VERSE TO PONDER
"Be rich in good deeds; be generous and willing to share."
- 1 Timothy 6:18
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thought for today - 10/31/2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Fwd: Thought for today
CONSIDER
"There is a major disaster when a person allows some success to become a stopping place rather than a way station on to a larger goal. It often happens that an early success is a greater moral hazard than an early failure."
- Halford E. Luccock (1885-1960)
Friday, October 28, 2011
CONNECTIONS - 10/30/2011
For week of October 30, 2011
Issue 380
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
or subscribe via rss feed here:
http://www.connectionsnews.wordpress.com/feed
“Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The LORD is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 Common English Bible (CEB)
CONSIDER
“True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us mindful of the nobility God meant us to have. Yet it makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.”
Ralph W. Sockman
10 STEPS FOR MAINTAINING MORAL BOUNDARIES
by Marv Penner
Here are some practical steps you can take to guard your heart:
1. Acknowledge your vulnerability.
2. Maintain your fundamental spiritual disciplines.
3. Intentionally cultivate solid same-gender friendships.
4. Invest consistently in your own marriage and family.
5. Develop strong accountability around pornography, online activity and media consumption.... Read this in full at
http://www.dougfields.com/posts/moralboundaries/
PRE-DECISIONS
by Clare De Graaf
I used to get caught flat-footed all the time whenever I saw men standing on street corners, or by the highway with “need work” signs. I’d instantly go through all kinds of emotions ranging from guilt, to asking the, “What am I supposed to do?” questions, and oddly enough, even getting angry at them for making me feel guilty! So, I’d stop for some and others I’d just avoid direct eye contact. Obviously, I couldn’t stop for all of them, but I was sure there had to be a better way than my hit-or-miss method.
I love the word intentional. It helps me draw a clearer distinction between a theoretical openness to follow Jesus and a carefully thought-out decision to obey. A family therapist once gave me this wise advice when I was reluctant to change something I was doing: “If nothing changes – nothing changes.” Meaning that, unless I have thoughtfully and prayerfully considered how I ought to live and act differently, I’m likely to make the very same mistakes again.
One of the best ways I know to overcome indecision and prepare myself to obey Jesus more biblically, spontaneously and intentionally, in addition to Scripture and prayer, is to make what a friend of mine calls a pre-decision. Simply put a pre-decision is a choice to formulate a specific plan of action for next time I’m faced with a temptation or an opportunity to do good, especially if I’ve failed in the past.
So, here are some pre-decisions I’ve made for, “men by the side of the road”, kinds of situations.... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2011/10/24/pre-decisions/
LIFE IN CHRIST IS ALL ABOUT BREATHING
“Receiving and giving away is the basic motion of life. A constant in-and-out exchange animates both plant and animal life. Obviously, a failure to inhale is fatal, but so is a refusal to exhale. If the air we draw in is not released, carbon dioxide will build in our blood, the body's internal oxygen level will drop, and if we continue to hold our breath, brain damage and death will soon follow. Those who fill their lungs without releasing the air perish in the same way as those whose lungs are empty.
“Life in Christ is all about breathing. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Love as I have loved you. Do to others what you would have them do to you. Be humbled and you will be exalted. Give and you will receive. And in the Beatitudes, Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’ The merciful alone see and receive God's mercy.”
Jeff Cook in Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes
ON MEXICO BORDER, CHURCHES COUNTER VIOLENCE WITH PRAYER
Testimonies from churches along the Mexican border highlight the need for ongoing prayer that God would curb Mexico's drug violence.
A 40-day, multi-denominational prayer effort in El Paso, Texas, for the neighboring Mexican city of Juarez was followed by a reduction in murders. But increased violence in July reminded participants to persist in their intercession.
"We continue to pray for Juarez," said Larry Wilkins, missions pastor at Cielo Vista Church, a Southern Baptist congregation that participated in the effort. "When we were going through the 40 days, there was much discussion from the pulpit and encouragement. We still have a prayer time in our services and will often lift up Juarez in our prayers." .... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36401
A JOINT EFFORT
“Remember, the pursuit of holiness is a continuing struggle. Humanity still has the inclination to choose sin. The most saintly among us still want to do what's wrong and often do. This is why Paul, long after his conversion, writes, ‘For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?’ (Romans 7:22–24).
“To fight this spiritual battle, the first thing is to remember that we depend utterly on God; the Christian life is not about asserting our wills — our wills are corrupt even after we come to Christ. Our very love for God comes from God, and we only offer God's love back to Him. As Augustine writes, ‘Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us." So the struggle for holiness is a joint effort.’”
Charles W. Colson in The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters
TIM TEBOW TEAMS WITH CHILDREN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Christian football star Tim Tebow is taking his ministry off the field and helping disabled children overseas.
Tebow made headlines Oct. 23 by leading the Denver Broncos in an 18-15 overtime upset over the Miami Dolphins in Florida. After thanking Jesus following the narrow victory, he announced Oct. 25 his Tim Tebow Foundation will partner with CURE International. The two children's health organizations will announce the specifics of an overseas hospital construction project next month.
"I am truly excited about this partnership with CURE International," Tebow said in a statement. "When I learned about what CURE does and how intentional the organization is about sharing the Gospel and healing children, I knew it would be a great partnership." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/tim-tebow-teams-with-childrens-health-organization-59352/
TRUE AUTHORITY
When Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world, he says clearly what he intends to say. He does not validate any worldly kingdom (even if the ruler be Christian). He puts us on guard against seeking any authority other than that of the Holy Spirit.”
Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), The Subversion of Christianity, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986, p. 21
DOES JESUS KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT?
“Does Jesus know what he is talking about? Really? I mean, we are in the twenty-first century. Dallas Willard observes that ‘“Jesus is Lord” can mean little in practice for anyone who has to hesitate before saying, “Jesus is smart.” He is not just nice, he is brilliant. He is the smartest man who ever lived.’ In other words, Jesus has a PhD in everything — he is master of reality. He always has the best information about everything. He is the embodiment of the knowledge of God. Paul would later write that in Jesus Christ ‘are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Colossians 2:3). Jesus possesses knowledge of reality, and his life, teaching, and example revealed in the Scriptures are a primary source for gaining spiritual and moral knowledge about the world in which we live. If anyone successfully navigated reality — lived according to knowledge — then Jesus of Nazareth certainly did.
“We are invited to be apprentices of Jesus — the God of the universe in human form! Jesus makes this invitation to everyone who will accept it: ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’ (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT). A yoke is a way of life. Jesus is offering his way of life to us. He passionately desires to teach us how to live this new life in the reality of the kingdom of God.
“So what is an apprentice? An apprentice, or Christ-follower, is someone in the process of learning how Jesus would live our lives if he were in our place. As apprentices, we are learning to live and respond as Jesus would if he were to face my unique circumstances, talents, gifts, job, relationships, opportunities, and challenges. This will undoubtedly be a rocky experience at first, but as we pursue this new kind of life, real change is possible.”
Jonathan Morrow in Think Christianly: Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture
PLAIN-TALK BIBLE DEBUTS
The Common English Bible, the newest Bible on the block, is what the name suggests — a translation into commonly spoken English. It is not the first edition to move in that direction. But it's probably the first to use contractions so extensively — whether it's King David, Jesus, or Paul speaking. Except when announcing the Ten Commandments, even God says “don't” in giving Moses added prohibitions for the Israelites.
This new Bible is not as wordy as others — about 30,000 fewer words — apparently because of its use of contractions and its attention to sentence length, among other factors.
The Common English Bible was endorsed in April for use at the eight-campus Fuller Theological Seminary along with the New Revised Standard Version and TNIV (expected to be replaced by a new NIV edition). .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-10/plain-talk-bible-debuts-mainstream-backing
THE ALTERNATIVE REALITY OF GOD'S KINGDOM
“Jesus' adult followers suffered from a chronic lack of imagination. Their minds were shackled by conventionality. When a storm threatened their safety on the sea they panicked. After calming the wind and waves with just a word, Jesus rebuked their lack of faith. Shortly after seeing Jesus feed four thousand people with just a few loaves and fish, the disciples started whining about not having any food for their journey. ‘Do you not yet perceive or understand?’ Jesus chided [in Mark 8:17-18]. ‘Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?’ And when they bickered about who would be greatest in God's kingdom, Jesus put a little boy before them and said, ‘Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest’ (Matthew 18:4).
“A child is precious in God's kingdom because her imagination has not yet fallen asleep. The culture's conventionality has not yet hijacked her ability to believe. To a child the world is still full of mystery and possibility. A word can calm a storm; a few fish and loaves can feed thousands; a touch can heal the blind. A child can readily imagine the alternative reality of God's kingdom that adults struggle to see.”
Skye Jethani in The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity
WOODY ALLEN AND EVANGELICALS: A SURPRISINGLY ROMANTIC PAIR
by Michelle Boorstein
Earlier this year I was sitting at a cafeteria lunch table with evangelical icon Chuck Colson and some of his close faith advisors when the conversation took a turn I hadn’t predicted: Colson started talking about Woody Allen. In detail.
It turned out Colson and some others at the table, who help him craft theological writings and classes, are hard-core fans of Allen, and were easily able to recite bits of dialogue. A debate launched about the religious subtexts of various Allen films and what were the moviemaker’s own theological conclusions.
It was only when my regular chats with Southern Baptist leader Richard Land began turning to Allen that I got curious — what’s the deal with evangelicals and Woody Allen?.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/woody-allen-and-evangelicals-a-surprisingly-romantic-pair/2011/10/18/gIQAz7Y4DM_blog.html?wprss=under-god
WAS JESUS AN OBJECT OF CHILDHOOD BULLYING?
by Steven Harmon
Reflecting on Scripture, the fourth-century church father Gregory of Nyssa insists that in the Incarnation the Son of God embraced fully the human condition, including “the advance from infancy to adulthood,” and experienced from others the alienation and violence that mark humanity’s sinful condition.
Given recent media attention to the problem of childhood bullying and engaging in a little speculative theology, can we imagine that during his “advance from infancy to adulthood” Jesus may have encountered a bully?
The canonical gospels tell us precious little about those years of Jesus’ life, leaving imaginations ancient and modern to fill in the missing details. The portraits of the young Jesus yielded by such speculation often serve the theological and political agenda of those who paint them, but the room for imagination left by the biblical story of Jesus also invites us to locate our own experiences within his story.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6875/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“But I have sure faith that I will experience the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living! Hope in the LORD! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the LORD!”
