CONNECTIONS NEWS - 06/05/2011

For week of June 5, 2011
Issue 359

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

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"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"
Psalms 14:1


     CONSIDER
"Faith, if it be a living faith, will be a working faith."
John Owen (1616-1683), An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, ch. VI-VII, in Works of John Owen, v. XXII, London: Johnson & Hunter, 1855, p. 163


     AMERICANS RANK TOP IMMORAL 'SINS' IN NEW POLL
A national poll shows that while Americans are still holding on to some traditional moral values, it has validated immoral behaviors that are self-satisfying.

The poll, conducted by Gallup, revealed 91% of respondents considered extramarital affairs immoral. In addition to cheating spouses, polygamy, cloning humans, suicide, and pornography all ranked as the top 5 immoral "sins" among Americans.

A majority of respondents also ranked abortion as an immoral behavior. However, more respondents found cloning animals immoral (62%) than doctor assisted suicide (48%). A narrow 45% of Americans believe assisted suicide is morally acceptable. Cloning of animals also outweighed the moral importance of embryonic stem cell research (only 30% find it immoral), fornication (36%), gambling (31%) and divorce (23%).... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/americans-rank-top-immoral-sins-in-new-poll-50715/


     CAN A TEAM HAVE TOO MANY LEADERS?
by John Maxwell
According to prevailing wisdom, the best businesses create a culture that attracts influencers and develops leaders throughout the organization. Yet, if having an abundance of leaders is such a great thing, what accounts for the enduring popularity of maxims warning against having too many leaders?

"Too many chiefs and not enough Indians."
"Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Does bringing together a large number of leaders eventually backfire?.... Read this in full at
http://www.johnmaxwell.com/products-resources/leadership-on-demand/articles/can-a-team-have-too-many-leaders/


     WHY DO PRAYERS GO UNANSWERED?
by Adam Hamilton
A woman in my congregation, after years of fertility treatments, finally conceived. She and her husband were filled with joy. But early in the pregnancy she became extremely ill. By her fifth month, doctors informed her that if she continued to try to carry the child to term, she would not survive. While she was willing to take that risk, her family was not. The child was unable to survive outside the womb. The baby died, and the mother lived.

She wrote to tell me of the experience. "I had never wrestled with the will of God. Now my life and faith depended upon it. I had always thought God could and would do anything if enough people prayed—but people had and God didn't. Who was God? What good is God?"

The experience led this young woman to turn away from her faith and to stop believing in God. Many people struggle with their faith because of God's silence and apparent impotence when they cry out to Him in their time of greatest need. What makes these unanswered prayers even more disturbing is the fact that some Christians claim God regularly answers their prayers for things that seem of no consequence. I think of the pastor who prayed to find a parking space as he entered the mall parking lot and, "Thanks be to God!" a space opened up on the front row. Or the professional athlete who points to the heavens after catching a touchdown pass. Does God answer prayers for parking spaces and touchdown passes, but not for those who have cancer or whose unborn children will die without a miracle? .... Read this in full at
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/25752-why-do-prayers-go-unanswered


     HOW TO REPLACE ENVY WITH ADMIRATION
"From our earliest moments on earth, we are taught to compete, to defend and demand our rights, and - if not given to us - to take what is rightfully ours. We envy most those who have accomplished great wealth or great success, yet we are always ready to envy the next chap who sets the new record. But the men we admire most and enjoy spending time with have many of these qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The differences between the men we envy and the men we admire are not the slightest bit subtle. We appreciate our gentle Amish neighbors but do not actually think it would work very well for us.

"The kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms we create, nor is entering his kingdom based on performing high-octane feats or joining a dress-up-for-God club. In the peaceable kingdom, performance is set aside for a willingness to receive, and because receiving goes against our native philosophy of life, many men miss the benefits God has reserved for them. 'I'm not going to take nuthin' from nobody' isn't going to work at the point of your need, and it certainly isn't something you hear coming from Jesus to describe life in his kingdom.

