ON PRAYER
"Do with your hearts as you do with your watches, wind them up every morning by prayer, and at night examine whether your hearts have gone true all that day."
Thomas Watson
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thought for today - 01/31/2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thought for today 01/30/2012
VERSE TO PONDER
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Ephesians 4:32
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thought for today - 01/29/2012
CONSIDER
"Miracles are not breaches of natural law but revelations of spiritual law."
Unknown
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
"Miracles are not breaches of natural law but revelations of spiritual law."
Unknown
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Connections News - 01/29/2012
Connecting man to man to God
For week of January 29, 2012
Issue 393
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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“From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise.”
Philippians 4:8 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Failure is often God's own tool for carving some of the finest outlines in the character of His children; and even in this life, bitter and crushing failures have often in them the germs of new and quite unimagined happiness.”
Thomas Hodgkin
THE SOUL OF STEVE JOBS
by Gordon MacDonald
Soon after the death of Apple's co-founder, Steve Jobs, I read Walter Isaacson's newly released biography, Steve Jobs. Once started, I found it difficult to stop reading (on my iPad) about this complicated man, and I regretted reaching the last page.
Whether one liked or disliked Steve Jobs, he is certainly one of the most talked-about leaders of our time. In his 56-year life, he founded and ultimately led a business organization to a commanding position in the world of technology. He assembled and led teams that produced some of the most admired technological products of our time: Mac Books, iPods, iPhones, iPads. Whole industries came into being because of him.
But Steve Jobs also had many critics. "He mistreated people." "He was ruthless in his business dealings." "He was vindictive." "He lacked compassion." And that's just the light stuff.
As I read about Steve Jobs, I dared to imagine a conversation with him in his office at Apple. A fantasy, of course, but a trigger for some sober thought.
We all know that Steve Jobs was not a professing Christian. While he respected Jesus, he walked away from Christianity at an early age—at least in its organized and doctrinal form.
So why write about him in a Christian journal? Answer: because his life yields valuable lessons, positive and negative, on the subject of leadership. It also highlights areas that Christian leaders can enlist to touch the souls of people like him.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/winter/soulsteve.html
SUPER BOWL XLVI
The New York Giants will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which will be the first time the Super Bowl has been played in Indiana. Indianapolis is the northernmost city in the United States to host the Super Bowl since Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host city, as well as the cities represented by the contenders at
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb12-ff04.html
SUPER BOWL WINNING COACH TONY DUNGY FEATURED IN FREE DOWNLOADABLE VIDEO MESSAGE FOR GAME WATCHING PARTIES
This year's football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach's personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available (http://www.adoptionjourney.com/share/dungyhalftime/) to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.
The video message includes a personal appeal to Americans on the subject of the current orphan crisis and adoption. Dungy is involved with The Adoption Journey Project to help influence more couples to consider adoption.
"The big win on Super Sunday would be to raise awareness about the millions of children who need a family. I would love to see thousands of local community groups and circles of friends gathering together to stop and consider how they can help," said Dungy, the winning head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7597418750.html
FOOTBALL, FAITH AND JOHN 3:16
Most Americans love football and faith. Mixing the two, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has reinvigorated the debate about public expressions of religion. One of the controversies has been the Denver player’s common practice of writing biblical references — such as John 3:16 — on the black marks beneath his eyes.
Yet, does the typical American even know what this reference means? Last year, the American Bible Society commissioned Barna Group to find out how well Americans understood various aspects of the Bible, including if they could identify what the numbers “3:16” mean. The question mentioned the phrase John 3:16 and asked people to identify, without any predetermined choices, what the “three” means.
Overall, nearly seven out of 10 Americans (68%) were able to identify without any prompting from the interviewers that the “three” in John 3:16 refers to the chapter where the biblical reference is found. More than three out of ten adults either gave an incorrect answer (15%) or ventured no guess (17%).... Read this in full at
http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/558-football-faith-and-john-316
THE KINGDOM – THE FAMILY BUSINESS – PART II
by Clare De Graaf
The Kingdom (the family business) is the whole enterprise of God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels and all true believers (God’s sons and daughters), living on earth and presently living with God. It’s everything that the family of God has done – is doing – and will be doing for all eternity to accomplish the ultimate purposes of God.
When I use the term family business, I don’t want in any way to diminish the majesty and the glory of God, or the seriousness which surrounds the unimaginable power by which he simultaneously manages both the whole universe, as well as what is about to happen to you and the flowers in your garden in the next few minutes. But, think of it this way.
Imagine a business that could literally save the life of every person on earth – they could truly live forever. Not only that, but each of those people whose lives have been saved, would have hope, a loving community around them and a purpose for living – they’d be part of a movement that can actually change life on this planet. And, they’re so grateful; they can’t stop telling others about this company and its founders. In fact, telling that story and helping others discover this new life becomes the driving passion of their lives. That’s the kind of family business I’m talking about! .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2012/01/23/the-kingdom-%e2%80%93-the-family-business-%e2%80%93-part-ii/
DYING TO MEET HIM: HOW A 30-YEAR-OLD WITH 1 YEAR LEFT TO LIVE THINKS
by Gabrielle Devenish
This past hospital visit (Jan. 3-7), I was told that I am expected to live less than a year, maybe 6 months. I was released from the hospital to home hospice, where I do not intend to die, but to live my life as fully as possible for as long as it may be.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/dying-to-meet-him-how-a-30-year-old-with-1-year-left-to-live-thinks-68017/
HOW TO WEAR JESUS'S EXPRESSION
“What does it mean that human beings are made ‘in God's image’? How can the profound ideas within this phrase shed light on our calling as humans and our mission as Jesus' disciples?
“Paul says that we should put off our old corrupt self and live as our new self that is ‘created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness’ (Ephesians 4:24). We are to be ‘imitators of God,’ displaying his compassion and faithfulness to others. It seems fitting, then, that the way Christ chose to train his disciples was that of the ancient rabbis. As his disciples walked with him day after day, they learned his approach to the Scriptures. But even more importantly, they saw how he lived out his own teaching. They would imitate their rabbi's example to learn to ‘walk in his way,’ and then go out and disciple others to live that way too.
“Paul illustrates this teaching method when he urged the Corinthians to imitate his example, and then sent his disciple Timothy to be with them.
“Physician Paul Brand relays an experience from when he was training doctors in India that taught him how effective this teaching method is. One morning on rounds, he watched as a young intern interviewed a new patient in the wards. Brand's student kneeled by the woman's bed and examined her for signs of pain as he gently inquired about her private past, his calm demeanor reassuring her all the while.
“Suddenly, something caught Brand's eye about the young man's expression. It reminded him distinctly of a mentor of his back in England, Professor Pilcher. The resemblance was uncanny, as if the student had taken acting lessons. Later Brand asked the young man if he had ever studied with the esteemed Dr. Pilcher. At first he and his fellow students stared at him, confused, but then they grinned. ‘We don't know any Professor Pilcher,’ one said. ‘But Dr. Brand, that was your expression he was wearing.’ Thinking back on his own training with Dr. Pilcher, Brand writes:
“‘I had thought I was learning from him techniques of surgery and diagnostic procedures. But he had also imprinted his instincts, his expression, his very smile so that they too would be passed down from generation to generation in an unbroken human chain. It was a kindly smile, perfect for cutting through the fog of embarrassment to encourage a patient's honesty. What textbook or computer program could have charted out the facial expression needed at that exact moment within the curtain?
“‘Now I, Pilcher's student, had become a link in the chain, a carrier of his wisdom to students some nine thousand miles away. The Indian doctor, young and brown-skinned, speaking in Tamil, shared few obvious resemblances with either Pilcher or me. Yet somehow he had conveyed the likeness of my old chief so accurately that it had transported me back to university days with a start.’ [Source: In the Likeness of God by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand]
“Dr. Brand had been imprinted by his mentor's demeanor and was unconsciously passing it on. In just the same way, as we imitate Christ as his disciples, we carry his image to those around us and cause them to become like him too.”
Lois Tverberg IN Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life
IS THE LOCAL CHURCH DISAPPEARING?
by Jim Coggins
In 2008 and in 2009, CC.com ran series of articles on The State of the Canadian Church. Both series drew extensively on research by pollsters, academics and church leaders. This year, we are looking at some of the same issues, but from the bottom up – from the point of view of the local church.
FOR SALE: 45-year-old, 270-seat church; $4.5 million or best offer.
In the late 1950s, the United Church aimed to have a church in every high school catchment area in Canada. Today, many of those congregations of 200-300 people have dwindled to less than 100. Some have closed altogether, and their buildings are being sold. The same thing is happening with other mainline denominations.
Peter Elliott is chair of the Vision 2019 Task Force – an exercise “to discern, dream, and decide where we think God wants the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019.” Elliott also headed an Anglican Diocese of New Westminster study group which, in 2009, presented a strategic plan called ‘Growing Communities of Faith in Jesus Christ to serve God’s Mission in the World.’ The plan analyzed what is required for a vital, sustainable parish.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.ca/frame.asp?http://www.canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/100113state.html
HOW WOMEN FUEL THE MAN-BOY PROBLEM
by Ruthie Dean
“Wanna grab a burrito 2nite?” The melody of the Atlanta symphony’s instruments flowed through the auditorium. I didn’t have high expectations for dating at 23, but a text containing the word burrito wasn’t exactly what I had in mind (and with 1 hour notice). I liked him, but couldn’t escape the mental picture of showing up in a swanky outfit to an establishment where my entrance would be announced in a jubilee of “Welcome to Moe’s!”
The resounding question I hear from many single women today is: “Where have all the good men gone?”
Recently, several articles and statistics have shown that women are making history with career achievements, while men in increasing numbers are seemingly living in a prolonged state of adolescence, sitting back with their buddies and playing video games. Cultural observers note that men are not finding compelling reasons to grow up and marry. The former cultural standards of marriage for sex and children have changed drastically in the past 50 years as one-night stands are celebrated and single parenthood accepted.
And women are only fueling this behavior by excusing it.... Read this in full at
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2012/01/real_women_dont_text_back_how.html
SHOULD I MARRY A MAN WITH PORNOGRAPHY STRUGGLES? MY RESPONSE
by Russell D. Moore
Dear Engaged and Confused,
We all have points of vulnerability, areas of susceptibility to sin and self-destruction. There are beings afoot in the universe who watch these points and who know how to collaborate with our biology and our environment to slaughter us.
Wisdom means knowing where those weak points are, recognizing deception for what it is, and warring against ourselves in order to maintain fidelity to Christ and to those God has given us.
What you need is not a sinless man. You need a man deeply aware of his sin and of his potential for further sin. You need a man who can see just how capable he is of destroying himself and your family. And you need a man with the wisdom to, as Jesus put it, gouge out whatever is dragging him under to self-destruction.... Read this in http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/01/23/should-i-marry-a-man-with-pornography-struggles-my-response/
OPIATE OF THE MASSES?
by Michael Craven
Ever since Karl Marx penned his denunciatory statement on religion in 1843 (that religion is the "opiate of the masses"), secularists, social progressives, and other opponents of religion have worked to convince us that religious faith is an outdated relic of the past whose inexplicable (in their view) existence remains only by means of a stubborn, unenlightened, and uneducated lower class.
Indeed, there appears to be an abundance of data supporting the claim that religious belief in America is — generally speaking — in a state of free fall. In 2009, ABC News, citing a recent study by the American Religious Identity Survey, reported, "In one of the most dramatic shifts, 15 percent of Americans now say they have no religion — a figure that's almost doubled in 18 years. Americans with no religious preference are now larger than all other major religious groups except Catholics and Baptists" (Dan Harris, "America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious," March 9, 2009, ABC News).... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11663999/
AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY LEADS FIRST EXCAVATION OF HISTORIC SITE IN ISRAEL
This spring, Azusa Pacific University (APU) embarks on an exciting joint expedition with the Hebrew University of Israel to oversee an archeological dig at Abel Beth Maacah, a site of historical interest long envied by the world’s archeologists.
To date, the mound has not been excavated. Robert Mullins, PhD, associate professor of biblical studies at APU, leads the team along with Nava Panitz-Cohen and Ruhama Bonfil, faculty at the Hebrew University. On Jan. 25—26, 2012, team members plan to conduct an initial survey of the site in preparation for the May 27—31 excavation.
“I can’t overstate the huge potential of this project,” said Mullins. “First, it is an honor to partner with Israel’s oldest and most prestigious university. Given the site’s connection with the period of David and later Kings of Israel, the dig will draw worldwide interest. We can potentially solve questions regarding the nature of Israel’s ties with neighboring Phoenicia and Syria, as well as documenting through the destruction levels the various Aramean and Assyrian military campaigns mentioned in the Bible and other ancient records.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2012/s12010126.htm
VICTORY OVER OUR CRAVINGS, ONE MINI-GOAL AT A TIME
“There are days I don't feel victorious. Like the day when the upstairs toilet clogged and flooded my kitchen ceiling. Or the day I got stuck in traffic, yelled at my kids, and missed an important meeting. Those are the days when my long-term goals to get healthy don't feel as important as my need for immediate comfort. I just want to blow my healthy eating plan out of frustration with something gooey, sweet, and cream laden.