Psalm 27:13-14 Common English Bible (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Holiness does not consist in doing uncommon things, but in doing everything with purity of heart.”
Henry E. Manning
WATCH YOUR TONGUE
Have you spoken words in anger you'd give anything to take back? Do you clearly remember harsh words spoken to you years ago? Chuck Swindoll talks about the tongue. Watch the video at
http://www.insight.org/video/watch-your-tongue.html
LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS
“Our sinful condition requires regeneration, which in turn requires a knowledge of the gospel. We need to know the truth about Jesus because we need to be saved, and we need to be saved because we are sinners. People do possess large amounts of natural goodness, but none of it offsets the brokenness of original sin. We are born with a burning need to play God, and we remain his enemy until we lay down our weapons and proclaim with the church, ‘Jesus is Lord.’”
Michael E. Wittmer in Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough
ACCLAIMED PASTOR AND WORSHIP LEADER JOIN FORCES TO BRING POPULAR SPEAKING TOPIC TO PRINT
by Michael Ireland
Unlike typical astronomy books, ‘Indescribable’ compels the reader not only to learn more about the universe, but also to marvel at its vastness, and as a result, worship its Creator.
Intertwined with scientific facts and inspirational insight, ‘Indescribable’ is a devotional book unlike any other.
“Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And you know them by name
You are amazing God!”
The words of this favorite song serve as a backdrop for the new book, ‘Indescribable: Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe,’ written by internationally acclaimed pastor Louie Giglio, and award-winning songwriter and author Matt Redman.
According to a media release, written with chapters alternating between the authors, Indescribable provides reflections and personal stories that oblige the reader to examine their own relationship with the Creator and acknowledge God’s miraculous handiwork.
The release says: “Full of facts and scientific knowledge, Indescribable focuses on the vastness of the universe. But, surprisingly, the recurring theme is that God not only created something of such grand size and scope, but that He knows each star -- and each reader -- by name. Indescribable leads the reader on a unique personal journey of understanding their place in God’s universe.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11100105.htm
OUR EDUCATIONAL STRENGTH
This is a list of comments from test papers, essays, etc., submitted to science and health teachers by elementary, junior high, high school, and college students. It is truly astonishing what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades. The spellings are the original ones.
1. H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
2. To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.
3. When you smell an oderless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide.
4. Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is water and gin.
5. A super saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold.
6. Liter: A nest of young puppies.
7. Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat.
8. Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away.
9. Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives.
10. The pistol of the flower is its only protection against insects.
11. A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.
12. To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.
13. For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower that the heart until the heart stops.
14. For head colds: use an agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat.
15. Germinate: To become a naturalized German.
16. The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
17. Blood flows down one leg and up the other.
BONUS HUMOR :)
During a recent company password audit, it was found that a certain employee was using the password: MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy. When asked why such a long password, the employee said he was told it had to be at least 8 characters long.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
IN PROPORTION TO YOUR FAITH
“‘So, Do You Believe in the Devil?’ Faced with this question I feel the need to make a qualified ‘yes and no’ answer. Yes, I believe in the existence of the devil as an objective, intelligent and ‘quasi-personal’ power, utterly opposed to God, creation, ourselves, and life itself. But no, I do not ‘believe in the devil’ in any way that would concede to him power and authority beyond the limits God has set. The Bible calls us not so much to believe in the devil as to believe against the devil. We are to put all our faith in God through Christ and to exercise that faith against all that the devil is and does — whatever he may be.
“Nigel Wright makes this point very well: ‘To believe in somebody or something implies that we believe in their existence. But it also carries overtones of an investment of faith or trust. To believe in Jesus means, or should mean, more than believing in his existence. It involves personal trust and faith by virtue of which the power of Christ is magnified in the life of the believer. The access of Christ to an individual's life, his power or influence within them, is in proportion to their faith.’”
Christopher J. H. Wright in The God I Don't Understand
THE NEW YORK TIMES TAKES ON EVANGELICALS
by Albert Mohler
Evangelical Christians are not surprised to find themselves analyzed and criticized within the pages of the secular press. After all, the truth claims that characterize authentic evangelicalism are increasingly seen as unusual (and perhaps even dangerous) by the secular mind. Nevertheless, evangelical readers of The New York Times recently found themselves taken to task by writers presenting themselves as fellow evangelicals. Their essay reveals the central question that evangelicals must now answer: Do we really believe that the Bible is the Word of God?
In their opinion essay, Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens accuse evangelicals of “simplistic theology, cultural isolationism, and stubborn anti-intellectualism,” among other things. They point specifically to the rejection of evolution, which they call “the rejection of science,” and then refer to this as “textbook evidence of an unyielding ignorance on the part of the religious.”
At times, the writers use the words fundamentalist and evangelical almost interchangeably. Following a line of argument popular among secular observers of conservative Protestantism, they explain that fundamentalism “appeals to evangelicals who have become convinced that their country has been overrun by a vast secular conspiracy.” In other words, they explain evangelical conviction in terms of psychology, not theology. Evangelicals, they argue, “have been scarred by the elimination of prayer in schools; the removal of nativity scenes from public places; the increasing legitimacy of abortion and homosexuality; the persistence of pornography and drug abuse; and acceptance of other religions and of atheism.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/10/25/total-capitulation-the-evangelical-surrender-of-truth/
THE MESSY BUSINESS OF CLEAN WATER IN AFRICA
by Jeremy Weber in Bangui, Central African Republic
The men planned to meet in the desolate rainforest of Central Africa, amid towering 150-foot trees and swarms of small butterflies clustered like shark teeth on the seemingly endless red clay road. Their discussion would lead to clean drinking water for hundreds of destitute villages—and the fracturing of a tight-knit missionary community.
Driving east from Berberati, a town of 80,000 where diamonds can be found in nearby streambeds, was Roland Mararv. The former Iron Curtain Bible smuggler had traded the life of a Swedish Baptist missionary for that of a commercial well-driller—a better way, he believed, to help the Central African Republic (CAR) escape the ranks of the world's 10 poorest nations. After 20 years in business, Mararv was seeking a suitable buyer for his drilling company, Sangha Forage.
Having traveled originally west from Bangui, the landlocked nation's capital of 700,000 along the wide Ubangi River, was Jim Hocking. The longtime Grace Brethren missionary had been raised in the CAR and was looking for a way to pursue his empowerment dreams for Central Africans that his mission's emphasis on souls had been constraining.
Their 2003 meeting was a fateful one. What transpired over the next few years provides a window into how complicated it is to build clean wells in remote villages and let donors know exactly where and how wisely their money was spent.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/investigating-clean-water.html
CONSIDER
“Too often we forget that the great men of faith reached the heights they did only by going through the depths.”
Os Guinness
VERSE TO PONDER
“I want to do your will, my God. Your Instruction is deep within me.”
Psalm 40:8 CEB
http://CommonEnglishBible.com/
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: MORNING PRAYER
Words & Music: James Reed 1920
Thankful for the morning light,
Shining over earth and sea;
Thankful for the gift of sight
O Father, Lord, to Thee.
To Thee with all the heart I pray,
Now at the dawning of the day;
I know Thou hast me in Thy care,
And Thou wilt hear my prayer.
Thankful for the power to hear;
Thankful for the power to speak;
Lord, to Thee I bend my ear,
Thy holy face I seek,
To Thee my earliest thoughts are giv’n,
Like incense, may they rise to Heav’n;
And from Thee thence a blessing bear,
In answer to my prayer.
Thanks I give for strength and health,
Making all my pulses leap;
Greater boon than boundless wealth
Is waking out of sleep.
content and glad for each new day,
O father, Lord, to Thee I pray;
I pray to Heav’n for Thou art there;
And Thou art everywhere.
Greatest boon is heart of love;
May at length this heart be mine;
Lord, Thou sendest from above
Thy love and truth divine.
And they shall purge the willing soul
Of earthly ills, and make it whole;
For Thou didst come those ills to bear,
And canst not spurn my prayer.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/m/o/mornpray.htm
ON PRAYER
“The greatest good and the most profitable gain come when we are up against a blank wall. Then we learn to pray in plain language.”
Arthur Lynip
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.
A virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html
Breathtaking Painting Performance (video)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=F0C00JNU
Baby Ducks Feed Fish - Cute Video
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FJ222MNU
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.)
A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
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 380
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
or subscribe via rss feed here:
http://www.connectionsnews.wordpress.com/feed
“Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The LORD is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 Common English Bible (CEB)
CONSIDER
“True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us mindful of the nobility God meant us to have. Yet it makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.”
Ralph W. Sockman
10 STEPS FOR MAINTAINING MORAL BOUNDARIES
by Marv Penner
Here are some practical steps you can take to guard your heart:
1. Acknowledge your vulnerability.
2. Maintain your fundamental spiritual disciplines.
3. Intentionally cultivate solid same-gender friendships.
4. Invest consistently in your own marriage and family.
5. Develop strong accountability around pornography, online activity and media consumption.... Read this in full at
http://www.dougfields.com/posts/moralboundaries/
PRE-DECISIONS
by Clare De Graaf
I used to get caught flat-footed all the time whenever I saw men standing on street corners, or by the highway with “need work” signs. I’d instantly go through all kinds of emotions ranging from guilt, to asking the, “What am I supposed to do?” questions, and oddly enough, even getting angry at them for making me feel guilty! So, I’d stop for some and others I’d just avoid direct eye contact. Obviously, I couldn’t stop for all of them, but I was sure there had to be a better way than my hit-or-miss method.
I love the word intentional. It helps me draw a clearer distinction between a theoretical openness to follow Jesus and a carefully thought-out decision to obey. A family therapist once gave me this wise advice when I was reluctant to change something I was doing: “If nothing changes – nothing changes.” Meaning that, unless I have thoughtfully and prayerfully considered how I ought to live and act differently, I’m likely to make the very same mistakes again.
One of the best ways I know to overcome indecision and prepare myself to obey Jesus more biblically, spontaneously and intentionally, in addition to Scripture and prayer, is to make what a friend of mine calls a pre-decision. Simply put a pre-decision is a choice to formulate a specific plan of action for next time I’m faced with a temptation or an opportunity to do good, especially if I’ve failed in the past.
