CONNECTIONS News - 08/14/2011

For week of August 14, 2011
Issue 369

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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"So, brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is — what is good and pleasing and mature."
Romans 12:1-2 (CEB)


     CONSIDER
"A holy life is not an ascetic, or gloomy or solitary life, but a life regulated by divine truth and faithful in Christian duty. It is living above the world while we are still in it."
Tryon Edwards


     EVANGELICALS SHOULD NOT WORRY OVER 'MINORITY' STATUS
The church in the West doesn't hold the authority that it once did but the church has historically done just as well when it was in a position of weakness, says Richard Tiplady.

Tiplady, principal of International Christian College in Glasgow, had some assuring words for the church as he delivered the final address at the recent Keswick Convention.

Minority status has been the "norm" for Christians throughout history and remains the case today, he argued. "It certainly was for Paul and the Christians in the first few centuries – and it didn't stop the church exploding, not just across the Roman Empire but the Persian Empire as well," he said.

By the time the first Celtic missionaries were evangelizing England in the sixth and seventh centuries, the church in China was already so large that it had its own archbishop, he noted. With that in mind, minority status is not something that worries Tiplady, and he does not want other evangelicals to be worried about it either.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelicals-should-not-worry-over-minority-status-53432/


     AMERICANS LIKE EVANGELICALS AFTER ALL
by Bradley R.E. Wright
American evangelical Christianity is ready for its Sally Field moment.
Somewhere along the line we evangelical Christians have gotten it into our heads that our neighbors, peers, and most Americans don't like us, and that they like us less every year. I've heard this idea stated in sermons and everyday conversation; I've read it in books and articles.

There's a problem, though. It doesn't appear to be true. Social scientists have repeatedly surveyed views of various religions and movements, and Americans consistently hold evangelical Christians in reasonably high regard. Furthermore, social science research indicates that it's almost certain that our erroneous belief that others dislike us is actually harming our faith.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/august/americans-do-like-evangelicals.html


     THE POWER OF WORDS AND THE WONDER OF GOD
by Paul Tripp
The tongue is a powerful force -- for good or evil. So how might our churches, homes, and culture change if we used words with Christian intentionality and eloquence? .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11623282/


     CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST LOSES DONORS OVER NAME CHANGE
Campus Crusade for Christ's name change to "Cru" has caused a number of donors to withdraw their support from the ministry. While the exact number has not been specified, Mike Adamson, director of Communications for CCC, told The Christian Post that only "a very small percentage" of donors have pulled out.

CCC is one of the largest and most prominent Christian organizations in the world with more than 25,000 full-time staff. The Orlando, Fla.-based ministry announced last month that it would be dropping its 60-year-old name and adopting "Cru" instead, starting in early 2012.

For some, the name change has come as a shock. Ken Connor, chairman of the Center for a Just Society and who was once involved in CCC, believes the ministry is making the change to avoid offending people with such words as "crusade" and "Christ." He's calling on the organization to rethink its decision and not leave Christ out.

But Steve Sellers, vice president of CCC, has maintained that the new name had "absolutely nothing to do with being politically correct." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/campus-crusade-for-christ-loses-donors-over-name-change-53394/


     JOHN STOTT REMEMBERED AT LONDON FUNERAL
There were moments of poignant reflection but also much laughter and thanksgiving at the funeral of John Stott Aug. 8. All Souls Langham Place, Stott's beloved church in London, was filled to capacity with friends, relatives and many others who did not know him personally, yet had in some way been touched by his preaching and more than 50 books.

The queue of Christians waiting to enter the church prior to the start of the service stretched to a block away. One Christian waiting in line said of Stott: "He was a very, very special person. I wanted to be here for this."

There was heartfelt sadness at the passing of a much loved teacher and friend, but the tone of the service was joyous as All Souls conductor Noel Tredinnick led the congregation with typical enthusiasm in hymns such as Crown Him with Many Crowns and Thine Be the Glory.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/john-stott-remembered-at-london-funeral-53566/


     JOHN STOTT: A BOLD EVANGELICAL IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
by Matthew Cresswell
A jolt went through Christendom with the passing of the Rev John Stott last week. The former chaplain to the Queen was rector of one of London's best-known churches and more than 8 million copies of his books have been sold. He had an international influence and a global following, evidenced by the floods of tributes still finding their way onto the internet. The archbishop of Canterbury said Stott had "helped to change the face of evangelicalism internationally".