"In the lexicon of our life together, we must exchange performance words such as win, earn, success, and loss for life-giving words such as receive, accept, love, and celebrate... A man is set free to live when he realizes he cannot, and is not required to, give something he has not received, that the source from which he can receive is unlimited. Jesus embeds in his teaching this concept of a continual flow of life from God to man when he taught his disciples to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' We celebrate the kingdom as the gift of his daily presence."
Wes Yoder in Bond of Brothers: Connecting with Other Men Beyond Work, Weather, and Sports


     WYCLIFFE CANADA CHOOSES EMERGING LEADER AS NEW PRESIDENT
The youngest person to ever lead Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada will take the helm later this year. Wycliffe board chair Hart Wiens announced the appointment of 39-year-old Roy Eyre as the organization's next president when Don Hekman completes his term in November.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=1580


     PROSELYTIZING IN A MULTI-FAITH WORLD
Ed Stetzer discusses how to best witness to those of other faiths, and how we can treat them with respect and tolerance in the process.... Read this in full at
http://christianitytoday.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vctrc11/i2/p3


     PENTECOST SUNDAY IS JUNE 12
Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter season in the Christian calendar, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles 50 days after Jesus' resurrection (Easter).... Read this in full at
http://www.crivoice.org/cypentecost.html


     FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 19
The idea of Father's Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father's Day celebration — 101 years ago, June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane's mayor because it was the month of Smart's birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Father's Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.... Read this in full at
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff11.html


     F.A.T.H.E.R.S.
"F" aithful.
"A" lways there.
"T" rustworthy.
"H" onoring.
"E" ver-loving.
"R" ighteous.
"S" upportive.
Author Unknown


     NO LIMITS TO LOVE
by Tim Hughes
When Rick Hoyt was born, the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain, leaving him a quadriplegic. His parents, Dick and Judy, were told that there was no hope for their child's development. Despite being told Rick would be a vegetable all his life, his parents were determined to raise him as normally as possible. Since Rick was unable to speak, a group of engineers built him a specially designed interactive computer that allowed him to communicate his thoughts by using the slight head movements that he could manage.

At the age of 15, Rick told his father he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a local lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Out of love for his son, Dick, who had never previously done any long-distance running, agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. They finished next-to-last, but were elated with their achievement. Overwhelmed by the experience, Rick managed to communicate to his parents that for the first time in his life, competing in that race, he didn't feel disabled. Spurred on by this revelation, father and son, "Team Hoyt," began entering more races.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/2008/marapr/13.4.html


     WHAT MAKES A DAD
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad
Author Unknown


     5 SIMPLE WAYS TO LET YOUR KIDS KNOW YOU LOVE 'EM
by John Trent, PhD
We busy dads are always looking for new ways to grow closer to our kids. Sometimes we think we need tons of time to make this connection — like regular "date nights" with each child or weekend camping trips with just Dad and the kids. Dates and camping trips are great, but it's actually the little things — done over time and with a loving heart — that do the trick for kids. Try some of these and watch the connections happen.... Read this in full at
http://www.hotrfm.org/Radio/documents/FW_062610.pdf


     FATHER'S DAY
Over the years
As we grow old,
We remember our father
So brave and bold.

In the garden,
Leaning on the plow,
He would listen to me;
I see him now.

He would give advice
And understand;
He was always there
To lend a hand.

God made fathers
Strong and firm,
For he knew our lives
Would have great concerns.

So he gave us fathers
To teach us to pray,
And guide our lives,
And show us the way.

So on his day
Let's take the time
To say "Thanks, dad.
I'm glad you're mine."
Mary Frances Bogle


     OUR FATHERS WHO ARE ON EARTH
by Roland C. Warren
I am the president of a secular organization that works to increase the number of children who grow up with involved, responsible, and committed fathers. Christians often ask me, "Why should I be concerned about your work of connecting fathers to their children? Shouldn't the Great Commission and soul winning be our number one priority?"

These questions remind me of what happened to my wife when she was having lunch with a non-Christian friend a few years ago. She asked her friend if she minded prayer before the meal. Her friend said, "That's fine," so my wife started her prayer with the phrase "Dear heavenly Father." When she finished, her friend said that she could never pray those words since her father was such an [expletive].... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/may/28.53.html


     THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DADS AND LIFEGUARDS
by Todd Wilson
You know one of the great things about being a dad is that people expect you to repeat yourself. I know my dad told the same jokes, recounted the same old stories, and repeated bits of fatherly wisdom whenever the mood struck him.

I used to make fun of the fact that he repeated himself so often — until I became a dad. Now I do it! And now I know why. It's because those jokes, stories, and bits of fatherly advice bear repeating.

Such is the case with this week's Familyman Weekly. I wrote something similar a couple of years ago, but as I was sitting on the beach in Edisto, South Carolina, yesterday, I thought of its truth again.