So, here are some pre-decisions I’ve made for, “men by the side of the road”, kinds of situations.... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2011/10/24/pre-decisions/
LIFE IN CHRIST IS ALL ABOUT BREATHING
“Receiving and giving away is the basic motion of life. A constant in-and-out exchange animates both plant and animal life. Obviously, a failure to inhale is fatal, but so is a refusal to exhale. If the air we draw in is not released, carbon dioxide will build in our blood, the body's internal oxygen level will drop, and if we continue to hold our breath, brain damage and death will soon follow. Those who fill their lungs without releasing the air perish in the same way as those whose lungs are empty.
“Life in Christ is all about breathing. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Love as I have loved you. Do to others what you would have them do to you. Be humbled and you will be exalted. Give and you will receive. And in the Beatitudes, Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’ The merciful alone see and receive God's mercy.”
Jeff Cook in Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes
ON MEXICO BORDER, CHURCHES COUNTER VIOLENCE WITH PRAYER
Testimonies from churches along the Mexican border highlight the need for ongoing prayer that God would curb Mexico's drug violence.
A 40-day, multi-denominational prayer effort in El Paso, Texas, for the neighboring Mexican city of Juarez was followed by a reduction in murders. But increased violence in July reminded participants to persist in their intercession.
"We continue to pray for Juarez," said Larry Wilkins, missions pastor at Cielo Vista Church, a Southern Baptist congregation that participated in the effort. "When we were going through the 40 days, there was much discussion from the pulpit and encouragement. We still have a prayer time in our services and will often lift up Juarez in our prayers." .... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36401
A JOINT EFFORT
“Remember, the pursuit of holiness is a continuing struggle. Humanity still has the inclination to choose sin. The most saintly among us still want to do what's wrong and often do. This is why Paul, long after his conversion, writes, ‘For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?’ (Romans 7:22–24).
“To fight this spiritual battle, the first thing is to remember that we depend utterly on God; the Christian life is not about asserting our wills — our wills are corrupt even after we come to Christ. Our very love for God comes from God, and we only offer God's love back to Him. As Augustine writes, ‘Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us." So the struggle for holiness is a joint effort.’”
Charles W. Colson in The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters
TIM TEBOW TEAMS WITH CHILDREN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Christian football star Tim Tebow is taking his ministry off the field and helping disabled children overseas.
Tebow made headlines Oct. 23 by leading the Denver Broncos in an 18-15 overtime upset over the Miami Dolphins in Florida. After thanking Jesus following the narrow victory, he announced Oct. 25 his Tim Tebow Foundation will partner with CURE International. The two children's health organizations will announce the specifics of an overseas hospital construction project next month.
"I am truly excited about this partnership with CURE International," Tebow said in a statement. "When I learned about what CURE does and how intentional the organization is about sharing the Gospel and healing children, I knew it would be a great partnership." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/tim-tebow-teams-with-childrens-health-organization-59352/
TRUE AUTHORITY
When Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world, he says clearly what he intends to say. He does not validate any worldly kingdom (even if the ruler be Christian). He puts us on guard against seeking any authority other than that of the Holy Spirit.”
Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), The Subversion of Christianity, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986, p. 21
DOES JESUS KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT?
“Does Jesus know what he is talking about? Really? I mean, we are in the twenty-first century. Dallas Willard observes that ‘“Jesus is Lord” can mean little in practice for anyone who has to hesitate before saying, “Jesus is smart.” He is not just nice, he is brilliant. He is the smartest man who ever lived.’ In other words, Jesus has a PhD in everything — he is master of reality. He always has the best information about everything. He is the embodiment of the knowledge of God. Paul would later write that in Jesus Christ ‘are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Colossians 2:3). Jesus possesses knowledge of reality, and his life, teaching, and example revealed in the Scriptures are a primary source for gaining spiritual and moral knowledge about the world in which we live. If anyone successfully navigated reality — lived according to knowledge — then Jesus of Nazareth certainly did.
“We are invited to be apprentices of Jesus — the God of the universe in human form! Jesus makes this invitation to everyone who will accept it: ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’ (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT). A yoke is a way of life. Jesus is offering his way of life to us. He passionately desires to teach us how to live this new life in the reality of the kingdom of God.
“So what is an apprentice? An apprentice, or Christ-follower, is someone in the process of learning how Jesus would live our lives if he were in our place. As apprentices, we are learning to live and respond as Jesus would if he were to face my unique circumstances, talents, gifts, job, relationships, opportunities, and challenges. This will undoubtedly be a rocky experience at first, but as we pursue this new kind of life, real change is possible.”
Jonathan Morrow in Think Christianly: Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture
PLAIN-TALK BIBLE DEBUTS
The Common English Bible, the newest Bible on the block, is what the name suggests — a translation into commonly spoken English. It is not the first edition to move in that direction. But it's probably the first to use contractions so extensively — whether it's King David, Jesus, or Paul speaking. Except when announcing the Ten Commandments, even God says “don't” in giving Moses added prohibitions for the Israelites.
This new Bible is not as wordy as others — about 30,000 fewer words — apparently because of its use of contractions and its attention to sentence length, among other factors.
The Common English Bible was endorsed in April for use at the eight-campus Fuller Theological Seminary along with the New Revised Standard Version and TNIV (expected to be replaced by a new NIV edition). .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-10/plain-talk-bible-debuts-mainstream-backing
THE ALTERNATIVE REALITY OF GOD'S KINGDOM
“Jesus' adult followers suffered from a chronic lack of imagination. Their minds were shackled by conventionality. When a storm threatened their safety on the sea they panicked. After calming the wind and waves with just a word, Jesus rebuked their lack of faith. Shortly after seeing Jesus feed four thousand people with just a few loaves and fish, the disciples started whining about not having any food for their journey. ‘Do you not yet perceive or understand?’ Jesus chided [in Mark 8:17-18]. ‘Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?’ And when they bickered about who would be greatest in God's kingdom, Jesus put a little boy before them and said, ‘Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest’ (Matthew 18:4).
“A child is precious in God's kingdom because her imagination has not yet fallen asleep. The culture's conventionality has not yet hijacked her ability to believe. To a child the world is still full of mystery and possibility. A word can calm a storm; a few fish and loaves can feed thousands; a touch can heal the blind. A child can readily imagine the alternative reality of God's kingdom that adults struggle to see.”
Skye Jethani in The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity
WOODY ALLEN AND EVANGELICALS: A SURPRISINGLY ROMANTIC PAIR
by Michelle Boorstein
Earlier this year I was sitting at a cafeteria lunch table with evangelical icon Chuck Colson and some of his close faith advisors when the conversation took a turn I hadn’t predicted: Colson started talking about Woody Allen. In detail.
It turned out Colson and some others at the table, who help him craft theological writings and classes, are hard-core fans of Allen, and were easily able to recite bits of dialogue. A debate launched about the religious subtexts of various Allen films and what were the moviemaker’s own theological conclusions.
It was only when my regular chats with Southern Baptist leader Richard Land began turning to Allen that I got curious — what’s the deal with evangelicals and Woody Allen?.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/woody-allen-and-evangelicals-a-surprisingly-romantic-pair/2011/10/18/gIQAz7Y4DM_blog.html?wprss=under-god
WAS JESUS AN OBJECT OF CHILDHOOD BULLYING?
by Steven Harmon
Reflecting on Scripture, the fourth-century church father Gregory of Nyssa insists that in the Incarnation the Son of God embraced fully the human condition, including “the advance from infancy to adulthood,” and experienced from others the alienation and violence that mark humanity’s sinful condition.
Given recent media attention to the problem of childhood bullying and engaging in a little speculative theology, can we imagine that during his “advance from infancy to adulthood” Jesus may have encountered a bully?
The canonical gospels tell us precious little about those years of Jesus’ life, leaving imaginations ancient and modern to fill in the missing details. The portraits of the young Jesus yielded by such speculation often serve the theological and political agenda of those who paint them, but the room for imagination left by the biblical story of Jesus also invites us to locate our own experiences within his story.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6875/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“But I have sure faith that I will experience the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living! Hope in the LORD! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the LORD!”
Psalm 27:13-14 Common English Bible (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Holiness does not consist in doing uncommon things, but in doing everything with purity of heart.”
Henry E. Manning
WATCH YOUR TONGUE
Have you spoken words in anger you'd give anything to take back? Do you clearly remember harsh words spoken to you years ago? Chuck Swindoll talks about the tongue. Watch the video at
http://www.insight.org/video/watch-your-tongue.html
LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS
“Our sinful condition requires regeneration, which in turn requires a knowledge of the gospel. We need to know the truth about Jesus because we need to be saved, and we need to be saved because we are sinners. People do possess large amounts of natural goodness, but none of it offsets the brokenness of original sin. We are born with a burning need to play God, and we remain his enemy until we lay down our weapons and proclaim with the church, ‘Jesus is Lord.’”
Michael E. Wittmer in Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough
ACCLAIMED PASTOR AND WORSHIP LEADER JOIN FORCES TO BRING POPULAR SPEAKING TOPIC TO PRINT
by Michael Ireland
Unlike typical astronomy books, ‘Indescribable’ compels the reader not only to learn more about the universe, but also to marvel at its vastness, and as a result, worship its Creator.
Intertwined with scientific facts and inspirational insight, ‘Indescribable’ is a devotional book unlike any other.
“Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And you know them by name
You are amazing God!”
The words of this favorite song serve as a backdrop for the new book, ‘Indescribable: Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe,’ written by internationally acclaimed pastor Louie Giglio, and award-winning songwriter and author Matt Redman.
According to a media release, written with chapters alternating between the authors, Indescribable provides reflections and personal stories that oblige the reader to examine their own relationship with the Creator and acknowledge God’s miraculous handiwork.
The release says: “Full of facts and scientific knowledge, Indescribable focuses on the vastness of the universe. But, surprisingly, the recurring theme is that God not only created something of such grand size and scope, but that He knows each star -- and each reader -- by name. Indescribable leads the reader on a unique personal journey of understanding their place in God’s universe.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11100105.htm
OUR EDUCATIONAL STRENGTH
This is a list of comments from test papers, essays, etc., submitted to science and health teachers by elementary, junior high, high school, and college students. It is truly astonishing what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades. The spellings are the original ones.