However, less has been said about how this low-church priest, who was celibate all his life, changed the very nature of the church in this country. Many believe Stott had more influence over the Church of England than most the bishops of his time.... Read this in full at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/aug/04/rev-john-stott-evangelicals


     MARK HATFIELD, MAVERICK EVANGELICAL POLITICIAN, DIES AT 89
For nearly four decades, perhaps American evangelicals' most prominent and admired politician was a man associated with liberal politics, one of the country's leading voices against the Vietnam War and military spending, and a critic of the nascent religious right.
Mark Hatfield, who served 30 years in the U.S. Senate and two terms as governor of Oregon, died Sunday, August 7, at age 89.

"For a certain sector of evangelicalism, he was the political hero," said David R. Swartz, assistant professor of history at Asbury University. "He was morally upstanding, explicitly spiritual, and they really admired him for identifying as an evangelical so publically. Someone admired by the secularists and political elite was exhilarating for them, especially before the 1970s Newsweek cover on 'The Year of the Evangelical.' Hatfield offered respectability they craved." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/augustweb-only/hatfield-obit.html

Also see Mark Hatfield special section of articles on Christianity Today
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/special/markhatfield.html

"Mark O. Hatfield Dies at 89; Longtime Oregon Senator was Bedrock of Moderate Republicanism
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-mark-hatfield-20110808,0,6282369.story?track=rss

"Mark O. Hatfield, Oregon's first statesman, dies Sunday at 89"
http://blog.oregonlive.com/politics_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/08/mark_o_hatfield_oregons_first.html

"Mark Hatfield Taps into the Real Power on Capitol Hill"
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1982/october22/markhatfield.html

"Remembering Senator Mark Hatfield" by Rev. Richard Cizik
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-richard-cizik/remembering-senator-mark-hatfield_b_921251.html

"A Conservative Remembers Mark Hatfield" by Cal Thomas
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/08/08/conservative-remembers-mark-hatfield/


     PROMINENT PRISON MINISTRY FIRES 72, CITING ECONOMY
Prison Fellowship, a prominent evangelical ministry to inmates, has laid off dozens of employees, citing the faltering economy. A total of 72 staffers were let go as part of a restructuring that included new leaders as of July 18. Jim Liske, a former pastor in Michigan, began as CEO and Garland Hunt, a former Atlanta pastor, is now president.

"Like many nonprofits in the wake of this economy, Prison Fellowship has had to deal with shrinking resources and rising costs," said Frank Lofaro, executive vice president of the ministry.... Read this in full at
http://christiancentury.org/article/2011-08/prominent-prison-ministry-fires-72-citing-economy


     C.S. LEWIS AND THE DEVIL
by John A. Murray
While a Gallup poll earlier this summer showed that nine in 10 Americans still believe in God, a survey by the Barna Group just released found that only 43% of Americans believe the devil to be a "living entity," as opposed to a symbol of evil.

Among the educated elite today, talking publicly about one's belief in the devil and his influence on the culture and the world would be social suicide. The same was no less true in 1947, when Oxford don C.S. Lewis addressed this subject in an interview with Time magazine.

"Lewis (like T. S. Eliot, W. H. Auden, et al.) is one of a growing band of heretics among modern intellectuals: an intellectual who believes in God," Time reported. "It is not a mild and vague belief, for he accepts 'all the articles of the Christian faith' — which means that he also believes in sin and in the Devil." .... Read this in full at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903454504576486441729097076.html


     HOW WE'RE MADE
"God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan, 1952, reprint, HarperCollins, 2001, p. 50


     FALLEN NAVY SEAL OFFICER AARON VAUGHN CELEBRATED FOR HIS FAITH IN JESUS
The family of one of the 30 US soldiers killed in Afghanistan Aug. 6 by Taliban forces spoke out about Navy Seal Aaron Vaughn's love for God and love for his country on NBC's Today show. Talking to Matt Lauer about the brave officer, his wife Kimberly Vaughn, a former NFL cheerleader, opened up about her husband who was an "amazing father" and man of faith.

