevenson, 41, a business manager for an air traffic organization in Northern Virginia, has found that turning his dream into reality is an unexpectedly complicated undertaking involving a number of logistical, professional and personal challenges.
For example, he was not the only one lobbying for a new national museum in Washington. Several other projects — the National Museum of the American Latino, the National Women’s History Museum and the American Museum of American People — have been proposed to Congress and the Smithsonian Institution in recent years.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/va-man-lobbies-for-religion-museum/2011/08/16/gIQA4DrUQJ_story.html
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER ASSAULT
A commentary in USA TODAY by Thomas S. Kidd describes how "we are seeing a marked erosion of what America's Founding Fathers considered the 'first freedom': the liberty of religious conscience." Recent studies show that nearly a third of the globe lives with severe religious restriction, but even in America there are signs that our historic commitment to this freedom is wavering. And Middle Eastern uprisings against repressive governments have precipitated a treacherous new era for Christian minorities. Muslim-dominated countries tend to have high government restrictions and social pressures against religious freedom, while in the US religious freedom takes a hit with an FBI-estimated 1,500 religious hate crimes annually, the majority of which are against Jews. Anti-Muslim sentiment is prevalent, while Christians also encounter both frivolous and real judicial infringements upon their rights to worship.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-08-21-religion-freedom-persecution_n.htm
WILL CHRISTIANITY SPREAD IN A POST-GADDAFI LIBYA?
NATO-backed rebel forces in Libya seized control of much of Tripoli on Aug. 21 after months of brutal war tactics by Muammar Gaddafi -– the longest-running Arab leader ever.
In one part of Tripoli, a local imam sang not the call to prayer but the national anthem of the pre-Gaddafi monarchy, according to BBC News.
Christian leaders like Nik Ripken are praying for stability. "Often we ask people to pray that governments provide the safety and security necessary for the Gospel to spread, such as the early church had under the Roman Empire," said Ripken, who has served 25 years with the International Mission Board and is an expert on the persecuted church in Muslim contexts. "But when stability is the stability of governments that deny their people even access to Jesus, then that is the worst form of persecution."
Ripken asks believers worldwide to pray for the kind of stability in Libya where access to Jesus is a basic human right.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35972
STATE DEPT. TRIES TO RAISE VISIBILITY OF RELIGION
Often accused of ignoring religion as they craft foreign policy, the White House and State Department are trying to show that religion is a rising priority for US diplomacy.
The most recent case in point: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Istanbul on July 15 promoted a new US-backed international agreement to protect freedom of speech and religion, an accord described by her department as a “landmark” change.
“These are fundamental freedoms that belong to all people in all places,” Clinton said, “and they are certainly essential to democracy.”
Elsewhere in the State Department, its school for Foreign Service officers rolled out a new course in June on how diplomats can practice “religious engagement.”
And the National Security Council is touting a new partnership with the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which represents a “renewed focus on the intersection of religion and foreign policy across the United States government,” faith-based director Joshua DuBois wrote in a July 11 blog post.... Read this in full at
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/10/state-dept-tries-raise-visibility-religion/
UK’S EQUALITY BODY’S U-TURN ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISAPPOINTS CHRISTIANS
Christians have reacted with a mixture of disappointment and alarm after the equality quango appeared to backtrack on its pledge to support Christians.
In July, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stated that “reasonable accommodation” of religious beliefs was “needed”.
It made the announcement after applying to intervene in four cases involving religious discrimination in the workplace that have come before the European Court of Human Rights.
They involve Nadia Eweida, a British Airways check-in worker who was denied the right to wear her cross necklace; nurse Shirley Chaplin, who was removed from ward duties, also for refusing to remove her cross necklace; relationships counsellor Gary McFarlane, who was sacked for saying he would not be able to give sex therapy to same-sex couples; and registrar Lillian Ladele, who was disciplined after requesting not to conduct civil partnership registrations.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/equality.bodys.uturn.on.religious.liberty.disappoints.christians/28474.htm
FRANCIS COLLINS DECRIES 'ANGRY ATHEISTS' IN SCIENCE
Calling conflicts between religion and science "overstated," National Institutes of Health chief Francis Collins said vocal atheists are giving the public a false impression of science.
The former head of the US human genome program and an evangelical Christian, Collins founded the BioLogos Foundation dedicated to "the integration of science and Christian faith," before moving to NIH. His comments came at a USA TODAY editorial board meeting.
Asked about complaints from researchers such as Harvard's Steven Pinker, over an avowed Christian heading a scientific agency, Collins said, "angry atheists are out there using science as a club to to hit believers over the head." He expressed concern that prominent researchers suggesting that one can't believe in evolution and believe in God, may be "causing a lot of people not familiar with science to change their assessments of it." .... Read this in full at
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/07/francis-collins-decries-angry-atheists-in-science/1
SCIENTISTS HINT HIGGS BOSON “GOD PARTICLE” MAY BE A MIRAGE
Scientists chasing a particle they believe may have played a vital role in creation of the universe indicate they’re coming to accept it might not exist after all.
But they stress that if the so-called Higgs boson turns out to have been a mirage, the way would be open for advances into territory dubbed "new physics" to try to answer one of the great mysteries of the cosmos.
The CERN research centre, whose giant Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been the focus of the search, said it had reported to a conference in Mumbai that possible signs of the Higgs noted last month were now seen as less significant.
A number of scientists from the centre went on to make comments that raised the possibility that the mystery particle might not exist.... Read this in full at
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE77L5L420110822
OUR PURSUIT OF JUSTICE IN THE PRESENT FORESHADOWS THE PERFECT JUSTICE OF AN AGE TO COME
by David Neff
The church in which I grew up talked a lot about the imminence of the Second Coming and the Day of Judgment. We focused on being personally prepared—confessing our sins and our faith in Jesus, and cultivating our particular forms of piety. Our drive was to convert souls for heaven.
In preparing so assiduously for the last days, we missed something important: our responsibility to address the real needs of desperate people. If the world and its ills will soon pass away, these needs will feel less urgent. I have come to believe, however, that the Bible's vision of eschatology discourages such forgetfulness. Living in the last days means relieving the needs of particular people, and confronting the ills of all humanity.
The Bible frames help for the needy as a sign that God's kingdom has invaded this present age. In this light, acts of justice and compassion are a form of gospel proclamation. What follows are six big ideas that connect biblical eschatology, biblical justice, and gospel proclamation.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/august/signsendtimes.html
LITANY FOR THE CONVERSION OF INTERNET THUGS
"From faceless Facebook admin drones, spare us O Lord.
From tweeting Twitter idiots, spare us O Lord.
From heart-hardened spammers, spare us O Lord.
From liberal nut-case smear-blogging hacks, spare us O Lord.
From thread-dominating combox trolls, spare us, O Lord.
From sophomoric drive-by commentators, spare us, O Lord."
.... Read this in full at
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/08/fr-zs-litany-for-the-conversion-of-internet-thugs/
CONSIDER
“By its very nature Christianity is enthusiastic; it means living in faith, hope, love and joy.”
William H. Hadnut
VERSE TO PONDER
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: GOD OF THE NATIONS, WHO HAST LED
Words: Frederick Edwards, 1906
Music: Horatio W. Parker, 1918
God of the nations, who hast led
Thy children since the world began,
Through doubt and struggle, pain and tears,
Unfolding Thy eternal plan;
From countless hilltops as of old
The fire upon the altar flares;
Through countless rites, in countless tongues,
Men offer their imperfect prayers;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O Jesus Christ, incarnate Son,
Who bore our flesh that men might see
The vision of the perfect life
Fashioned in their humanity;
By all Thy words of heavenly truth,
By all Thy deeds of mercy wrought,
By all the passion of Thy cross,
By the redemption Thou hast brought;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O Holy Spirit, who dost touch
The prophets with Thy sacred fire
Eternal wisdom to whose light
All seekers after truth aspire;
Behold the warring sons of men,
The helpless by the strong oppressed,
The truth with error still concealed,
The evil grudgingly confessed;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O God triune, Thy Church today
In penitence before Thee kneels
Mourning her years of slothful ease,
Her deafness to the world’s appeals;
Divided where she should be one,
Enamored of a lesser strife,
Tithing the mint and cumin while
Men perish for the Bread of Life;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
Restore to us the vision, Lord,
Descend with fires of Pentecost;
Our tongues unloose, our hearts inflame,
To preach the Gospel to the lost:
Here at Thy feet our prayer is made,
Here life and wealth we dedicate;
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
Lord, Thy anointing we await;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/g/o/n/gonwhled.htm
ON PRAYER
"The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. Silence gives us a new outlook on everything. We need silence in order to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. Jesus is always waiting for us in silence."
Mother Teresa
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).
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SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
Video: Washington's Grand Monument to Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1127489438001_2090288,00.html (also see http://www.mlkmemorial.org/)
Evolution of Camera and Photography - Designzzz Infographic
http://www.designzzz.com/designzzz-infographic-evolution-camera-photography/
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.)
Is there another word for synonym (or thesaurus, for that matter)?
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com
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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!
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Issue 371
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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"To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Home interprets heaven;
Home is heaven for beginners.”
Charles Henry Parkhurst
QUAKE DAMAGES WASHINGTON'S NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
Three spires on the Washington National Cathedral, site of state funerals for several presidents, broke and fell and the Capitol suffered some minor damage in Aug. 23’s earthquake.
Richard Weinberg, director of communications at the Episcopal cathedral, said the 30-story-high central tower had suffered "significant" damage with three of the fleurs-de-lys shaped corner spires breaking off and falling to the ground.
"A fourth is leaning," said Weinberg. "There was other minor structural damage to buttresses and smaller pinnacles."
No one was injured but the cathedral -- host to state funerals and memorial services for many US presidents and the site of several presidential inaugural prayer services -- was closed to the public so the building could be inspected.
The National Cathedral, which weighs 150,000 tons and took 83 years to complete, is the highest point in Washington. It’s a solid masonry structure made of limestone blocks placed one atop another.... Read this in full at
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/23/us-quake-usa-cathedral-idUSTRE77M7O720110823
See photos
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/08/what-really-happened-national-cathedral-quake/41644/
WEBB SIMPSON GIVES JESUS CHRIST CREDIT IN FIRST PGA TOUR WIN
The PGA's Webb Simpson won his first title as a professional golfer Aug. 21, and he says it was Jesus Christ's presence that got him through.
