Connecting
man to man to God
For week of July 26, 2009
Issue 262
The
Men’s Ministry 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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"By
the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of
yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself
with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God
has given you." Romans 12:3
CONSIDER
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart
enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
John C. Maxwell
RICK
WARREN EMBARKS ON FOLLOW-UP TO 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE'
Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren is working on his next book --
the follow-up to the bestselling Purpose Driven Life, which
launched the Southern California preacher into national
prominence. “I’m in book writing mode right now,”
Warren reported in a broadcast to his church members July 23.
“I’ve gone back into hibernation to write the follow
up to Purpose Driven Life now, eight years later. It’s
going to be called The Hope of the World, and my plan is to
release that on Easter Sunday -- our 30th anniversary -- next
year.” The book will be about the church and its role in
today’s times.
Since its release seven years ago,
The Purpose Driven Life has sold over 52 million copies and
has been described as the bestselling nonfiction hardback book in
history. The 2002 devotional book was also most identified in a
Barna survey of American pastors and ministers as the book that
was most influential on their lives and ministries.... Read this
in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090723/rick-warren-embarks-on-follow-up-to-purpose-driven-life/index.html
CONSIDER
“I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness.”
Mother Teresa
LIVE
A FOCUSED LIFE
“There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one
lived on purpose. The men and women who have made the greatest
difference in history were the most focused. For instance, the
apostle Paul almost single-handedly spread Christianity throughout
the Roman Empire. His secret was a focused life. He said, ‘I
am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past
and looking forward to what lies ahead’ (Philippians 3:13
NLT).
“If you want your life to have impact, focus
it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away
even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never
confuse activity with productivity. You can be busy without a
purpose, but what's the point? Paul said, ‘Let's keep
focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for
us’ (Philippians 3:15 The Message).” from The Purpose
Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren
THE DIVINE SON OF
MAN
“One
of the most enigmatic phrases that ever came from Jesus' lips is
his unique name for himself, the "Son of Man." Over
eighty times in the Gospels, Jesus uses this phrase in the
third-person to refer to himself. What does he mean?
“One
night Daniel had a vivid dream in which he saw a great, heavenly
court in session. Suddenly, he saw "one like a son of man,
coming with the clouds of heaven." Immediately this exalted
figure approached the Ancient of Days and was "given
authority, glory and sovereign power." Daniel goes on to say
that "all nations and peoples of every language worshiped
him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass
away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed"
(Daniel 7:13-14).
“According to the Jewish scholar
David Flusser, this passage from Daniel was considered the most
potent messianic prophecy in all of Scripture. Jesus also speaks
about himself as the Son of Man who will come in glory on the
clouds (Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27), a clear reference to this
passage from Daniel. His audience would know exactly what he is
saying.” from Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the
Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler and
Lois Tverberg
LIFE
WITH A “QUIVERFULL” FAMILY - THE STORY BEHIND THE
STORY
Rick
Wilking is a Reuters contract photojournalist based in Denver,
Colorado who has been shooting for Reuters for almost 25 years
based in Europe, Washington, DC, and now in Colorado. Rick
recently developed the idea of spending time documenting the lives
of a Christian “Quiverfull” family who have 15
children due to their belief that all family planning is best left
in the hands of God. Rick produced a multimedia video from his
time spent with the Jeub family in Colorado and tells about the
experience.... Read this in full at
http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/2009/07/24/life-with-a-quiverfull-family-the-story-behind-the-story/
RESEARCHER SAYS
HYPOCRISY NOT BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO EVANGELISM
People who don't attend church are not too bothered by what
they view as hypocrisy in the church, but there are some things
they don't like about Christians, says the head of the Southern
Baptist Convention's publishing arm.
Thom Rainer,
president of LifeWay Christian Resources, has been researching the
"formerly unchurched" -- men and women who have been
Christians for less than a year -- for nearly a decade. He says
the results are surprising.
Contrary to popular belief,
Rainer says, non-Christians by and large are not turned off by the
church, preaching or Sunday school and are quite responsive to
direct one-on-one evangelism.
But there are some things
non-churchgoers don't like about Christians, Rainer says in a
recent blog:
* Christians who treat other Christians
poorly. "The unchurched don't expect us Christians to be
perfect, but they can't understand why we treat each other without
dignity and respect."