The couple, who had been married for three years had two children together, including a 2-year-old son Reagan, and 2-month old girl Chamberlyn. Vaughn was present for both of his children's births, having last been with his family in June before volunteering to go back to Afghanistan. When asked what was the one thing she wanted their kids to learn from their father, she answered his love. "They will take away his love for Christ. They will take away his dream and his love for this country." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/fallen-navy-seal-officer-aaron-vaughn-celebrated-for-his-faith-in-jesus-53651/


     TWO PARTIES PRAY TO THE SAME GOD, BUT DIFFERENT ECONOMISTS
by Michael Gerson
With varied motivations, human beings tend to invoke the name of God in foxholes, in the throes of passion and in budget debates.

During the recent debt-limit showdown, Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC) credited "divine inspiration" for his opposition to House Speaker John Boehner's initial proposal. Democratic activist Donna Brazile tweeted, "Last time I checked, God is above this partisan stuff. But I believe (as a woman of faith) Jesus would be fair and support shared sacrifice." It was not immediately clear whether the Son of God endorses corporate loophole closings or prefers tax-rate increases.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/two-parties-pray-to-the-same-god-but-different-economists/2011/08/04/gIQAdJ86uI_story.html


     IN COURT, OBAMA & HOUSE ATTORNEYS DIFFER OVER WHETHER KIDS NEED A MOM & DAD
In remarkably different court filings that highlight America's cultural divide on marriage's definition, the US House and the Obama Justice Department have come to opposite conclusions as to whether children need a mother and a father in the home.

At issue is the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law which defines marriage in federal law as between a man and a woman and gives states the option of not recognizing another state's gay "marriages."

In its legal briefs arguing that the law should be upheld, the legal team hired by the US House says DOMA, as it's often called, is naturally tied to procreation and children benefit from having both a mother and father in the home. The Justice Department has discounted the procreation argument and argued that the gender of parents does not matter.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35907


     WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"
by Carol Wimmer
When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I was lost";
That is why I chose this way.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble,
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed,
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.

Copyright 1989 Carol S. Wimmer. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.


     SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL IMAGINATION
by Brandon O'Brien
In 1995, Mark Noll argued in The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind that the problem with evangelicalism is "that there is not much of an evangelical mind." His solution was to take scholarship more seriously. A decade later, Ron Sider argued in The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience (2005) that the problem with evangelicalism is that Christians live just like nonChristians. His solution was to take the social and corporate implications of the gospel more seriously.

Whether or not these books can be credited with sparking current trends, it's clear the spirit of both of them is alive and well in American Christianity. The so-called "New Reformed" movement is living out Noll's call for greater intellectual engagement and doctrinal sophistication. And legions of younger Christians are taking up Sider's vision to seek social justice in Jesus' name. I support both of these relatively recent developments, more or less. But I think they have the same shortcoming in common. As different as they are, they both appeal to the intellect in one way or another. They both seem to assume that if we simply believe the right things (whether it's the doctrine of atonement or the Christian's moral responsibility in the world) then we'll behave the right way.... Read this in full at
http://www.outofur.com/archives/2011/08/scandal_of_the_1.html


     STUDY: EDUCATION DOESN'T BREED ATHEISM
Contrary to popular belief, atheism is not the norm for people with higher education, new research shows.

Education does not push people away from God, it just makes them more likely to accept a liberal attitude toward religion, reported USA Today.

Philip Schwadel, associate professor of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said that for each year of education beyond seventh grade people are actually 15 percent more likely to attend some sort of religious service.