"I'd be stupid not to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he told CBS Sports after winning the Wyndham Championship, “because it was tough out there and I was nervous, and I felt his presence all day."
Simpson, who is outspoken about his Christian faith, studied religion at Wake Forest University. In addition to his faith he also had the support of the hometown crowd. The tournament is played at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC, which is only about 30 miles from Wake Forest and 80 miles from Raleigh, where he grew up.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/webb-simpson-gives-jesus-christ-credit-in-first-pga-tour-win-54287/
FAITH INTO ACTION
“In today's world, wracked by terrorism, poverty, lawlessness, disease, and violence, the message of the gospel and the need for Christians who put their faith into action has never been more acute. We, the followers of Jesus Christ, are an integral part of God's plan for the world--the same world that God loved so much--"that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). In this famous verse we see the depth of God's love for our world. It was not a passive and sentimental love but rather a dynamic, active, and sacrificial love. For God so loved the world that he acted!”
Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, Inc., Introduction to Faith In Action Study Bible: Living God's Word in a Changing World [2005]
EUGENE NIDA, WHO REVOLUTIONIZED BIBLE TRANSLATIONS, DEAD AT 96
His name might not be prominent, but Eugene A. Nida's influence can be found in most Christian homes—more specifically, in their Bibles.
Nida, one of the leading advocates for dynamic equivalence translation, died August 25 at a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. He was 96.
Dynamic equivalence translation (a phrase which Nida coined) is a "meaning-based" approach to biblical translation; it focuses on translating "thought-for-thought" rather than "word-for-word." In a 2002 interview with Christianity Today, Nida said that this shift in translation was his most important contribution: "To help people be willing to say what the text means—not what the words are, but what the text means." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/augustweb-only/eugenenida-obit.html
GOD BELIEVES IN YOU
by Rick Marschall
I currently am reading Timothy Keller’s book The Reason for God – rather overdue on my part – and enjoying his manner of sharing the Gospel with his congregation at Redeemer Church in Manhattan. “Enjoying” is an insufficient description – I am intrigued, challenged, provoked.
The book wastes no pages before listing Keller’s responses to contemporary culture’s main “problems” with what he calls his orthodox Christianity: hewing to scripture, stressing personal salvation, the centrality of Jesus. Many of the questions he confronts are variations of a basic challenge to the existence of God Himself. It is not new; it has been asked by skeptics, non-believers, and anguished doubters throughout history. “How can I believe in a God who…”. The sentences end with questions about “allowing” sickness, “overseeing” brokenness and hatred, “watching Christians kill each other.”
Keller brilliantly parries the arguments of those who claim a better, or “higher,” morality than the Bible’s; and who maintain that the natural state of the universe, and the universe’s inhabitants, can admit to no God of any sort.... Read this in full at
http://www.mondayministry.com/blog/2011/08/21/god-believes-in-you/
'SEVEN DAYS IN UTOPIA': NON-PREACHY FILM LOOKS TO INSPIRE
Using the game of golf as a metaphor for life, family, work, and faith, the new film “Seven Days in Utopia,” based on David L. Cook’s novel Golf’s Sacred Journey, gives audiences a whole new look at golf, on and off the course.
The movie, which stars critically acclaimed actor Robert Duvall, follows the story of a young golfer named Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black) set on making the pro tour.
When his first big shot turns out to be a very public disaster, Luke, hoping to escape the pressure and limelight, drives off from the tournament only to find himself stranded in a small town in Texas.
It’s there in Utopia – population of less than 400 – where he meets an eccentric rancher and former PGA Professional by the name of Johnny Crawford (Duvall) who teaches him not only about a better swing, but a better way of life.
The inspiring film, like the novel, hopes to offer everyone, not just golfers, insight and a different perspective that changes the way we think, play, and act.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/seven-days-in-utopia-non-preachy-film-looks-to-inspire-54490/
DUKE PROF.: AMERICAN'S RELIGIOUS FAITH WANING
Despite the prominence of religious believers in politics and culture, America has shrinking congregations, growing dissatisfaction with religious leaders and rising numbers of people who do not think about faith, according to a new study by a Duke University expert.
In "American Religion: Contemporary Trends," author Mark Chaves argues that over the last generation or so, religious belief in the US has experienced a "softening" that effects everything from whether people go to worship services regularly to whom they marry. Far more people are willing to say they don't belong to any religious tradition today than in the past, and signs of religious vitality may be camouflaging stagnation or decline.
"Reasonable people can disagree over whether the big picture story is one of essential stability or whether it's one of slow decline," said Chaves. "Unambiguously, though, there's no increase."
Chaves, who directs the National Congregations Study, used data from that research and from four decades' worth of General Social Survey results to draw what he aims to be an overview of contemporary American religion.... Read this in full at
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Duke-prof-American-s-religious-faith-waning-2133835.php
Also see “Americans Have Lost Faith In Religious Leaders And Church Attendance, New Book Says”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/21/religion-trends-clergy-church-attendance_n_929963.html
WORKING CLASS WHITES NOT SO FAITHFUL IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE
It has long been accepted wisdom that less-educated, working-class white Americans are the nation’s most faithful churchgoers. However, a study just released at the American Sociological Association’s annual convention dispels that widely-held perception.
Over the past four decades, monthly church attendance by moderately educated whites – defined as those with high school diplomas and maybe some college – has declined to 37% from 50%, according to the study co-authored by sociologists W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia and Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins University.
Church attendance by the least educated whites – defined as those lacking high school diplomas – fell to 23% from 38%.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/working-class-whites-not-so-faithful-in-church-attendance-54324/
also see “Less educated Americans are losing religion, study finds”
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/24/less-educated-americans-are-losing-religion-study-finds/?hpt=hp_c2
CULTURE ISN'T KILLING THE CHURCH. GRIEF IS.
by Keith Anderson
I recently attended a retreat with a number of church friends. We spent part of our time together looking at sociological data on religion in America over the last 60 years. We paid particular attention to mainline denominations, including their declining attendance and size. Over the course of an hour, we talked about all sorts of political, cultural, and sociological reasons for that decline. Not once, however, did we talk about anything the church may have done (or not done) to contribute to its decline. To be fair, that question wasn't put to us, as such.
This rather remarkable omission highlighted for me the struggle the church has with honest self-critique. This one instance is entirely consistent with almost every other conversation I have with friends and colleagues about church decline. The discussion is mostly about how cultural forces are eroding the church. We portray the church as a victim of culture.... Read this in full at
http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1640/culture-isnt-killing-the-church-grief-is
HYPOCRISY VERSUS LIFE
Ye call Me master and obey Me not;
Ye call Me Light and see Me not;
Ye call Me Way and walk not;
Ye call Me Life and desire Me not;
Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not;
Ye call Me Fair and love Me not;
Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not;
Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not;
Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not;
Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not;
Ye call Me Just and fear Me not;
If I condemn you blame Me not!
Author Unknown
A MISSING MONUMENT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
by Seth Liipsky
The annual reading of George Washington's letter to the Jews—which took place this weekend at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I.—will echo with extra significance this year, as a campaign is now under way to make the original letter available for public viewing.
The campaign was launched earlier this year by the Jewish Daily Forward after the newspaper discovered that Washington's letter—in which he vowed that the new American government would "give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"—is locked away in storage by an owner who is loath to share access with the rest of his countrymen.
Neither the Forward nor anyone else is suggesting that the owner, who bought the letter in 1949, is not within his rights. The letter is, after all, private property. But it is also a national treasure, containing one of the greatest statements on religious liberty of all time. And the campaign to give it a public home—so it can be leaned over and read as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are—comes at a time when the free exercise of religion is increasingly constrained around the world.
The Pew Research Center found this month that between mid-2006 and mid-2009, restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose in 23 of the world's 198 countries, affecting roughly a third of the world's population. It's a trend that spans the globe, from Asia through Europe and into the Middle East.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424053111903327904576526242878889716-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwNDEyNDQyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email
A FEW TOOLS OF REDEMPTION
“I would like to think that I am basically okay, that I am not a person in need of major help. I would like to think that I am one of the good guys, that I am basically righteous. Okay, I'm not perfect. Maybe I do need some minor tweaking, but that's all. But the truth is, I am not okay. I have a deep and abiding sin problem that I have no ability whatsoever to solve. I give empirical evidence every day that this dark thing lives inside me. Maybe I show it as a moment of irritation or selfishness ... unkind words or a vengeful action. Maybe it's shown in an unwillingness to serve or a refusal to give in impatience with other people or anger at my circumstances. Perhaps it's revealed in demanding to be right or in control. Somehow every day I prove I am a person in need of help - and so do you. God is working and will continue to work to solve our biggest problem and to meet our biggest need. And he will be faithful to his agenda until forever is our final home.
“And how does God transform us? Well, he has chosen to keep us for a while in this terribly broken world, where he patiently uses surprise, hardship, disappointment, and trial to prepare us for the perfection that is to come. God doesn't allow us to be exposed to and personally experience these things because he doesn't care for us, but precisely because he does. With patient grace, he employs the hardships of life in this fallen world as his tools of redemption. He knows how self-righteous and self-reliant we can be how strong our trust is in our own wisdom and strength. He knows we think we're okay and the other guy is in need of redemption. So he leads us into situations that take us way beyond the limits of our own strength and wisdom to expose our weaknesses of character, wisdom, desire, thought, word, and action. And he does all of this so that we will admit our need, cry out for his help, and receive his transforming grace.
May forever give all of us eyes to see and hearts to understand. May we look at difficulty and see God's grace. When we are asked to wait, may we remember that we are being blessed with God's patient love. When our plan fails, may we remember that we are being graced with a much better plan. And when our suffering seems too much to bear, may we remember that a day is coming when we will look back and think that our sufferings were small in comparison to the glories that are ours to enjoy forever.”
Paul David Tripp in Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It
CAN THE CHRISTIAN CRUSADE AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY BEAR FRUIT?
Not long ago, it was unheard of for a pastor to talk about sex from the pulpit. Today, clergy are talking about porn.
Many evangelical pastors say they don’t have a choice. The Internet has made porn unavoidable; it’s everywhere. And porn, they say, leads to a lack of intimacy in marriage, threatening the biblical mandate to get and stay married.