* Holier-than-thou attitudes.
"The unchurched know that Christians will make mistakes, and
they often have a forgiving attitude when we mess up. But they are
repulsed when Christians act in superior ways to them."
*
Christians who talk more than they listen. "Many of the
unchurched, at some point, have a perception that a Christian is a
person who can offer a sympathetic and compassionate ear.
Unfortunately, many of the unchurched thought Christians were too
busy talking to listen to them."
* Christians who
don't go to church. "The unchurched saw the disconnect
between belief and practice in the lives of Christians who did not
or who rarely attended church." .... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4253&Itemid=53
TOO HIGH A PRICE
“During temptation the devil does a lot to ensure that
our minds are upset in order to keep us from hearing from God. In
Eden, God's voice of caution must have been drowned out and
awareness of his presence dimmed by the fascination of the
possibility of tasting this desired fruit, by the excitement of
experiencing this one ‘thrill’ that had eluded them.
Their minds were carried away by Satan's temptation and the
irresistible allure of the fruit. It did not matter that the fruit
might be bitter. Satan had whetted their desire by presenting the
fruit as full of fun, excitement and magic -- the magic that would
transform them to become ‘like God’.
“For
us, the thunderous call to enjoy the ‘fruit’ drowns
out the ‘still small voice’ of God's caution. We are
certain of the pleasure that will come from indulging the desire,
and gloss over any possibility of suffering for the indulgence.
But the truth about sin is that while indulgence may be
momentarily pleasurable, its eventual cost is very high. The price
paid for sin will always outweigh the value derived from it.”
from The War Within: Christians and Inner Conflicts by A. C.
Chukwuocha
INTERVIEW
WITH WALTER CRONKITE
Walter Cronkite, who died July 17 at age 92, was an American
anchor in more ways than one. But in 1994, the Episcopalian gave a
wide-ranging interview to The Christian Century on the faith that
anchored him.
It seems the man who pioneered broadcast
news once pondered the Episcopal priesthood, while working as a
newspaper church editor. "For a short while, I thought about
entering the ministry," said Cronkite. "But that was a
short while. Journalism prevailed."
Cronkite also
spoke of his Lutheran turned Presbyterian roots in Kansas City,
and his father's later involvement with the Unitarian Church
in Houston.
"I attended that for a couple years until
I got into a Boy Scout troop that met in an Episcopal church,"
he said. "The church had a wonderful minister who was
also the scoutmaster. And I suppose you can say he proselytized
me. At any rate, I was much involved with the church, and became
an Episcopalian -- and an acolyte."
Billy Graham
issued a statement calling Cronkite "one of the closet
friends I had in journalism." Read this interview in full at
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n36_v111/ai_16003313/
Also
see “TV journalist Walter Cronkite memorialized”
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112852_ENG_HTM.htm
SEEK THE GIVER
“Throughout the Bible, an analogy that illustrates the
relationship between God and his people keeps surfacing. God, the
husband, is pictured as wooing the bride to himself. He wants her
love. If the world were constructed so that every sin earned a
punishment and every good deed a reward, the parallel would not
hold. The closest analogue to that relationship would be a kept
woman, who is pampered and bribed and locked away in a room so
that the lover can be sure of her faithfulness. God does not
‘keep’ his people. He loves us, gives himself to us,
and eagerly awaits our free response.
“God wants us
to choose to love him freely, even when that choice involves pain,
because we are committed to him, not to our own good feelings and
rewards. He wants us to cleave to him, as Job did, even when we
have every reason to deny him hotly. That, I believe, is the
central message of Job. Satan had taunted God with the accusation
that humans are not truly free. Was Job being faithful simply
because God had allowed him a prosperous life? Job's fiery trials
proved the answer beyond doubt. Job clung to God's justice when he
was the best example in history of God's apparent injustice. He
did not seek the Giver because of his gifts; when all gifts were
removed he still sought the Giver.” from Where Is God When
It Hurts? by Philip Yancey
UNBORN BABIES
HAVE MEMORIES, STUDY SAYS
Unborn children have memories, according to a new study from
The Netherlands. Researchers at two medical centers found unborn
babies at 30 weeks gestation show short-term memory, according to
The Washington Times. By the time the unborn children reach 34
weeks of development, they “are able to store information
and retrieve it four weeks later,” The Times reported.