1. H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
2. To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.
3. When you smell an oderless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide.
4. Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is water and gin.
5. A super saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold.
6. Liter: A nest of young puppies.
7. Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat.
8. Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away.
9. Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives.
10. The pistol of the flower is its only protection against insects.
11. A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.
12. To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.
13. For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower that the heart until the heart stops.
14. For head colds: use an agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat.
15. Germinate: To become a naturalized German.
16. The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
17. Blood flows down one leg and up the other.
BONUS HUMOR :)
During a recent company password audit, it was found that a certain employee was using the password: MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy. When asked why such a long password, the employee said he was told it had to be at least 8 characters long.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
IN PROPORTION TO YOUR FAITH
“‘So, Do You Believe in the Devil?’ Faced with this question I feel the need to make a qualified ‘yes and no’ answer. Yes, I believe in the existence of the devil as an objective, intelligent and ‘quasi-personal’ power, utterly opposed to God, creation, ourselves, and life itself. But no, I do not ‘believe in the devil’ in any way that would concede to him power and authority beyond the limits God has set. The Bible calls us not so much to believe in the devil as to believe against the devil. We are to put all our faith in God through Christ and to exercise that faith against all that the devil is and does — whatever he may be.
“Nigel Wright makes this point very well: ‘To believe in somebody or something implies that we believe in their existence. But it also carries overtones of an investment of faith or trust. To believe in Jesus means, or should mean, more than believing in his existence. It involves personal trust and faith by virtue of which the power of Christ is magnified in the life of the believer. The access of Christ to an individual's life, his power or influence within them, is in proportion to their faith.’”
Christopher J. H. Wright in The God I Don't Understand
THE NEW YORK TIMES TAKES ON EVANGELICALS
by Albert Mohler
Evangelical Christians are not surprised to find themselves analyzed and criticized within the pages of the secular press. After all, the truth claims that characterize authentic evangelicalism are increasingly seen as unusual (and perhaps even dangerous) by the secular mind. Nevertheless, evangelical readers of The New York Times recently found themselves taken to task by writers presenting themselves as fellow evangelicals. Their essay reveals the central question that evangelicals must now answer: Do we really believe that the Bible is the Word of God?
In their opinion essay, Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens accuse evangelicals of “simplistic theology, cultural isolationism, and stubborn anti-intellectualism,” among other things. They point specifically to the rejection of evolution, which they call “the rejection of science,” and then refer to this as “textbook evidence of an unyielding ignorance on the part of the religious.”
At times, the writers use the words fundamentalist and evangelical almost interchangeably. Following a line of argument popular among secular observers of conservative Protestantism, they explain that fundamentalism “appeals to evangelicals who have become convinced that their country has been overrun by a vast secular conspiracy.” In other words, they explain evangelical conviction in terms of psychology, not theology. Evangelicals, they argue, “have been scarred by the elimination of prayer in schools; the removal of nativity scenes from public places; the increasing legitimacy of abortion and homosexuality; the persistence of pornography and drug abuse; and acceptance of other religions and of atheism.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/10/25/total-capitulation-the-evangelical-surrender-of-truth/
THE MESSY BUSINESS OF CLEAN WATER IN AFRICA
by Jeremy Weber in Bangui, Central African Republic
The men planned to meet in the desolate rainforest of Central Africa, amid towering 150-foot trees and swarms of small butterflies clustered like shark teeth on the seemingly endless red clay road. Their discussion would lead to clean drinking water for hundreds of destitute villages—and the fracturing of a tight-knit missionary community.
Driving east from Berberati, a town of 80,000 where diamonds can be found in nearby streambeds, was Roland Mararv. The former Iron Curtain Bible smuggler had traded the life of a Swedish Baptist missionary for that of a commercial well-driller—a better way, he believed, to help the Central African Republic (CAR) escape the ranks of the world's 10 poorest nations. After 20 years in business, Mararv was seeking a suitable buyer for his drilling company, Sangha Forage.
Having traveled originally west from Bangui, the landlocked nation's capital of 700,000 along the wide Ubangi River, was Jim Hocking. The longtime Grace Brethren missionary had been raised in the CAR and was looking for a way to pursue his empowerment dreams for Central Africans that his mission's emphasis on souls had been constraining.
Their 2003 meeting was a fateful one. What transpired over the next few years provides a window into how complicated it is to build clean wells in remote villages and let donors know exactly where and how wisely their money was spent.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/investigating-clean-water.html
CONSIDER
“Too often we forget that the great men of faith reached the heights they did only by going through the depths.”
Os Guinness
VERSE TO PONDER
“I want to do your will, my God. Your Instruction is deep within me.”
Psalm 40:8 CEB
http://CommonEnglishBible.com/
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: MORNING PRAYER
Words & Music: James Reed 1920
Thankful for the morning light,
Shining over earth and sea;
Thankful for the gift of sight
O Father, Lord, to Thee.
To Thee with all the heart I pray,
Now at the dawning of the day;
I know Thou hast me in Thy care,
And Thou wilt hear my prayer.
Thankful for the power to hear;
Thankful for the power to speak;
Lord, to Thee I bend my ear,
Thy holy face I seek,
To Thee my earliest thoughts are giv’n,
Like incense, may they rise to Heav’n;
And from Thee thence a blessing bear,
In answer to my prayer.
Thanks I give for strength and health,
Making all my pulses leap;
Greater boon than boundless wealth
Is waking out of sleep.
content and glad for each new day,
O father, Lord, to Thee I pray;
I pray to Heav’n for Thou art there;
And Thou art everywhere.
Greatest boon is heart of love;
May at length this heart be mine;
Lord, Thou sendest from above
Thy love and truth divine.
And they shall purge the willing soul
Of earthly ills, and make it whole;
For Thou didst come those ills to bear,
And canst not spurn my prayer.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/m/o/mornpray.htm
ON PRAYER
“The greatest good and the most profitable gain come when we are up against a blank wall. Then we learn to pray in plain language.”
Arthur Lynip
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.
A virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html
Breathtaking Painting Performance (video)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=F0C00JNU
Baby Ducks Feed Fish - Cute Video
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FJ222MNU
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.)
A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
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 - 10/28/2011
GET IT RIGHT
"A knowledge of the real Jesus is essential, not just for Christians but for wider society, because his influence is so wide. The reality of an individual who has set the western calendar, permeated human thought and history for over 2,000 years, and influenced the culture of the dominant nations for a millennium demands to be taken seriously. The huge questions about just who Jesus is are more than mere theological musings. And getting Jesus right is also vital because those who claim to follow him do so much in his name. When they get his identity wrong, we see the cruelty of the Crusades, the Inquisitions and entrenched political conservatism. When they get it right, they are inspired to lead sociopolitical campaigns, battle slavery, and establish humanitarian services. This Jesus turns out to be far more at home in the issues affecting communities than he is in ivory towers or church politics."
- Joel Edwards, An Agenda for Change: A Global Call for Spiritual and Social Transformation
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thought for today - 10/27/2011
VERSE TO PONDER
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
- Matthew 6:19-21
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thought for today - 10/25/2011
THE GOD WE SEEK
"The God we seek is the God we want, not the God who is. We fashion a god who blesses without obligation, who lets us feel his presence without living his life, who stands with us and never against us, who gives us what we want when we want it. We worship a god of consumer satisfaction. . . . Without encountering God in worship, we easily forget doing justice or loving-kindness, or if we remember, they become mere tasks rather than the substance of life."
- Mark Labberton in The Dangerous Act of Worship (IVP, 2007)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thought for today - 10/24/2011
TREASURE TODAY
"We have received freely from the hand of a loving Father. We've received grace, provision, talent, and countless other blessings. We are called to give as freely as we have taken. We are not entitled to anything. "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" (Romans 11:35). God owes us nothing. He gives us today. We are not entitled to tomorrow. We have only today, only this moment really. And this moment is all that we need. A moment to pray, a moment to smile. A moment to praise, a moment to encourage. A moment to decide that, should we be given more moments, more days, and more years, we will spend them wisely, concerned not with what we can get but how we can give."
- Mary Pierce, When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thought for today - 10/23/2011
CONSIDER
"Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."
- J. I. Packer
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Thought for today - 10/22/2011
"Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
- Psalm 48:9
Friday, October 21, 2011
CONNECTIONS News - 10/23/2011
For week of October 23, 2011
Issue 379
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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"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Mark 1:15
CONSIDER
“A Christian is a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks, a hand through which Christ helps.”
Unknown Author
FOUR WAYS CHRISTIANS CAN INFLUENCE THE WORLD
by John R. W. Stott
Alienation was originally a Marxist word, and Karl Marx meant by it the alienation of the worker from the product of his labors. When what he produces is sold by the factory owner, he is alienated from the fruits of his work. But nowadays the word alienation has a much broader meaning of powerlessness. Whenever you feel politically or economically powerless, you are feeling alienated.
Jimmy Reid, the well-known Marxist counselor in Glasgow and leader of the Clydeside Ship Workers, when he was rector of Glasgow University, said, "Alienation is the cry of men who feel themselves to be the victims of blind economic forces beyond their control. Alienation is the frustration of ordinary people who are excluded from the processes of decision-making." Have we any influence? Have we any power? That's the question.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/saltlight.html
THESE WORLD SERIES UMPS HAVE SEEN CHRIST CHANGE LIVES
He'll be on the field for every game, right in the middle of the action, but he won't throw a pitch or take a swing.
Ted Barrett feels the pressure nonetheless. He knows the stakes are high in the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. But while the players will all be doing their utmost to leave their mark on the Fall Classic, Barrett and five other guys hope that nobody even knows they are there.
But his job on the field isn't the only place where Barrett likes to deflect attention. As a Christian and one of the founders of the ministry Calling for Christ (CFC) (http://callingforchrist.com/), Barrett ultimately hopes that his actions point to Jesus.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36369
NEW BOOK ‘NEARING HOME’ FROM BILLY GRAHAM HELPS READERS “LIVE LIFE TO THE VERY END”
by Michael Ireland
“All my life I was taught how to die as a Christian, but no one ever taught me how I ought to live in the years before I die. Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Dr. Billy Graham in his new book, Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-4832-9, $19.99, October 2011).