“I bet you've had something occur this week that doesn't make you feel very victorious either. A sick child, a missed deadline, tension in a friendship, or a number on the scale that almost made you cry. I understand. But may I encourage you? Even in the midst of trying circumstances and bad days, you can be victorious.
“You can be victorious even when the distance between your present reality and your desired goal seems so far apart. How?
“Set mini-goals. Losing twenty, fifty, one hundred pounds, or more can seem so far away. And faraway goals are hard to hang onto when life drains us and it feels like those French fries sure could fill us.
“Set mini-goals physically by getting a strategy for making healthy choices. How can you prepare now to drink eight glasses of water today? What is a healthy snack option you'll turn to when those afternoon salty and sugary cravings start calling? Are you going out to eat at a restaurant? Use the Internet to look up the nutritional information for their menu so you can make informed healthy choices. If hit with an unexpected temptation today, what healthy go-to script or Bible verse can you arm yourself with in advance to combat justifications and compromises?
“Each mini-goal you accomplish today is a moment of victory.
“We can also set mini-goals spiritually. We will always be most victorious when we are in the center of God's will. When we are in God's will, we are able to see our trials from God's perspective - through the lens of His grace and truth. But what is God's will?
“The apostle Paul wrote, ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks ... for this is God's will’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is an explicit description of what God's will is. To be in the center of God's will is to be [someone] who is joyful, prayerful, and thankful.
“Be joyful: Intentionally look around for measures of joy each day. There is joy in simply being alive and in being redeemed by God. Remember, joy is a choice we make, not a feeling we hope to get from our circumstances. It's good to look for the good, to celebrate it even in small ways. Doing so is a moment of victory.
“Be prayerful: Focus your thoughts on God through prayer. When I was tempted with unhealthy choices, it used to trigger a pity party. Now, I turn my temptations into triggers to pray. Turning to God rather than turning to food is a moment of victory.
“Be thankful: When I focus on how much weight I still need to lose, it brings me down and I start entertaining thoughts of defeat. However, when I focus on all that I'm gaining with God through this process of losing the weight, it makes me all the more determined to keep going. What is something positive you've gained during your weight loss journey so far? God's activity can be seen much more readily when we focus on what we do have rather than what we don't have.
“We can't control our circumstances, but we can control our choices. Setting mini-goals physically and spiritually positions us for victory today. Indeed, you can be victorious even when the distance between your present reality and your desired goal seems so far apart.
“Dear Lord, help me to remember that no matter how far away my goal may seem, I am most victorious when I am in the center of Your will. Today I will intentionally look for Your joy as I pray out of a thankful heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.”
Lysa TerKeurst in Made to Crave Devotional: 60 Days to Craving God, Not Food
SKETCHES BRING MODERN TWIST TO ANCIENT TEXT
By Mags Storey
The Arts Engine is touring a funny and honest play about how a 400 year old translation of the Bible shapes the church today. KJV: The Bible Show premiered last year in The Word Festival and is planning a cross-Canada tour in 2012. It was created by actors Ins Choi, Rebecca Davey, Kris Van Soellen and Arthur Wachnik.
"The creative process was a blast," Wachnik says. "We met together almost daily for about three of four weeks piecing things together. We put all the ideas up on sticky notes on the wall and then when we had enough of them we would shuffle them around and create an order that made sense." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=1864
ANSWERS REALLY ARE IN GENESIS, KEN HAM SAYS
Ken Ham is convinced that if one wants to understand the doctrines of God's Word, Genesis is the place to start.
Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis -- which runs the Creation Museum -- says Genesis 1-11 is foundational to the rest of the Bible.
"We must start with Genesis if we are going to teach God's people how to defend the faith in this age of unbelief and skepticism," Ham said.
An Australian by birth, Ham moved to the U.S. in 1987 and has become one of the most in-demand Christian conference speakers and radio talk-show guests in the nation. He co-founded Answers in Genesis in 1994 with the purpose of upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. The Creation Museum helps do that.
Opened in 2007 near Cincinnati in northern Kentucky, the nearly five-year-old Creation Museum is a 75,000-square-foot facility that offers the visitor a high-tech, multimedia experience that shows how science affirms the Bible's account of history. More than 1.5 million guests have visited.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37016
IS CAGE FIGHTING ETHICAL FOR CHRISTIANS?
3 views:
It's Imprudent: Joe Carter is a Marine Corps veteran and an editor at The Gospel Coalition.
It's like life: Ted Kluck is a former football coach and missionary, and author of The Reason for Sports: A Christian Fanifesto (Moody, 2009).
It's not God Honoring: Matt Morin is a former cage fighter and a graduate student at Duke Divinity School.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/january/cage-fighting.html
HELP FOR THE SEXUALLY DESPERATE
by John W. Kennedy
One by one, men trickle into the unadorned upstairs church classroom for their regular Thursday night meeting. But the gathering isn't to discuss plans for evangelism outreach, worship-song selection, or expanding the nursery.
"I'm Kevin and I'm a recovering sex addict," one of the eight men seated around the table says shortly after the meeting begins. Each man talks uninterruptedly for up to five minutes about how he's faced a myriad of sexual temptations. No one is allowed to advise, criticize, defend, or excuse the behavior of another man during this faith-based, 90-minute, 12-step recovery meeting called Operation Integrity.
These aren't convicted pedophiles or registered sex offenders. They are churchgoers, businessmen, and seemingly model husbands. Throughout the country, there are men by the millions sitting comfortably in church pews every Sunday who haven't told anyone about their sexual addiction. But the men in this room have come to terms with their own powerlessness over destructive sexual habits.
After sharing their stories, the men take turns reading paragraphs from When Lost Men Come Home, written by Operation Integrity (OI) founder David Zailer. Lively discussion ensues.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/march/18.28.html
VERSE TO PONDER
“Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too.”
Galatians 6:1 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.”
Betty Smith
EVEN THE STONES WILL SHOUT: A MEMORIAL FOR JOHN STOTT
by Brian Nixon
It's always hard to say goodbye to a friend. Whether for a short time or a longer period-say a lifetime, goodbye is difficult to say.
When John Stott died on July 27, 2011, many who loved him had a difficult time saying farewell. Even from a Christian point of view, when "goodbye" really means, "see you again someday," loss still is still tough.
But for many, and John Stott in particular, their lives still speak even after their passing.
Case in point: on January 13, 2012, a Memorial and Thanksgiving service was held at the imposing St. Paul's Cathedral in London, UK, honoring the life, message, and witness of Uncle John - as many around the world called him.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2012/s12010144.htm
Also see
http://www.johnstottmemorial.org/
24 PC(USA) LEADERS ISSUE ‘LETTER OF RECONCILIATION’
Twenty-four leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - many of whom met in Orlando during a gathering which launched a new Reformed body - have written a letter urging reconciliation between the denomination and the dissident group.
According to the Rev. Paul Watermulder, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, Calif., who originated the letter, its intent is to urge “our General Assembly leadership to immediately become bridge-builders with those churches and leaders who out of conscience have become disaffected from our denomination.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/1/24/24-pcusa-leaders-issue-letter-reconciliation/
9 CRITICAL SHIFTS IN MISSIONS
by Mark Ellis
He grew up as a missionary kid in Hong Kong, where he observed Christian work at his parents’ feet. But globalization and technology changes in the ensuing years have completely altered his perspective on missions and led him to embrace changes some might consider radical.
“I grew up in the black and white world,” says T.J. Addington, the pastor, author and leader of ReachGlobal, the international mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). “The world was big, travel was expensive, and there was one way of doing missions,” he notes.
Most of the missionaries he observed went to one destination and stayed there. As the world underwent dynamic shifts through globalization in the 1970s and the PC revolution of the ’80s and ’90s, he saw the need to modify his views to fit the times.... Read this in full at
http://blog.godreports.com/2012/01/nine-critical-shifts-in-missions/
THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER APPEALS NINTH CIRCUIT'S ANTI-GOD DECISION TO THE US SUPREME COURT
The Thomas More Law Center announced today that it has appealed a controversial decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appeal was filed in the case of Bradley Johnson v. Poway Unified School District late last week.
For the past twenty-five years, Bradley Johnson, a high school math teacher at the Poway School District located in California had been displaying red, white and blue banners in his classroom that contained patriotic phrases such as: "In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God," and "God Bless America."
He displayed the banners pursuant to a 30-year school district policy that permitted teachers to maintain classroom displays of non-curricular messages that reflected their personal opinions and values. In effect, the school district designated classroom walls as forum for the expression of the teacher's private opinions and viewpoints.
However, in 2007 school officials ordered Johnson to remove his banners because they promoted a "Judeo-Christian" viewpoint.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3147318765.html
FDR'S D-DAY LANDING PRAYER INCLUSION AT THE WWII MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, DC PASSES THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HR 2070, The D-Day Landing Prayer Act which will include Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day Landing Prayer in its entirety in a plaque or inscription at the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC passed the US House of Representatives Jan. 24 by a vote of 386-26 The bill now moves to the US Senate for hearings.
Ohio Christian Alliance President Chris Long stated, "This legislation received broad bipartisan support and is worthy of the Senate quickly taking up the measure and presenting it to President Obama for his signature. The vast majority of WWII veterans and their families support this initiative. Many of these brave men, now in their '80s and '90s, remember clearly President Roosevelt praying with the nation the morning of the D-Day landings. It is only fitting that this wonderful historical presidential prayer be added to the WWII Memorial, honoring those brave men and women who served our country in WWII.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7609918774.html
ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, YEARS OF BATTLES AHEAD
By David Skeel
A pair of momentous new government decisions on religion—in particular on whether religious institutions are exempt from secular laws—has given advocates of religious liberty a severe case of whiplash.
Early this month, the Supreme Court held (in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) that a Lutheran school's decision to dismiss a teacher is an internal church issue that cannot be challenged under federal employment laws.
Just as the decision was beginning to sink in, the federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that numerous religious organizations won't be exempted from ObamaCare's requirement that employer health-care plans cover all of the costs of contraception. The message to Catholic hospitals and ministries that object to contraception: No accommodation for you.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204573704577184762102923798.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
SHHH: POPE URGES SILENCE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER
Pope Benedict XVI is asking everyone to quiet down.
In his annual communications message released Jan. 24, Benedict extolled the sounds of silence. He said a little bit of quiet makes people better listeners and better communicators by giving them more time to think about what they are hearing and saying.
And in a world inundated by Tweets and 24-hour news coverage, that precious time to think and reflect gives words greater value, he said.
"Joy, anxiety and suffering can all be communicated in silence — indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression," he said in his written message.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-01-24/pope-silence/52764188/1
SHARED PARADISE
by Robert M Geraci
There’s a new flying spaghetti monster in the spiritual marketplace: the Church of Kopimism. The newly “established” religion has become the talk of the internet, in part because of its transparently “unreligious” outlook and in part because of the group’s social perspective. The Church of Kopimism, which received official recognition as a religious denomination in Sweden, objects to what it calls the Copyright Religion and advocates free sharing of information by and for all (Kopimists 2012). Though it lacks any particular resemblance to established religions, Kopimism has “beliefs and rituals,” which are held sufficient to establish it as a legal religious organization.
In the study of religion, we long ago gave up on creating a taxonomy that would—once and for all—allow us to demarcate the sacred from the profane and religious groups from secular. Nevertheless, there is something profoundly unreligious about Kopimism, and it is hard to overlook this glaring reality. Whether it is because the group lacks even the slightest reference to the supernatural or whether its patently political aims overdetermine it, few commentators seem willing to accept Kopimism as a legitimate religion. Indeed, it took several efforts before the Swedish government accepted the group, apparently out of concern that Kopimist practices lack a real form of “worship” (Jackson 2011) .... Read this in full at
http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2012/0126.shtml
KIDS IN GRADE SCHOOL THINK FAST
TEACHER: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
TOMMY: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I."
ELLEN: I is...
TEACHER: No, Ellen...Always say, "I am."
ELLEN: All right..."I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
TEACHER: "Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE?"
JOHNNY: "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."
TEACHER: "George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
JOHNNY: "Because George still had the ax in his hand."
TEACHER: Now, Sam, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SAM: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
TEACHER: Desmond, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
DESMOND: No, teacher, it's the same dog!
TEACHER: What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
PUPIL: A teacher.
SILVIA: Dad, can you write in the dark?
FATHER: I think so. What do you want me to write?
SYLVIA: Your name on this report card.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
CONSIDER
“Forgiveness means the offense is gone. I may remember the offense, but I will ‘remember it against them no more!’”
David Stoop
VERSE TO PONDER
“But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.”
James 1:5 (CEB)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: BREAK, NEWBORN YEAR
Words: Thomas H. Gill, 1855
Music: Arthur Cottman, 1872
Break, newborn year, on glad eyes break,
Melodious voices move;
On, rolling time; thou canst not make
The Father cease to love.
The parted year had wingèd feet;
The Savior still doth stay;
The new year comes; but Spirit sweet,
Thou goest not away.