The
results were based on a study conducted on 100 women and their
unborn children. Scientists gave the women a series of buzzes on
their stomachs for one second each with a “fetal
vibroacoustic stimulator” at five points during the final
eight weeks of pregnancy, according to the July 16 report. They
used ultrasound imaging to measure “fetal learning”
patterns, particularly through the baby’s eye, mouth and
body movements.
The children adjusted to the vibrations
and sounds to the extent they would no longer respond, according
to the report. That process is called “habituation.”
“It seems like every day we find out marvelous new
things about the development of unborn children,” said
Randall O’Bannon, director of education and research for the
National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, The Times reported.
“We hope that this latest information helps people realize
more clearly that the unborn are members of the human family with
amazing capabilities and capacities like these built in from the
moment of conception.”
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30946
SPEAK ALOUD YOUR
PRAISE AND GRATITUDE
“When you find yourself slipping into anxiety or
depression, begin speaking aloud your praise and gratitude to God
for specific instances of His grace in your life. This isn't the
old, trite cliché of ‘count your blessings name them
one by one.’ This is an authentic, viable spiritual
transaction between you and the God who listens and considers your
every word.
“Go back to that time when you were
overwhelmed by your sin and shame and sought His forgiveness and
restoration. Tell Him (out loud) how He freed you from your guilt
and brought a sweet peace into your innermost being. Tell Him
(verbally) about the time when you were in danger and could easily
have been injured or killed if God hadn't stepped in to rescue
you. Recall with Him (in spoken words) that season of confusion
and perplexity in your life, when you didn't know whether to go
forward, backward, or sideways. Tell Him you remember how He
placed a firm but gentle hand on your shoulder, whispering in your
ear, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ (Isaiah 30:21).”
from A Lifetime of Wisdom: Embracing the Way God Heals You by Joni
Eareckson Tada
AUTHOR
Q&A: ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ: PURSUING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
While her father Billy Graham casts a long shadow, Anne Graham
Lotz holds her own. She holds her own revivals for women, called
Just Give Me Jesus, around the world. She established AnGeL
Ministries in 1988 to teach about the Bible. Her 10th book, The
Magnificent Obsession: Embracing the God-Filled Life (Zondervan),
is about Abraham, the patriarch of the great Western religions,
whom Lotz calls her mentor. Publishers Weekly spoke to Lotz before
she signed her new book July 13 at the International Christian
Retail Show in Denver; it was so popular that publisher Zondervan
ran out of copies.
Q: What is it about Abraham that’s
so fascinating?
Anne Graham Lotz: Abraham left his religion to
pursue knowing God, and he’s considered the patriarch of the
three religions that are on the front page of the papers today. I
think of religion as man’s attempt to reach God, and you
can’t do that. Maybe there’s something to be said
about the example of a man who forsook religion for a relationship
with God.
Q: Why “relationship” instead of
“religion”?
AGL: You grow and develop in a
relationship. My life’s goal is not to write books; my
life’s goal is to know God better today. The neat thing
about a goal like that is you can achieve it. Faith is constant;
it’s a relationship.... Read this in full at
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6672363.html
NORTH KOREAN
EXECUTED FOR DISTRIBUTING BIBLE
A Christian woman accused of distributing the Bible, a book
banned in communist North Korea, was publicly executed in June for
the crime, according to South Korean activists. The 33-year-old
mother of three, Ri Hyon Ok, also was accused of spying for South
Korea and the United States, and of organizing dissidents, a
rights group said in Seoul, citing documents obtained from the
North. The Investigative Commission on Crime Against Humanity
report includes a copy of Ri's government-issued photo ID and says
her husband, children, and parents were sent to a political prison
the day after her June 16 execution.... Read this in full at
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2009/07/24/activists_claim_christian_executed_in_nkorea/
ATHEISTS CHOOSE
'DE-BAPTISM' TO RENOUNCE CHILDHOOD FAITH
Up until last summer, Jennifer Gray of Columbus, Ohio,
considered herself "a weak Christian" whose baptism at
age 11 in a Kentucky church came to mean less and less to her as
she gradually lost faith in God.
