Connecting
man to man to God
For
week of April 11, 2010
Issue 299
The
Men’s Ministry newsletter of Path Of Life Ministries.
Our
mission is to lead men to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for
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“As
it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
CONSIDER
“Two
roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled
by, and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
INTERNET
P*RN A WIDE-RANGING PROBLEM, EVEN IN THE CHURCH
Long
before the surgeon general issued his 1964 report showing the
devastating harm of smoking, much of the nation viewed cigarettes
as fun and harmless, even cool.
A
new report says much of America today has a similar naive attitude
toward Internet p*rnography and that it needs to wake up and see
porn's destructive impact not only on individuals but also
marriages, children and society in general -- before it's too
late.
The
53-page report, called simply, "The Social Costs of
P*rnography," was released by The Witherspoon Institute in
Princeton, N.J., and was signed by more than 50 scholars from a
wide variety of backgrounds: conservatives and liberals, Democrats
and Republicans, atheists and Christians.
Gone
are the days, the report notes, when p*rn was the sole domain of
shady nightclubs, dark alleys and adult theaters. Today, p*rn is
easily accessible and affordable, and -- with most Americans
having a computer -- its users can remain largely anonymous.
"[A]lthough
p*rnography has existed for millennia, never has it been as widely
available or used as it has been in recent years," the report
says. "... There is evidence that more people -- children,
adolescents, and adults -- are consuming pornography --
sporadically, inadvertently, or chronically -- than ever before."
.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32644
“Help
needed to fight p*rn's harmful impact”
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32645
“Reliance
on God leads to healing from p*rn”
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32646
“P*rn
& cell phones: protecting your kids”
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32647
THE RIGHT
CREDENTIALS
“At
one point, Gideon had rallied 32,000 men to fight with him against
the Midianites. But God told him, in effect, ‘You have too
many men for me to deliver the Midianites into their hands. Israel
would only take the credit away from me, saying, “My own
hand has delivered me.”’ So God pared them back to a
mere 300 men, less than 1% of the original army! The reason Gideon
succeeded was not because of who he was, but because of who was on
his side.
“If
you feel that you do not have the right credentials to do what God
has asked of you, you are probably right. But if God has called
your name, he will be with you. He may even send an angel to give
you a vision for who you really are: a mighty warrior determined
to do God’s will, to take great risks, and to make the
necessary sacrifices in his service.
“Lord,
you know how weak I really am. I ask you to make my weakness raw
material for your grace. Your power is made perfect in weakness
such as mine. Thank you that you choose the foolish things of this
world to confound the wise. Do great things in me, and then take
your glory, Lord.”
Ann Spangler, Into the Word
MISGUIDED
CHRISTIAN OUTRAGE
by
Russell Moore
Christians
mean well. They don't want to see the gospel disrespected. But
there's something parabolic here, I think. It's the same sort of
thing we see when Stephen Colbert interviews a US Congressman who
wants to legislate the Ten Commandments in federal courthouses but
can't name them. We'd almost rather have the affirmation than the
revelation.
Why
are we so desperate to see "God" affirmed by the outside
culture, even when the "God" they're talking about more
closely resembles Zeus (or, as in this case, Lucifer) than Yahweh?
When we reach this point of perpetual outrage, are we closer to
identity politics than gospel proclamation? I'm afraid so.
Could
it be that the problem is we really want the reassurance that
we're "normal"? We'd like a shout-out in our pop culture
and our political speeches to signify that we're acceptable, that
Christianity isn't really all that freakish. But, if that happens,
apart from submission to the Cross, is it really Christianity
anymore (Jas. 4:4).
What
if, instead, we loved the world the way God does (Jn. 3:16), and
not the way the satanic powers ask us to? What if we loved the
world through verbal proclamation and self-sacrificial giving, not
by seeking product placement for the Trinity? Rather than
expecting our politicians and musicians and actors to placate us
with platitudes to some generic god, let's work with them where we
can on "doing good to all people" (Gal. 6:10). Let's
proclaim the God of a crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus. And
let's teach our kids and our converts the actual content of the
biblical revelation.
That
project is more difficult than signing Facebook petitions. But
it's more Christian than pouting when our culture mavens misspell
"Elohim" on the golden calves we've asked them to make
for us.
http://theresurgence.com/misguided_christian_outrage
'INTERNET
MONK' DIES
Michael
Spencer, who also went by iMonk or Internet Monk, died April 5,
shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Christianity Today’s
Mark Galli and Spencer discussed "the coming evangelical
collapse" last year. Here’s a portion of that article:
The
Internet is abuzz with the latest prognostications about "the
coming evangelical collapse." This is the substance of three
blog posts over at Internet Monk
(http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-original-coming-evangelical-collapse-posts)
(a.k.a. Michael Spencer), who predicts said collapse in ten years.