The ocean is just so big, powerful, and unforgiving. Let down your guard for a moment, and you can get sucked out to sea or swallowed by Jaws. I've always been a little frightened by its power, and now that I have children — it scares me to death.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/familyman/2007/cmn70518.html


     BASEBALL, HOT DOGS, AND AN AFTERNOON WITH MY DAD WAS A FORETASTE OF GLORY DIVINE
by Gordon MacDonald
For most of my life, my father and I have struggled to connect with each other. We are very different men, and our differences have grown during the passage of the years. Nevertheless, there were occasional exceptions to this distancing, and I think I remember almost everyone of them. They were the events when, for a short while, there was — between him and me — a sense of sublime closeness.

One of the more memorable of those moments came when I was a second grader at P.S. (Public School) 33 in New York. On a spring day shortly before lunch hour, my father came to the door of my classroom. After a brief word with the teacher he gestured for me to join him. "Son," he said, "clean off your desk and come with me." Soon after, we were walking down the hallway and out the front door of the school.

Only when we reached the privacy of his car did my father speak again and disclose his real purpose in taking me out of school. "I thought you'd like to go to the ball game with me today," he said. Sixty years later I can still see his mischievous grin as he disclosed this wonderful plan.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/cln70604.html


     CENSUS: MARRIED USA HOUSEHOLDS NOW IN MINORITY
Married couples are no longer in the majority, according to the US Census Bureau. Those joined in holy wedlock now only make up 48% of all USA households. It marks the first time in American history married couples don't make-up the majority.

Experts attribute the trend to a fast growing older population who is more likely to be divorced. They also note that younger people are putting off marriage until later in life.

"People in their 20s are postponing marriage for many reasons, including money," Portland State University demographer Charles Rynerson says.... Read this in full at
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/May/Census-Married-US-Households-Now-in-Minority/


     IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT FAMILY LIFE
by Bill Ellis
When family life disintegrates and dissolves from what it was intended to be, the state and nation in which this takes place is precariously attempting to balance itself on the cusp of total destruction. Simply put, when family life fails complete devastation is at hand.
Our society is on the brink of annihilation. Can anything be done or is it too late to even attempt to make required adjustments? I offer these suggestions, which, if properly applied, and put into action immediately, could possibly make a positive difference.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11060009.htm


     VERSE TO PONDER
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15


     CONSIDER
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
Mother Theresa


     USA ADULTS PRAYING MORE ABOUT HEALTH
USA adults praying about health issues increased by 36% from 1999 to 2007, researchers say. Lead author Amy Wachholtz of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and colleagues analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999, 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys. People experiencing a decline in health as well as those with improved health reported more prayer, the researchers say.... Read this in full at
http://www.arcamax.com/religionandspirituality/religiousnews/s-894996-168846


     CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL MINISTRIES' CHURCH AND CAMPUS WILL BE SOLD TO CALIFORNIA DEVELOPER
The properties will be sold to Greenlaw Partners of Newport Beach for $46 million. The church will lease back the landmark venue in hopes of continuing to use it for its 'Hour of Power' broadcasts.... Read this in full at
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/religion/la-me-crystal-cathedral-20110528,0,4726762.story


     PORN'S DESTRUCTION IS INFILTRATING THE CHURCH
Foes of pornography are losing, and an onslaught of sexual attacks likely will result, Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land believes.

"We're losing this war. We haven't lost it, but we're losing it," Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said at a conference on porn and sex exploitation. "And if you don't think we're losing it, you spend time with college-age young people, and you'll find out we're losing."

He described hardcore, online pornography as "the greatest danger this country faces."

"[I]t is destroying our culture. It is destroying our families. It is destroying our children," Land said.

Sexually graphic material online is destroying men's lives especially, he said. "Their ability to be the husbands and the fathers God intended them to be is being shriveled and shrunk and stifled and twisted and distorted by exposure to ever more hardcore, Internet pornography," Land told conference participants.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35406


     JUDGE BLOCKS VA FROM BARRING 'JESUS CHRIST' FROM MEMORIAL DAY PRAYER
A federal judge in Texas told the US Department of Veteran Affairs that it cannot censor a pastor's invocation at a Memorial Day ceremony. The VA had ordered the Rev. Scott Rainey to remove a phrase using Jesus Christ from the prayer, arguing the line excluded other beliefs held by veterans.
On May 26, US District Judge Lynn Hughes disagreed, writing the government cannot "gag citizens when it says it is in the interest of national security, and it cannot do it in some bureaucrat's notion of cultural homogeneity."