Then the 32-year-old
medical transcriptionist took a decisive step, one that previously
hadn't been available. She got "de-baptized."
In
a type of mock ceremony that's now been performed in at least four
states, a robed "priest" used a hairdryer marked
"reason" in an apparent bid to blow away the waters of
baptism once and for all. Several dozen participants then fed on a
"de-sacrament" (crackers with peanut butter) and
received certificates assuring they had "freely renounced a
previous mistake, and accepted Reason over Superstition."
For Gray, the lighthearted spirit of last summer's Atheist
Coming Out Party and De-Baptism Bash in suburban Westerville,
Ohio, served a higher purpose than merely spoofing a Christian
rite. "It was very therapeutic," Gray said in an
interview. "It was a chance to laugh at the silly things I
used to believe as a child. It helped me admit that it was OK to
think the way I think and to not have any religious beliefs."
Within the past year, "de-baptism" ceremonies
have attracted as many as 250 participants at atheist conventions
in Ohio, Texas, Florida and Georgia. More have taken place on
college campuses in recent years, according to Hemant Mehta, chair
of the board of directors for the Secular Student Alliance, a
group that promotes atheism among high school and college
students.... Read this in full at
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/07/atheists-choose-de-baptism-to.php
ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF PEOPLE
“If
individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or
a civilization, which may last for a thousand years, is more
important than an individual. But if Christianity is true,
then the individual is not only more important but incomparably
more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a
civilization, compared with his, is only a moment.” C. S.
Lewis
50
WAYS TO HELP SAVE THE EARTH --ON YOUR OWN OR WITH YOUR CHURCH
The green movement has taken root among Christians, with
individuals, churches, denominations, and other groups embracing
eco-justice as a vital part of discipleship. 50 Ways to Help Save
the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference
(Westminster John Knox Press) by environmental activist Rebecca
Barnes-Davies makes clear the connection between caring for the
earth and living one's faith.
"Our task is to learn
to reshape our lives to honor rather than destroy God's creation,"
Barnes-Davies says. "If we are to save the earth, we must
save it from ourselves." To that end, the book reinforces
values of conserving resources, recycling, gardening, and being
content with "enough."
Taking action is
important, but it's also about "not doing,"
Barnes-Davies says. Knowing when to let go of control, doing no
harm, resting, celebrating, and trusting that God is doing the
work to care for creation, are all essential elements to her
approach.
Seven chapters address key environmental issues
including water, energy, people, transportation, food and
agriculture, other species, and wilderness and land planning. Each
chapter offers seven action items ranging from individual efforts
to activities that encourage the involvement of church and
community. Suggestions range from personal to political action,
such as:
* buying a solar cooker as a way to conserve energy
(Barnes-Davies includes a recipe for delicious, easy-to-make
sun-baked brownies);
* working to stop mountaintop removal, a
method of removing coal that devastates mountains and often, local
economies;
* doing a complete energy audit of your home;
*
eating locally, seasonally, and organically;
* re-using
bathwater in the garden or to flush toilets;
* advocating for
clean air as a matter of justice for all people;
* engaging in
activities such as reading or hiking that neither produce nor
pollute.
A 50th action item ties these efforts into the
biblical concept of a "Jubilee" year, which occurs every
50 years. An important aspect of Jubilee is the idea that the
earth and its people need a periodic rest.
"These 50
steps will lead to a deepened commitment, a habit of thoughtful
living and practical action," Barnes-Davies says. "Once
we form this ongoing habit, the possibilities for further action
and results are endless."
http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Help-Save-Earth-Difference/dp/product-description/0664233708
GOD MADE YOU TO
BE YOU
“One
of the greatest enemies of the unexpected adventure is our
insistence on always expressing ourselves within the bounds of
Christian normalcy. So we end up dressing, looking, talking, and
acting like a hundred other people in our church, fearful to
express our true individuality and possibly stymieing our unique
ability to connect with people in our circle of influence. As if
God were the creator of clones.