In this moving narrative, Billy Graham shares his personal experience of growing older, but also teaches some important lessons on how to view our time here on Earth. He says that the Bible makes it clear that God has a specific reason for keeping us here. So what is His purpose for these years, and how can we align our lives with it? How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?
Dr. Graham, world-renowned author, preacher, and evangelist, has delivered the gospel message to more people face–to-face than anyone in history and has ministered on every continent of the world. Millions have read his inspirational classics, including Angels, The Secret of Happiness, Peace with God, The Holy Spirit, Hope for the Troubled Heart, and How to be Born Again.
“The best way to meet the challenges of old age is to prepare for them now, before they arrive,” says Dr. Graham. “I invite you to explore with me not only the realities of life as we grow older but also the hope and fulfillment — and even joy — that can be ours once we learn to look at these years from God’s point of view and discover His strength to sustain us every day.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11100071.htm
BELIEVERS CONTINUE TO SIN BECAUSE WE’VE NOT DECIDED TO STOP
by Clare De Graaf
It’s tough to hear it said that bluntly, isn’t it? We’d prefer to think we’re just victims of forces more powerful than ourselves and while we know we probably could do better, here’s where I think most of have landed.
Most Christians have come to terms with an acceptable level of sin in their lives and feel it is unnecessary, too difficult, or too costly to do much better.
And we often find it much easier to substitute religious activities and services to others, to assuage our guilt and balance the scales we feel ourselves standing on before God. If, intuitively you know this is true in your life, then where do you go from here? .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2011/10/17/believers-continue-to-sin-because-we%e2%80%99ve-not-decided-to-stop/
THE RELIGION OF MASCULINITY
by Jeremy Postal
Aggressive, risk-taking and adventurous behaviour is actually part of a man’s make-up and wiring. Testosterone, a hormone found roughly 15 times more in men than in women, drives men to compete, act impulsively and dominate, to boast and tell stories, and to take risks that could really, really hurt. Serotonin, on the other hand, (a hormonal equivalent to the voice of reason) is found in lower levels in men than in women.
Unfortunately, in their hot pursuit of the religion of masculinity, many men have used their aggressive and forceful behaviour to abuse the people around them, be absent from their children or justify their addictions to porn, violent video games and just about anything else....
Whether a man drives a big truck and can snake his own toilet or spends his days as a desk jockey and commutes listening to soft rock, God has instilled in him manliness to be used for good.
Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book titled The Silence of Adam: Becoming Men of Courage in a World of Chaos, states, “The only way to be manly is first to be godly.”.... Read this in full at
http://canadianchristianity.com/lifestyle/religion-masculinity/
CBN IS 50 YEARS OLD
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) began as a small television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, founded by a young man named Pat Robertson and his wife Dede. Today it’s a worldwide television and communications ministry that takes the gospel of Christ to millions every day. Fifty years ago on October 1, 1961, CBN began broadcasting as the first Christian television station in the nation. And if that were not enough, other significant entities created by Dr. Robertson and birthed through the ministry of CBN – organizations like Operation Blessing and Regent University – join CBN in having an impressive influence on the world today.... Read this in full at
http://www.cbn.com/special/CBN-50th-broadcasting/
THE SMELLS WE CARRY
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. When God brought them out, not a hair on their heads was burned. Scripture makes an interesting distinction: ‘there was no smell of fire on them’ (emphasis mine). In other words, they went through a fiery situation where they should have been burned, but they came through without even the smell of smoke [Daniel 3:12-27].
“God doesn't want you to go through fiery trials and smell like them for the rest of your life. Sometimes I meet people who have been through a fiery trial, and every time I'm around them, that's all they can talk about. Maybe you were burned in a relationship. Maybe you were burned in a business deal. Maybe you were burned at a church because some preacher was a hypocrite or somebody hurt you. Perhaps now you judge everybody the same way. If you're going to win your faith fight, first you have to gain victory over what you smell.
“I don't want to smell like everything I've been through. Ministry has taken me through a lot of stuff. People in ministry can take home the smell of their work. We deal with problems and lots of messy issues, but I don't want to take that smell home to my kids. Just imagine how those Old Testament priests must have smelled: the blood, the gore, the burning of sacrifices. That's why the priests had to burn incense. God said, ‘To kill the smell of ministry, burn incense.’ Worship is a type of burning incense. Worshiping helps grant us victory over smell.
“Maybe your marriage stinks, but still believe. Maybe your finances stink right now, but still believe. Maybe your children are going through a season in which it seems like they just can't get their act together and you feel like giving up. In spite of what you smell, in spite of what you feel, in spite of what you see, in spite of what you hear, in spite of what you taste, you have to realize that our God is able. If you're going to conquer, you have to get your foot on your sense of smell. Even though you've been through the fire, you don't have to smell like it. Burn some incense of praise.”
Excerpted from What is God Really Like?
PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT? YES THOU SHALT.
Republican presidential contender Rick Perry recently urged social conservatives to pray for President Barack Obama.
“As I campaign for president, I not only ask you for your vote and your support, I ask for your prayers. I ask you to pray for our country. I ask you to pray for our president to give him wisdom, to open his eyes,” the Texas Governor told an audience in Florida last month.
Doing just that is the stated mission of the Presidential Prayer Team (http://presidentialprayerteam.com).
Conceived in November 2000 in an adult Sunday school class in Scottsdale, Arizona, the PPT – or “The Prayer Team,” as it calls itself – takes its charge from the words of the Apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2).... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/14/pray-for-the-president-yes-thou-shalt/
IDOP SUNDAY 2011: NOVEMBER 13TH
Pray for us ... This is the plea of persecuted Christians around the world.
Today around the world over 200 million are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. Each year, Christians in over 130 countries stand in prayer with our persecuted sisters and brothers through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Join with us as Christians across Canada unite in prayer for our brothers and sisters who suffer because they declare their faith in Christ.... Read this in full at
http://www.idop.ca/
http://www.idop.org/
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Three brothers, ages 92, 94, and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. He puts his foot in and pauses. He yells to the other brothers, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94-year-old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." He starts up the stairs and pauses, "Was I going up the stairs or down?"
The 92-year-old was sitting at the kitchen table having coffee listening to his brothers. He shakes his head and says, "I'm sure glad I never get that forgetful, knock on wood..." He then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
WHY A CHALLENGE FOR THE BODY IS A CHALLENGE FOR THE SOUL
“Mark Rhode is typical in his struggle with overeating. Where he is not typical has to do with his passion for ultra distance events in cycling. ‘Ultra distance’ is a polite way of saying absolutely insane. As I write these words, the race Mark is training for goes from Seattle to Spokane [through 284 miles of] mountains that make you wish you had oxygen at the top.
“Mark's discipline on the bike hasn't cured his propensity toward overeating or eating the wrong kinds of food, and that concerns him. It also concerns him that this is a battle he rarely hears addressed from the pulpit. He says, ‘We've been taught about adultery and lying and stealing and coveting; about lust and alcoholism and smoking and drug abuse. But many evangelical pastors who preach against these things are visibly overweight or obese. I don't say this to judge them — I struggle with the same thing. But sometimes I wonder. Sure, they may have conquered the online porn, but it seems like they're 'medicating' with food; I get that, because I do the same thing.’
“It is this battle that has led Mark toward the ultra distance events on his bike. ‘For me, getting into these events is like attacking my demons head on.’ The issue isn't how he looks in the mirror; it's a spiritual one. Second Corinthians 12:9 drives Mark's life and approach toward food and personal discipline: ‘“[God's] power is made perfect in weakness.” This defines the whole theological underpinning for why I do endurance events. I am weak; I am broken; my sins [include] a lack of discipline and gluttony. Riding my bike is a physical way to address what I lack, and God provides through his power.’
“Is there any way that, like Mark, we can begin to address some neglected issues and more actively participate in God's refining process in our souls and thereby become more useful to the Master and better prepared to do more good works? Can challenges lived out in our bodies point out our need to tend more earnestly to our souls?
“If I am successful at all this teaching won't be burdensome but liberating. What God asks us to give up are the very things that Scripture and the Christian classics testify make war against us — things that not only make us miserable but also keep us from more profound and deeper joys than we could ever have imagined.”
Gary Thomas in Every Body Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul
THE CHURCH CAN END EXTREME POVERTY
by Scott C. Todd, author of Fast Living: How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty (http://live58.org)
Here’s a headline I haven’t read or heard yet: We’re winning the battle against extreme poverty. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it’s not. It’s just that we’re conditioned to believe the opposite is true.
Every “breaking news” item that hits my inbox or travels across the bottom of the TV screen carries the potential to be another gut punch to the world’s poor. A hurricane in the Caribbean. An earthquake in Asia. A famine in Africa. Or a disease outbreak anywhere.
When we hear enough bad news, “crisis fatigue” kicks in. Often we go into protection mode to deaden the impact or filter the news out altogether. We turn the channel. Read something else. Or simply focus on our own lives. They’re topical anesthetics to deaden the ache of chronically bad news.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/17/my-take-the-church-can-end-extreme-poverty/
WHAT TWITTER CAN TEACH THE CHURCH
by Elizabeth Evans Hagan
First, say what we need to say and stop. The days of long typed memos addressed with a stamp on a letter in the mail are over. If we want to make connections with new colleagues or potential church members, we must speak concisely. It is easy to fall into the temptation -- especially in religious life – to think the prettier the words, the better. The truth is people stop reading or listening if their attention is not fully engaged from the start to the finish.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6857/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk 3:18
CONSIDER
“The miracles of Jesus were the ordinary works of his Father, wrought small and swift that we might take them in.”
George Macdonald
CAN THE CHURCH LEARN TO LOVE THE MEDIA?
by David Sanford
Try asking 80 church executives if the “secular” media are friends or foes. Every time I take this poll at a church leadership conference or seminary, one or two hands timidly go up for “friends.” The rest go sky high for “foes.” What’s your vote?
Over the course of his prolific career, Cal Thomas has been one of America’s most popular media commentators on television, radio and in print. While the mainstream media often is biased, Thomas believes the bias “isn’t always deliberate.” Often, a reporter’s bias is borne out of a bad church experience or personal tragedy that produced deep feelings of disappointment with God.