The debate centered over the close of the prayer, which read: "While respecting people of every faith today, it is in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, that I pray. Amen." .... Read this in full at
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/27/judge-blocks-va-from-barring-jesus-christ-from-memorial-day-prayer/?hpt=T2


     OCTOGENARIAN LEARNS HOW TO READ SO HE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND BIBLE
A film about Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge, an 84-year-old man who enrolled in primary school in 2003 so he could learn to read the Bible, has inspired the creation of an educational charity for unprivileged children around the world.

Directed by Justin Chadwick and written by Ann Peacock, "The First Grader" is set in a remote primary school in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. It depicts the stir Maruge created when, amid hundreds of children jostling for admission, he arrived at the school, desperate to learn to read despite his age. Once he could read the Bible, Maruge embraced Christianity, and was baptized before his death in 2009. The film was released in New York and Los Angeles on 13 May.

According to a statement on the National Geographic Entertainment website, Capella University will make a $0.50 donation — up to a total of $50,000 — to three charitable organizations each time the movie's trailer is viewed on YouTube. The charities, which promote literacy and education around the world, include Reading is Fundamental, the Minnesota based organization which provides free books to needy children; Kenya's Kakenya Center, which support underprivileged girls in the Maasai community; and the South Sudan Institute, which trains teachers for early child-learning.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-05/octogenarian-learns-how-read-so-he-can-better-understand-bible


     SATISFYING AFRICA'S HUNGER FOR THE WRITTEN WORD
by Lawrence Darmani
During a critical leadership succession period in a publishing house in Côte d'Ivoire, the new CEO, Jules Ouoba, needed urgent help. Survival was uncertain, yet crucial for Centre de Publications Evangéliques (CPE), the largest Christian publisher in French-speaking Africa. Bob Reekie, Media Associates International (MAI) co-founder and president for many years, moved in to assist.

Several interactions later, a new leaf of hope came to CPE. It sprang back and began publishing life-changing literature.

For more than 25 years MAI has been training publishers, editors, writers, designers, and booksellers in Africa and around the globe. Publishing professionals from within the continent and beyond have volunteered their time and talents to impart techniques, sharpen skills, and deliver much-needed encouragement to launch new Christian publishing endeavors and resuscitate ailing publishers that could have flopped.

The church in Africa has exploded in the last century, increasing the need for literature that can help it address critical issues such as discipling believers, battling AIDS, overcoming poverty, and stabilizing democracy. Church leaders also need written materials to help bring reconciliation and hope to those suffering from the scars of tribal enmity and other divisions.... Read this in full at
http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/international_publishing.php/1398/05-2011


     LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES' 'THE BIBLE ON TRIAL' AIRS ON TELEVISION NATIONALLY JUNE 18 AND JULY 18
Lutheran Hour Ministries will present The Bible on Trial: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (http://www.TheBibleTrial.com), a full-length broadcast program for television Saturday, June 18, at 6 pm Eastern, 5 pm Central, 4 pm Mountain, and 3 pm Pacific on the Inspiration Network (Channel 259 on Dish Network and Channel 364 on DirecTV; Inspiration is also available on 2,800 other local cable systems). The program can be seen on Monday, July 18 at 9 pm Eastern, 8 pm Central, 7 pm Mountain, and 6 pm Pacific through the National Religious Broadcasters Network (Channel 378 on DirecTV, Channel 126 on Sky Angel, as well as online at www.nrbnetwork.tv).

Hosted by attorney Craig Parton, The Bible on Trial lays the overarching question before some of the world's foremost authorities in biblical scholarship and ancient history: "Are the Bible and its claims trustworthy?" A panel of experts -- including Dr. Paul L. Maier of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Dr. Randall Price of Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va.; Dr. Jeff Kloha of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. and Joel Lampe of The Bible Museum, Goodyear, Ariz. -- weighs the evidence from contemporary non-Christian writers and archaeological, bibliographic and eyewitness sources. The balanced testimony from these scholars affirms the reliability of the biblical record. The program concludes with a call to the viewer: "What is your verdict?" .... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2583717106.html


     RELIGIOUS LEADERS: MLB SHOULD BAN TOBACCO
Religious leaders are urging the Major League Baseball players union to support a ban on tobacco use at games.

Twenty-five members of the Faith United Against Tobacco coalition urged the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to agree with baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's backing of a ban on smokeless tobacco on the field and in the dugout. They made the appeal in a May 30 letter to Michael Weiner, MLBPA's executive director.