“He tells us in
Psalm 139:14 that we have been ‘fearfully and wonderfully
made.’ And one verse earlier, we read, ‘You knit me
together in my mother's womb,’ which includes not just our
bodies but also our personalities, temperaments, and unusual
styles -- quirks and all. God made me to be me and you to be you,
and he wants to use each of us within the special designs he has
given us. Think about it: there are people in your world who don't
know Christ and who need to see him expressed through your full
and untethered personality.” from The Unexpected Adventure:
Taking Everyday Risks to Talk with People about Jesus by Lee
Strobel and Mark Mittelberg
PAGAN POLICE
OFFICERS IN GREAT BRITAIN GET SOLSTICE LEAVE
Pagan police officers in some areas of the United Kingdom are
being allowed to take as many as eight days leave a year for
events such as the summer solstice and Halloween. According to the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), website, the move comes
after the Pagan Police Association was set up following
discussions with Home Office officials. The BBC says policy on
police leave varies between forces in England and Wales. The BBC
explained that Hertfordshire Police lets Pagan staff re-allocate
the traditional bank holidays to meet their beliefs -- it has also
appointed two Pagan chaplains.
Police Constable Andy
Pardy, a Pagan neighborhood beat officer in Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire, outside London, was one of the officers involved in
setting up the association.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09070099.htm
VERSE TO PONDER
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
CONSIDER
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten
that we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa
LEGENDARY BIBLE
TEACHER RECEIVES A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
More than 6 million of his commentaries have been distributed
worldwide by David C. Cook in 35 languages, including Arabic,
Bengali, Hindi, Portuguese, and Chinese. Billy Graham called him,
"one of the greatest Bible expositors of our generation."
Now Warren Wiersbe has been honored with a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
for his "Be" Bible Commentaries at its annual
convention, July 12.
Wiersbe, the former pastor of Moody
Church in Chicago and teacher on the popular Back to the Bible
radio series, is internationally recognized as someone who has
given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God. Wiersbe's
commentaries on every book in the Bible are called the "Be"
series because all titles begin with "Be" -- 'Be
Delivered' about the book of Exodus, or 'Be Courageous' about the
Gospel of Luke.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09070113.htm
DARE TO PRAY
“The worst thing we can do in the face of doubt is to
stop praying, assuming -- wrongly, I believe -- that only people
with perfect faith can pray. We must dare to pray even as we
doubt, just as the desperate father cried, ‘I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!’ (Mark 9:24) True faith is
like a light that begins to flicker, however faintly, in the
darkness of an experience that beckons us to pray even when we can
hardly muster the faith to pray.
“Prayer turns away
from self, however worthy or unworthy, and seeks God, asking him
for mercy. When we approach God, we have nothing to use as
capital, no commodities that we can trade, no sum of righteousness
that we can use to buy answers to prayer. The thief on the cross
did not have to complete a rehabilitation program before Jesus
would say, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
paradise’ (Luke 23:43).” from When God Doesn't Answer
Your Prayer: Insights to Keep You Praying with Greater Faith &
Deeper Hope by Jerry Sittser
UNPRECEDENTED
GLOBAL AGING EXAMINED IN NEW CENSUS BUREAU REPORT
The average age of the world’s population is increasing
at an unprecedented rate. The number of people worldwide 65 and
older is estimated at 506 million as of midyear 2008; by 2040,
that number will hit 1.3 billion. Thus, in just over 30 years, the
proportion of older people will double from 7% to 14% of the total
world population, according to the new report, An Aging World:
2008 [PDF].
The report examines the demographic and
socioeconomic trends accompanying this phenomenon. It was
commissioned by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the
National Institutes of Health and produced by the U.S. Census
Bureau.
“The world’s population of people over
age 65 is growing rapidly, and with it will come a number of
challenges and opportunities,” said NIA Director Dr. Richard
J. Hodes. “NIA and our partners at the Census Bureau are
committed to providing the best data possible so that we can
better understand the course of population aging and its
implications.”