In the past few years, Christian leaders have established online ministries to tackle the problem, hosting anti-porn podcast sermons and Web chats. The popular evangelical blog Crosswalk.com recently ran an article headlined “How many porn addicts are in your church?” .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/21/can-the-burgeoning-christian-crusade-against-pornography-bear-fruit/?hpt=hp_c2
STURGIS: 539 PROFESSIONS OF FAITH & FIRST VOLUNTEER FATALITY
Encounters at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally between 160 evangelistic volunteers and 4,800-plus biker enthusiasts led to 539 professions of faith in Jesus Christ over an 8-day period at the famed event.
It was the sixth year for the outreach to bikers, biker-wannabes, and onlookers organized by the Dakota Baptist Convention (DBC) and supported by volunteers from across the nation drawn by word of mouth and by the ministry's website, www.sturgisbikegiveaway.com.
Motorcycle enthusiasts comprise one of the nation's largest affinity groups, with South Dakota the rally drawing about a half-million participants each August.
"We know that what we do in Sturgis is not just dependent on people being prepared to share their testimony, or in the number of volunteers, but on the Holy Spirit being there in power," said Garvon Golden, DBC interim executive director and coordinator of the Sturgis ministry. "Prayer is the key component to the effectiveness of our ministry in Sturgis." .... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35967
TOM CLANCY AND TERRORISM: IN A DANGEROUS WORLD, GOD DOES NOT OFFER SECURITY, BUT SIGNIFICANCE
by Jim Denison
Tom Clancy first introduced us to Jack Ryan nearly 30 years ago. Fans have watched as Ryan saved the world from nuclear war, single-handedly defeated Irish terrorists, took down a Colombian drug cartel and eventually became president.
Now we have a new Clancy hero -- a Navy SEAL turned CIA operative named Max Moore. Moore is the star of Clancy's latest novel, Against All Enemies.
Guilt-plagued over the death of his best friend during an earlier operation, Moore compensates by risking his life on seemingly every one of the novel's 768 pages. The plot is fast-paced and brings the usual Clancy techno-warfare to bear on the latest headlines.
The plot is frightening: Islamic terrorists use Mexican cartel drug-smuggling tunnels to bring surface-to-air missiles into our country, which they fire on commercial jets as they take off from indefensible airport runways.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6665/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1(ESV)
CONSIDER
“Watch lest prosperity destroy generosity.”
Henry Ward Beecher
VIRGINIA MAN LOBBIES FOR RELIGION MUSEUM
Chris Stevenson first became interested in the intersection of faith and public life while studying civics in college.
A few decades later, he had a revelation of sorts: “There was one great story that remains to be told by a professional museum, the indispensability of faith in America’s history.” Thus, the idea to create a National Museum of American Religion in the District was born.
But Stevenson, 41, a business manager for an air traffic organization in Northern Virginia, has found that turning his dream into reality is an unexpectedly complicated undertaking involving a number of logistical, professional and personal challenges.
For example, he was not the only one lobbying for a new national museum in Washington. Several other projects — the National Museum of the American Latino, the National Women’s History Museum and the American Museum of American People — have been proposed to Congress and the Smithsonian Institution in recent years.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/va-man-lobbies-for-religion-museum/2011/08/16/gIQA4DrUQJ_story.html
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER ASSAULT
A commentary in USA TODAY by Thomas S. Kidd describes how "we are seeing a marked erosion of what America's Founding Fathers considered the 'first freedom': the liberty of religious conscience." Recent studies show that nearly a third of the globe lives with severe religious restriction, but even in America there are signs that our historic commitment to this freedom is wavering. And Middle Eastern uprisings against repressive governments have precipitated a treacherous new era for Christian minorities. Muslim-dominated countries tend to have high government restrictions and social pressures against religious freedom, while in the US religious freedom takes a hit with an FBI-estimated 1,500 religious hate crimes annually, the majority of which are against Jews. Anti-Muslim sentiment is prevalent, while Christians also encounter both frivolous and real judicial infringements upon their rights to worship.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-08-21-religion-freedom-persecution_n.htm
WILL CHRISTIANITY SPREAD IN A POST-GADDAFI LIBYA?
NATO-backed rebel forces in Libya seized control of much of Tripoli on Aug. 21 after months of brutal war tactics by Muammar Gaddafi -– the longest-running Arab leader ever.
In one part of Tripoli, a local imam sang not the call to prayer but the national anthem of the pre-Gaddafi monarchy, according to BBC News.
Christian leaders like Nik Ripken are praying for stability. "Often we ask people to pray that governments provide the safety and security necessary for the Gospel to spread, such as the early church had under the Roman Empire," said Ripken, who has served 25 years with the International Mission Board and is an expert on the persecuted church in Muslim contexts. "But when stability is the stability of governments that deny their people even access to Jesus, then that is the worst form of persecution."
Ripken asks believers worldwide to pray for the kind of stability in Libya where access to Jesus is a basic human right.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35972
STATE DEPT. TRIES TO RAISE VISIBILITY OF RELIGION
Often accused of ignoring religion as they craft foreign policy, the White House and State Department are trying to show that religion is a rising priority for US diplomacy.
The most recent case in point: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Istanbul on July 15 promoted a new US-backed international agreement to protect freedom of speech and religion, an accord described by her department as a “landmark” change.
“These are fundamental freedoms that belong to all people in all places,” Clinton said, “and they are certainly essential to democracy.”
Elsewhere in the State Department, its school for Foreign Service officers rolled out a new course in June on how diplomats can practice “religious engagement.”
And the National Security Council is touting a new partnership with the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which represents a “renewed focus on the intersection of religion and foreign policy across the United States government,” faith-based director Joshua DuBois wrote in a July 11 blog post.... Read this in full at
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/10/state-dept-tries-raise-visibility-religion/
UK’S EQUALITY BODY’S U-TURN ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISAPPOINTS CHRISTIANS
Christians have reacted with a mixture of disappointment and alarm after the equality quango appeared to backtrack on its pledge to support Christians.
In July, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stated that “reasonable accommodation” of religious beliefs was “needed”.
It made the announcement after applying to intervene in four cases involving religious discrimination in the workplace that have come before the European Court of Human Rights.
They involve Nadia Eweida, a British Airways check-in worker who was denied the right to wear her cross necklace; nurse Shirley Chaplin, who was removed from ward duties, also for refusing to remove her cross necklace; relationships counsellor Gary McFarlane, who was sacked for saying he would not be able to give sex therapy to same-sex couples; and registrar Lillian Ladele, who was disciplined after requesting not to conduct civil partnership registrations.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/equality.bodys.uturn.on.religious.liberty.disappoints.christians/28474.htm
FRANCIS COLLINS DECRIES 'ANGRY ATHEISTS' IN SCIENCE
Calling conflicts between religion and science "overstated," National Institutes of Health chief Francis Collins said vocal atheists are giving the public a false impression of science.
The former head of the US human genome program and an evangelical Christian, Collins founded the BioLogos Foundation dedicated to "the integration of science and Christian faith," before moving to NIH. His comments came at a USA TODAY editorial board meeting.
Asked about complaints from researchers such as Harvard's Steven Pinker, over an avowed Christian heading a scientific agency, Collins said, "angry atheists are out there using science as a club to to hit believers over the head." He expressed concern that prominent researchers suggesting that one can't believe in evolution and believe in God, may be "causing a lot of people not familiar with science to change their assessments of it." .... Read this in full at
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/07/francis-collins-decries-angry-atheists-in-science/1
SCIENTISTS HINT HIGGS BOSON “GOD PARTICLE” MAY BE A MIRAGE
Scientists chasing a particle they believe may have played a vital role in creation of the universe indicate they’re coming to accept it might not exist after all.
But they stress that if the so-called Higgs boson turns out to have been a mirage, the way would be open for advances into territory dubbed "new physics" to try to answer one of the great mysteries of the cosmos.
The CERN research centre, whose giant Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been the focus of the search, said it had reported to a conference in Mumbai that possible signs of the Higgs noted last month were now seen as less significant.
A number of scientists from the centre went on to make comments that raised the possibility that the mystery particle might not exist.... Read this in full at
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE77L5L420110822
OUR PURSUIT OF JUSTICE IN THE PRESENT FORESHADOWS THE PERFECT JUSTICE OF AN AGE TO COME
by David Neff
The church in which I grew up talked a lot about the imminence of the Second Coming and the Day of Judgment. We focused on being personally prepared—confessing our sins and our faith in Jesus, and cultivating our particular forms of piety. Our drive was to convert souls for heaven.
In preparing so assiduously for the last days, we missed something important: our responsibility to address the real needs of desperate people. If the world and its ills will soon pass away, these needs will feel less urgent. I have come to believe, however, that the Bible's vision of eschatology discourages such forgetfulness. Living in the last days means relieving the needs of particular people, and confronting the ills of all humanity.
The Bible frames help for the needy as a sign that God's kingdom has invaded this present age. In this light, acts of justice and compassion are a form of gospel proclamation. What follows are six big ideas that connect biblical eschatology, biblical justice, and gospel proclamation.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/august/signsendtimes.html
LITANY FOR THE CONVERSION OF INTERNET THUGS
"From faceless Facebook admin drones, spare us O Lord.
From tweeting Twitter idiots, spare us O Lord.
From heart-hardened spammers, spare us O Lord.
From liberal nut-case smear-blogging hacks, spare us O Lord.
From thread-dominating combox trolls, spare us, O Lord.
From sophomoric drive-by commentators, spare us, O Lord."
.... Read this in full at
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/08/fr-zs-litany-for-the-conversion-of-internet-thugs/
CONSIDER
“By its very nature Christianity is enthusiastic; it means living in faith, hope, love and joy.”