Our hearts in tears may oft run o’er;
But Lord, Thy smile still beams;
Our sins are swelling evermore,
But pardoning grace still streams.
Lord, from this year more service win,
More glory, more delight:
O make its hours less sad with sin,
Its days with Thee more bright.
Then we may bless its precious things
If earthly cheer should come,
Or gladsome mount on angel wings
If Thou wouldst take us home.
O golden then the hours must be;
The year must needs be sweet;
Yes, Lord, with happy melody
Thine opening grace we greet.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/b/r/e/breaknby.htm
ON PRAYER
“Prayerless people cut themselves off from God's prevailing power, and the frequent result is the familiar feeling of being overwhelmed, overrun, beaten down, pushed around, defeated. Surprising numbers of people are willing to settle for lives like that.”
Bill Hybels
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.
The Complete Gift Solution
http://www.FranksWorldOfGifts.com
Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
Get your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
100 Incredible Views Out Of Airplane Windows
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/100-incredible-views-out-of-airplane-windows/
Mountaintop Monastery in the Mist
http://hiddentravelplace.com/2012/01/mountaintop-monastery-in-the-mist-kalabaka-greece/
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.)
Because of God's grace, failure is never final.
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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For week of January 29, 2012
Issue 393
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 2,130 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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“From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise.”
Philippians 4:8 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Failure is often God's own tool for carving some of the finest outlines in the character of His children; and even in this life, bitter and crushing failures have often in them the germs of new and quite unimagined happiness.”
Thomas Hodgkin
THE SOUL OF STEVE JOBS
by Gordon MacDonald
Soon after the death of Apple's co-founder, Steve Jobs, I read Walter Isaacson's newly released biography, Steve Jobs. Once started, I found it difficult to stop reading (on my iPad) about this complicated man, and I regretted reaching the last page.
Whether one liked or disliked Steve Jobs, he is certainly one of the most talked-about leaders of our time. In his 56-year life, he founded and ultimately led a business organization to a commanding position in the world of technology. He assembled and led teams that produced some of the most admired technological products of our time: Mac Books, iPods, iPhones, iPads. Whole industries came into being because of him.
But Steve Jobs also had many critics. "He mistreated people." "He was ruthless in his business dealings." "He was vindictive." "He lacked compassion." And that's just the light stuff.
As I read about Steve Jobs, I dared to imagine a conversation with him in his office at Apple. A fantasy, of course, but a trigger for some sober thought.
We all know that Steve Jobs was not a professing Christian. While he respected Jesus, he walked away from Christianity at an early age—at least in its organized and doctrinal form.
So why write about him in a Christian journal? Answer: because his life yields valuable lessons, positive and negative, on the subject of leadership. It also highlights areas that Christian leaders can enlist to touch the souls of people like him.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/winter/soulsteve.html
SUPER BOWL XLVI
The New York Giants will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which will be the first time the Super Bowl has been played in Indiana. Indianapolis is the northernmost city in the United States to host the Super Bowl since Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host city, as well as the cities represented by the contenders at
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb12-ff04.html
SUPER BOWL WINNING COACH TONY DUNGY FEATURED IN FREE DOWNLOADABLE VIDEO MESSAGE FOR GAME WATCHING PARTIES
This year's football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach's personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available (http://www.adoptionjourney.com/share/dungyhalftime/) to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.
The video message includes a personal appeal to Americans on the subject of the current orphan crisis and adoption. Dungy is involved with The Adoption Journey Project to help influence more couples to consider adoption.
"The big win on Super Sunday would be to raise awareness about the millions of children who need a family. I would love to see thousands of local community groups and circles of friends gathering together to stop and consider how they can help," said Dungy, the winning head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7597418750.html
FOOTBALL, FAITH AND JOHN 3:16
Most Americans love football and faith. Mixing the two, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has reinvigorated the debate about public expressions of religion. One of the controversies has been the Denver player’s common practice of writing biblical references — such as John 3:16 — on the black marks beneath his eyes.
Yet, does the typical American even know what this reference means? Last year, the American Bible Society commissioned Barna Group to find out how well Americans understood various aspects of the Bible, including if they could identify what the numbers “3:16” mean. The question mentioned the phrase John 3:16 and asked people to identify, without any predetermined choices, what the “three” means.
Overall, nearly seven out of 10 Americans (68%) were able to identify without any prompting from the interviewers that the “three” in John 3:16 refers to the chapter where the biblical reference is found. More than three out of ten adults either gave an incorrect answer (15%) or ventured no guess (17%).... Read this in full at
http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/558-football-faith-and-john-316
THE KINGDOM – THE FAMILY BUSINESS – PART II
by Clare De Graaf
The Kingdom (the family business) is the whole enterprise of God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels and all true believers (God’s sons and daughters), living on earth and presently living with God. It’s everything that the family of God has done – is doing – and will be doing for all eternity to accomplish the ultimate purposes of God.
When I use the term family business, I don’t want in any way to diminish the majesty and the glory of God, or the seriousness which surrounds the unimaginable power by which he simultaneously manages both the whole universe, as well as what is about to happen to you and the flowers in your garden in the next few minutes. But, think of it this way.
Imagine a business that could literally save the life of every person on earth – they could truly live forever. Not only that, but each of those people whose lives have been saved, would have hope, a loving community around them and a purpose for living – they’d be part of a movement that can actually change life on this planet. And, they’re so grateful; they can’t stop telling others about this company and its founders. In fact, telling that story and helping others discover this new life becomes the driving passion of their lives. That’s the kind of family business I’m talking about! .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2012/01/23/the-kingdom-%e2%80%93-the-family-business-%e2%80%93-part-ii/
DYING TO MEET HIM: HOW A 30-YEAR-OLD WITH 1 YEAR LEFT TO LIVE THINKS
by Gabrielle Devenish
This past hospital visit (Jan. 3-7), I was told that I am expected to live less than a year, maybe 6 months. I was released from the hospital to home hospice, where I do not intend to die, but to live my life as fully as possible for as long as it may be.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/dying-to-meet-him-how-a-30-year-old-with-1-year-left-to-live-thinks-68017/
HOW TO WEAR JESUS'S EXPRESSION
“What does it mean that human beings are made ‘in God's image’? How can the profound ideas within this phrase shed light on our calling as humans and our mission as Jesus' disciples?
“Paul says that we should put off our old corrupt self and live as our new self that is ‘created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness’ (Ephesians 4:24). We are to be ‘imitators of God,’ displaying his compassion and faithfulness to others. It seems fitting, then, that the way Christ chose to train his disciples was that of the ancient rabbis. As his disciples walked with him day after day, they learned his approach to the Scriptures. But even more importantly, they saw how he lived out his own teaching. They would imitate their rabbi's example to learn to ‘walk in his way,’ and then go out and disciple others to live that way too.
“Paul illustrates this teaching method when he urged the Corinthians to imitate his example, and then sent his disciple Timothy to be with them.
“Physician Paul Brand relays an experience from when he was training doctors in India that taught him how effective this teaching method is. One morning on rounds, he watched as a young intern interviewed a new patient in the wards. Brand's student kneeled by the woman's bed and examined her for signs of pain as he gently inquired about her private past, his calm demeanor reassuring her all the while.
“Suddenly, something caught Brand's eye about the young man's expression. It reminded him distinctly of a mentor of his back in England, Professor Pilcher. The resemblance was uncanny, as if the student had taken acting lessons. Later Brand asked the young man if he had ever studied with the esteemed Dr. Pilcher. At first he and his fellow students stared at him, confused, but then they grinned. ‘We don't know any Professor Pilcher,’ one said. ‘But Dr. Brand, that was your expression he was wearing.’ Thinking back on his own training with Dr. Pilcher, Brand writes:
“‘I had thought I was learning from him techniques of surgery and diagnostic procedures. But he had also imprinted his instincts, his expression, his very smile so that they too would be passed down from generation to generation in an unbroken human chain. It was a kindly smile, perfect for cutting through the fog of embarrassment to encourage a patient's honesty. What textbook or computer program could have charted out the facial expression needed at that exact moment within the curtain?
“‘Now I, Pilcher's student, had become a link in the chain, a carrier of his wisdom to students some nine thousand miles away. The Indian doctor, young and brown-skinned, speaking in Tamil, shared few obvious resemblances with either Pilcher or me. Yet somehow he had conveyed the likeness of my old chief so accurately that it had transported me back to university days with a start.’ [Source: In the Likeness of God by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand]
“Dr. Brand had been imprinted by his mentor's demeanor and was unconsciously passing it on. In just the same way, as we imitate Christ as his disciples, we carry his image to those around us and cause them to become like him too.”
Lois Tverberg IN Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life
IS THE LOCAL CHURCH DISAPPEARING?
by Jim Coggins
In 2008 and in 2009, CC.com ran series of articles on The State of the Canadian Church. Both series drew extensively on research by pollsters, academics and church leaders. This year, we are looking at some of the same issues, but from the bottom up – from the point of view of the local church.
FOR SALE: 45-year-old, 270-seat church; $4.5 million or best offer.
In the late 1950s, the United Church aimed to have a church in every high school catchment area in Canada. Today, many of those congregations of 200-300 people have dwindled to less than 100. Some have closed altogether, and their buildings are being sold. The same thing is happening with other mainline denominations.
Peter Elliott is chair of the Vision 2019 Task Force – an exercise “to discern, dream, and decide where we think God wants the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019.” Elliott also headed an Anglican Diocese of New Westminster study group which, in 2009, presented a strategic plan called ‘Growing Communities of Faith in Jesus Christ to serve God’s Mission in the World.’ The plan analyzed what is required for a vital, sustainable parish.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.ca/frame.asp?http://www.canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/100113state.html
HOW WOMEN FUEL THE MAN-BOY PROBLEM
by Ruthie Dean
“Wanna grab a burrito 2nite?” The melody of the Atlanta symphony’s instruments flowed through the auditorium. I didn’t have high expectations for dating at 23, but a text containing the word burrito wasn’t exactly what I had in mind (and with 1 hour notice). I liked him, but couldn’t escape the mental picture of showing up in a swanky outfit to an establishment where my entrance would be announced in a jubilee of “Welcome to Moe’s!”
The resounding question I hear from many single women today is: “Where have all the good men gone?”
Recently, several articles and statistics have shown that women are making history with career achievements, while men in increasing numbers are seemingly living in a prolonged state of adolescence, sitting back with their buddies and playing video games. Cultural observers note that men are not finding compelling reasons to grow up and marry. The former cultural standards of marriage for sex and children have changed drastically in the past 50 years as one-night stands are celebrated and single parenthood accepted.
And women are only fueling this behavior by excusing it.... Read this in full at
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2012/01/real_women_dont_text_back_how.html
SHOULD I MARRY A MAN WITH PORNOGRAPHY STRUGGLES? MY RESPONSE
by Russell D. Moore
Dear Engaged and Confused,
We all have points of vulnerability, areas of susceptibility to sin and self-destruction. There are beings afoot in the universe who watch these points and who know how to collaborate with our biology and our environment to slaughter us.
Wisdom means knowing where those weak points are, recognizing deception for what it is, and warring against ourselves in order to maintain fidelity to Christ and to those God has given us.
What you need is not a sinless man. You need a man deeply aware of his sin and of his potential for further sin. You need a man who can see just how capable he is of destroying himself and your family. And you need a man with the wisdom to, as Jesus put it, gouge out whatever is dragging him under to self-destruction.... Read this in http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/01/23/should-i-marry-a-man-with-pornography-struggles-my-response/
OPIATE OF THE MASSES?
by Michael Craven
Ever since Karl Marx penned his denunciatory statement on religion in 1843 (that religion is the "opiate of the masses"), secularists, social progressives, and other opponents of religion have worked to convince us that religious faith is an outdated relic of the past whose inexplicable (in their view) existence remains only by means of a stubborn, unenlightened, and uneducated lower class.
Indeed, there appears to be an abundance of data supporting the claim that religious belief in America is — generally speaking — in a state of free fall. In 2009, ABC News, citing a recent study by the American Religious Identity Survey, reported, "In one of the most dramatic shifts, 15 percent of Americans now say they have no religion — a figure that's almost doubled in 18 years. Americans with no religious preference are now larger than all other major religious groups except Catholics and Baptists" (Dan Harris, "America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious," March 9, 2009, ABC News).... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11663999/
AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY LEADS FIRST EXCAVATION OF HISTORIC SITE IN ISRAEL
This spring, Azusa Pacific University (APU) embarks on an exciting joint expedition with the Hebrew University of Israel to oversee an archeological dig at Abel Beth Maacah, a site of historical interest long envied by the world’s archeologists.
To date, the mound has not been excavated. Robert Mullins, PhD, associate professor of biblical studies at APU, leads the team along with Nava Panitz-Cohen and Ruhama Bonfil, faculty at the Hebrew University. On Jan. 25—26, 2012, team members plan to conduct an initial survey of the site in preparation for the May 27—31 excavation.