An Aging World: 2008 examines nine
international population trends identified in 2007 by the NIA and
the U.S. Department of State (“Why Population Aging Matters:
A Global Perspective”). The report also contains detailed
information on life expectancy, health, disability, gender
balance, marital status, living arrangements, education and
literacy, labor force participation and retirement and pensions
among older people around the world.... Read this in full at
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/aging_population/013988.html
A NEW PORTRAIT OF
AMERICA
Learn
about the 2010 US Census at
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/multimedia/videos/013879.html
6 PRACTICAL LIFE
TIPS
On
Batteries: Stuck without a D battery? The MacGyver fix: Put a C
battery in the slot and add three to five quarters to mimic the
size of a D.... See all 6 at
http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/6-moneymaking-tips/article151826.html?trkid=ERDI22938-1
DOCTORS SEEK
CAUSES OF PROSTATE CANCER IN BLACK MEN
For 12 years, Georgia Dunston and Dr. Chiledum Ahaghotu have
been trying to figure out why African-American men develop
prostate cancer at an earlier age and are twice as likely to die
from it than any other group in the United States.
Although
scientists have long suspected a genetic component, the link was
never explored in depth before Dunston and Ahaghotu decided
started their study.
In 1997, Dunston, Ph.D., the founding
director of Howard University's National Human Genome Center, and
Ahaghotu, a urologist, began the African-American Hereditary
Prostate Cancer Study to study the family genes of black men with
prostate cancer. By following the different generations, and
tracking their health and genetic makeup, the scientists hoped to
better understand why prostate cancer is so deadly in this
population and whether the disease is primarily inherited or
caused by environmental or lifestyle factors.... Read this in full
at
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/20/prostate.cancer.black.men/index.html
FOR THOSE WHO
WANT THEIR CEREAL EXTRA MANLY
General Mills is embarking on a multimillion-dollar effort to
put more muscle in the Wheaties brand. On Thursday, the company is
announcing that it will introduce a second variety, Wheaties Fuel.
All the marketing will be aimed at men -- a first, by all
accounts, in the cereal aisle.
Testosterone swirls around
every aspect of Wheaties Fuel’s introduction. General Mills
-- maker of the most popular brand, Cheerios, and the
second-largest cereal manufacturer, behind Kellogg’s -- used
a panel of only male athletes, including the Indianapolis Colts
quarterback Peyton Manning and the Boston Celtics power forward
Kevin Garnett, to consult on both the nutritional profile and
flavor.
From that, the company produced three prototypes
of Wheaties Fuel. Samples are going out to about 1,000 “everyday
athletes,” primarily Men’s Health readers who
volunteered online. By popular vote, those readers will choose the
winner, which will be announced Sept. 9; for a few months, the
cereal will be available only online, and will be in supermarkets
in January.... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/business/media/23adco.html?_r=1&ref=media
CONSIDER
“Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a
property to be defended and not to be shared.”
Henri
Nouwen
VERSE
TO PONDER
“Do
not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but
love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Leviticus
19:18
ON
PRAYER
Loving
God, we pray for the leaders of our denominations and churches.
May we support them in love and truth as they advocate for the
least of these among us.
Jesus, we pray for children in
foster care. Provide them loving families who care for them, and
may your church also be that family for children who lack
stability.
Holy Spirit, we pray for journalists in
volatile lands. Protect them, and give them boldness to report
accurately so that your church may know how to respond to
injustice.
Strengthen microfinance initiatives globally,
Lord, so that the unemployed may flourish through new business
opportunities. May your church affirm the creative spirit you've
given us, and the dignity of fair employment.
Creator and
Provider, we pray for green job opportunities. Just as Adam and
Eve were gardeners, may you give our communities dignified work
that honors your creation.
Jesus, we pray for full social
acceptance and job opportunities for the disabled. May
congregations model love that includes all persons, and may we
advocate for those who are so often neglected.
Healing
God, we pray for the millions of children worldwide who have
life-threatening diarrhea. May your church support measures to
treat and prevent this curable ailment. Amen.
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 the church guys 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.
35
ways to do a push-up
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/07/21/push-ups-exercises/
Recession
101 billboards
http://www.oaaa.org/recession101.aspx
Bible
stories illustrated from LEGO blocks
http://www.thebricktestament.com/
All
links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply
endorsement by our church.
(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.)
Life
is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile at it.
Min. Frank
Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com
Thanks
for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
----------
CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of
announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other
information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for
welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
-----------
The
CONNECTIONS Team offers a variety of activities for men to
interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ
together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events
encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that
result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ.
Contact
Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, frank@frankcoleman.com
if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
Path Of Life Ministries is located at 6459 S. Campbell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60629.
Visit our website at:
http://www.pathoflifeministries.net/
----------
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