However, his article in Review of Religious Research said people are also 15 percent more likely to believe that truth can be found in more than one religion. Schwadel attributed that to wider-spread friendships, since education allows students to meet a larger group of people with different religious beliefs.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35894


     HISPANICS ABANDONING ORGANIZED RELIGION, POLLSTER SAYS
Crucifixes, Virgin Mary statuettes, ornate Spanish-style churches: so many religious images seem permanently linked with Hispanic Americans. But that's eroding fast, according to pollster George Barna. In the fourth update on his annual survey of American religion, Barna says this once-reverent group has been attending church and Sunday school less, volunteering less at church, and reading the Bible less over the last 20 years. And their religious life is fading faster than those of whites and blacks in America, the report adds.... Read this in full at
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/religion/faith-and-values/sfl-fv-blog-barna-beliefs-survey-4,0,6336279.story


     VERSE TO PONDER
"Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his ways."
Proverbs 28:6 (NRSV)


     CONSIDER
"We must teach our children that the real measure of their success in life is how much they'd be worth if they had absolutely nothing."
Walt Mueller


     NEW PEW FORUM REPORT ANALYZES RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS AROUND THE WORLD
More than 2.2 billion people, nearly a third (32%) of the world's total population of 6.9 billion, live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion rose substantially between mid-2006 and mid-2009, according to a new study (http://pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Restrictions-on-Religion.aspx) on global restrictions on religion released Aug. 9 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. Only about 1% of the world's population lives in countries where government restrictions or social hostilities declined.

In general, most of the countries that experienced substantial increases in government restrictions or social hostilities involving religion already had high or very high levels of restrictions or hostilities. By contrast, nearly half of the countries that had substantial decreases in restrictions or hostilities already scored low. This suggests that there may be a gradual polarization taking place in which countries that are relatively high in religious restrictions are becoming more restrictive, while those that are relatively low are becoming less restrictive.... Read this in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/new_pew_forum_report_analyzes_religious_restrictions_around_the_world/


     EVANGELICALS QUESTION THE EXISTENCE OF ADAM AND EVE
by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Let's go back to the beginning — all the way to Adam and Eve, and to the question: Did they exist, and did all of humanity descend from that single pair?

According to the Bible (Genesis 2:7), this is how humanity began: "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." God then called the man Adam, and later created Eve from Adam's rib.

Polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center find that four out of 10 Americans believe this account. It's a central tenet for much of conservative Christianity, from evangelicals to confessional churches such as the Christian Reformed Church.

But now some conservative scholars are saying publicly that they can no longer believe the Genesis account. Asked how likely it is that we all descended from Adam and Eve, Dennis Venema, a biologist at Trinity Western University, replies: "That would be against all the genomic evidence that we've assembled over the last 20 years, so not likely at all." .... Read this in full at
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/09/138957812/evangelicals-question-the-existence-of-adam-and-eve?ft=1&f=1016


     STUDY: EDUCATION LIBERALIZES RELIGIOUS VIEWS
The old wisdom: The more educated you are, the less likely you will be religious. But a new study says education doesn't drive people away from God — it gives them a more liberal attitude about who's going to heaven.

Each year of education ups the odds by 15% that people will say there's "truth in more than one religion," says University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor Philip Schwadel in an article for the Review of Religious Research. Schwadel, an associate professor of sociology, looked at 1,800 U.S. adults' reported religious beliefs and practices and their education.

People change their perspective because, as people move through high school and college, they acquire an ever-wider range of friendships, including people with different beliefs than their own, Schwadel says. "People don't want to say their friends are going to hell," he says.... Read this in full at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-08-03-education-religion_n.htm


     LIBERTY BECOMES LARGEST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WITH 62,000 ONLINE STUDENTS
Liberty University, known as being one of the largest Christian universities in the United States has acquired another accolade: it has become the largest Christian online university. The school announced last month that its online enrollment is now at approximately 62,000 students.

These numbers in conjunction with more than 12,000 on-campus enrollments make Liberty the largest Christian university in the world. "This is a historic event for Liberty University Online, enrollment management and Liberty University," said Chris Johnson, vice president for enrollment management. "We want to give thanks to the Lord for making this accomplishment possible." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/liberty-becomes-largest-christian-university-with-62000-online-students-53628/


     UNEARTHING THE BIBLE'S BAD GUYS
At the remains of an ancient metropolis in southern Israel, archaeologists are piecing together the history of a people remembered chiefly as the bad guys of the Hebrew Bible.