“I can’t overstate the huge potential of this project,” said Mullins. “First, it is an honor to partner with Israel’s oldest and most prestigious university. Given the site’s connection with the period of David and later Kings of Israel, the dig will draw worldwide interest. We can potentially solve questions regarding the nature of Israel’s ties with neighboring Phoenicia and Syria, as well as documenting through the destruction levels the various Aramean and Assyrian military campaigns mentioned in the Bible and other ancient records.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2012/s12010126.htm
VICTORY OVER OUR CRAVINGS, ONE MINI-GOAL AT A TIME
“There are days I don't feel victorious. Like the day when the upstairs toilet clogged and flooded my kitchen ceiling. Or the day I got stuck in traffic, yelled at my kids, and missed an important meeting. Those are the days when my long-term goals to get healthy don't feel as important as my need for immediate comfort. I just want to blow my healthy eating plan out of frustration with something gooey, sweet, and cream laden.
“I bet you've had something occur this week that doesn't make you feel very victorious either. A sick child, a missed deadline, tension in a friendship, or a number on the scale that almost made you cry. I understand. But may I encourage you? Even in the midst of trying circumstances and bad days, you can be victorious.
“You can be victorious even when the distance between your present reality and your desired goal seems so far apart. How?
“Set mini-goals. Losing twenty, fifty, one hundred pounds, or more can seem so far away. And faraway goals are hard to hang onto when life drains us and it feels like those French fries sure could fill us.
“Set mini-goals physically by getting a strategy for making healthy choices. How can you prepare now to drink eight glasses of water today? What is a healthy snack option you'll turn to when those afternoon salty and sugary cravings start calling? Are you going out to eat at a restaurant? Use the Internet to look up the nutritional information for their menu so you can make informed healthy choices. If hit with an unexpected temptation today, what healthy go-to script or Bible verse can you arm yourself with in advance to combat justifications and compromises?
“Each mini-goal you accomplish today is a moment of victory.
“We can also set mini-goals spiritually. We will always be most victorious when we are in the center of God's will. When we are in God's will, we are able to see our trials from God's perspective - through the lens of His grace and truth. But what is God's will?
“The apostle Paul wrote, ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks ... for this is God's will’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is an explicit description of what God's will is. To be in the center of God's will is to be [someone] who is joyful, prayerful, and thankful.
“Be joyful: Intentionally look around for measures of joy each day. There is joy in simply being alive and in being redeemed by God. Remember, joy is a choice we make, not a feeling we hope to get from our circumstances. It's good to look for the good, to celebrate it even in small ways. Doing so is a moment of victory.
“Be prayerful: Focus your thoughts on God through prayer. When I was tempted with unhealthy choices, it used to trigger a pity party. Now, I turn my temptations into triggers to pray. Turning to God rather than turning to food is a moment of victory.
“Be thankful: When I focus on how much weight I still need to lose, it brings me down and I start entertaining thoughts of defeat. However, when I focus on all that I'm gaining with God through this process of losing the weight, it makes me all the more determined to keep going. What is something positive you've gained during your weight loss journey so far? God's activity can be seen much more readily when we focus on what we do have rather than what we don't have.
“We can't control our circumstances, but we can control our choices. Setting mini-goals physically and spiritually positions us for victory today. Indeed, you can be victorious even when the distance between your present reality and your desired goal seems so far apart.
“Dear Lord, help me to remember that no matter how far away my goal may seem, I am most victorious when I am in the center of Your will. Today I will intentionally look for Your joy as I pray out of a thankful heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.”
Lysa TerKeurst in Made to Crave Devotional: 60 Days to Craving God, Not Food
SKETCHES BRING MODERN TWIST TO ANCIENT TEXT
By Mags Storey
The Arts Engine is touring a funny and honest play about how a 400 year old translation of the Bible shapes the church today. KJV: The Bible Show premiered last year in The Word Festival and is planning a cross-Canada tour in 2012. It was created by actors Ins Choi, Rebecca Davey, Kris Van Soellen and Arthur Wachnik.
"The creative process was a blast," Wachnik says. "We met together almost daily for about three of four weeks piecing things together. We put all the ideas up on sticky notes on the wall and then when we had enough of them we would shuffle them around and create an order that made sense." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=1864
ANSWERS REALLY ARE IN GENESIS, KEN HAM SAYS
Ken Ham is convinced that if one wants to understand the doctrines of God's Word, Genesis is the place to start.
Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis -- which runs the Creation Museum -- says Genesis 1-11 is foundational to the rest of the Bible.
"We must start with Genesis if we are going to teach God's people how to defend the faith in this age of unbelief and skepticism," Ham said.
An Australian by birth, Ham moved to the U.S. in 1987 and has become one of the most in-demand Christian conference speakers and radio talk-show guests in the nation. He co-founded Answers in Genesis in 1994 with the purpose of upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. The Creation Museum helps do that.
Opened in 2007 near Cincinnati in northern Kentucky, the nearly five-year-old Creation Museum is a 75,000-square-foot facility that offers the visitor a high-tech, multimedia experience that shows how science affirms the Bible's account of history. More than 1.5 million guests have visited.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37016
IS CAGE FIGHTING ETHICAL FOR CHRISTIANS?
3 views:
It's Imprudent: Joe Carter is a Marine Corps veteran and an editor at The Gospel Coalition.
It's like life: Ted Kluck is a former football coach and missionary, and author of The Reason for Sports: A Christian Fanifesto (Moody, 2009).
It's not God Honoring: Matt Morin is a former cage fighter and a graduate student at Duke Divinity School.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/january/cage-fighting.html
HELP FOR THE SEXUALLY DESPERATE
by John W. Kennedy
One by one, men trickle into the unadorned upstairs church classroom for their regular Thursday night meeting. But the gathering isn't to discuss plans for evangelism outreach, worship-song selection, or expanding the nursery.
"I'm Kevin and I'm a recovering sex addict," one of the eight men seated around the table says shortly after the meeting begins. Each man talks uninterruptedly for up to five minutes about how he's faced a myriad of sexual temptations. No one is allowed to advise, criticize, defend, or excuse the behavior of another man during this faith-based, 90-minute, 12-step recovery meeting called Operation Integrity.
These aren't convicted pedophiles or registered sex offenders. They are churchgoers, businessmen, and seemingly model husbands. Throughout the country, there are men by the millions sitting comfortably in church pews every Sunday who haven't told anyone about their sexual addiction. But the men in this room have come to terms with their own powerlessness over destructive sexual habits.
After sharing their stories, the men take turns reading paragraphs from When Lost Men Come Home, written by Operation Integrity (OI) founder David Zailer. Lively discussion ensues.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/march/18.28.html
VERSE TO PONDER
“Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too.”
Galatians 6:1 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.”
Betty Smith
EVEN THE STONES WILL SHOUT: A MEMORIAL FOR JOHN STOTT
by Brian Nixon
It's always hard to say goodbye to a friend. Whether for a short time or a longer period-say a lifetime, goodbye is difficult to say.
When John Stott died on July 27, 2011, many who loved him had a difficult time saying farewell. Even from a Christian point of view, when "goodbye" really means, "see you again someday," loss still is still tough.
But for many, and John Stott in particular, their lives still speak even after their passing.
Case in point: on January 13, 2012, a Memorial and Thanksgiving service was held at the imposing St. Paul's Cathedral in London, UK, honoring the life, message, and witness of Uncle John - as many around the world called him.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2012/s12010144.htm
Also see
http://www.johnstottmemorial.org/
24 PC(USA) LEADERS ISSUE ‘LETTER OF RECONCILIATION’
Twenty-four leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - many of whom met in Orlando during a gathering which launched a new Reformed body - have written a letter urging reconciliation between the denomination and the dissident group.
According to the Rev. Paul Watermulder, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, Calif., who originated the letter, its intent is to urge “our General Assembly leadership to immediately become bridge-builders with those churches and leaders who out of conscience have become disaffected from our denomination.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/1/24/24-pcusa-leaders-issue-letter-reconciliation/
9 CRITICAL SHIFTS IN MISSIONS
by Mark Ellis
He grew up as a missionary kid in Hong Kong, where he observed Christian work at his parents’ feet. But globalization and technology changes in the ensuing years have completely altered his perspective on missions and led him to embrace changes some might consider radical.
“I grew up in the black and white world,” says T.J. Addington, the pastor, author and leader of ReachGlobal, the international mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). “The world was big, travel was expensive, and there was one way of doing missions,” he notes.
Most of the missionaries he observed went to one destination and stayed there. As the world underwent dynamic shifts through globalization in the 1970s and the PC revolution of the ’80s and ’90s, he saw the need to modify his views to fit the times.... Read this in full at
http://blog.godreports.com/2012/01/nine-critical-shifts-in-missions/
THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER APPEALS NINTH CIRCUIT'S ANTI-GOD DECISION TO THE US SUPREME COURT
The Thomas More Law Center announced today that it has appealed a controversial decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appeal was filed in the case of Bradley Johnson v. Poway Unified School District late last week.
For the past twenty-five years, Bradley Johnson, a high school math teacher at the Poway School District located in California had been displaying red, white and blue banners in his classroom that contained patriotic phrases such as: "In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God," and "God Bless America."
He displayed the banners pursuant to a 30-year school district policy that permitted teachers to maintain classroom displays of non-curricular messages that reflected their personal opinions and values. In effect, the school district designated classroom walls as forum for the expression of the teacher's private opinions and viewpoints.
However, in 2007 school officials ordered Johnson to remove his banners because they promoted a "Judeo-Christian" viewpoint.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3147318765.html
FDR'S D-DAY LANDING PRAYER INCLUSION AT THE WWII MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, DC PASSES THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HR 2070, The D-Day Landing Prayer Act which will include Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day Landing Prayer in its entirety in a plaque or inscription at the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC passed the US House of Representatives Jan. 24 by a vote of 386-26 The bill now moves to the US Senate for hearings.
Ohio Christian Alliance President Chris Long stated, "This legislation received broad bipartisan support and is worthy of the Senate quickly taking up the measure and presenting it to President Obama for his signature. The vast majority of WWII veterans and their families support this initiative. Many of these brave men, now in their '80s and '90s, remember clearly President Roosevelt praying with the nation the morning of the D-Day landings. It is only fitting that this wonderful historical presidential prayer be added to the WWII Memorial, honoring those brave men and women who served our country in WWII.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7609918774.html
ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, YEARS OF BATTLES AHEAD
By David Skeel
A pair of momentous new government decisions on religion—in particular on whether religious institutions are exempt from secular laws—has given advocates of religious liberty a severe case of whiplash.
Early this month, the Supreme Court held (in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) that a Lutheran school's decision to dismiss a teacher is an internal church issue that cannot be challenged under federal employment laws.
Just as the decision was beginning to sink in, the federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that numerous religious organizations won't be exempted from ObamaCare's requirement that employer health-care plans cover all of the costs of contraception. The message to Catholic hospitals and ministries that object to contraception: No accommodation for you.... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204573704577184762102923798.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
SHHH: POPE URGES SILENCE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER
Pope Benedict XVI is asking everyone to quiet down.
In his annual communications message released Jan. 24, Benedict extolled the sounds of silence. He said a little bit of quiet makes people better listeners and better communicators by giving them more time to think about what they are hearing and saying.
And in a world inundated by Tweets and 24-hour news coverage, that precious time to think and reflect gives words greater value, he said.
"Joy, anxiety and suffering can all be communicated in silence — indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression," he said in his written message.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-01-24/pope-silence/52764188/1
SHARED PARADISE
by Robert M Geraci
There’s a new flying spaghetti monster in the spiritual marketplace: the Church of Kopimism. The newly “established” religion has become the talk of the internet, in part because of its transparently “unreligious” outlook and in part because of the group’s social perspective. The Church of Kopimism, which received official recognition as a religious denomination in Sweden, objects to what it calls the Copyright Religion and advocates free sharing of information by and for all (Kopimists 2012). Though it lacks any particular resemblance to established religions, Kopimism has “beliefs and rituals,” which are held sufficient to establish it as a legal religious organization.
In the study of religion, we long ago gave up on creating a taxonomy that would—once and for all—allow us to demarcate the sacred from the profane and religious groups from secular. Nevertheless, there is something profoundly unreligious about Kopimism, and it is hard to overlook this glaring reality. Whether it is because the group lacks even the slightest reference to the supernatural or whether its patently political aims overdetermine it, few commentators seem willing to accept Kopimism as a legitimate religion. Indeed, it took several efforts before the Swedish government accepted the group, apparently out of concern that Kopimist practices lack a real form of “worship” (Jackson 2011) .... Read this in full at
http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2012/0126.shtml
KIDS IN GRADE SCHOOL THINK FAST
TEACHER: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
TOMMY: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I."
ELLEN: I is...
TEACHER: No, Ellen...Always say, "I am."
ELLEN: All right..."I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
TEACHER: "Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE?"
JOHNNY: "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."
TEACHER: "George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
JOHNNY: "Because George still had the ax in his hand."
TEACHER: Now, Sam, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SAM: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
TEACHER: Desmond, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
DESMOND: No, teacher, it's the same dog!
TEACHER: What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
PUPIL: A teacher.
SILVIA: Dad, can you write in the dark?