William H. Hadnut
VERSE TO PONDER
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: GOD OF THE NATIONS, WHO HAST LED
Words: Frederick Edwards, 1906
Music: Horatio W. Parker, 1918
God of the nations, who hast led
Thy children since the world began,
Through doubt and struggle, pain and tears,
Unfolding Thy eternal plan;
From countless hilltops as of old
The fire upon the altar flares;
Through countless rites, in countless tongues,
Men offer their imperfect prayers;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O Jesus Christ, incarnate Son,
Who bore our flesh that men might see
The vision of the perfect life
Fashioned in their humanity;
By all Thy words of heavenly truth,
By all Thy deeds of mercy wrought,
By all the passion of Thy cross,
By the redemption Thou hast brought;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O Holy Spirit, who dost touch
The prophets with Thy sacred fire
Eternal wisdom to whose light
All seekers after truth aspire;
Behold the warring sons of men,
The helpless by the strong oppressed,
The truth with error still concealed,
The evil grudgingly confessed;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
O God triune, Thy Church today
In penitence before Thee kneels
Mourning her years of slothful ease,
Her deafness to the world’s appeals;
Divided where she should be one,
Enamored of a lesser strife,
Tithing the mint and cumin while
Men perish for the Bread of Life;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
Restore to us the vision, Lord,
Descend with fires of Pentecost;
Our tongues unloose, our hearts inflame,
To preach the Gospel to the lost:
Here at Thy feet our prayer is made,
Here life and wealth we dedicate;
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
Lord, Thy anointing we await;
Hasten the time of our release,
Bring in Thy reign of truth and peace.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/g/o/n/gonwhled.htm
ON PRAYER
"The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. Silence gives us a new outlook on everything. We need silence in order to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. Jesus is always waiting for us in silence."
Mother Teresa
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.
Video: Washington's Grand Monument to Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1127489438001_2090288,00.html (also see http://www.mlkmemorial.org/)
Evolution of Camera and Photography - Designzzz Infographic
http://www.designzzz.com/designzzz-infographic-evolution-camera-photography/
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.)
Is there another word for synonym (or thesaurus, for that matter)?
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.
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Thought for today - 08/28/2011
BASIC RULES FOR DAILY LIVING
1. Take 20 minutes by yourself at the beginning of each day.
2. Live above small troubles by losing yourself in big, worthwhile interests.
3. Grow every day; life is a game; keep your eye on the ball, rather than on the scoreboard.
4. Have power to see things through; keep remembering that most accomplishments are three-fourths drudgery, and one-fourth joy.
5. Alternate your interests. It is better to be busy than bored. Balance your life with work, play, love, and worship.
6. Be gracious to others; do kind deeds beyond the call of duty; remember that every person is fighting a battle.
7. Talk over your problems with others- with confiding friends, your doctor of medicine, your minister, your God.
8. Work and co-operate with God, praying that God will do something through you rather than for you.
~Thomas Kepler
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thought for today - 08/27/2011
BE A DIFFERENCE-MAKER
"No wonder the early Christian church was known as the Way. It was a way of life that stood in glaring contrast to the world. What gave the early Christians integrity was the fact that they could denounce the empire and in the same breath say, "And we have another way of living. If you are tired of what the empire has to offer, we invite you into the Way." Even the pagan emperors could not ignore the little revolution of love. Emperor Julian confessed, "The godless Galileans feed our poor in addition to their own." And the Way had little cells multiplying all over that ole empire. Of course, everyone was forewarned that in this kingdom everything is backward and upside-down -- the last are first and the first are last, the poor are blessed and the mighty are cast from their thrones. And yet people were attracted to it. They were ready for something different from what the empire had to offer."
~Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thought for today - 08/26/2011
CONSIDER
"Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord."
~J. I. Packer
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thought for today - 08/25/2011
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
~Romans 8:35 & 37
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Thought for today - 08/23/2011
VERSE TO PONDER
"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
~Psalm 18:1-2
Monday, August 22, 2011
CONNECTIONS News - 08/21/2011
For week of August 21, 2011
Issue 370
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 2,128 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’m not ashamed of the gospel: it is God’s own power for salvation to all who have faith in God, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“The God of the infinite is the God of the infinitesimal.”
Blaise Pascal
“58:” END EXTREME POVERTY
58: is a Christ-centered global initiative to end extreme poverty. The name comes from Isaiah 58 where God desires that his people carry out a True Fast, one that cares for the poor and oppressed. Learn more at
http://live58.org/about-58/
NEW BIBLE TRANSLATION SEEKS COMMON GROUND
About the same time the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution denouncing one new Bible translation, another rolled off the presses that is being billed as “built on common ground.”
The Common English Bible debuted in June and the paperback format was introduced July 13 at the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta.
Sponsored by an alliance of five mainline denominations, the contemporary English translation from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts is the work of 120 biblical scholars in 24 different denominations. They represent various ethnic groups and theology schools ranging the spectrum from the conservative Wheaton College and Denver Seminary to the liberal Princeton and Yale.
Scott Spencer, professor of preaching and New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and one of 17 Baptists included, called it “one of the highlights of my academic and ministerial vocation.”
Paul Franklyn, associate publisher for the Common English Bible, described the four-year project as “collaboration between opposites.” That includes not only liberals and conservatives, but also scholars working with general readers, teens with senior adults, men, women and different ethnicities all working toward a goal of a “denomination-neutral” Bible for the 21st century.
Translators set out to combine scholarly accuracy with vivid everyday language. It is written in common language, similar to USA Today style, and the first Bible translation to widely use contractions where the text is in conversational style, as opposed to poetic or divine pronouncement. It uses detailed color maps from National Geographic, well known for accuracy.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6660/53/
WHERE A PEOPLE ABANDONS VIRTUE, GOVERNMENT STEPS IN
by Chuck Colson and Timothy George
Can freedom survive where virtue doesn't thrive? It was an important question for the founders of the American republic, and it is a timely one for today.
The Founding Fathers saw the critical connection: They pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to defend the self-evident truths "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
We understand life and liberty as foundational, but happiness? The problem with happiness as it is defined today lies in the little word hap, chance. Happiness is circumstantial. It depends on what happens to give us pleasure or fulfillment. But the founders understood happiness in the classical sense of what the Greeks called eudaimonia, that is, the result of a life well lived, a life based on truth and virtue.
Christians know something else: true virtue, and hence genuine happiness, is not merely a matter of thinking correctly or behaving properly. As Jonathan Edwards put it, the seat of true virtue is in the heart. Real happiness flows from character and comes to those, as Jesus said, who are poor in spirit, merciful and meek, and who hunger and thirst for righteousness and peace.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/august/realhappiness-aug11.html
TEACH ME, LORD
“Teach me to watch over all my ways, that I may never be surprised by sudden temptations or a careless spirit, nor ever return to folly and vanity. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips, that I offend not in my tongue, neither against piety nor charity. Teach me to think of nothing but Thee, and what is in order to Thy glory and service; to speak nothing but Thee and Thy glories; and to do nothing but what becomes Thy servant, whom Thy infinite mercy by the graces of Thy Holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of redemption.”
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), Holy Living [1650], in The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., v. III, London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1847, p. 35
CHRISTIAN PRO SOCCER TEAM: ‘SCORING SOULS, NOT GOALS’
With 12 minutes left in the game, the Charlotte Eagles are losing 2-0. The North Carolina humidity hangs thick in the evening air. The home crowd becomes restless as the opposing team's goalie blocks kick after kick.
But the team gets a big break in the 78th minute and scores twice in two minutes against the Rochester Rhinos. This men’s soccer match ends in a tie. Did God bless the Eagles with those goals?
“I don’t think God cares if we win or lose,” Eagles captain Josh Rife says, shrugging.
Coach Mark Steffens agrees: “Our No. 1 goal is not winning games. Our goal is to bring glory to God.” .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/christian-pro-soccer-team-scoring-souls-not-goals/
GOD CAN USE YOU
Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Mary was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. Now..... what's YOUR reason for thinking God won't use you?
God CAN use you where you are...if you let him! :)
SEXUAL HEALING
“Think twice before you eat what society feeds us, come follow the king, his name is Jesus.” Watch this video of a young man “rapping” a powerful message....
http://www.godvine.com/Sexual-Healing-A-Young-Man-s-Powerful-Poem-560.html
JOHN STOTT EXPLAINS WHY HE STAYED SINGLE FOR 90 YEARS
by Al Hsu
John Stott is being remembered as an evangelical statesman, a pastor/scholar, and an inveterate birdwatcher. He was also a lifelong bachelor. While researching my book on a theology of singleness, I had the opportunity to meet Stott and interview him about his views and experience as a single. He later revised and expanded his candid remarks into a more thorough treatment of the subject, from which the following is excerpted.
On the balance of marriage and singleness:
We must never exalt singleness (as some early church fathers did, notably Tertullian) as if it were a higher and holier vocation than marriage. We must reject the ascetic tradition which disparages sex as legalized lust, and marriage as legalized fornication. No, no. Sex is the good gift of a good Creator, and marriage is his own institution.
If marriage is good, singleness is also good. It's an example of the balance of Scripture that, although Genesis 2:18 indicates that it is good to marry, 1 Corinthians 7:1 (in answer to a question posed by the Corinthians) says that "it is good for a man not to marry." So both the married and the single states are "good"; neither is in itself better or worse than the other.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/augustweb-only/johnstottsingleness.html
MODELING CHRIST'S ATTITUDE
“In almost two decades of marriage, Lisa and I have settled into certain habits like an old pair of jeans. When we come back from a trip, Lisa invariably checks the phone messages while I unload the car. Lisa hates filling up the car's gas tank, so before I leave on a trip, I try to make sure it's full. If Lisa knows I'm coming home, she'll nurse that tank until she's riding on nothing more than fumes. I don't resent this, and Lisa doesn't resent the fact that she's usually folding laundry when she watches a movie while I just sit there like an all-star couch potato.
“We're not just after the imitation of Christ's actions in our home; we also want to model Christ's spirit and attitude. There are times to serve, and times to receive service. The beauty of this commitment is that it makes both Lisa and me God-dependent rather than spouse-dependent. If Lisa is faithfully serving me when I'm in a surly mood, she still receives an inner affirmation and sense of fulfillment from God. She has the joy of that inner witness declaring that her Creator is pleased with her.
“To become a servant is to become radically strong spiritually. It means you are free from the petty demands and grievances that ruin so many lives and turn so many hearts into bitter cauldrons of disappointment and self-pity. There is true joy when true service is offered up with a true heart. I've learned to guard not just my servant's actions but my servant's spirit. If I serve Lisa with little puffs of exasperation, grunting every time I lift a finger on her behalf, I'm exhibiting a proud, false-martyr's spirit, not the attitude of Jesus Christ. The attitude of Jesus is the attitude of service: ‘The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve’ (Matthew 20:28). Every Christian home should be marked by the spirit as well as the act of service.”