Selig has endorsed the prohibition as part of a new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players association. The current agreement is set to expire in December.

Major League Baseball prohibits smoking by players in view of fans and cameras, and minor league teams have had a complete ban on tobacco use since 1993. The National Hockey League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association also prohibit tobacco use.

Religious groups participating in this campaign include United Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, National Council of Churches, Seventh Day Adventists, American Muslim Foundation, Southern Baptist Convention, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, Church Women United, Church of the Brethren, and Islamic Society of North America.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35418


     RNS AS A NONPROFIT + PATCH-LIKE RELIGION HUBS
by Sarah Pulliam Bailey
As several media outlets consider the move towards nonprofit journalism, Religion News Service recently took the plunge with a $3.5 million three-year grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. RNS, the only nonreligious service covering religion and ethics exclusively, became a nonprofit June 1 under Religion News LLC., a new parent company over Religion Newswriters Association.

Kevin Eckstrom says that while most religious subscribers have held on during recent cutbacks, about 25 to 30 percent of daily newspapers unsubscribed to the service in the last five years. The news service also dealt with reduced staff over the past 4-5 years, especially since Newhouse News Service shut down in 2008. Eckstrom says that while content will not change under the move, it will expand from three to four and a half employees and seek funding for multimedia journalism, Jewish beat coverage and theme story coverage of areas like Islam in America and religion and politics.

Eckstrom, who has been at RNS for 11 years and editor for five, will move to an office at the National Press Club while reporters Daniel Burke and Adelle Banks will work from home. I recently spoke with Eckstrom about RNS' changes, future Patch-like religion hubs and what to expect from mainstream religion coverage during the industry changes.... Read this in full at
http://www.getreligion.org/2011/05/rns-as-a-nonprofit-a-religion-patch-com/


     PRAY FOR CHILDREN AT RISK
This time of prayer is a call to Christians everywhere to pray for the 1.2 billion vulnerable children of the world and those who minister to them. Please join us in praying specifically for needs of children around the world.
1. Every day, 30,000 children under age 5 will die of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, measles and malnutrition.

2. AIDS has orphaned 15 million children; by 2015 there will be 40 million (UNICEF). Without parents to care for and protect them, they are at increased risk for neglect, abuse and malnutrition.

3. Every year, 1 million children are forced into the commercial sex trade to join the 10 million children already trapped in it.

4. There are 246 million children engaged in exploitative child labor (International Labor Organization).

5. Around the world, there are 150 million street children (UNICEF).

6. Alcoholism and divorce are on the increase in many world areas; children are the most vulnerable and hurt by fractured families.

7. Worldwide there are approximately 46 million abortions each year (Center for Bioethical Reform).

8. More than 674 million children live in absolute poverty (lacking resources to meet basic human needs). In sub-Saharan Africa, 65% of children live in absolute poverty (UN Child Poverty Report, 2003).

9. 90% of casualties in armed conflict around the world are civilians, and half of these are children (UNICEF).
(Data from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries)


     DUTCHMAN BUILDS NOAH'S ARK A SECOND TIME
A man in the Netherlands has almost completed building a replica of Noah's ark, identical in size to the one in the Bible. Following the exact measurements recorded in the book of Genesis, the successful construction company owner, Johan Huibers, has been working on the ark for a few years now and he is set to finish by July, according to The New York Times.

This is not the first time he has attempted to create Noah's ark. He built a smaller one, though still massive, and had opened the door to visitors in 2007. According to the NY Times, the ark drew more than 600,000 people in about three years.... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/world/europe/30ark.html?_r=1

Also see "Kentucky taxpayers will help float Noah's Ark"
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/05/bible-taxes-kentucky-noahs-ark/1?loc=interstitialskip


     EGYPT'S CHRISTIANS FEAR VIOLENCE AS CHANGES EMBOLDEN ISLAMISTS
A surge of sectarian violence in Cairo has turned Christian-Muslim tensions into one of the gravest threats to the revolution's stability.... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/middleeast/31coptic.html


     EU ASSURES RELIGIOUS LEADERS IT BACKS FREEDOM OF BELIEF IN MIDDLE EAST
European Union leaders assured senior religious figures May 30 they would defend the freedom of belief in the Middle East as part of their support for the spread of democracy in the Arab world. European Commission President Jose Barroso told about 20 Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist leaders at an annual consultation in Brussels that the EU aimed to promote democracy and human rights both in Europe and in its neighboring countries.