In one of his hundreds of articles, Thomas shared, “Unlike many Christians I meet, I’ve decided not to be content with cursing the media’s spiritual darkness, but to devise a strategy for doing something.” That strategy involves getting to know others in the media, develop genuine friendships, and then share the love of Jesus Christ.... Read this in full at
http://churchexecutive.com/archives/can-the-church-learn-to-love-the-media
THE EVANGELICAL REJECTION OF REASON
by Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens
Like other evangelicals, we accept the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ and look to the Bible as our sacred book, though we find it hard to recognize our religious tradition in the mainstream evangelical conversation. Evangelicalism at its best seeks a biblically grounded expression of Christianity that is intellectually engaged, humble and forward-looking. In contrast, fundamentalism is literalistic, overconfident and reactionary.
Fundamentalism appeals to evangelicals who have become convinced that their country has been overrun by a vast secular conspiracy; denial is the simplest and most attractive response to change. They have been scarred by the elimination of prayer in schools; the removal of nativity scenes from public places; the increasing legitimacy of abortion and homosexuality; the persistence of pornography and drug abuse; and acceptance of other religions and of atheism.... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/the-evangelical-rejection-of-reason.html
MARITAL BLISS IS HARMED BY MATERIALISM, STUDY FINDS
When couples care too much about money, their marriage may suffer, a new study finds.
Researchers at Brigham Young University Provo, Utah, and William Patterson University, Wayne, NJ, looked at more than 1,700 US couples to determine how their attitudes toward money affected their marriages.
Couples who said money wasn't important to them scored about 10% to 15% better on measures of relationship quality, such as marriage stability, than couples in which one or both partners were materialistic. Also, couples in which both partners said they valued lots of money — about 20% of the couples — fared worse than couples who were mismatched and just had one materialist in the marriage.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203658804576639380443568642.html
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY’S JOHNNIE MOORE SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE OF YOUNG EVANGELICALS
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am, more than 10,000 students pour into the Vines Center at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., to hear top-line musical worship performances and talks by the likes of Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and the Rev. Rick Warren, all recent speakers.
Liberty’s “convocation” is the largest regular gathering of young evangelicals in the US.
And the guy who picks who speaks is Johnnie Moore, a charismatic campus preacher and Liberty vice president who at 28 is becoming a heavy-hitter in the world of conservative Christianity. At a time when young white evangelicals are pushing back against the marriage of their faith with the GOP, Moore looks like he might be a key to the future, espousing a Christianity that is at once orthodox and social justice-minded. He is the go-to adviser for some conservative leaders trying to understand what is going on.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/liberty-universitys-johnnie-moore-speaks-the-language-of-young-evangelicals/2011/09/26/gIQAvWC3mL_story.html
ANONYMOUS SENATOR HOLDING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSION 'HOSTAGE'
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a small commission that monitors religious freedom. Last month, the House of Representatives voted 391–21 to reauthorize the USCIRF. The Senate, however, has not voted because one anonymous U.S. Senator is blocking a vote. If the Senate fails to act by November 18, the USCIRF will cease to exist.
In the Senate, consideration of legislation often requires unanimous consent. This means that any Senator can block legislation from consideration. The Senate rules allow what is often called a "secret hold." A Senator can put a hold on a bill by telling his or her party leader that the Senator opposes consideration of a bill. The Senator's name is not made public. In the case of the USCIRF, there is one Senator placing a hold on the reauthorization bill.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/octoberweb-only/killing-uscirf.html
WHEN CHILDREN ARRIVE, IRAQ'S CHRISTIANS LIVE DOUBLE LIVES
Little Nuria and her sisters love singing songs about Jesus. But when people Nuria doesn't know ask her if she's a Christian, she doesn't know what to answer; instead, she looks questioningly at her mother or father.
She is 6 years old and goes to a Christian school in Kirkuk, Iraq. When her aunts and uncles visit, her mother purges the house of anything that points to their Christian faith: the cross on the wall, the Bible, her Christian storybooks. Nuria knows her relatives are Muslims, but sometimes she forgets and she or one of her sisters starts to hum a Christian tune.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36356
OUT OF EGYPT: THE WINTER OF PERSECUTION FOR COPTIC CHRISTIANS
by Michael Milton
Is the Arab spring turning into a winter of persecution?
Coptic Christians have now left their home in Egypt and have joined the growing refugee movement. Of the 80 million people living in Egypt, approximately 8 million of them are Christians. According to Church tradition, Christianity came to Egypt in AD 42 through the evangelistic preaching of St. Mark. In that day, Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, joined with others to fan out across the face of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Philip Jenkins, the Edwin Erle Sparks professor of the humanities in history and religious studies at Penn State University, describes in his book, The Lost History of Christianity, how the ancient Church, east of the Roman Empire, in places like Persia and Syrian and Egypt, flourished until killed off or run out by radical groups, particularly Muslims.... Read this in full at
http://michaelmilton.org/2011/10/14/out-of-egypt-the-winter-of-persecution-for-coptic-christians/
THE WORTHY MISSION TO GET JOSEPH KONY
by Michael Gerson
When President Obama announced last week the deployment of 100 US military advisers to aid in the pursuit of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), reaction was swift. Michele Bachmann criticized “unnecessary foreign entanglements,” while admitting, “I do not know enough about it to comment on it.” Rush Limbaugh called the LRA “Christians” and accused Obama of sending American troops “to wipe out Christians in Sudan, Uganda,” before promising to do some “research on it.”
In both cases, it is remarkable that public figures feel no hesitancy — no internal check of propriety or shame — about offering opinions while admitting ignorance. A few minutes on the Internet would have sufficed. The LRA is a brutal rebel group headed by a messianic madman. Its victims — captured boys turned into soldiers, captured girls forced into sexual slavery, villagers put to the machete — have been the focus of activism by Christian organizations and human rights groups for decades.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-worthy-mission-to-get-joseph-kony/2011/10/17/gIQAny5YsL_story.html
GOD, LIQUOR, AND THE GOSPEL OF KEN BURNS
by Ben Stevens
How will we remember events like Prohibition (http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/): as pithy, hypocrisy-filled, hyper-religious excess, or as well-intentioned, family-centric crusades to save society from its drunken stupor? I have no doubt there will be plenty of occasions to consider the true merits of the former option. As such, I humbly submit that, in trying to understand history on its own terms, the latter deserves our consideration as well.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-stevens/god-liquor-and-the-gospel_b_1009333.html
CELEBRATE 7 BILLION PEOPLE
Steven W. Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute (PRI) (http://pop.org/), will address the media at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, October 31st 2011, on the topic of the birth of the world's seven billionth person.
The United Nations Population Division has projected October 31st 2011 as the day on which the world will be home to seven billion people. "This is a happy occasion," says Mosher, a leading population expert and best-selling author. "The world's population has more than doubled since 1960, and humanity has never been so prosperous."
The family planners, supported by assorted radical feminists, environmental extremists, and no-growth types, are abusing this milestone to promote the myth of overpopulation and to raise more money for their anti-people projects. "The attitude of the anti-people types is arrogant and elitist," says Mosher. "They say, in effect, to Africans, Asians and Latin Americans: 'There are just enough of us, but there are way too many of you.'"
According to Mosher, "Contrary to what you might hear, the most pressing problem in country after country today is not overpopulation, but underpopulation. In a time of fiscal austerity, the last thing that we need to be doing is spending more tax dollars to drive down the birth rate, reducing the amount of human capital available, and making us all poorer in the long run." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2632818048.html
CONSIDER
“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
Brother Lawrence (c.1605-1691), The Practice of the Presence of God, New York, Revell, 1895, p. 17
VERSE TO PONDER
“This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’"
Isaiah 48:17
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: LORD, IN THY NAME THY SERVANTS PLEAD
Words: John Keble, 1856
Music: Thomas Ravenscroft 1621
Lord, in Thy Name Thy servants plead,
And Thou hast sworn to hear;
Thine is the harvest, Thine the seed,
The fresh and fading year.
Our hope, when autumn winds blew wild,
We trusted, Lord, with Thee:
And still, now spring has on us smiled,
We wait on Thy decree.
The former and the latter rain,
The summer sun and air,
The green ear and the golden grain,
All Thine, are ours by prayer.
Thine too by right and ours by grace,
The wondrous growth unseen,
The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.
So grant the precious things brought forth
By sun and moon below,
That Thee in Thy new heav’n and earth
We never may forgo.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/l/i/t/litntspl.htm
ON PRAYER
“Almighty and most merciful Father, whose clemency I now presume to implore, after a long life of carelessness and wickedness, have mercy upon me. I have committed many trespasses; I have neglected many duties I have done what Thou hast forbidden, and left undone what Thou hast commanded. Forgive, merciful Lord, my sins, negligences, and ignorances, and enable me, by thy Holy Spirit, to amend my life according to thy Holy word, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.”
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), Prayers and Meditations, London: Verner, Hood, and Sharpe, 1806, p. 191
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.
Water spout surfer photo
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/18/1274168733618/tornado-in-Australia-002.jpg
Stunning photos: the ruins of Detroit
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
The evolution of Apple computer ads
http://webexpedition18.com/articles/evolution-apple-ads/
Beautiful landscape photo
http://travelphotos.everything-everywhere.com/North-America/Wyoming/Yellowstone/GMA6471/751193921_cGLyQ-1000x1000.jpg
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.)
Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law.
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 379
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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"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Mark 1:15
CONSIDER
“A Christian is a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks, a hand through which Christ helps.”
Unknown Author
FOUR WAYS CHRISTIANS CAN INFLUENCE THE WORLD
by John R. W. Stott
Alienation was originally a Marxist word, and Karl Marx meant by it the alienation of the worker from the product of his labors. When what he produces is sold by the factory owner, he is alienated from the fruits of his work. But nowadays the word alienation has a much broader meaning of powerlessness. Whenever you feel politically or economically powerless, you are feeling alienated.
Jimmy Reid, the well-known Marxist counselor in Glasgow and leader of the Clydeside Ship Workers, when he was rector of Glasgow University, said, "Alienation is the cry of men who feel themselves to be the victims of blind economic forces beyond their control. Alienation is the frustration of ordinary people who are excluded from the processes of decision-making." Have we any influence? Have we any power? That's the question.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/saltlight.html
THESE WORLD SERIES UMPS HAVE SEEN CHRIST CHANGE LIVES
He'll be on the field for every game, right in the middle of the action, but he won't throw a pitch or take a swing.