Gary Thomas in Simply Sacred: Daily Readings
NO ONE READS THE BIBLE LITERALLY
by John Wilson
Until this month, John Candide had taught religion at Calvin College, affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, for 25 years. But his "fall from grace," as the website InsideHigherEd put it, came after he "wrote about challenges science poses to a literal reading of the gospels." For that offense, he has agreed to leave his tenured teaching job.
As Mr. Candide explains, he recently became troubled by conflicts between science and literal readings of gospel accounts of Jesus' resurrection: "The more I read, the more I talked with biologists, the more it became clear to me: science tells us that when people die, they stay dead." He adds that he continues to believe in the importance of the Bible.
In their joint statement, Mr. Candide and Calvin College said that they agreed to part ways because of tensions raised by his scholarship and a desire not to create "harm and distraction." Despite this peaceful resolution, his departure raises questions about freedom of scholarship at the college.
Or not — I invented John Candide. The actual story at InsideHigherEd, from which I have borrowed liberally above, was a bit different. The alleged offense involved challenges posed by science to a literal reading of Genesis, not of Jesus' resurrection. And the professor in question is named John Schneider.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576514580247803932.html
UNITED NATIONS AFFIRMS THE HUMAN RIGHT TO BLASPHEME
by Austin Dacey
Having followed the debates on religion and freedom of expression at the United Nations over the last several years, I have become accustomed to passing on bad news, such as a decade of resolutions by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly “combating the defamation of religions.” Now that there is some good news, almost no one has noticed.
In July, the UN issued a new statement on the extent of freedom of speech under international law. It says that laws restricting blasphemy as such are incompatible with universal human rights standards.... Read this in full at
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/4985/united_nations_affirms_the_human_right_to_blaspheme/
WHO WINS? TWO BOOKS ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL
by Martin E. Marty
“Let’s you and him fight!” The old comic-book trope is good advice for bystanders as Mark Galli’s God Wins counters Rob Bell and his book Love Wins. The two are respected evangelical leaders, an editor and a pastor, who attract headlines and readerships as they debate “Heaven, Hell” and the “Good News.” Their subject is a meaningful alternative to the otherwise preoccupying evangelicals’ debates over homosexuality and abortion. “The Good News” is a debate over whether “Love Wins” or “God Wins,” and those who hear the biblical word that “God is Love” may have trouble telling the players without a program. Both sides agree that this is all about “the ultimate fate of human beings,” a classic concern of all who believe that there is an afterlife.
What follows is not a taunt but a challenge: let us have a Volume Two, especially from Galli. He offers soft but evangelically-orthodox answers to most questions which Bell posed last year in his book. But he slights the biggest, hardest, most troubling questions about the love and justice of God. He is anthropocentric, of course, but his “anthro-” who asks questions and ponders fate tends to be someone familiar with the biblical questions with which serious apologists for centuries have dealt as they set out “to justify the ways of God to man” (and woman).... Read this in full at
http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2011/0815.shtml
ESCAPE ARTIST EVANGELIST BACK IN THE SLAMMER
25 years to the day – Wisconsin-based escape artist and evangelist Anthony Martin (http://www.anthony-escapes.com/) will return to the jail that earned him the title of "King of Escapists" by Ripley's Believe It Or Not. This special anniversary escape attempt will be on August 22, at 1:30 P.M. The event will take place at the old Waushara County Jail, located at 221 South St. Marie Street in Wautoma, Wisconsin.
Martin says he uses his escapes as a metaphor for escaping eternal death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Martin's successful escape in 1986 was from one of the general population cells in the jail. For this attempt Anthony will be locked in a double door solitary confinement cell that no one in the history of the facility has ever escaped from.
The jail now turned museum, gained fame for having once housed Edward Gein, "America's most bizarre murderer." The Gein case was the horror story on which Hitchcock's movie "Psycho" and the film "Silence of the Lambs" were based. Martin, who last year handily survived a shackled jump from an airplane at 14,000 feet, will be placed in a strait-jacket and strapped to a ladder before being locked behind the 4 steel doors that will stand between him and freedom.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4523817569.html
VERSE TO PONDER
“In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”
Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.”
Max Lucado
A WELCOME TO HONEST LIVING
by Paul Tripp
The Bible is honest about life in this fallen world. This honesty is a sign of God's love. He's the wise and gentle father preparing his child for that walk through a tough neighborhood on the first day of school. He's the faithful friend praying with you before you face an unusual challenge. He's the caring physician informing you of what to expect from the disease he's just diagnosed.
A primary goal of all this diagnosis, description, warning, comfort, and counsel is to call us to certain ways of living. Why would you need to be "completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2-3) if you were not living in a community of flawed people where this kind of character is essential? Relationships in a fallen world are hard. Ministry to flawed people is fraught with difficulty. Character is needed because the world is broken.
In being honest, the Bible welcomes you to be honest as well. In its refusal to minimize, diminish, or deny the harsh realities of this broken-down house, the Bible calls us to face the facts as well. Things are not okay around us or inside us. The brokenness presses in on every side. What should we do with all this? Let me suggest five ways to pursue the character qualities to which God calls us, and in that way prepare ourselves to participate more effectively in the great task of restoration.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11655107
“THE BIBLE SAYS THAT…” REALLY?
by James Emery White
The real mistake when it comes to the Bible isn't getting our quotes of the Scriptures just right, it's failing to get right with the Scriptures.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11654951
EVANGELICAL, FUNDAMENTALIST AND BORN-AGAIN AREN’T THE SAME
by Cathleen Falsani
A week or two after the 2004 election, I was dining with some friends in New York when the conversation turned to religion and politics — the two things that you’re never supposed to discuss in polite company.
George W. Bush had just been re-elected with the help of what was described in the media as “evangelical voters.” And knowing that I am an evangelical Christian, my friends were terribly curious.
“What, exactly, is an evangelical?” one gentleman asked, as if he were inquiring about my time living among the lowland gorillas of Cameroon. I suddenly found myself as cultural translator for the evangelical mind.
“As I understand it,” I began, “what `evangelical’ really means is that a person believes in Jesus Christ, has a personal relationship with him and because of that relationship feels compelled to share their experience of God’s love with other people.
“How they choose to share that `good news’ with others is entirely up to the individual. Beyond that, the rest is details and style.” .... Read this in full at
http://ethicsdaily.com/evangelical-fundamentalist-and-born-again-aren-t-the-same-cms-18379
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF TWO US SENATORS
Truth be told, when asked to name a spiritual role model, few people would likely pick a sitting US senator.
In fact, with congressional approval ratings at record lows, few lawmakers -- Democrats or Republicans -- would seem to qualify as a profile in righteousness.
But two new books this summer, Sen. Jim DeMint's "The Great American Awakening" and Sen. Joe Lieberman's "The Gift of Rest," are trying to push back against the image of a godless Senate.
To be sure, DeMint and Lieberman have differences both political and religious: DeMint is a Tea Party Republican from South Carolina and a self-described "follower of Christ," while Lieberman, an observant Jew from Connecticut, is a sometimes unpredictable Independent.
But their books offer equally intimate glimpses into the spiritual lives of America's elected officials.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/17/senators-politics-piety-new-books_n_929669.html
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS AROUND THE WORLD
In a television interview with FOX News, Pew Forum Senior Researcher Brian J. Grim discusses findings from the Pew Forum's recent report Rising Restrictions on Religion (http://pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Restrictions-on-Religion.aspx). The report finds that more than 2.2 billion people - nearly a third (32%) of the world's total population of 6.9 billion - live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion have risen substantially.... View this in full at
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1111837948001
DESPITE ALL THE DRINKING AND CHEATING, COUNTRY MUSIC IS COMFORTABLE WITH RELIGIOUS THEMES
God is tough to find in popular music these days.
Religion writer Joe Carter went looking recently and found that among the top 60 country songs, 23 include at least one theme of family, faith, and God.
"And yet, the music world still considers it peculiar," Carter writes. "The willingness of country musicians to talk about God, family, and other topics counted among the most important in people's lives is considered aberrant. Compared to other pop music genres, this strain of country is definitely eccentric."
But beyond the "music world," is country music more in step with traditional American values?.... Read this in full at
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700168474/God-and-country-music-Despite-all-the-drinking-and-cheating-genre-comfortable-with-religious.html
MOSES' JOURNEY NOW A FACEBOOK GAME
Moses is a cartoon with a big head, a small body and beady black button eyes with a spiky grey beard and spongy grey hair in a new game on Facebook.
The art style is meant to reflect "the casual social game" that it is, says Brent Dusing, CEO of Hexify, creator of the first biblically based Facebook game, The Journey of Moses. "It's a fun, immersive, adventure game, so it's meant to be fun but respectful to the content and appropriate for the gravity of the story."
Dusing says "300 million people play social games on Facebook." That's close to the population of the United States, so his target audience is "anyone from 13 to over 70 ... it's a timeless story that billions around the world know."
At the beginning of the game, pharoah's daughter, reminiscent of a Cleopatra bobble-head, picks up a bundled baby Moses and cradles him in her arms.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/moses-journey-now-a-facebook-game/
NEW NOAH'S ARK IN KY. AIMS TO PROVE TRUTH OF BIBLE
Tucked away in a nondescript office park in northern Kentucky, Noah's followers are rebuilding his ark.
The biblical wooden ship built to weather a worldwide flood was 500 feet long and about 80 feet high, according to Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry devoted to a literal telling of the Old Testament.
This modern ark, to be nestled on a plot of 800 acres of rolling Kentucky farmland, isn't designed to rescue the world's creatures from a coming deluge. It's to tell the world that the Bible's legendary flood story was not a fable, but a part of human history.... Read this in full at
http://www.aol.com/2011/08/17/new-noahs-ark-in-ky-aims-_n_929043.html
CAN TECHNOLOGY USHER IN ANOTHER PENTECOST?
Texas Baptists are partnering with a non-denominational ministry to harness online language-translation technology that advocates say could be the best tool for cross-cultural evangelism since Pentecost.