The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites.

Close to 3,000 years ago, Gath was on the frontier between the Philistines, who occupied the Mediterranean coastal plain, and the Israelites, who controlled the inland hills. The city's most famous resident, according to the Book of Samuel, was Goliath - the giant warrior improbably felled by the young shepherd David and his sling.

The Philistines "are the ultimate other, almost, in the biblical story," said Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation.... Read this in full at
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/9/unearthing-the-bibles-bad-guys/


     RELIGIOUS HAPPIER DURING BAD TIMES
Religious are happier and outnumber the non-religious in societies under stress but their numerical edge diminishes during peace, US researchers say. Study leader Ed Diener, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Illinois who is also a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization, analyzed data from the 2005-2009 Gallup World Poll, a survey of people in more than 150 countries.

"Circumstances predict religiousness," Diener says in a statement. "Difficult circumstances lead more strongly to people being religious and in religious societies and in difficult circumstances, religious people are happier than non-religious people. But in non-religious societies or more benign societies where many people's needs are met, religious people aren't happier -- everyone's happier." .... Read this in full at
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/08/08/Religious-happier-during-bad-times/UPI-28111312859323/


     PRETTY SHARP
A blonde and a lawyer are seated next to each other on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City. The lawyer asks if she would like to play a fun game? The tired blonde just wants to take a nap, politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists and explains that the game is easy and a lot of fun.

He explains, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5, and vise versa." Again, she declines and tries to get some sleep.

The lawyer, now agitated, says, "Okay, if you don't know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500." This catches the blonde's attention and, figuring there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, agrees to the game. The lawyer asks the first question.

"What's the distance from the earth to the moon?"

The blonde doesn't say a word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a $5 bill and hands it to the lawyer.

"Okay," says the lawyer, "your turn."

She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four legs?"

The lawyer, puzzled, takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references, no answer. He hops on the Internet and searches Google and the Library of Congress. No answer. Frustrated, he sends e-mails to all his friends and coworkers, to no avail. After an hour, he wakes the blonde, and hands her $500.

The blonde says, "Thank you," and turns back to get some more sleep.

The lawyer, who is more than a little miffed, wakes the blonde and asks, "Well, what's the answer?"

Without a word, the blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5,and goes back to sleep.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com


     PASTORS DIVIDED ON WHEN TO PERFORM WEDDINGS
American Protestant pastors have widely varying standards for when they will and will not perform wedding ceremonies, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research.

The survey of 1,000 randomly selected Protestant pastors found that a majority (58%) will perform weddings for couples they know are living together. Nearly a third (31%) will not, and 10% are not sure.

The survey's results, published in the summer edition of LifeWay's Facts and Trends magazine, also found that only 5% of pastors will not perform a marriage ceremony if the bride or groom has been divorced. The majority (61%) will perform a ceremony for a divorced person "depending on the reason for the divorce" while 31% will perform a ceremony for a divorced person "regardless of the reason for the divorce.".... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35881


     WHY IS WORLD TOILET DAY (WTD), EVERY NOVEMBER 19TH, NECESSARY?
by Heath F. Carelock
This may seem to be a strange question to ask of those of us living in a Western country, but for the huge number of people around the world living in such terrible conditions; it is a necessary event because there are 2.6 billion people without access to sanitation.

One of the only ways to address this challenge in the social realm is through public awareness that changes public will and changes public policy, with money and production of sanitation resources to follow these greater changes. WTD is necessary because people's dignity is on the line who don't have toilets, and the humanity of people who can afford toilets is also on the line.

Another detail often missed is that because people lack sanitation, diseases are more common and threatening among these populations, such that over 1 million children die each year from diarrheal infections and complications.

Mr. Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization, began World Toilet Day because of these challenges. He wanted the event to catch on like Earth Day and other signature days like Valentine's Day. For Jack, it is important that the idea of WTD grows to a tipping point that people hold their governments responsible for solutions to solve this solvable problem.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11080040.htm


     MAF HELPING FIGHT CHOLERA AND MEASLES EPIDEMICS IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
As cholera and measles sicken thousands in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is providing desperately needed flight services to assist medical agencies in their efforts to combat these deadly diseases.