When his thoughts got picked up and condensed by the Christian
Science Monitor and then the Drudge Report -- well, you can just
imagine the electronic excitement.
The
title of Spencer's posts spoils the ending; still, many of the
details are interesting. I've made many of the same observations
in this column. For example, Spencer writes, "Expect
evangelicalism as a whole to look more and more like the
pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth-oriented megachurches that
have defined success. The determination to follow in the
methodological steps of numerically successful churches will be
greater than ever. The result will be, in the main, a departure
from doctrine to more and more emphasis on relevance, motivation
and personal success." My only caveat here is to wonder if
this is a future or present reality.
Some
predictions I warm up to because of my own biases, but in the end,
they don't seem to be founded on anything substantive. For
example, "Two of the beneficiaries of the coming evangelical
collapse will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions.
Evangelicals have been steadily entering these churches in recent
decades and that trend will continue." Spencer might have
added Anglicanism as a beneficiary. As an Anglican, I wish it were
true. But in my experience, the number of evangelicals entering
these communions is not as great as those leaving these communions
for evangelical faith. I don't know of any studies that have, or
even can, measure this phenomenon accurately. So we might have to
simply debate our impressions.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/marchweb-only/110-31.0.html
2010 NBA
PLAYOFFS
The
2010 NBA Playoffs is the postseason for the National Basketball
Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs start on April
17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in
the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NBA_Playoffs
DON MEYER
RECEIVES 2010 JOHN WOODEN KEYS TO LIFE AWARD
Recently
retired Northern State Coach Don Meyer was presented with the 2010
John Wooden Keys to Life Award April 3 for his “exceptional
moral character, integrity, and faith.”
Established
by Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in
1998, the Keys to Life Award honors athletes who model the
characteristics of UCLA Men’s Basketball coaching legend
John Wooden, whose legacy reflects the life-long pursuit of a
creed his father gave him at age 12, entitled “Keys to
Life.”
Meyer,
the all-time leader in coaching wins in NCAA men's basketball
history, was presented with this year’s award during the
Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast, which today stands as one of
the premier events during the NCAA Final Four weekend.... Read
this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100405/don-meyer-receives-2010-john-wooden-keys-to-life-award/index.html
MORE THAN
1,200 THOMAS NELSON TITLES AND MORE THAN 1,000 ZONDERVAN TITLES
NOW AVAILABLE ON THE APPLE iPAD
Thomas
Nelson has entered into an agreement with Apple® to sell its
ebooks through Apple’s new iBookstore. With the launch of
iBookstore, iPad customers can download the free iBooks app and
begin to browse, buy, and read more than 1,200 titles from Thomas
Nelson.
Michael
Hyatt, Thomas Nelson CEO, commented, “We are extremely
pleased that Thomas Nelson has the largest collection of
inspirational titles available on such a revolutionary reading
device.”
Also,
Zondervan will have more than 1,000 titles available for download
from all product groups and plans to release all its future ebooks
in an iPad version, working to release more than 150 additional
books in the next three months.
To
celebrate, Zondervan is launching a social media campaign giving
away 50 $10 iTunes gift cards for use in the iBookstore through
Twitter and Facebook.
http://www.cbanews.org/article.php?id=1425
ABUNDANCE
AND CHOICE
by
Martin E. Marty
The
topic: Choice in Religion. It takes off from Evan Goldstein’s
long article “To Choose or Not to Choose” in the
Chronicle of Higher Education, which I commend to you, because it
deals with unfinished business on the “choice” front.
Goldstein
portrays Sikh-nurtured, Columbia psychology professor Sheena
Iyengar, who, incidentally, is blind, but who has seen something
that many overlooked and may still question. Her thesis: While we
cherish choice in supermarkets, commodities in general, and even
in religious and spiritual life, an abundance of options does not
necessarily yield happiness. “In 1949 a typical American
supermarket carried 3,750 items. Today that number is close to
45,000.” Yet Americans are grumpy. Illustrations of her
thesis are abundant in Goldstein’s article, so I had to
“choose” which to lift. I passed over many more,
unhappily, to get to the religious point, which is relevant
here.... Read this in full at
http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2010/0405.shtml
GOING
UNDERCOVER AMONG EVANGELICALS
The
divide between the religious and nonreligious is a wide one --
even more so in America, where Christianity and politics are so
often intertwined. Atheist Gina Welch wanted to bridge that gap.