FATHER: I think so. What do you want me to write?
SYLVIA: Your name on this report card.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
CONSIDER
“Forgiveness means the offense is gone. I may remember the offense, but I will ‘remember it against them no more!’”
David Stoop
VERSE TO PONDER
“But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.”
James 1:5 (CEB)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: BREAK, NEWBORN YEAR
Words: Thomas H. Gill, 1855
Music: Arthur Cottman, 1872
Break, newborn year, on glad eyes break,
Melodious voices move;
On, rolling time; thou canst not make
The Father cease to love.
The parted year had wingèd feet;
The Savior still doth stay;
The new year comes; but Spirit sweet,
Thou goest not away.
Our hearts in tears may oft run o’er;
But Lord, Thy smile still beams;
Our sins are swelling evermore,
But pardoning grace still streams.
Lord, from this year more service win,
More glory, more delight:
O make its hours less sad with sin,
Its days with Thee more bright.
Then we may bless its precious things
If earthly cheer should come,
Or gladsome mount on angel wings
If Thou wouldst take us home.
O golden then the hours must be;
The year must needs be sweet;
Yes, Lord, with happy melody
Thine opening grace we greet.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/b/r/e/breaknby.htm
ON PRAYER
“Prayerless people cut themselves off from God's prevailing power, and the frequent result is the familiar feeling of being overwhelmed, overrun, beaten down, pushed around, defeated. Surprising numbers of people are willing to settle for lives like that.”
Bill Hybels
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.
The Complete Gift Solution
http://www.FranksWorldOfGifts.com
Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
Get your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
100 Incredible Views Out Of Airplane Windows
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/100-incredible-views-out-of-airplane-windows/
Mountaintop Monastery in the Mist
http://hiddentravelplace.com/2012/01/mountaintop-monastery-in-the-mist-kalabaka-greece/
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.)
Because of God's grace, failure is never final.
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 - 01/28/2012
MARRIAGE TIP
"A little-known secret among marriage specialists is the fact that complaining is actually good for your marriage. You read that right! It's good for your marriage. Research at the University of Washington has shown that complaining, at a moderate level, helps couples air their grievances and keep improving. What isn't helpful to a marriage is criticism. So what's the difference between criticism and complaining? Criticism almost always begins with you ("You always make us late!"), whereas complaining almost always begins with I ("I feel so frustrated when we are late to something that matters to me"). This may seem like a small matter of semantics, but it makes a big difference in your marriage."
Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott, Trading Places: The Best Move You'll Ever Make in Your Marriage
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thought for today - 01/27/2012
CONSIDER
"How will you love him who so loved you first? Why, in loving him you will be an imitator of his kindness. And do not marvel that a human being can imitate God. By the will of God he can."
Epistle to Diognetus
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thought for today - 01/26/2012
VERSE TO PONDER
"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
James 3:17-18
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thought for today - 01/25/2012
"A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with new ideas. The frontiers of the Kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution."
- J. Oswald Sanders
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Thought for today - 01/24/2012
KNOWING GOD
"By giving his name, God says clearly, I want to have a personal relationship. I am introducing myself. I am telling you my name so that you can call me. God did this to let the Israelites know he would be very near, personally protecting them, putting out food for them every night and setting up signposts for their journey every day. He was not just the great God of the universe. He was their own personal God, who cared. He would go with them on their dangerous trip to Palestine. For us, God's name means much the same thing. A person can pick out his name even if it is said in a crowded, noisy room. So with God. Amid the incredible clatter of the universe, the motion and clamor of billions, when we speak his name, God tunes in. We have his attention when we call out to him. He will keep a close eye on us. He will stay close to us all through our dangerous journey."
Tim Stafford, Personal God: Can You Really Know the One Who Made the Universe?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thought for today - 01/23/2012
CONSIDER
"Children are innocent and love justice, while most adults are wicked and prefer mercy."
G. K. Chesterton
Sunday, January 22, 2012
CONNECTIONS NEWS - 01/22/2012
Connecting man to man to God
For week of January 22, 2012
Issue 392
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 2,130 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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“No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Pulling weeds and planting seeds. That's the story of life. We are individual lots on which either weeds of selfishness or fruit of the Holy Spirit grows and flourishes.”
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
SURVEY: HALF OF CHURCHGOERS' LIVES NOT AFFECTED BY TIME IN PEWS
Almost half of churchgoing Americans say their life has not changed a bit due to their time in the pews, a new survey shows.
Barna Group, an evangelical company based in California, found that 46% reported no change. About a quarter of Americans said their life was greatly affected by church attendance and another quarter said it was somewhat influential.
Two-thirds of respondents said they had felt "a real and personal connection" with God while attending church.
Among weekly church attenders, 44% said they felt God's presence every week and 18% said they had that experience once a month.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/survey-half-churchgoers-lives-not-affected-time-pews
A BIBLE IN YOUR BACKPACK, UNLESS YOU OPT OUT, IN P.E.I.
Handing out Gideon Bibles to Grade 5 students has been a long tradition in Prince Edward Island schools, one that has been safeguarded for more than four decades as the role of religion in Canadian classrooms slowly eroded.
This past week, one P.E.I. school board faced the uncomfortable question of whether the service should still be offered at all after a parent complained about the consent form sent home to allow his daughter to opt out of the service.
“I’ll be held responsible for my child’s belief system, not the schools,” Michael Arsenault told the local CBC.... Read this in full at
http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/01/18/a-bible-in-your-backpack/
HOBBY LOBBY PRESIDENT COLLECTS BIBLES
See this interview with Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, as he talks about the traveling exhibit of rare Bibles
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/bestoftv/2012/01/18/nr-phillips-green-religious-artifacts.cnn
Also see the collections website at
http://www.ExplorePassages.com
DON'T TAKE FAITH FOR GRANTED
by David Briggs
Men would rather watch Monday Night Football than go shopping. Eating too many Hardee’s Monster Thickburgers is linked to obesity. Texting while driving is a bad idea.
There are times when research findings are so obvious they are almost beyond questioning. So it is puzzling that growing evidence showing the importance of congregations cultivating the spiritual lives of the faithful is so routinely ignored.
Puzzling, and damaging to the health of many of the nation’s churches, especially those most in need of revival.
Even though research shows that spiritually alive churches are the most likely to grow, the percentage of US congregations reporting high spiritual vitality declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 28 percent in 2010, according to the latest Faith Communities Today survey.... Read this in full at
http://www.faithandleadership.com/content/david-briggs-dont-take-faith-for-granted?page=0,0
DESIRE TO BE A HERO LIKE BONHOEFFER
by Timothy Larsen
Ecclesiastes 10:9 says, “Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them” (NIV). I have always thought of this as the law of occupational hazards. It is good for all of us to reflect on what might be the unfortunate outcomes to which our vocations and positions are particularly prone.
Self-importance is an occupational hazard of the academic life. We academics tend to be vain, self-absorbed people. Our work is structured so as to make us the center of attention. We are rewarded for hearing ourselves talk, getting our names in print and convincing others that we are special—wiser, more knowledgeable, more authoritative as experts. But one gets diminishing returns for the same amount of praise, and we end up having to seek ever-bigger doses. You know how certain kinds of people might overly slather butter on their toast? That’s how we academics like our flattery.
Believe me, I know whereof I speak.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer has been one of my heroes for my entire adult life. It’s possible that no book besides the Bible has ever made a greater impact on me than Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. It drew me on to reading his other works, as well as biographies of him and studies of his ideas.... Read this in full at
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=8522
THE CHICKEN OF THE SEA: A MODERN TALE OF FEAR, FAILURE, AND COWARDICE
by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
What are we to do with Captain Francesco Schettino, captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia that sank off the Tuscan coast? He will go down in history as an example of miserable failure, dereliction of duty, radical cowardice, and the collapse of manhood. He failed to do what any man in his position would be expected to do. He even refused a direct command to take up his duty, once he had abandoned it.
We are left with the tragic picture of a frightened man who abandoned his post when he was most needed, and consigned over 4,200 human beings in his care to the dark water.
It is a portrait of moral collapse and the forfeiture of manhood.
Thankfully, this was not the only picture to be seen. Manrico Giampedroni, a 57-year-old crew member aboard the Costa Concordia devoted himself fearlessly to the rescue of passengers, returning to the listing ship again and again to find them and return them to safety. He stopped only when he badly fractured his leg and had to be rescued himself. Francis Servel, who attempted to flee the boat with his wife, Nicole, discovered that there was only one life jacket. He put it on his wife, and that was her last sight of him. “I owe my life to my husband,” she said.... Read this in full at
http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/01/19/the-chicken-of-the-sea-a-modern-tale-of-fear-failure-and-cowardice/
DEMONSTRATE LOVE
“It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another - not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy.”
Mother Teresa
THE KINGDOM – THE FAMILY BUSINESS – PART I
by Clare De Graaf
Have you ever thought of the kingdom of God as the family business?
In my previous worldview as a religious Christian, prior to my own spiritual re-birth some 30 years ago now, I had a Sunday school understanding of the gospel and the kingdom. Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection was all about me – getting me and others out from underneath this problem with sin, which we had with God. Once that was done, I had my promise of heaven when I die, and living with God in his kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.
But, here’s where I missed it! .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2012/01/16/the-kingdom-the-family-business-%e2%80%93-part-i/
GOD’S HOLINESS
“The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. Not only is it right for God to display anger at sin, but I find it impossible to understand how He could do otherwise. God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades or destroys.”
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), Man: The Dwelling Place of God, Harrisburg, Penn.: Christian Publications, Inc., 1966, p. 111
DOES GOD LOVE TO SURPRISE US?
“God must love the game of chicken because He plays it with us all the time. He has this habit of waiting until the very last moment to answer our prayer to see if we will chicken out or pray through. If we chicken out, we miss out on the miracle; if we pray through, God will come through, but it may well be at the last moment possible. And, of course, if you chicken out of the game of chicken, God will always give you another chance to get back in the game.
“This pattern of last-second provision is repeated throughout Scripture, and I think it reveals God's playful personality. Sometimes we are so focused on the character of God that we forget that God has a personality too. He loves hiding around corners and surprising us. You can't convince me that Jesus didn't have fun sneaking up on the disciples in the middle of the night in the middle of the lake by walking on water. You can't convince me that God didn't enjoy the befuddled look on Moses' face when he heard the talking bush. As I read Scripture, I can come to no other conclusion than this: God loves showing up in unexpected ways at unexpected times.
“I love this part of God's personality. While it sometimes adds stress, it also adds drama. In big and small ways, it is prayer that adds the unexpected twists and turns in our personal plotlines that make life worth living. It is prayer that precipitates and culminates in the climactic moments when God shows up in dramatic fashion. It is prayer that can turn any story, your story, into an epic drama.
“I have scribbled the initials JEJIT in the margins of my Bible at various places where God provides just enough just in time... He did it when the Israelites are trapped between the Egyptian army and Red Sea. He did it when the boat is about to capsize on the Sea of Galilee because of hurricane-force winds. And He did it with us when we had twenty-four hours to come up with $7,500.
“Maybe you're in a desperate situation right now. It feels like ... the Egyptian army is closing in on you, or your boat is about to capsize. It may seem like God is nowhere to be seen, but maybe God is setting the stage for a miracle. This I know for sure: God is always stage right. He's ready to make His grand entrance. All He is waiting for is your prayer cue.”
Mark Batterson in The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
NEARLY 60% OF YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING THE CHURCH
A recent study by the Barna Group found that almost 60% of Christian young people ages 15 to 29 have distanced themselves from active involvement in church.
David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, says a few reasons behind the mass exodus include young people finding churches "shallow," feeling that God is missing from services, and feeling that church is not a safe place to express doubts. He added that in many cases, churches have failed to equip young people to live "in but not of" the world.
"[Young people] tell us that ... Christianity has become so hip, so watered-down, so about entertainment -- and they're looking for something of more substance," Kinnaman said. However, Kinnaman said this has led some young people to begin attending more traditional, conservative churches. "They want to feel that their faith matters, that they're learning the truth of Scripture," he said.... Read this in full and see a video interview at
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/November/Mass-Exodus-How-the-Church-Is-Losing-the-Youth/
ADULTERY AND SOCIETY
by Kerby Anderson
The seventh commandment says "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Nevertheless, this sin has been committed throughout history. Today, though, adultery seems more rampant than ever. While tabloid stories report the affairs of politicians, millionaires, and movie stars, films like "The English Patient," "The Prince of Tides," or "The Bridges of Madison Country" feature and even promote adultery.
How prevalent is adultery? Two of the most reliable studies come to similar conclusions. The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior estimates that "More than one-third of men and one-quarter of women admit having had at least one extramarital sexual experience." A survey by the National Opinion Research Center (University of Chicago) found lower percentages: 25 percent of men had been unfaithful and 17 percent of women. Even when these lower ratios are applied to the current adult population, that means that some 19 million husbands and 12 million wives have had an affair.