A measles epidemic has threatened the DRC for the past nine months. MAF, a faith-based relief organization that brings aid to needy people in remote areas of the world, has been flying medical workers and supplies into the areas most affected.

In the past month MAF has carried some 100 medical staff and 14,000 pounds of vaccines and medical supplies to support 24 mobile clinics that Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) has launched to fight measles.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5712217539.html


     'OTHEOS' FAITH-BASED APP TAKES MINISTRY MESSAGES MOBILE
Otheos Network(tm) (http://www.otheosnetwork.com/) has launched Otheos, a free mobile application, available at Apple's iTunes App Store. It provides its users with Christian content aggregated from ministries all over the world. Otheos keeps Christians connected to their faith 24 hours a day by giving them real-time pastor postings, daily devotionals and news, as well as, on-demand access to a rapidly growing, searchable database of inspirational video clips and full length productions of current and historical Christian sermons, music, shows, special events and more. Otheos, meaning "Oh Holy God," originates from Greek, the original written language of the New Testament.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5669217530.html


     IS THAT ALL THERE IS?: SECULARISM AND ITS DISCONTENTS
by James Wood
I have a friend, an analytic philosopher and convinced atheist, who told me that she sometimes wakes in the middle of the night, anxiously turning over a series of ultimate questions: "How can it be that this world is the result of an accidental big bang? How could there be no design, no metaphysical purpose? Can it be that every life—beginning with my own, my husband's, my child's, and spreading outward—is cosmically irrelevant?" In the current intellectual climate, atheists are not supposed to have such thoughts. We are locked into our rival certainties — religiosity on one side, secularism on the other — and to confess to weakness on this order is like a registered Democrat wondering if she is really a Republican, or vice versa.

These are theological questions without theological answers, and, if the atheist is not supposed to entertain them, then, for slightly different reasons, neither is the religious believer. Religion assumes that they are not valid questions because it has already answered them; atheism assumes that they are not valid questions because it cannot answer them. But as one gets older, and parents and peers begin to die, and the obituaries in the newspaper are no longer missives from a faraway place but local letters, and one's own projects seem ever more pointless and ephemeral, such moments of terror and incomprehension seem more frequent and more piercing, and, I find, as likely to arise in the middle of the day as the night.... Read this in full at
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/08/15/110815crat_atlarge_wood


     CONSIDER
I am not as good as I should be. I am not as good as I could be. But thank God I'm better than I used to be!


     VERSE TO PONDER
"Therefore, with humility, set aside all moral filth and the growth of wickedness, and welcome the word planted deep inside you — the very word that is able to save you."
James 1:21 (CEB)


     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: KEEP THYSELF PURE
Words: AdelaidePlumptre, 1908
Music: William Boyd, 1864

Keep thyself pure! Christ's soldier, hear,
Through life's loud strife, the calls rings clear.
Thy Captain speaks: His word obey;
So shall thy strength be as thy day.

Keep thyself pure! Thrice blessèd he
Whose heart from taint of sin is free;
His feet shall stand where saints have trod,
He with rapt eyes shall see his God.

Keep thyself pure! For He Who died,
Himself for thy sake sanctified;
Then hear Him speaking from the skies,
And victor o'er temptation rise.

O Holy Spirit, keep us pure,
Grant us Thy strength when sins allure;
Our bodies are Thy temple, Lord;
Be Thou in thought and act adored.

>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/k/e/ketspure.htm


     ON PRAYER
"Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid."
E.M. Bounds


     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.

Extreme shepherding video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

15 Keyboard Shortcuts To Enhance Your PC Productivity
http://www.openforum.com/articles/15-keyboard-shortcuts-to-enhance-your-pc-productivity

Soothing music
http://vip.aersia.net/vip-mellow.swf

How To Fill Your Kindle (& Other Gadgets) For Free
http://www.mikesowden.org/feveredmutterings/fill-your-kindle-for-free

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.)


Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?
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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