Called Hope Chat, the tool harnesses the power of ABBY, an advanced online artificial intelligence translation platform developed at Carnegie Mellon University. It allows people to converse across languages in real time about spiritual matters, and the technology contextually translates what people type, allowing cross-language conversations to take place.
Wayne Shuffield, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism/Missions Center, said language and culture are two historical barriers to sharing the gospel. He said the ABBY system removes one of those barriers, enabling Christians to build bridges to people around the globe. .... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6650/53/
IT'S NOT HARD TO ROOT FOR TIM TEBOW
by James A. Smith Sr.
You don't have to be a Florida Gator to love Tim Tebow. Indeed, I'm certain many -- like me -- have become Gators because they were first fans of Tebow.
Before Tebow's emergence as a college football phenom, I was a nominal Florida State Seminole fan. After all, it's hard not to love Bobby Bowden (especially as a Florida Baptist), and my daughter is a rabid Seminole.
However, during Tebow's freshman year at the University of Florida, I began to cheer for the Gators -- in the closet, I would joke later with friends, so as to not enrage my daughter. In his second year, I publicly declared my admiration (what my Tennessee Volunteer son-in-law calls my "man crush") for Tebow, living with the consequential familial conflict.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=35940
THE DEAD SEA: DEADER THAN EVER AND GETTING MORE SO
There is dead and there is dying. The Dead Sea manages both. It's dead because the water in it contains way, way too much salt — eight times as much as the oceans — for virtually any living thing to survive. With a shoreline at the lowest land point on the globe — 1,388 ft. below sea level — and no outlet, millennia of evaporation has left the seabed so caked with minerals the freshwater that flows in turns immediately lethal.
Not that much freshwater flows in these days. That's why the sea is dying, or drying up, at the rate of more than 3 vertical feet (1 m) per year — which on the gradual slope of the western shore can translate into 65 ft. of exposed seabed. Most of the damage has been done in the last half-century, when almost all the water that once reached the Dead Sea was diverted to farms and taps. The Jordan River, so mighty in the Bible, is today a puny creek that draws snarls from disappointed tourists. "Everything changed when we started diverting water from the Sea of Galilee," says Mira Edelstein of Friends of the Earth Middle East. "The Jordan River used to bring 1.3 billion cu. ft. of water a year. Today it's 50 million. That's 2% of what it was." .... Read this in full at
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2084164,00.html#ixzz1TJ8dD7YQ
WHAT IS ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY, ANYWAY?
by Terry Mattingly
There is nothing unusual about a priest who is dressed in clerical garb having a stranger ask him a religious question during a long airline flight.
"You ask a guy where he's from and what he does and then he asks you the same thing. Many people just want to talk," explained the Rev. John David Finley, a missionary priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
The man in the next seat recently asked the priest a question he has heard many times: "What is Orthodox Christianity, anyway?"
Ironically, Finley was -- at that moment -- writing some comments about a contest in which participants prepared a 30-second "elevator speech" response to strangers who asked that very question. The contest was organized by the archdiocesan Department of Missions and Evangelism, Finley's home base.
This particular man was a convert to Buddhism, although he was raised in a home that was Christian, to one degree or another. He was interested in how different churches interpret Scripture and how Eastern Christians pray.... Read this in full at
http://www.scrippsnews.net/content/religion-can-elevator-speeches-take-debate-new-levels
A 'CHRISTIAN' EUROPE WITHOUT CHRISTIANITY
Does European Christendom need Christianity to survive? It may seen an odd question for a religious culture that once stretched from Britain to the Bosphorus, born of a deep and diffuse faith that inspired great cathedrals and monasteries and filled them with believers for centuries.
But when right-wing extremist Anders Breivik killed 77 people in a horrific rampage in Norway last month, he highlighted a novel development in the history of the West: a burgeoning alliance between believers and nonbelievers to promote Europe's Christian identity.
"European Christendom and the cross will be the symbol in which every cultural conservative can unite under in our common defense," Breivik wrote in his rambling 1,500-page manifesto. "It should serve as the uniting symbol for all Europeans whether they are agnostic or atheists."
Whether Breivik himself can be considered a bona fide Christian given his lack of a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God," as he put it, was a topic of much debate. There was no doubt, however, that he was a devout believer "in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform." In fact, that's been the case for any number of unbelievers for more than a decade.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/13/a-christian-europe-withou_n_924901.html
WICCAN DAYS INCLUDED ON TENN. UNIVERSITY CALENDAR
Wiccan and pagan students at Vanderbilt University might get to take an excused day off from class to dance around the maypole.
Vanderbilt's Office of Religious Life recently sent professors a calendar of 2011-12 "religious holy days and observances" and a related policy on student absences. The faith listed next to four of the days on the calendar is "Wicca/Pagan."
Wicca, whose believers are called Wiccans or witches, is just one form of paganism, an umbrella term for beliefs in multiple gods and goddesses. Some religious believers consider paganism to be outside the mainstream because it bucks the monotheistic tradition of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-08-17-wicca-holiday-vanderbilt_n.htm
CONSIDER
“You have an exceptional calling- to be the very best you God created you to be. Your goal is to unwrap this gift and use all that you've been given in the pursuit of what matters most- loving God and loving other people.”
Kerry Shook
VERSE TO PONDER
“I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.”
Psalm 119:7 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: JESUS ONLY IS OUR MESSAGE
Words: Albert B. Simpson, 1890
Music: James H. Burke
Jesus only is our message,
Jesus all our theme shall be;
We will lift up Jesus ever,
Jesus only will we see.
Refrain
Jesus only, Jesus ever,
Jesus all in all we sing,
Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer,
Glorious Lord and coming King.
Jesus only is our Savior,
All our guilt He bore away,
All our righteousness He gives us,
All our strength from day to day.
Refrain
Jesus is our Sanctifier,
Cleansing us from self and sin,
And with all His Spirit’s fullness,
Filling all our hearts within.
Refrain
Jesus only is our Healer,
All our sicknesses He bare,
And His risen life and fullness,
All His members still may share.
Refrain
Jesus only is our Power,
He the Gift of Pentecost,
Jesus, breathe Thy pow’r upon us,
Fill us with the Holy Ghost.
Refrain
And for Jesus we are waiting,
List’ning for the advent call;
But ’twill still be Jesus only,
Jesus ever, all in all.
Refrain
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/j/e/jesoisom.htm
ON PRAYER
“Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid in everything that God can devise or man can need. Prayer fills man's emptiness with God's fullness. It fills man's poverty with God's riches. It puts away man's weakness with God's strength. it banishes man's littleness with God's greatness. Prayer is God's plan to supply man's great and continual need with God's great and continual abundance.” E. M. Bounds (1835-1913), The Reality of Prayer, Racine: Treasres Media, Inc. 2007, p. 7
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
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Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
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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.
BBC Programs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/
Optical illusion
http://www.moillusions.com/2010/04/video-anamorphic-candle-box.html
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.)
It's not a REAL sponge cake unless you've borrowed all the ingredients.
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.
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Issue 370
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 2,128 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’m not ashamed of the gospel: it is God’s own power for salvation to all who have faith in God, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“The God of the infinite is the God of the infinitesimal.”
Blaise Pascal
“58:” END EXTREME POVERTY
58: is a Christ-centered global initiative to end extreme poverty. The name comes from Isaiah 58 where God desires that his people carry out a True Fast, one that cares for the poor and oppressed. Learn more at
http://live58.org/about-58/
NEW BIBLE TRANSLATION SEEKS COMMON GROUND
About the same time the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution denouncing one new Bible translation, another rolled off the presses that is being billed as “built on common ground.”
The Common English Bible debuted in June and the paperback format was introduced July 13 at the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta.
Sponsored by an alliance of five mainline denominations, the contemporary English translation from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts is the work of 120 biblical scholars in 24 different denominations. They represent various ethnic groups and theology schools ranging the spectrum from the conservative Wheaton College and Denver Seminary to the liberal Princeton and Yale.
Scott Spencer, professor of preaching and New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and one of 17 Baptists included, called it “one of the highlights of my academic and ministerial vocation.”
Paul Franklyn, associate publisher for the Common English Bible, described the four-year project as “collaboration between opposites.” That includes not only liberals and conservatives, but also scholars working with general readers, teens with senior adults, men, women and different ethnicities all working toward a goal of a “denomination-neutral” Bible for the 21st century.
Translators set out to combine scholarly accuracy with vivid everyday language. It is written in common language, similar to USA Today style, and the first Bible translation to widely use contractions where the text is in conversational style, as opposed to poetic or divine pronouncement. It uses detailed color maps from National Geographic, well known for accuracy.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6660/53/
WHERE A PEOPLE ABANDONS VIRTUE, GOVERNMENT STEPS IN
by Chuck Colson and Timothy George
Can freedom survive where virtue doesn't thrive? It was an important question for the founders of the American republic, and it is a timely one for today.
The Founding Fathers saw the critical connection: They pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to defend the self-evident truths "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
We understand life and liberty as foundational, but happiness? The problem with happiness as it is defined today lies in the little word hap, chance. Happiness is circumstantial. It depends on what happens to give us pleasure or fulfillment. But the founders understood happiness in the classical sense of what the Greeks called eudaimonia, that is, the result of a life well lived, a life based on truth and virtue.
Christians know something else: true virtue, and hence genuine happiness, is not merely a matter of thinking correctly or behaving properly. As Jonathan Edwards put it, the seat of true virtue is in the heart. Real happiness flows from character and comes to those, as Jesus said, who are poor in spirit, merciful and meek, and who hunger and thirst for righteousness and peace.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/august/realhappiness-aug11.html
TEACH ME, LORD
“Teach me to watch over all my ways, that I may never be surprised by sudden temptations or a careless spirit, nor ever return to folly and vanity. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips, that I offend not in my tongue, neither against piety nor charity. Teach me to think of nothing but Thee, and what is in order to Thy glory and service; to speak nothing but Thee and Thy glories; and to do nothing but what becomes Thy servant, whom Thy infinite mercy by the graces of Thy Holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of redemption.”
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), Holy Living [1650], in The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., v. III, London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1847, p. 35
CHRISTIAN PRO SOCCER TEAM: ‘SCORING SOULS, NOT GOALS’
With 12 minutes left in the game, the Charlotte Eagles are losing 2-0. The North Carolina humidity hangs thick in the evening air. The home crowd becomes restless as the opposing team's goalie blocks kick after kick.