Whatever the actual numbers, the point to be made is that adultery is much more common than we would like to admit. Family therapist and psychiatrist Frank Pittman believes "There may be as many acts of infidelity in our society as there are traffic accidents." He further argues that the fact that adultery has become commonplace has altered society's perception of it. He says, "We won't go back to the times when adulterers were put in the stocks and publicly humiliated, or become one of those societies and there are many in which adultery is punishable by death. Society in any case is unable to enforce a rule that the majority of people break, and infidelity is so common it is no longer deviant." .... Read this in full at
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4219465/k.CB69/Adultery.htm
ARE YOU TRULY FREE?
“The opposite of a slave is not a free man. It's a worshiper. The one who is most free is the one who turns the work of his hands into sacrament, into offering. All he makes and all he does are gifts from God, through God, and to God.”
Mark Buchanan
GEORGIA CHURCH’S FILMS MAKE MILLIONS
See this report about Sherwood Baptist Church and its making of the movie Courageous at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/16/georgia-churchs-films-make-millions/
MESSAGE FROM GOD: BE PATIENT
by Christopher Shea
Deeply religious people may be more likely than their secular peers to forgo a small reward now for a larger one later, a new study finds — a trait that helps to foster social cooperation (not to mention economic progress).
Researchers offered nearly 300 undergraduates a series of options involving trade-offs — $50 now or $100 in six months, for example — and asked them a series of questions measuring how often they thought about the future. (To increase the motivation, the students had a chance to actually receive the prize they selected in one of their scenarios.) Additionally, participants answered a series of questions probing the depth of their religiosity. Just under half of the participants were Christian, while 17% reported no religious affiliation and another 17% had no preferred denomination).... Read this in full at
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/01/13/message-from-god-be-patient/?mod=WSJBlog
CAN GOD USE YOU?
“We need to arrange a servanthood conference, with workshops in love, forgiveness, feet-washing, cross bearing- in short, workshops in Christlikeness. God is not waiting for people to get big enough to use, but to get small enough in their own eyes for Him to entrust with His mission and Spirit. Christ cannot be represented by swaggering leaders who ‘lord it over’ the flock of God. He cannot be represented by puffed-up laymen who nominate themselves as church bosses. He can be honestly manifested only in the lives of those who feel, as did Paul, that they are ‘less than the least of all the saints.’”
W. E. McCumber
DO SPORTS BUILD CHARACTER OR DAMAGE IT?
by Mark Edmundson
Do sports build character? For those of us who claim to be educators, it's important to know. Physical-education teachers, coaches, boosters, most trustees, and the balance of alumni seem sure that they do. And so they push sports, sports, and more sports. As for professors, they often see sports as a diversion from the real business of education—empty, time-wasting, and claiming far too much of students' attention. It often seems that neither the boosters nor the bashers want to go too far in examining their assumptions about sports.
But in fact, sports are a complex issue, and it's clear that we as a culture don't really know how to think about them. Public confusion about performance-enhancing drugs, the dangers of concussions in football and of fighting in hockey, and the recent molestation scandal at Penn State suggest that it might be good to pull back and consider the question of athletics and education—of sports and character-building—a bit more closely than we generally do.... Read this in full at
http://chronicle.com/article/Do-Sports-Build-Character-or/130286/
VERSE TO PONDER
“Therefore, you should treat people in the same way that you want people to treat you; this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.”
Peter Ustinov
HELP YOUR MARRIAGE OR OTHERS DURING NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK USA
National Marriage Week USA (February 7 to 14) is growing fast in just its third year, posting thousands of marriage classes across the nation and building collaborative efforts for one-week-a-year to strengthen marriages, reduce divorce, and increase the marriage rate, which curtails poverty, benefits children, and builds financial stability for our nation and for individuals.
"Rebuilding our economy is tied to rebuilding marriages," said Sheila Weber, executive director of National Marriage Week USA (http://www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org). "Taxpayers spend at least $112 billion a year for divorce and unwed childbearing. Marriage brings vastly more financial stability to individuals," she continued.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3846918679.html
HIS ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS BEGAN IN THE MOSQUE
by Mark Ellis
Like other boys in his Pashtun tribe along the Pakistan-Afghan border, he was sent to a madrasa at age four, where he was compelled to read, recite and memorize the Koran.
"The children mimic or copy the mullah, who is very heavy-handed. You have to memorize out of fear," says John Taimoor, founder of The Crossbearers, a ministry devoted to presenting biblical Christianity within an Islamic context
By age 14 he was reading Shakespeare and searching for heroes, when he stumbled across the name 'Isa,' the Arabic name for Jesus in the Koran. "I read the name of Jesus and became curious," he says. "The Lord reached me right in the mosque."
When he asked the priest about Jesus, he was told that Moses and Jesus were brothers. When he asked how to find out more, they told him to find 'The Book of Isa.' "Nobody had ever heard of a Bible." .... Read this in full at
http://blog.godreports.com/2012/01/his-encounter-with-jesus-began-in-the-mosque/
JOHN 3:16 AD RUNS DURING TEBOW GAME
During January 14th’s NFL playoff game between Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, pro-family organization Focus on the Family ran an ad (see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5beoRa_HR8o) in which children recited John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." According to preliminary numbers, the game was "the highest-rated AFC divisional playoff in 18 years," with a total of more than 29 million viewers. The ad came just a week after Tebow passed for 316 yards in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, causing John 3:16 to be the most searched item on Google and leading to a number of Internet salvations. "There has been a lot of buzz lately about what John 3:16 says, and we wanted to help people understand it without having to run to their computer to look it up," said Focus on the Family's Jim Daly. "We hope this helps everyone understand some numbers are more important than the ones on the scoreboard." .... Read this in full at
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday-news-summaries/religion-today-summaries-january-17-2012.html
MYSTERY GUEST PROGRAM FOR CHURCHES EXPANDS NATIONALLY
When Faith Perceptions was founded in 2008 offering a mystery guest program (similar to mystery shopping in a business context), they knew they were onto something. It turns out they were onto something big. Faith Perceptions experienced a 300% increase in growth in 2011 from 2010. They also expanded from one state to eight states, and they now serve four Christian denominations. This makes it the fastest growing firm of its type in the country.
Here is how it works: Faith Perceptions (http://www.FaithPerceptions.com) partners with church leaders to evaluate the guest experience. Church leaders typically do not disclose their participation in the program to the congregation so everyone will conduct "church as usual." Faith Perceptions finds people in the church's local area and hires qualified "unchurched" mystery guests to attend the church services -- a different person at each service. The mystery guest then completes an online survey rating the church both numerically and with written commentary. Faith Perceptions compiles the data and provides reports to the church leaders quarterly with qualitative and quantitative feedback. Church leaders use this information to make their environment more welcoming and hospitable to first time visitors.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3929218693.html
PRESBYTERIAN GROUP BREAKS AWAY OVER GAY CLERGY
Presbyterians opposed to gay clergy split from the church Jan. 19, announcing in Orlando a new denomination called the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.
More than 2,000 Presbyterians from 500 churches witnessed the launch of the new group, which was formed in reaction to a decision in July by the 2.3 million member Presbyterian Church (USA) to permit gay clergy, said John Crosby, president of the order.
"The problem is people are going to hell," John Ortberg, a leader of the splinter group and minister at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, said in a sermon to begin Thursday's events.... Read this in full at
http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/us_nm/us_usa_presbyterian_gay
THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT
by Donald DeMarco
There are three debilitating effects of Original Sin: a darkening of the intellect, a weakening of the will, and a diminished unity of body and soul. Galatians 5:16-17 speaks to the third effect of Original Sin: “But I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the laws of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would.”
...The flesh is, in the Christian view, good – created by the same God who created the spirit (or soul). Things go wrong when the “flesh lusts against the Spirit.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-flesh-and-the-spirit.html
LEARNING FROM THE WHALE GUARDIANS
“I recently watched Whale Wars with my wife and daughter. In this program a rag-tag group of conservationists band together with a couple of old ships to sail into the Antarctic during whaling season and do everything they possibly can to disrupt [whale hunters] from killing whales. The lengths in which they will go to confront what they see as an unforgiveable injustice are what create the drama for the program. It's easy to look at these people trying to save dolphins and whales as whacko environmentalists, but it's difficult to dismiss their passion for and commitment to what they think is right.
“I found myself staring at the ceiling as I lay in bed one evening and couldn't get these people out of my mind. They were truly willing to put their lives in jeopardy. They left nice homes and steady jobs and gave up most comforts to live very lean and simply. They basically lived semi-monastic lives without the prayer. They lived more Christlike in actual practice than [many Christians]. They were passionate enough about what they believed in to look absolutely foolish and wear whatever label society chose to give them in order to achieve what they believed to be a just cause.
“This is the kind of commitment the Bible invites us into and a glimpse of what it means to be a committed disciple of Christ. It would look pretty much as it did when the twelve ragamuffin disciples were following their controversial and countercultural rabbi around Judea.
“If we are living truly free, awake, and alert to the truth, we will in fact be free, but we will also probably look increasingly strange and peculiar to those around us (see 1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14 KJV). Saying this is my way of offering full disclosure. You won't be the same after the Bible. You won't care about some of the things you care a lot about now. Some of the things that seem huge in life at the moment are going to simply not matter this time next year.”
Brian Hardin in Passages: How Reading the Bible in a Year Will Change Everything for You
RELIGIOUS-THEMED BUSINESS COURSE CANCELED AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Iowa State University canceled a business management course that some faculty say would have advocated an evangelical Christian point of view and used a textbook that advised its readers against doing business with nonbelievers.
The course, Application of Biblical Insight into the Management of Business/Organization, was to be taught by Roger Stover, a finance professor. It was structured as an independent study, which undergoes far less scrutiny than regular courses approved by the university. It was advertised on the ISU College of Business' website last fall, but was removed in December after some ISU faculty members objected.... Read this in full at
http://ames.patch.com/articles/controversial-course-on-religion-and-business-management-canceled-in-ames
KIDS IN GRADE SCHOOL THINK FAST
TEACHER: Why are you late?
WEBSTER: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
WEBSTER: The one that says, "School Ahead - Go Slow."
TEACHER: Where would we be today if no one had ever been curious?"
JOHN: In the garden of Eden?
TEACHER: Cindy, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
CINDY: You told me to do it without using tables!
TEACHER: John, how do you spell "crocodile?"
JOHN: K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L"
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
JOHN: Maybe it s wrong, but you asked me how I spell it!
TEACHER: What is the chemical formula for water?
SARAH: H I J K L M N O!!
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
SARAH: Yesterday you said it's H to O!
TEACHER: George, go to the map and find North America.
GEORGE: Here it is!
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: George!
TEACHER: Willie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WILLIE: Me!
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
EUROPEANS "DE-BAPTIZE" IN GROWING NUMBERS
There’s a growing wave of de-baptisms in Europe, one of the most visible manifestations of the continent's secular drift. Websites offering informal de-baptism certificates have mushroomed. Other Christians are formally breaking from the church by opting out of state church taxes.
"The movement is happening across Europe," said Anne Morelli, who heads a center studying religion and secularity at the Free University of Brussels. "It was very apparent during 2011 -- in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Austria. It is obviously related to the scandals of pedophile priests, but it has been going on for some time."
While there are no official statistics, experts and secular activists count the numbers of de-baptisms in the tens of thousands. It's a phenomenon that has touched Protestant as well as Catholic communities.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/europeans-de-baptize-church_n_1214256.html
CHRISTIANS REPORT LOWEST GROWTH RATE IN ISRAEL
Christians have the lowest growth rate among the Israeli population, according to a recent report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.
According to the Jan. 6 report, the Christian growth rate of 0.9% lags behind the Jewish rate of 1.7% and the 2.7% growth rate among Muslims. Christian Arabs have a growth rate of 1%, while the rate among non-Arab Christians is 0.7%.
About 154,000 Christians live in Israel, representing about 2% of the population, according to the bureau.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/christians-lowest-growth-israel_n_1214499.html
CHRISTIANS URGED TO USE YOUTOO TV
Christians now have a powerful new technology which they can use to share video messages of faith and spread the gospel to a whole new audience for the first time in history: Youtoo (http://www.youtoo.com), the first social TV network. Youtoo invites Christians to send their video messages of faith directly into the living rooms of 15 million American households on TV. The Youtoo Peoplemercial(tm) which just launched this January, allows Christians to record and upload a 30-second video that is aired just like a real 30-second television commercial on national cable TV. All Peoplemercials(tm) will be free through January 31, so Christians are encouraged to act now to share their faith for free with their fellow Americans. Christians have an opportunity to take back the TV by putting themselves and their testimony on air.
Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese with Probe Ministries believes that the Youtoo Peoplemercial(tm) is an ideal tool for Christians to take control of the technology that is so pervasive in our modern world and make positive use of it. He urges Christians to make their voices heard and to share their statements of faith to evangelize and spread the gospel.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4260718719.html
Also see “15 Million Cable Households in US to Hear Gospel From Everyday Christians”
http://www.christianpost.com/news/15-million-cable-households-in-u-s-to-hear-gospel-from-everyday-christians-67559/
CONSIDER
“Yet to live always as though time were a bridge is precisely what the saints do. Their eyes are forever on the eternal, that Beyond which is also here and now and within, because they have cultivated the art of seeing Eternity through that narrow slit- the ever now moment.”