Ted Barrett feels the pressure nonetheless. He knows the stakes are high in the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. But while the players will all be doing their utmost to leave their mark on the Fall Classic, Barrett and five other guys hope that nobody even knows they are there.
But his job on the field isn't the only place where Barrett likes to deflect attention. As a Christian and one of the founders of the ministry Calling for Christ (CFC) (http://callingforchrist.com/), Barrett ultimately hopes that his actions point to Jesus.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36369
NEW BOOK ‘NEARING HOME’ FROM BILLY GRAHAM HELPS READERS “LIVE LIFE TO THE VERY END”
by Michael Ireland
“All my life I was taught how to die as a Christian, but no one ever taught me how I ought to live in the years before I die. Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Dr. Billy Graham in his new book, Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-4832-9, $19.99, October 2011).
In this moving narrative, Billy Graham shares his personal experience of growing older, but also teaches some important lessons on how to view our time here on Earth. He says that the Bible makes it clear that God has a specific reason for keeping us here. So what is His purpose for these years, and how can we align our lives with it? How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?
Dr. Graham, world-renowned author, preacher, and evangelist, has delivered the gospel message to more people face–to-face than anyone in history and has ministered on every continent of the world. Millions have read his inspirational classics, including Angels, The Secret of Happiness, Peace with God, The Holy Spirit, Hope for the Troubled Heart, and How to be Born Again.
“The best way to meet the challenges of old age is to prepare for them now, before they arrive,” says Dr. Graham. “I invite you to explore with me not only the realities of life as we grow older but also the hope and fulfillment — and even joy — that can be ours once we learn to look at these years from God’s point of view and discover His strength to sustain us every day.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11100071.htm
BELIEVERS CONTINUE TO SIN BECAUSE WE’VE NOT DECIDED TO STOP
by Clare De Graaf
It’s tough to hear it said that bluntly, isn’t it? We’d prefer to think we’re just victims of forces more powerful than ourselves and while we know we probably could do better, here’s where I think most of have landed.
Most Christians have come to terms with an acceptable level of sin in their lives and feel it is unnecessary, too difficult, or too costly to do much better.
And we often find it much easier to substitute religious activities and services to others, to assuage our guilt and balance the scales we feel ourselves standing on before God. If, intuitively you know this is true in your life, then where do you go from here? .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2011/10/17/believers-continue-to-sin-because-we%e2%80%99ve-not-decided-to-stop/
THE RELIGION OF MASCULINITY
by Jeremy Postal
Aggressive, risk-taking and adventurous behaviour is actually part of a man’s make-up and wiring. Testosterone, a hormone found roughly 15 times more in men than in women, drives men to compete, act impulsively and dominate, to boast and tell stories, and to take risks that could really, really hurt. Serotonin, on the other hand, (a hormonal equivalent to the voice of reason) is found in lower levels in men than in women.
Unfortunately, in their hot pursuit of the religion of masculinity, many men have used their aggressive and forceful behaviour to abuse the people around them, be absent from their children or justify their addictions to porn, violent video games and just about anything else....
Whether a man drives a big truck and can snake his own toilet or spends his days as a desk jockey and commutes listening to soft rock, God has instilled in him manliness to be used for good.
Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book titled The Silence of Adam: Becoming Men of Courage in a World of Chaos, states, “The only way to be manly is first to be godly.”.... Read this in full at
http://canadianchristianity.com/lifestyle/religion-masculinity/
CBN IS 50 YEARS OLD
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) began as a small television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, founded by a young man named Pat Robertson and his wife Dede. Today it’s a worldwide television and communications ministry that takes the gospel of Christ to millions every day. Fifty years ago on October 1, 1961, CBN began broadcasting as the first Christian television station in the nation. And if that were not enough, other significant entities created by Dr. Robertson and birthed through the ministry of CBN – organizations like Operation Blessing and Regent University – join CBN in having an impressive influence on the world today.... Read this in full at
http://www.cbn.com/special/CBN-50th-broadcasting/
THE SMELLS WE CARRY
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. When God brought them out, not a hair on their heads was burned. Scripture makes an interesting distinction: ‘there was no smell of fire on them’ (emphasis mine). In other words, they went through a fiery situation where they should have been burned, but they came through without even the smell of smoke [Daniel 3:12-27].
“God doesn't want you to go through fiery trials and smell like them for the rest of your life. Sometimes I meet people who have been through a fiery trial, and every time I'm around them, that's all they can talk about. Maybe you were burned in a relationship. Maybe you were burned in a business deal. Maybe you were burned at a church because some preacher was a hypocrite or somebody hurt you. Perhaps now you judge everybody the same way. If you're going to win your faith fight, first you have to gain victory over what you smell.
“I don't want to smell like everything I've been through. Ministry has taken me through a lot of stuff. People in ministry can take home the smell of their work. We deal with problems and lots of messy issues, but I don't want to take that smell home to my kids. Just imagine how those Old Testament priests must have smelled: the blood, the gore, the burning of sacrifices. That's why the priests had to burn incense. God said, ‘To kill the smell of ministry, burn incense.’ Worship is a type of burning incense. Worshiping helps grant us victory over smell.
“Maybe your marriage stinks, but still believe. Maybe your finances stink right now, but still believe. Maybe your children are going through a season in which it seems like they just can't get their act together and you feel like giving up. In spite of what you smell, in spite of what you feel, in spite of what you see, in spite of what you hear, in spite of what you taste, you have to realize that our God is able. If you're going to conquer, you have to get your foot on your sense of smell. Even though you've been through the fire, you don't have to smell like it. Burn some incense of praise.”
Excerpted from What is God Really Like?
PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT? YES THOU SHALT.
Republican presidential contender Rick Perry recently urged social conservatives to pray for President Barack Obama.
“As I campaign for president, I not only ask you for your vote and your support, I ask for your prayers. I ask you to pray for our country. I ask you to pray for our president to give him wisdom, to open his eyes,” the Texas Governor told an audience in Florida last month.
Doing just that is the stated mission of the Presidential Prayer Team (http://presidentialprayerteam.com).
Conceived in November 2000 in an adult Sunday school class in Scottsdale, Arizona, the PPT – or “The Prayer Team,” as it calls itself – takes its charge from the words of the Apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2).... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/14/pray-for-the-president-yes-thou-shalt/
IDOP SUNDAY 2011: NOVEMBER 13TH
Pray for us ... This is the plea of persecuted Christians around the world.
Today around the world over 200 million are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. Each year, Christians in over 130 countries stand in prayer with our persecuted sisters and brothers through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Join with us as Christians across Canada unite in prayer for our brothers and sisters who suffer because they declare their faith in Christ.... Read this in full at
http://www.idop.ca/
http://www.idop.org/
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Three brothers, ages 92, 94, and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. He puts his foot in and pauses. He yells to the other brothers, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94-year-old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." He starts up the stairs and pauses, "Was I going up the stairs or down?"
The 92-year-old was sitting at the kitchen table having coffee listening to his brothers. He shakes his head and says, "I'm sure glad I never get that forgetful, knock on wood..." He then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
WHY A CHALLENGE FOR THE BODY IS A CHALLENGE FOR THE SOUL
“Mark Rhode is typical in his struggle with overeating. Where he is not typical has to do with his passion for ultra distance events in cycling. ‘Ultra distance’ is a polite way of saying absolutely insane. As I write these words, the race Mark is training for goes from Seattle to Spokane [through 284 miles of] mountains that make you wish you had oxygen at the top.
“Mark's discipline on the bike hasn't cured his propensity toward overeating or eating the wrong kinds of food, and that concerns him. It also concerns him that this is a battle he rarely hears addressed from the pulpit. He says, ‘We've been taught about adultery and lying and stealing and coveting; about lust and alcoholism and smoking and drug abuse. But many evangelical pastors who preach against these things are visibly overweight or obese. I don't say this to judge them — I struggle with the same thing. But sometimes I wonder. Sure, they may have conquered the online porn, but it seems like they're 'medicating' with food; I get that, because I do the same thing.’
“It is this battle that has led Mark toward the ultra distance events on his bike. ‘For me, getting into these events is like attacking my demons head on.’ The issue isn't how he looks in the mirror; it's a spiritual one. Second Corinthians 12:9 drives Mark's life and approach toward food and personal discipline: ‘“[God's] power is made perfect in weakness.” This defines the whole theological underpinning for why I do endurance events. I am weak; I am broken; my sins [include] a lack of discipline and gluttony. Riding my bike is a physical way to address what I lack, and God provides through his power.’
“Is there any way that, like Mark, we can begin to address some neglected issues and more actively participate in God's refining process in our souls and thereby become more useful to the Master and better prepared to do more good works? Can challenges lived out in our bodies point out our need to tend more earnestly to our souls?
“If I am successful at all this teaching won't be burdensome but liberating. What God asks us to give up are the very things that Scripture and the Christian classics testify make war against us — things that not only make us miserable but also keep us from more profound and deeper joys than we could ever have imagined.”
Gary Thomas in Every Body Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul
THE CHURCH CAN END EXTREME POVERTY
by Scott C. Todd, author of Fast Living: How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty (http://live58.org)
Here’s a headline I haven’t read or heard yet: We’re winning the battle against extreme poverty. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it’s not. It’s just that we’re conditioned to believe the opposite is true.
Every “breaking news” item that hits my inbox or travels across the bottom of the TV screen carries the potential to be another gut punch to the world’s poor. A hurricane in the Caribbean. An earthquake in Asia. A famine in Africa. Or a disease outbreak anywhere.
When we hear enough bad news, “crisis fatigue” kicks in. Often we go into protection mode to deaden the impact or filter the news out altogether. We turn the channel. Read something else. Or simply focus on our own lives. They’re topical anesthetics to deaden the ache of chronically bad news.... Read this in full at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/17/my-take-the-church-can-end-extreme-poverty/
WHAT TWITTER CAN TEACH THE CHURCH
by Elizabeth Evans Hagan
First, say what we need to say and stop. The days of long typed memos addressed with a stamp on a letter in the mail are over. If we want to make connections with new colleagues or potential church members, we must speak concisely. It is easy to fall into the temptation -- especially in religious life – to think the prettier the words, the better. The truth is people stop reading or listening if their attention is not fully engaged from the start to the finish.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6857/9/
VERSE TO PONDER
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk 3:18
CONSIDER
“The miracles of Jesus were the ordinary works of his Father, wrought small and swift that we might take them in.”