But the team gets a big break in the 78th minute and scores twice in two minutes against the Rochester Rhinos. This men’s soccer match ends in a tie. Did God bless the Eagles with those goals?
“I don’t think God cares if we win or lose,” Eagles captain Josh Rife says, shrugging.
Coach Mark Steffens agrees: “Our No. 1 goal is not winning games. Our goal is to bring glory to God.” .... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/christian-pro-soccer-team-scoring-souls-not-goals/
GOD CAN USE YOU
Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Mary was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. Now..... what's YOUR reason for thinking God won't use you?
God CAN use you where you are...if you let him! :)
SEXUAL HEALING
“Think twice before you eat what society feeds us, come follow the king, his name is Jesus.” Watch this video of a young man “rapping” a powerful message....
http://www.godvine.com/Sexual-Healing-A-Young-Man-s-Powerful-Poem-560.html
JOHN STOTT EXPLAINS WHY HE STAYED SINGLE FOR 90 YEARS
by Al Hsu
John Stott is being remembered as an evangelical statesman, a pastor/scholar, and an inveterate birdwatcher. He was also a lifelong bachelor. While researching my book on a theology of singleness, I had the opportunity to meet Stott and interview him about his views and experience as a single. He later revised and expanded his candid remarks into a more thorough treatment of the subject, from which the following is excerpted.
On the balance of marriage and singleness:
We must never exalt singleness (as some early church fathers did, notably Tertullian) as if it were a higher and holier vocation than marriage. We must reject the ascetic tradition which disparages sex as legalized lust, and marriage as legalized fornication. No, no. Sex is the good gift of a good Creator, and marriage is his own institution.
If marriage is good, singleness is also good. It's an example of the balance of Scripture that, although Genesis 2:18 indicates that it is good to marry, 1 Corinthians 7:1 (in answer to a question posed by the Corinthians) says that "it is good for a man not to marry." So both the married and the single states are "good"; neither is in itself better or worse than the other.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/augustweb-only/johnstottsingleness.html
MODELING CHRIST'S ATTITUDE
“In almost two decades of marriage, Lisa and I have settled into certain habits like an old pair of jeans. When we come back from a trip, Lisa invariably checks the phone messages while I unload the car. Lisa hates filling up the car's gas tank, so before I leave on a trip, I try to make sure it's full. If Lisa knows I'm coming home, she'll nurse that tank until she's riding on nothing more than fumes. I don't resent this, and Lisa doesn't resent the fact that she's usually folding laundry when she watches a movie while I just sit there like an all-star couch potato.
“We're not just after the imitation of Christ's actions in our home; we also want to model Christ's spirit and attitude. There are times to serve, and times to receive service. The beauty of this commitment is that it makes both Lisa and me God-dependent rather than spouse-dependent. If Lisa is faithfully serving me when I'm in a surly mood, she still receives an inner affirmation and sense of fulfillment from God. She has the joy of that inner witness declaring that her Creator is pleased with her.
“To become a servant is to become radically strong spiritually. It means you are free from the petty demands and grievances that ruin so many lives and turn so many hearts into bitter cauldrons of disappointment and self-pity. There is true joy when true service is offered up with a true heart. I've learned to guard not just my servant's actions but my servant's spirit. If I serve Lisa with little puffs of exasperation, grunting every time I lift a finger on her behalf, I'm exhibiting a proud, false-martyr's spirit, not the attitude of Jesus Christ. The attitude of Jesus is the attitude of service: ‘The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve’ (Matthew 20:28). Every Christian home should be marked by the spirit as well as the act of service.”
Gary Thomas in Simply Sacred: Daily Readings
NO ONE READS THE BIBLE LITERALLY
by John Wilson
Until this month, John Candide had taught religion at Calvin College, affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, for 25 years. But his "fall from grace," as the website InsideHigherEd put it, came after he "wrote about challenges science poses to a literal reading of the gospels." For that offense, he has agreed to leave his tenured teaching job.
As Mr. Candide explains, he recently became troubled by conflicts between science and literal readings of gospel accounts of Jesus' resurrection: "The more I read, the more I talked with biologists, the more it became clear to me: science tells us that when people die, they stay dead." He adds that he continues to believe in the importance of the Bible.
In their joint statement, Mr. Candide and Calvin College said that they agreed to part ways because of tensions raised by his scholarship and a desire not to create "harm and distraction." Despite this peaceful resolution, his departure raises questions about freedom of scholarship at the college.
Or not — I invented John Candide. The actual story at InsideHigherEd, from which I have borrowed liberally above, was a bit different. The alleged offense involved challenges posed by science to a literal reading of Genesis, not of Jesus' resurrection. And the professor in question is named John Schneider.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576514580247803932.html
UNITED NATIONS AFFIRMS THE HUMAN RIGHT TO BLASPHEME
by Austin Dacey
Having followed the debates on religion and freedom of expression at the United Nations over the last several years, I have become accustomed to passing on bad news, such as a decade of resolutions by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly “combating the defamation of religions.” Now that there is some good news, almost no one has noticed.
In July, the UN issued a new statement on the extent of freedom of speech under international law. It says that laws restricting blasphemy as such are incompatible with universal human rights standards.... Read this in full at
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/4985/united_nations_affirms_the_human_right_to_blaspheme/
WHO WINS? TWO BOOKS ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL
by Martin E. Marty
“Let’s you and him fight!” The old comic-book trope is good advice for bystanders as Mark Galli’s God Wins counters Rob Bell and his book Love Wins. The two are respected evangelical leaders, an editor and a pastor, who attract headlines and readerships as they debate “Heaven, Hell” and the “Good News.” Their subject is a meaningful alternative to the otherwise preoccupying evangelicals’ debates over homosexuality and abortion. “The Good News” is a debate over whether “Love Wins” or “God Wins,” and those who hear the biblical word that “God is Love” may have trouble telling the players without a program. Both sides agree that this is all about “the ultimate fate of human beings,” a classic concern of all who believe that there is an afterlife.
What follows is not a taunt but a challenge: let us have a Volume Two, especially from Galli. He offers soft but evangelically-orthodox answers to most questions which Bell posed last year in his book. But he slights the biggest, hardest, most troubling questions about the love and justice of God. He is anthropocentric, of course, but his “anthro-” who asks questions and ponders fate tends to be someone familiar with the biblical questions with which serious apologists for centuries have dealt as they set out “to justify the ways of God to man” (and woman).... Read this in full at
http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2011/0815.shtml
ESCAPE ARTIST EVANGELIST BACK IN THE SLAMMER
25 years to the day – Wisconsin-based escape artist and evangelist Anthony Martin (http://www.anthony-escapes.com/) will return to the jail that earned him the title of "King of Escapists" by Ripley's Believe It Or Not. This special anniversary escape attempt will be on August 22, at 1:30 P.M. The event will take place at the old Waushara County Jail, located at 221 South St. Marie Street in Wautoma, Wisconsin.
Martin says he uses his escapes as a metaphor for escaping eternal death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Martin's successful escape in 1986 was from one of the general population cells in the jail. For this attempt Anthony will be locked in a double door solitary confinement cell that no one in the history of the facility has ever escaped from.
The jail now turned museum, gained fame for having once housed Edward Gein, "America's most bizarre murderer." The Gein case was the horror story on which Hitchcock's movie "Psycho" and the film "Silence of the Lambs" were based. Martin, who last year handily survived a shackled jump from an airplane at 14,000 feet, will be placed in a strait-jacket and strapped to a ladder before being locked behind the 4 steel doors that will stand between him and freedom.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4523817569.html
VERSE TO PONDER
“In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”
Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.”
Max Lucado
A WELCOME TO HONEST LIVING
by Paul Tripp
The Bible is honest about life in this fallen world. This honesty is a sign of God's love. He's the wise and gentle father preparing his child for that walk through a tough neighborhood on the first day of school. He's the faithful friend praying with you before you face an unusual challenge. He's the caring physician informing you of what to expect from the disease he's just diagnosed.
A primary goal of all this diagnosis, description, warning, comfort, and counsel is to call us to certain ways of living. Why would you need to be "completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2-3) if you were not living in a community of flawed people where this kind of character is essential? Relationships in a fallen world are hard. Ministry to flawed people is fraught with difficulty. Character is needed because the world is broken.
In being honest, the Bible welcomes you to be honest as well. In its refusal to minimize, diminish, or deny the harsh realities of this broken-down house, the Bible calls us to face the facts as well. Things are not okay around us or inside us. The brokenness presses in on every side. What should we do with all this? Let me suggest five ways to pursue the character qualities to which God calls us, and in that way prepare ourselves to participate more effectively in the great task of restoration.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11655107
“THE BIBLE SAYS THAT…” REALLY?
by James Emery White
The real mistake when it comes to the Bible isn't getting our quotes of the Scriptures just right, it's failing to get right with the Scriptures.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11654951
EVANGELICAL, FUNDAMENTALIST AND BORN-AGAIN AREN’T THE SAME
by Cathleen Falsani
A week or two after the 2004 election, I was dining with some friends in New York when the conversation turned to religion and politics — the two things that you’re never supposed to discuss in polite company.
George W. Bush had just been re-elected with the help of what was described in the media as “evangelical voters.” And knowing that I am an evangelical Christian, my friends were terribly curious.
“What, exactly, is an evangelical?” one gentleman asked, as if he were inquiring about my time living among the lowland gorillas of Cameroon. I suddenly found myself as cultural translator for the evangelical mind.
“As I understand it,” I began, “what `evangelical’ really means is that a person believes in Jesus Christ, has a personal relationship with him and because of that relationship feels compelled to share their experience of God’s love with other people.
“How they choose to share that `good news’ with others is entirely up to the individual. Beyond that, the rest is details and style.” .... Read this in full at
http://ethicsdaily.com/evangelical-fundamentalist-and-born-again-aren-t-the-same-cms-18379
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF TWO US SENATORS
Truth be told, when asked to name a spiritual role model, few people would likely pick a sitting US senator.
In fact, with congressional approval ratings at record lows, few lawmakers -- Democrats or Republicans -- would seem to qualify as a profile in righteousness.