Several of the Christian representatives present expressed concern about religious freedom in the mostly Muslim Arab world, which has seen more freedom of speech in recent months but also more violent attacks on Christian minorities in some countries.... Read this in full at
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/05/31/eu-assures-religious-leaders-it-backs-freedom-of-belief-in-mideast/


     PAKISTAN'S CHURCHES GROWING STRONGER, CHRISTIANS SAY
Christians in Pakistan are eager to remind the outside world that, despite blasphemy laws, terrorism and flooding, God is still at work in Pakistan. Katie Jaye, a producer for International Mission Board, told Mission News Network, "What many people outside of the country are seeing are these negative things... There's so much more that's going on in that country than what we see in the media." She calls the Christian population the "sleeping giant," as many believers could make even more of an impact if they were not afraid. Still, she says, "A lot of the people around them--people they work with, live next to, and see every day -- just really haven't even heard or have had the opportunity to know and understand the gospel." As a result, "there's a real heart for that.".... Read this in full at
http://mnnonline.org/article/15772


     IRAN'S PERSECUTION BACKFIRES
Regime's antagonism is increasing Christianity's appeal.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/june/publicenemy.html


     ENGINEERS
In some foreign country a priest, a lawyer and an engineer are about to be guillotined.

The priest puts his head on the block, they pull the rope and nothing happens -- he declares that he's been saved by divine intervention-- so he's let go.

The lawyer is put on the block, and again the rope doesn't release the blade, he claims he can't be executed twice for the same crime and he is set free too.

They grab the engineer and shove his head into the guillotine, he looks up at the release mechanism and says, "Wait a minute, I see your problem..."
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com


     CONSIDER
"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant."
Max DePree


     VERSE TO PONDER
"In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."
Ephesians 1:7


     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR
Words: Franklin Hunter, 2004-5 (released to the public domain)
Music: George F. Handel, 1747

Great God and Savior, on this Easter day
Gathered in Thy presence, we Thy children pray;
Make our praises incense, waft them all around
As we lift our voices, this the joyful sound:

Refrain
We're here to praise You, Resurrection Day
Fill us with Your Spirit, speak, O Lord, we pray.

Angels announce Him, Jesus is the Lord and Christ
Source of our redemption, centre of our tryst;
He the Way has opened so that sinners we
Find through Him our pardon, peace and purity.
Refrain

Death hides no terrors, naught can separate
Thou the conqu'ring Savior we appreciate;
Worshipping before Thee, in Thy righteousness
Thy death hath procured this, Thee we gladly bless.
Refrain

Here then is Jesus, sound His praises long,
Blend them all together, sing them in a song.
Make them loud and joyful, 'Resurrection Day'
Christ is all victorious, nothing more to pay.
Refrain

>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/g/g/s/ggsavior.htm


     ON PRAYER
"We pray bent in soil, not only in sanctuary, and we bow over rows, not only in pews."
Ann Voskamp


     PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY
http://christiansincrisis.net/


     DAILY BLESSING PACT
Use the following list as your daily prayer guide. Think of a brother or situation that applies and lift them up in prayer.

I am agreeing in prayer with you for God's blessings to overtake you!

PERSONAL
Marital harmony
Family unity
Children saved
Faithful pastor
Spirit-filled church
Real friendships
Relatives redeemed
Educational benefits
Recreational time
Fulfilling career
Favor with God and man
Be in God's will

FINANCIAL
Better Jobs
Raises or bonuses
Benefits
Sales & commissions
Business Growth
Settlements
Estates & inheritances
Investment increase
Rebates & returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts & surprises
Money to be found
Bills decrease while blessings increase

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut. 28:2).

[As you travel on business or vacation, let me know if you'd like us to add you to our prayer chain to pray for your safety and spiritual effectiveness. I'll add your name to the list for the time you'll be away.]


     CLASSIFIEDS
Are you looking for something or do you have something to sell? Let me know and I'll put it in this newsletter.

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

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

Get your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com

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


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

Strange (But Useful) Human Tricks
http://www.eons.com/groups/topic/1981866-Strange-But-Useful-Human-Tricks

Tobacco Free Kids
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/

The Book Surgeon
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/the-book-surgeon-15-pieces
and http://briandettmer.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.)


So what's the speed of dark?
Min. Frank Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com


Thanks for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!



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


The CONNECTIONS Team offers a variety of activities for men to interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ.
Contact Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, frank@frankcoleman.com if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
Path Of Life Ministries is located in Chicago, IL.
Visit our website at: http://www.pathoflifeministries.org/ 


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