George Macdonald
CAN THE CHURCH LEARN TO LOVE THE MEDIA?
by David Sanford
Try asking 80 church executives if the “secular” media are friends or foes. Every time I take this poll at a church leadership conference or seminary, one or two hands timidly go up for “friends.” The rest go sky high for “foes.” What’s your vote?
Over the course of his prolific career, Cal Thomas has been one of America’s most popular media commentators on television, radio and in print. While the mainstream media often is biased, Thomas believes the bias “isn’t always deliberate.” Often, a reporter’s bias is borne out of a bad church experience or personal tragedy that produced deep feelings of disappointment with God.
In one of his hundreds of articles, Thomas shared, “Unlike many Christians I meet, I’ve decided not to be content with cursing the media’s spiritual darkness, but to devise a strategy for doing something.” That strategy involves getting to know others in the media, develop genuine friendships, and then share the love of Jesus Christ.... Read this in full at
http://churchexecutive.com/archives/can-the-church-learn-to-love-the-media
THE EVANGELICAL REJECTION OF REASON
by Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens
Like other evangelicals, we accept the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ and look to the Bible as our sacred book, though we find it hard to recognize our religious tradition in the mainstream evangelical conversation. Evangelicalism at its best seeks a biblically grounded expression of Christianity that is intellectually engaged, humble and forward-looking. In contrast, fundamentalism is literalistic, overconfident and reactionary.
Fundamentalism appeals to evangelicals who have become convinced that their country has been overrun by a vast secular conspiracy; denial is the simplest and most attractive response to change. They have been scarred by the elimination of prayer in schools; the removal of nativity scenes from public places; the increasing legitimacy of abortion and homosexuality; the persistence of pornography and drug abuse; and acceptance of other religions and of atheism.... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/the-evangelical-rejection-of-reason.html
MARITAL BLISS IS HARMED BY MATERIALISM, STUDY FINDS
When couples care too much about money, their marriage may suffer, a new study finds.
Researchers at Brigham Young University Provo, Utah, and William Patterson University, Wayne, NJ, looked at more than 1,700 US couples to determine how their attitudes toward money affected their marriages.
Couples who said money wasn't important to them scored about 10% to 15% better on measures of relationship quality, such as marriage stability, than couples in which one or both partners were materialistic. Also, couples in which both partners said they valued lots of money — about 20% of the couples — fared worse than couples who were mismatched and just had one materialist in the marriage.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203658804576639380443568642.html
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY’S JOHNNIE MOORE SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE OF YOUNG EVANGELICALS
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am, more than 10,000 students pour into the Vines Center at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., to hear top-line musical worship performances and talks by the likes of Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and the Rev. Rick Warren, all recent speakers.
Liberty’s “convocation” is the largest regular gathering of young evangelicals in the US.
And the guy who picks who speaks is Johnnie Moore, a charismatic campus preacher and Liberty vice president who at 28 is becoming a heavy-hitter in the world of conservative Christianity. At a time when young white evangelicals are pushing back against the marriage of their faith with the GOP, Moore looks like he might be a key to the future, espousing a Christianity that is at once orthodox and social justice-minded. He is the go-to adviser for some conservative leaders trying to understand what is going on.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/liberty-universitys-johnnie-moore-speaks-the-language-of-young-evangelicals/2011/09/26/gIQAvWC3mL_story.html
ANONYMOUS SENATOR HOLDING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSION 'HOSTAGE'
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a small commission that monitors religious freedom. Last month, the House of Representatives voted 391–21 to reauthorize the USCIRF. The Senate, however, has not voted because one anonymous U.S. Senator is blocking a vote. If the Senate fails to act by November 18, the USCIRF will cease to exist.
In the Senate, consideration of legislation often requires unanimous consent. This means that any Senator can block legislation from consideration. The Senate rules allow what is often called a "secret hold." A Senator can put a hold on a bill by telling his or her party leader that the Senator opposes consideration of a bill. The Senator's name is not made public. In the case of the USCIRF, there is one Senator placing a hold on the reauthorization bill.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/octoberweb-only/killing-uscirf.html
WHEN CHILDREN ARRIVE, IRAQ'S CHRISTIANS LIVE DOUBLE LIVES
Little Nuria and her sisters love singing songs about Jesus. But when people Nuria doesn't know ask her if she's a Christian, she doesn't know what to answer; instead, she looks questioningly at her mother or father.
She is 6 years old and goes to a Christian school in Kirkuk, Iraq. When her aunts and uncles visit, her mother purges the house of anything that points to their Christian faith: the cross on the wall, the Bible, her Christian storybooks. Nuria knows her relatives are Muslims, but sometimes she forgets and she or one of her sisters starts to hum a Christian tune.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36356
OUT OF EGYPT: THE WINTER OF PERSECUTION FOR COPTIC CHRISTIANS
by Michael Milton
Is the Arab spring turning into a winter of persecution?
Coptic Christians have now left their home in Egypt and have joined the growing refugee movement. Of the 80 million people living in Egypt, approximately 8 million of them are Christians. According to Church tradition, Christianity came to Egypt in AD 42 through the evangelistic preaching of St. Mark. In that day, Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, joined with others to fan out across the face of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Philip Jenkins, the Edwin Erle Sparks professor of the humanities in history and religious studies at Penn State University, describes in his book, The Lost History of Christianity, how the ancient Church, east of the Roman Empire, in places like Persia and Syrian and Egypt, flourished until killed off or run out by radical groups, particularly Muslims.... Read this in full at
http://michaelmilton.org/2011/10/14/out-of-egypt-the-winter-of-persecution-for-coptic-christians/
THE WORTHY MISSION TO GET JOSEPH KONY
by Michael Gerson
When President Obama announced last week the deployment of 100 US military advisers to aid in the pursuit of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), reaction was swift. Michele Bachmann criticized “unnecessary foreign entanglements,” while admitting, “I do not know enough about it to comment on it.” Rush Limbaugh called the LRA “Christians” and accused Obama of sending American troops “to wipe out Christians in Sudan, Uganda,” before promising to do some “research on it.”
In both cases, it is remarkable that public figures feel no hesitancy — no internal check of propriety or shame — about offering opinions while admitting ignorance. A few minutes on the Internet would have sufficed. The LRA is a brutal rebel group headed by a messianic madman. Its victims — captured boys turned into soldiers, captured girls forced into sexual slavery, villagers put to the machete — have been the focus of activism by Christian organizations and human rights groups for decades.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-worthy-mission-to-get-joseph-kony/2011/10/17/gIQAny5YsL_story.html
GOD, LIQUOR, AND THE GOSPEL OF KEN BURNS
by Ben Stevens
How will we remember events like Prohibition (http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/): as pithy, hypocrisy-filled, hyper-religious excess, or as well-intentioned, family-centric crusades to save society from its drunken stupor? I have no doubt there will be plenty of occasions to consider the true merits of the former option. As such, I humbly submit that, in trying to understand history on its own terms, the latter deserves our consideration as well.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-stevens/god-liquor-and-the-gospel_b_1009333.html
CELEBRATE 7 BILLION PEOPLE
Steven W. Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute (PRI) (http://pop.org/), will address the media at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, October 31st 2011, on the topic of the birth of the world's seven billionth person.
The United Nations Population Division has projected October 31st 2011 as the day on which the world will be home to seven billion people. "This is a happy occasion," says Mosher, a leading population expert and best-selling author. "The world's population has more than doubled since 1960, and humanity has never been so prosperous."
The family planners, supported by assorted radical feminists, environmental extremists, and no-growth types, are abusing this milestone to promote the myth of overpopulation and to raise more money for their anti-people projects. "The attitude of the anti-people types is arrogant and elitist," says Mosher. "They say, in effect, to Africans, Asians and Latin Americans: 'There are just enough of us, but there are way too many of you.'"
According to Mosher, "Contrary to what you might hear, the most pressing problem in country after country today is not overpopulation, but underpopulation. In a time of fiscal austerity, the last thing that we need to be doing is spending more tax dollars to drive down the birth rate, reducing the amount of human capital available, and making us all poorer in the long run." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2632818048.html
CONSIDER
“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
Brother Lawrence (c.1605-1691), The Practice of the Presence of God, New York, Revell, 1895, p. 17
VERSE TO PONDER
“This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’"
Isaiah 48:17
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: LORD, IN THY NAME THY SERVANTS PLEAD
Words: John Keble, 1856
Music: Thomas Ravenscroft 1621
Lord, in Thy Name Thy servants plead,
And Thou hast sworn to hear;
Thine is the harvest, Thine the seed,
The fresh and fading year.
Our hope, when autumn winds blew wild,
We trusted, Lord, with Thee:
And still, now spring has on us smiled,
We wait on Thy decree.
The former and the latter rain,
The summer sun and air,
The green ear and the golden grain,
All Thine, are ours by prayer.
Thine too by right and ours by grace,
The wondrous growth unseen,
The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.
So grant the precious things brought forth
By sun and moon below,
That Thee in Thy new heav’n and earth
We never may forgo.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/l/i/t/litntspl.htm
ON PRAYER
“Almighty and most merciful Father, whose clemency I now presume to implore, after a long life of carelessness and wickedness, have mercy upon me. I have committed many trespasses; I have neglected many duties I have done what Thou hast forbidden, and left undone what Thou hast commanded. Forgive, merciful Lord, my sins, negligences, and ignorances, and enable me, by thy Holy Spirit, to amend my life according to thy Holy word, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.”
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), Prayers and Meditations, London: Verner, Hood, and Sharpe, 1806, p. 191
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
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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.
Water spout surfer photo
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/18/1274168733618/tornado-in-Australia-002.jpg
Stunning photos: the ruins of Detroit
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
The evolution of Apple computer ads
http://webexpedition18.com/articles/evolution-apple-ads/
Beautiful landscape photo
http://travelphotos.everything-everywhere.com/North-America/Wyoming/Yellowstone/GMA6471/751193921_cGLyQ-1000x1000.jpg
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.)
Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law.
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com
Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
The CONNECTIONS Team offers a variety of activities for men to interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ.
Contact Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, frank@frankcoleman.com if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
Path Of Life Ministries is located in Chicago, IL.
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