But two new books this summer, Sen. Jim DeMint's "The Great American Awakening" and Sen. Joe Lieberman's "The Gift of Rest," are trying to push back against the image of a godless Senate.
To be sure, DeMint and Lieberman have differences both political and religious: DeMint is a Tea Party Republican from South Carolina and a self-described "follower of Christ," while Lieberman, an observant Jew from Connecticut, is a sometimes unpredictable Independent.
But their books offer equally intimate glimpses into the spiritual lives of America's elected officials.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/17/senators-politics-piety-new-books_n_929669.html
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS AROUND THE WORLD
In a television interview with FOX News, Pew Forum Senior Researcher Brian J. Grim discusses findings from the Pew Forum's recent report Rising Restrictions on Religion (http://pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Restrictions-on-Religion.aspx). The report finds that more than 2.2 billion people - nearly a third (32%) of the world's total population of 6.9 billion - live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion have risen substantially.... View this in full at
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1111837948001
DESPITE ALL THE DRINKING AND CHEATING, COUNTRY MUSIC IS COMFORTABLE WITH RELIGIOUS THEMES
God is tough to find in popular music these days.
Religion writer Joe Carter went looking recently and found that among the top 60 country songs, 23 include at least one theme of family, faith, and God.
"And yet, the music world still considers it peculiar," Carter writes. "The willingness of country musicians to talk about God, family, and other topics counted among the most important in people's lives is considered aberrant. Compared to other pop music genres, this strain of country is definitely eccentric."
But beyond the "music world," is country music more in step with traditional American values?.... Read this in full at
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700168474/God-and-country-music-Despite-all-the-drinking-and-cheating-genre-comfortable-with-religious.html
MOSES' JOURNEY NOW A FACEBOOK GAME
Moses is a cartoon with a big head, a small body and beady black button eyes with a spiky grey beard and spongy grey hair in a new game on Facebook.
The art style is meant to reflect "the casual social game" that it is, says Brent Dusing, CEO of Hexify, creator of the first biblically based Facebook game, The Journey of Moses. "It's a fun, immersive, adventure game, so it's meant to be fun but respectful to the content and appropriate for the gravity of the story."
Dusing says "300 million people play social games on Facebook." That's close to the population of the United States, so his target audience is "anyone from 13 to over 70 ... it's a timeless story that billions around the world know."
At the beginning of the game, pharoah's daughter, reminiscent of a Cleopatra bobble-head, picks up a bundled baby Moses and cradles him in her arms.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/moses-journey-now-a-facebook-game/
NEW NOAH'S ARK IN KY. AIMS TO PROVE TRUTH OF BIBLE
Tucked away in a nondescript office park in northern Kentucky, Noah's followers are rebuilding his ark.
The biblical wooden ship built to weather a worldwide flood was 500 feet long and about 80 feet high, according to Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry devoted to a literal telling of the Old Testament.
This modern ark, to be nestled on a plot of 800 acres of rolling Kentucky farmland, isn't designed to rescue the world's creatures from a coming deluge. It's to tell the world that the Bible's legendary flood story was not a fable, but a part of human history.... Read this in full at
http://www.aol.com/2011/08/17/new-noahs-ark-in-ky-aims-_n_929043.html
CAN TECHNOLOGY USHER IN ANOTHER PENTECOST?
Texas Baptists are partnering with a non-denominational ministry to harness online language-translation technology that advocates say could be the best tool for cross-cultural evangelism since Pentecost.
Called Hope Chat, the tool harnesses the power of ABBY, an advanced online artificial intelligence translation platform developed at Carnegie Mellon University. It allows people to converse across languages in real time about spiritual matters, and the technology contextually translates what people type, allowing cross-language conversations to take place.
Wayne Shuffield, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism/Missions Center, said language and culture are two historical barriers to sharing the gospel. He said the ABBY system removes one of those barriers, enabling Christians to build bridges to people around the globe. .... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6650/53/
IT'S NOT HARD TO ROOT FOR TIM TEBOW
by James A. Smith Sr.
You don't have to be a Florida Gator to love Tim Tebow. Indeed, I'm certain many -- like me -- have become Gators because they were first fans of Tebow.
Before Tebow's emergence as a college football phenom, I was a nominal Florida State Seminole fan. After all, it's hard not to love Bobby Bowden (especially as a Florida Baptist), and my daughter is a rabid Seminole.
However, during Tebow's freshman year at the University of Florida, I began to cheer for the Gators -- in the closet, I would joke later with friends, so as to not enrage my daughter. In his second year, I publicly declared my admiration (what my Tennessee Volunteer son-in-law calls my "man crush") for Tebow, living with the consequential familial conflict.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=35940
THE DEAD SEA: DEADER THAN EVER AND GETTING MORE SO
There is dead and there is dying. The Dead Sea manages both. It's dead because the water in it contains way, way too much salt — eight times as much as the oceans — for virtually any living thing to survive. With a shoreline at the lowest land point on the globe — 1,388 ft. below sea level — and no outlet, millennia of evaporation has left the seabed so caked with minerals the freshwater that flows in turns immediately lethal.
Not that much freshwater flows in these days. That's why the sea is dying, or drying up, at the rate of more than 3 vertical feet (1 m) per year — which on the gradual slope of the western shore can translate into 65 ft. of exposed seabed. Most of the damage has been done in the last half-century, when almost all the water that once reached the Dead Sea was diverted to farms and taps. The Jordan River, so mighty in the Bible, is today a puny creek that draws snarls from disappointed tourists. "Everything changed when we started diverting water from the Sea of Galilee," says Mira Edelstein of Friends of the Earth Middle East. "The Jordan River used to bring 1.3 billion cu. ft. of water a year. Today it's 50 million. That's 2% of what it was." .... Read this in full at
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2084164,00.html#ixzz1TJ8dD7YQ
WHAT IS ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY, ANYWAY?
by Terry Mattingly
There is nothing unusual about a priest who is dressed in clerical garb having a stranger ask him a religious question during a long airline flight.
"You ask a guy where he's from and what he does and then he asks you the same thing. Many people just want to talk," explained the Rev. John David Finley, a missionary priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
The man in the next seat recently asked the priest a question he has heard many times: "What is Orthodox Christianity, anyway?"
Ironically, Finley was -- at that moment -- writing some comments about a contest in which participants prepared a 30-second "elevator speech" response to strangers who asked that very question. The contest was organized by the archdiocesan Department of Missions and Evangelism, Finley's home base.
This particular man was a convert to Buddhism, although he was raised in a home that was Christian, to one degree or another. He was interested in how different churches interpret Scripture and how Eastern Christians pray.... Read this in full at
http://www.scrippsnews.net/content/religion-can-elevator-speeches-take-debate-new-levels
A 'CHRISTIAN' EUROPE WITHOUT CHRISTIANITY
Does European Christendom need Christianity to survive? It may seen an odd question for a religious culture that once stretched from Britain to the Bosphorus, born of a deep and diffuse faith that inspired great cathedrals and monasteries and filled them with believers for centuries.
But when right-wing extremist Anders Breivik killed 77 people in a horrific rampage in Norway last month, he highlighted a novel development in the history of the West: a burgeoning alliance between believers and nonbelievers to promote Europe's Christian identity.
"European Christendom and the cross will be the symbol in which every cultural conservative can unite under in our common defense," Breivik wrote in his rambling 1,500-page manifesto. "It should serve as the uniting symbol for all Europeans whether they are agnostic or atheists."
Whether Breivik himself can be considered a bona fide Christian given his lack of a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God," as he put it, was a topic of much debate. There was no doubt, however, that he was a devout believer "in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform." In fact, that's been the case for any number of unbelievers for more than a decade.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/13/a-christian-europe-withou_n_924901.html
WICCAN DAYS INCLUDED ON TENN. UNIVERSITY CALENDAR
Wiccan and pagan students at Vanderbilt University might get to take an excused day off from class to dance around the maypole.
Vanderbilt's Office of Religious Life recently sent professors a calendar of 2011-12 "religious holy days and observances" and a related policy on student absences. The faith listed next to four of the days on the calendar is "Wicca/Pagan."
Wicca, whose believers are called Wiccans or witches, is just one form of paganism, an umbrella term for beliefs in multiple gods and goddesses. Some religious believers consider paganism to be outside the mainstream because it bucks the monotheistic tradition of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-08-17-wicca-holiday-vanderbilt_n.htm
CONSIDER
“You have an exceptional calling- to be the very best you God created you to be. Your goal is to unwrap this gift and use all that you've been given in the pursuit of what matters most- loving God and loving other people.”
Kerry Shook
VERSE TO PONDER
“I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.”
Psalm 119:7 (NIV)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: JESUS ONLY IS OUR MESSAGE
Words: Albert B. Simpson, 1890
Music: James H. Burke
Jesus only is our message,
Jesus all our theme shall be;
We will lift up Jesus ever,
Jesus only will we see.
Refrain
Jesus only, Jesus ever,
Jesus all in all we sing,
Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer,
Glorious Lord and coming King.
Jesus only is our Savior,
All our guilt He bore away,
All our righteousness He gives us,
All our strength from day to day.
Refrain
Jesus is our Sanctifier,
Cleansing us from self and sin,
And with all His Spirit’s fullness,
Filling all our hearts within.
Refrain
Jesus only is our Healer,
All our sicknesses He bare,
And His risen life and fullness,
All His members still may share.
Refrain
Jesus only is our Power,
He the Gift of Pentecost,
Jesus, breathe Thy pow’r upon us,
Fill us with the Holy Ghost.
Refrain
And for Jesus we are waiting,
List’ning for the advent call;
But ’twill still be Jesus only,
Jesus ever, all in all.
Refrain
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/j/e/jesoisom.htm
ON PRAYER
“Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid in everything that God can devise or man can need. Prayer fills man's emptiness with God's fullness. It fills man's poverty with God's riches. It puts away man's weakness with God's strength. it banishes man's littleness with God's greatness. Prayer is God's plan to supply man's great and continual need with God's great and continual abundance.” E. M. Bounds (1835-1913), The Reality of Prayer, Racine: Treasres Media, Inc. 2007, p. 7
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.
BBC Programs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/
Optical illusion
http://www.moillusions.com/2010/04/video-anamorphic-candle-box.html
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.)
It's not a REAL sponge cake unless you've borrowed all the ingredients.
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.org/
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