Heirlooms
VERSE TO PONDER
“Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. Among these people you shine like stars in the world because you hold on to the word of life. This will allow me to say on the day of Christ that I haven’t run for nothing or worked for nothing.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (CEB)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: O LORD, OUR FATHER, THANKS TO THEE
Words: Cyriacus Schneegass, 1597; translated from German to English by August Crull, 1880
Music: Martin Luther, 1524
Lord, our Father, thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For every evil had to flee
Before Thee, our Defender.
Our life was nourished, we were fed
With rich supplies of daily bread,
And peace reigned in our borders.
Lord Jesus Christ, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render;
Thy reign hath kept Thy people free,
Hath shown Thy mercies tender.
Thou hast redeemed us with Thy blood,
Thou art our Joy, our only Good,
In life and death our Savior.
Lord Holy Ghost, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For Thou hast led our eyes to see
Thy truth in all its splendor
And thus enkindled from above
Within our hearts true faith and love
And other Christian virtues.
Our faithful God, we cry to Thee:
Still bless us with Thy favor,
Blot out all our iniquity,
And hide our sins forever.
Grant us a happy, good new year
And, when the hour of death draws near,
A peaceful, blest departure.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/o/l/o/oloftthe.htm
ON PRAYER
“It is very proper for friends, when they part, to part with prayer.”
Matthew Henry
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.
The Complete Gift Solution
http://www.FranksWorldOfGifts.com
Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
Get your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
Stuck in Customs – beautiful photography
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/
All links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply endorsement by this ministry.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a temporary email message. Then delete the return in the middle of it and copy it again. Then paste it into your web browser and hit enter.)
I'm starting to really struggle with my New Year's resolution. I ran around the block six times this morning as I had resolved, but I was in so much pain I could barely pick the block up off the floor to put it back in the toy box!
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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For week of January 22, 2012
Issue 392
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 2,130 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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“No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Pulling weeds and planting seeds. That's the story of life. We are individual lots on which either weeds of selfishness or fruit of the Holy Spirit grows and flourishes.”
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
SURVEY: HALF OF CHURCHGOERS' LIVES NOT AFFECTED BY TIME IN PEWS
Almost half of churchgoing Americans say their life has not changed a bit due to their time in the pews, a new survey shows.
Barna Group, an evangelical company based in California, found that 46% reported no change. About a quarter of Americans said their life was greatly affected by church attendance and another quarter said it was somewhat influential.
Two-thirds of respondents said they had felt "a real and personal connection" with God while attending church.
Among weekly church attenders, 44% said they felt God's presence every week and 18% said they had that experience once a month.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/survey-half-churchgoers-lives-not-affected-time-pews
A BIBLE IN YOUR BACKPACK, UNLESS YOU OPT OUT, IN P.E.I.
Handing out Gideon Bibles to Grade 5 students has been a long tradition in Prince Edward Island schools, one that has been safeguarded for more than four decades as the role of religion in Canadian classrooms slowly eroded.
This past week, one P.E.I. school board faced the uncomfortable question of whether the service should still be offered at all after a parent complained about the consent form sent home to allow his daughter to opt out of the service.
“I’ll be held responsible for my child’s belief system, not the schools,” Michael Arsenault told the local CBC.... Read this in full at
http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/01/18/a-bible-in-your-backpack/
HOBBY LOBBY PRESIDENT COLLECTS BIBLES
See this interview with Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, as he talks about the traveling exhibit of rare Bibles
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/bestoftv/2012/01/18/nr-phillips-green-religious-artifacts.cnn
Also see the collections website at
http://www.ExplorePassages.com
DON'T TAKE FAITH FOR GRANTED
by David Briggs
Men would rather watch Monday Night Football than go shopping. Eating too many Hardee’s Monster Thickburgers is linked to obesity. Texting while driving is a bad idea.
There are times when research findings are so obvious they are almost beyond questioning. So it is puzzling that growing evidence showing the importance of congregations cultivating the spiritual lives of the faithful is so routinely ignored.
Puzzling, and damaging to the health of many of the nation’s churches, especially those most in need of revival.
Even though research shows that spiritually alive churches are the most likely to grow, the percentage of US congregations reporting high spiritual vitality declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 28 percent in 2010, according to the latest Faith Communities Today survey.... Read this in full at
http://www.faithandleadership.com/content/david-briggs-dont-take-faith-for-granted?page=0,0
DESIRE TO BE A HERO LIKE BONHOEFFER
by Timothy Larsen
Ecclesiastes 10:9 says, “Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them” (NIV). I have always thought of this as the law of occupational hazards. It is good for all of us to reflect on what might be the unfortunate outcomes to which our vocations and positions are particularly prone.
Self-importance is an occupational hazard of the academic life. We academics tend to be vain, self-absorbed people. Our work is structured so as to make us the center of attention. We are rewarded for hearing ourselves talk, getting our names in print and convincing others that we are special—wiser, more knowledgeable, more authoritative as experts. But one gets diminishing returns for the same amount of praise, and we end up having to seek ever-bigger doses. You know how certain kinds of people might overly slather butter on their toast? That’s how we academics like our flattery.
Believe me, I know whereof I speak.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer has been one of my heroes for my entire adult life. It’s possible that no book besides the Bible has ever made a greater impact on me than Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. It drew me on to reading his other works, as well as biographies of him and studies of his ideas.... Read this in full at
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=8522
THE CHICKEN OF THE SEA: A MODERN TALE OF FEAR, FAILURE, AND COWARDICE
by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
What are we to do with Captain Francesco Schettino, captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia that sank off the Tuscan coast? He will go down in history as an example of miserable failure, dereliction of duty, radical cowardice, and the collapse of manhood. He failed to do what any man in his position would be expected to do. He even refused a direct command to take up his duty, once he had abandoned it.
We are left with the tragic picture of a frightened man who abandoned his post when he was most needed, and consigned over 4,200 human beings in his care to the dark water.
It is a portrait of moral collapse and the forfeiture of manhood.
Thankfully, this was not the only picture to be seen. Manrico Giampedroni, a 57-year-old crew member aboard the Costa Concordia devoted himself fearlessly to the rescue of passengers, returning to the listing ship again and again to find them and return them to safety. He stopped only when he badly fractured his leg and had to be rescued himself. Francis Servel, who attempted to flee the boat with his wife, Nicole, discovered that there was only one life jacket. He put it on his wife, and that was her last sight of him. “I owe my life to my husband,” she said.... Read this in full at
http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/01/19/the-chicken-of-the-sea-a-modern-tale-of-fear-failure-and-cowardice/
DEMONSTRATE LOVE
“It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another - not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy.”
Mother Teresa
THE KINGDOM – THE FAMILY BUSINESS – PART I
by Clare De Graaf
Have you ever thought of the kingdom of God as the family business?
In my previous worldview as a religious Christian, prior to my own spiritual re-birth some 30 years ago now, I had a Sunday school understanding of the gospel and the kingdom. Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection was all about me – getting me and others out from underneath this problem with sin, which we had with God. Once that was done, I had my promise of heaven when I die, and living with God in his kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.
But, here’s where I missed it! .... Read this in full at
http://www.claredegraaf.com/2012/01/16/the-kingdom-the-family-business-%e2%80%93-part-i/
GOD’S HOLINESS
“The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. Not only is it right for God to display anger at sin, but I find it impossible to understand how He could do otherwise. God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades or destroys.”
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), Man: The Dwelling Place of God, Harrisburg, Penn.: Christian Publications, Inc., 1966, p. 111
DOES GOD LOVE TO SURPRISE US?
“God must love the game of chicken because He plays it with us all the time. He has this habit of waiting until the very last moment to answer our prayer to see if we will chicken out or pray through. If we chicken out, we miss out on the miracle; if we pray through, God will come through, but it may well be at the last moment possible. And, of course, if you chicken out of the game of chicken, God will always give you another chance to get back in the game.
“This pattern of last-second provision is repeated throughout Scripture, and I think it reveals God's playful personality. Sometimes we are so focused on the character of God that we forget that God has a personality too. He loves hiding around corners and surprising us. You can't convince me that Jesus didn't have fun sneaking up on the disciples in the middle of the night in the middle of the lake by walking on water. You can't convince me that God didn't enjoy the befuddled look on Moses' face when he heard the talking bush. As I read Scripture, I can come to no other conclusion than this: God loves showing up in unexpected ways at unexpected times.
“I love this part of God's personality. While it sometimes adds stress, it also adds drama. In big and small ways, it is prayer that adds the unexpected twists and turns in our personal plotlines that make life worth living. It is prayer that precipitates and culminates in the climactic moments when God shows up in dramatic fashion. It is prayer that can turn any story, your story, into an epic drama.
“I have scribbled the initials JEJIT in the margins of my Bible at various places where God provides just enough just in time... He did it when the Israelites are trapped between the Egyptian army and Red Sea. He did it when the boat is about to capsize on the Sea of Galilee because of hurricane-force winds. And He did it with us when we had twenty-four hours to come up with $7,500.
“Maybe you're in a desperate situation right now. It feels like ... the Egyptian army is closing in on you, or your boat is about to capsize. It may seem like God is nowhere to be seen, but maybe God is setting the stage for a miracle. This I know for sure: God is always stage right. He's ready to make His grand entrance. All He is waiting for is your prayer cue.”
Mark Batterson in The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
NEARLY 60% OF YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING THE CHURCH
A recent study by the Barna Group found that almost 60% of Christian young people ages 15 to 29 have distanced themselves from active involvement in church.
David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, says a few reasons behind the mass exodus include young people finding churches "shallow," feeling that God is missing from services, and feeling that church is not a safe place to express doubts. He added that in many cases, churches have failed to equip young people to live "in but not of" the world.
"[Young people] tell us that ... Christianity has become so hip, so watered-down, so about entertainment -- and they're looking for something of more substance," Kinnaman said. However, Kinnaman said this has led some young people to begin attending more traditional, conservative churches. "They want to feel that their faith matters, that they're learning the truth of Scripture," he said.... Read this in full and see a video interview at
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/November/Mass-Exodus-How-the-Church-Is-Losing-the-Youth/
ADULTERY AND SOCIETY
by Kerby Anderson
The seventh commandment says "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Nevertheless, this sin has been committed throughout history. Today, though, adultery seems more rampant than ever. While tabloid stories report the affairs of politicians, millionaires, and movie stars, films like "The English Patient," "The Prince of Tides," or "The Bridges of Madison Country" feature and even promote adultery.
How prevalent is adultery? Two of the most reliable studies come to similar conclusions. The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior estimates that "More than one-third of men and one-quarter of women admit having had at least one extramarital sexual experience." A survey by the National Opinion Research Center (University of Chicago) found lower percentages: 25 percent of men had been unfaithful and 17 percent of women. Even when these lower ratios are applied to the current adult population, that means that some 19 million husbands and 12 million wives have had an affair.
Whatever the actual numbers, the point to be made is that adultery is much more common than we would like to admit. Family therapist and psychiatrist Frank Pittman believes "There may be as many acts of infidelity in our society as there are traffic accidents." He further argues that the fact that adultery has become commonplace has altered society's perception of it. He says, "We won't go back to the times when adulterers were put in the stocks and publicly humiliated, or become one of those societies and there are many in which adultery is punishable by death. Society in any case is unable to enforce a rule that the majority of people break, and infidelity is so common it is no longer deviant." .... Read this in full at
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4219465/k.CB69/Adultery.htm
ARE YOU TRULY FREE?
“The opposite of a slave is not a free man. It's a worshiper. The one who is most free is the one who turns the work of his hands into sacrament, into offering. All he makes and all he does are gifts from God, through God, and to God.”
Mark Buchanan
GEORGIA CHURCH’S FILMS MAKE MILLIONS
See this report about Sherwood Baptist Church and its making of the movie Courageous at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/16/georgia-churchs-films-make-millions/
MESSAGE FROM GOD: BE PATIENT
by Christopher Shea
Deeply religious people may be more likely than their secular peers to forgo a small reward now for a larger one later, a new study finds — a trait that helps to foster social cooperation (not to mention economic progress).
Researchers offered nearly 300 undergraduates a series of options involving trade-offs — $50 now or $100 in six months, for example — and asked them a series of questions measuring how often they thought about the future. (To increase the motivation, the students had a chance to actually receive the prize they selected in one of their scenarios.) Additionally, participants answered a series of questions probing the depth of their religiosity. Just under half of the participants were Christian, while 17% reported no religious affiliation and another 17% had no preferred denomination).... Read this in full at
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/01/13/message-from-god-be-patient/?mod=WSJBlog
CAN GOD USE YOU?
“We need to arrange a servanthood conference, with workshops in love, forgiveness, feet-washing, cross bearing- in short, workshops in Christlikeness. God is not waiting for people to get big enough to use, but to get small enough in their own eyes for Him to entrust with His mission and Spirit. Christ cannot be represented by swaggering leaders who ‘lord it over’ the flock of God. He cannot be represented by puffed-up laymen who nominate themselves as church bosses. He can be honestly manifested only in the lives of those who feel, as did Paul, that they are ‘less than the least of all the saints.’”
W. E. McCumber
DO SPORTS BUILD CHARACTER OR DAMAGE IT?
by Mark Edmundson
Do sports build character? For those of us who claim to be educators, it's important to know. Physical-education teachers, coaches, boosters, most trustees, and the balance of alumni seem sure that they do. And so they push sports, sports, and more sports. As for professors, they often see sports as a diversion from the real business of education—empty, time-wasting, and claiming far too much of students' attention. It often seems that neither the boosters nor the bashers want to go too far in examining their assumptions about sports.
But in fact, sports are a complex issue, and it's clear that we as a culture don't really know how to think about them. Public confusion about performance-enhancing drugs, the dangers of concussions in football and of fighting in hockey, and the recent molestation scandal at Penn State suggest that it might be good to pull back and consider the question of athletics and education—of sports and character-building—a bit more closely than we generally do.... Read this in full at
http://chronicle.com/article/Do-Sports-Build-Character-or/130286/
VERSE TO PONDER
“Therefore, you should treat people in the same way that you want people to treat you; this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 (CEB)
CONSIDER
“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.”
Peter Ustinov
HELP YOUR MARRIAGE OR OTHERS DURING NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK USA
National Marriage Week USA (February 7 to 14) is growing fast in just its third year, posting thousands of marriage classes across the nation and building collaborative efforts for one-week-a-year to strengthen marriages, reduce divorce, and increase the marriage rate, which curtails poverty, benefits children, and builds financial stability for our nation and for individuals.
"Rebuilding our economy is tied to rebuilding marriages," said Sheila Weber, executive director of National Marriage Week USA (http://www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org). "Taxpayers spend at least $112 billion a year for divorce and unwed childbearing. Marriage brings vastly more financial stability to individuals," she continued.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3846918679.html
HIS ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS BEGAN IN THE MOSQUE
by Mark Ellis
Like other boys in his Pashtun tribe along the Pakistan-Afghan border, he was sent to a madrasa at age four, where he was compelled to read, recite and memorize the Koran.
"The children mimic or copy the mullah, who is very heavy-handed. You have to memorize out of fear," says John Taimoor, founder of The Crossbearers, a ministry devoted to presenting biblical Christianity within an Islamic context
By age 14 he was reading Shakespeare and searching for heroes, when he stumbled across the name 'Isa,' the Arabic name for Jesus in the Koran. "I read the name of Jesus and became curious," he says. "The Lord reached me right in the mosque."
When he asked the priest about Jesus, he was told that Moses and Jesus were brothers. When he asked how to find out more, they told him to find 'The Book of Isa.' "Nobody had ever heard of a Bible." .... Read this in full at
http://blog.godreports.com/2012/01/his-encounter-with-jesus-began-in-the-mosque/
JOHN 3:16 AD RUNS DURING TEBOW GAME
During January 14th’s NFL playoff game between Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, pro-family organization Focus on the Family ran an ad (see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5beoRa_HR8o) in which children recited John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." According to preliminary numbers, the game was "the highest-rated AFC divisional playoff in 18 years," with a total of more than 29 million viewers. The ad came just a week after Tebow passed for 316 yards in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, causing John 3:16 to be the most searched item on Google and leading to a number of Internet salvations. "There has been a lot of buzz lately about what John 3:16 says, and we wanted to help people understand it without having to run to their computer to look it up," said Focus on the Family's Jim Daly. "We hope this helps everyone understand some numbers are more important than the ones on the scoreboard." .... Read this in full at
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday-news-summaries/religion-today-summaries-january-17-2012.html
MYSTERY GUEST PROGRAM FOR CHURCHES EXPANDS NATIONALLY
When Faith Perceptions was founded in 2008 offering a mystery guest program (similar to mystery shopping in a business context), they knew they were onto something. It turns out they were onto something big. Faith Perceptions experienced a 300% increase in growth in 2011 from 2010. They also expanded from one state to eight states, and they now serve four Christian denominations. This makes it the fastest growing firm of its type in the country.
Here is how it works: Faith Perceptions (http://www.FaithPerceptions.com) partners with church leaders to evaluate the guest experience. Church leaders typically do not disclose their participation in the program to the congregation so everyone will conduct "church as usual." Faith Perceptions finds people in the church's local area and hires qualified "unchurched" mystery guests to attend the church services -- a different person at each service. The mystery guest then completes an online survey rating the church both numerically and with written commentary. Faith Perceptions compiles the data and provides reports to the church leaders quarterly with qualitative and quantitative feedback. Church leaders use this information to make their environment more welcoming and hospitable to first time visitors.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3929218693.html
PRESBYTERIAN GROUP BREAKS AWAY OVER GAY CLERGY
Presbyterians opposed to gay clergy split from the church Jan. 19, announcing in Orlando a new denomination called the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.
More than 2,000 Presbyterians from 500 churches witnessed the launch of the new group, which was formed in reaction to a decision in July by the 2.3 million member Presbyterian Church (USA) to permit gay clergy, said John Crosby, president of the order.
"The problem is people are going to hell," John Ortberg, a leader of the splinter group and minister at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, said in a sermon to begin Thursday's events.... Read this in full at
http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/us_nm/us_usa_presbyterian_gay
THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT
by Donald DeMarco
There are three debilitating effects of Original Sin: a darkening of the intellect, a weakening of the will, and a diminished unity of body and soul. Galatians 5:16-17 speaks to the third effect of Original Sin: “But I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the laws of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would.”
...The flesh is, in the Christian view, good – created by the same God who created the spirit (or soul). Things go wrong when the “flesh lusts against the Spirit.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-flesh-and-the-spirit.html
LEARNING FROM THE WHALE GUARDIANS
“I recently watched Whale Wars with my wife and daughter. In this program a rag-tag group of conservationists band together with a couple of old ships to sail into the Antarctic during whaling season and do everything they possibly can to disrupt [whale hunters] from killing whales. The lengths in which they will go to confront what they see as an unforgiveable injustice are what create the drama for the program. It's easy to look at these people trying to save dolphins and whales as whacko environmentalists, but it's difficult to dismiss their passion for and commitment to what they think is right.
“I found myself staring at the ceiling as I lay in bed one evening and couldn't get these people out of my mind. They were truly willing to put their lives in jeopardy. They left nice homes and steady jobs and gave up most comforts to live very lean and simply. They basically lived semi-monastic lives without the prayer. They lived more Christlike in actual practice than [many Christians]. They were passionate enough about what they believed in to look absolutely foolish and wear whatever label society chose to give them in order to achieve what they believed to be a just cause.
“This is the kind of commitment the Bible invites us into and a glimpse of what it means to be a committed disciple of Christ. It would look pretty much as it did when the twelve ragamuffin disciples were following their controversial and countercultural rabbi around Judea.
“If we are living truly free, awake, and alert to the truth, we will in fact be free, but we will also probably look increasingly strange and peculiar to those around us (see 1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14 KJV). Saying this is my way of offering full disclosure. You won't be the same after the Bible. You won't care about some of the things you care a lot about now. Some of the things that seem huge in life at the moment are going to simply not matter this time next year.”
Brian Hardin in Passages: How Reading the Bible in a Year Will Change Everything for You
RELIGIOUS-THEMED BUSINESS COURSE CANCELED AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Iowa State University canceled a business management course that some faculty say would have advocated an evangelical Christian point of view and used a textbook that advised its readers against doing business with nonbelievers.
The course, Application of Biblical Insight into the Management of Business/Organization, was to be taught by Roger Stover, a finance professor. It was structured as an independent study, which undergoes far less scrutiny than regular courses approved by the university. It was advertised on the ISU College of Business' website last fall, but was removed in December after some ISU faculty members objected.... Read this in full at
http://ames.patch.com/articles/controversial-course-on-religion-and-business-management-canceled-in-ames
KIDS IN GRADE SCHOOL THINK FAST
TEACHER: Why are you late?
WEBSTER: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
WEBSTER: The one that says, "School Ahead - Go Slow."
TEACHER: Where would we be today if no one had ever been curious?"
JOHN: In the garden of Eden?
TEACHER: Cindy, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
CINDY: You told me to do it without using tables!
TEACHER: John, how do you spell "crocodile?"
JOHN: K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L"
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
JOHN: Maybe it s wrong, but you asked me how I spell it!
TEACHER: What is the chemical formula for water?
SARAH: H I J K L M N O!!
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
SARAH: Yesterday you said it's H to O!
TEACHER: George, go to the map and find North America.
GEORGE: Here it is!
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: George!
TEACHER: Willie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WILLIE: Me!
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
EUROPEANS "DE-BAPTIZE" IN GROWING NUMBERS
There’s a growing wave of de-baptisms in Europe, one of the most visible manifestations of the continent's secular drift. Websites offering informal de-baptism certificates have mushroomed. Other Christians are formally breaking from the church by opting out of state church taxes.
"The movement is happening across Europe," said Anne Morelli, who heads a center studying religion and secularity at the Free University of Brussels. "It was very apparent during 2011 -- in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Austria. It is obviously related to the scandals of pedophile priests, but it has been going on for some time."
While there are no official statistics, experts and secular activists count the numbers of de-baptisms in the tens of thousands. It's a phenomenon that has touched Protestant as well as Catholic communities.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/europeans-de-baptize-church_n_1214256.html
CHRISTIANS REPORT LOWEST GROWTH RATE IN ISRAEL
Christians have the lowest growth rate among the Israeli population, according to a recent report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.
According to the Jan. 6 report, the Christian growth rate of 0.9% lags behind the Jewish rate of 1.7% and the 2.7% growth rate among Muslims. Christian Arabs have a growth rate of 1%, while the rate among non-Arab Christians is 0.7%.
About 154,000 Christians live in Israel, representing about 2% of the population, according to the bureau.... Read this in full at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/christians-lowest-growth-israel_n_1214499.html
CHRISTIANS URGED TO USE YOUTOO TV
Christians now have a powerful new technology which they can use to share video messages of faith and spread the gospel to a whole new audience for the first time in history: Youtoo (http://www.youtoo.com), the first social TV network. Youtoo invites Christians to send their video messages of faith directly into the living rooms of 15 million American households on TV. The Youtoo Peoplemercial(tm) which just launched this January, allows Christians to record and upload a 30-second video that is aired just like a real 30-second television commercial on national cable TV. All Peoplemercials(tm) will be free through January 31, so Christians are encouraged to act now to share their faith for free with their fellow Americans. Christians have an opportunity to take back the TV by putting themselves and their testimony on air.
Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese with Probe Ministries believes that the Youtoo Peoplemercial(tm) is an ideal tool for Christians to take control of the technology that is so pervasive in our modern world and make positive use of it. He urges Christians to make their voices heard and to share their statements of faith to evangelize and spread the gospel.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4260718719.html
Also see “15 Million Cable Households in US to Hear Gospel From Everyday Christians”
http://www.christianpost.com/news/15-million-cable-households-in-u-s-to-hear-gospel-from-everyday-christians-67559/
CONSIDER
“Yet to live always as though time were a bridge is precisely what the saints do. Their eyes are forever on the eternal, that Beyond which is also here and now and within, because they have cultivated the art of seeing Eternity through that narrow slit- the ever now moment.”
Heirlooms
VERSE TO PONDER
“Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. Among these people you shine like stars in the world because you hold on to the word of life. This will allow me to say on the day of Christ that I haven’t run for nothing or worked for nothing.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (CEB)
THIS WEEK'S HYMN: O LORD, OUR FATHER, THANKS TO THEE
Words: Cyriacus Schneegass, 1597; translated from German to English by August Crull, 1880
Music: Martin Luther, 1524
Lord, our Father, thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For every evil had to flee
Before Thee, our Defender.
Our life was nourished, we were fed
With rich supplies of daily bread,
And peace reigned in our borders.
Lord Jesus Christ, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render;
Thy reign hath kept Thy people free,
Hath shown Thy mercies tender.
Thou hast redeemed us with Thy blood,
Thou art our Joy, our only Good,
In life and death our Savior.
Lord Holy Ghost, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For Thou hast led our eyes to see
Thy truth in all its splendor
And thus enkindled from above
Within our hearts true faith and love
And other Christian virtues.
Our faithful God, we cry to Thee:
Still bless us with Thy favor,
Blot out all our iniquity,
And hide our sins forever.
Grant us a happy, good new year
And, when the hour of death draws near,
A peaceful, blest departure.
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/o/l/o/oloftthe.htm
ON PRAYER
“It is very proper for friends, when they part, to part with prayer.”
Matthew Henry
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.
The Complete Gift Solution
http://www.FranksWorldOfGifts.com
Books, Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
Get your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
Stuck in Customs – beautiful photography
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/
All links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply endorsement by this ministry.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a temporary email message. Then delete the return in the middle of it and copy it again. Then paste it into your web browser and hit enter.)
I'm starting to really struggle with my New Year's resolution. I ran around the block six times this morning as I had resolved, but I was in so much pain I could barely pick the block up off the floor to put it back in the toy box!
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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