So she went undercover for two years, joining a megachurch and
revealing her nonbeliever status to no one. She eventually became
a true part of the community, even going on a mission trip with
people she now considers friends. Welch details her journey in a
new book, In the Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary
Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. She talked with
TIME about pastor Jerry Falwell and why even atheists can respect
Christian evangelism.
Q:
Were you surprised at how you came to be part of the evangelical
world?
A:
It's very easy to roll your eyes at the whole culture if you don't
have any stake in anyone participating in it. Once I developed
friendships with people whom I cared about, it was easier for me
to see the appeal. It's no accident that evangelical Christianity
is as popular as it is. I even came to enjoy listening to sermons
from Jerry Falwell, whose politics I was [initially] allergic to.
The emotional, intoxicating experience of being at church and
hearing that music, and the whole structure of a Sunday service,
was moving to me. And I don't believe in God.
Q:
Did you have any misconceptions that got reversed?
A:
Evangelism seemed invasive to me. I thought of it as an
imperialistic arrogance -- that they wanted to overpower people.
My experience with evangelism was something very different. They
felt that they could do something about the eternal suffering of
others. I came to see evangelism instead as a kind of empathy.
That made me feel like there was something in it I could
respect.... Read this interview in full at
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1977701,00.html
DO NOT
QUENCH THE SPIRIT
“In
the flow of the Spirit, it actually requires more mental
gymnastics to walk down the wrong path than to walk down the right
one. We disguise most of these gymnastics from ourselves, but they
are there all the same. The first thing we must do if we are going
to give in to temptation is wrapped up in the single word quench.
“God
will never lead us to manage a desire in a sinful way. If I want
to walk down the wrong road, I must begin by silencing God's
divine voice within me. I must be careful not to pray about this
desire with a submitted spirit. I must make sure I don't talk
about this desire with wise friends who will hold me accountable.
I must make sure I don't look carefully at passages of Scripture
on the subject and reflect on them. I must do all these things
without recognizing I am doing them. I must keep myself in a state
of spiritual and mental vagueness where God is concerned.
“Do
not quench the Spirit,” Paul says. Any time I have a desire,
the Spirit will prompt me to set it before God and ask the
question, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do with this?’
Or I can simply ask regarding any course of behavior, ‘If I
walk down this road, where will it lead in the long run -- toward
or away from the me I want to be?’
John Ortberg, The Me
I Want To Be
7 WAYS TO
LIVE OUT RESURRECTION DAY EVERY DAY
by
Laura MacCorkle
According
to the calendar, Resurrection Day (Easter Sunday) happens just
once a year. But it’s something we would do well in
observing every day of our lives.
The
culmination of Holy Week, Resurrection Day unites believers the
world over, in celebration of a risen Christ who died for our sins
and triumphed over death. For this we rejoice, because we have a
hope. We have a future. And we will live with our Lord for
eternity. So why then, during the other 364 days, don’t we
live like we know and believe this with our whole hearts?
With
1 Corinthians 15:56-58 as our guide, we can learn to live out
every day in light of Resurrection Day. Here are seven ways to get
started:
*
Recognize your sin for what it is.
*
Keep a proper perspective of your state.
*
Give thanks where it is due ... to God!
*
Worship the One who saved you.
*
Keep your focus and don’t waiver.
*
Put God first and give him your all.
*
Be heavenly minded while on earth.
....
Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11570681/
LILY
FARMERS RACE THE CLOCK TOWARD EASTER
In
the year 2011, Easter Sunday falls on April 24. To the untrained
eye, the graceful lilies that arrive on church altars each year on
Easter Sunday are a familiar symbol of resurrection and renewal.
Like poinsettias on Christmas, it just wouldn't be Easter without
them.
But
for the people who get them there -- on a date that shifts from
year to year -- getting the trumpet-shaped flowers to bloom on cue
takes months of just-right gardening, mathematical deduction and
extreme diligence.
"It
is by far the most complicated, single thing that happens in the
floricultural industry," said William B. Miller, professor of
horticulture at Cornell University.
"Valentine's
Day -- same day every year. Christmas Day -- same day every year.
No problem. ... It's extremely complicated and Easter lily growers
really do have to keep very close track of this stuff. They have
to very much manage their crop."
Researchers
like Miller have drawn up schedules for greenhouses with how-to
instructions specific to the date Easter arrives in a given year,
chronicling the steps once lily bulbs arrive in mid-October from
bulb growers on the West Coast.
Week
by week, the guidelines suggest the exact period for cooling the
bulbs (six weeks), best greenhouse temperatures (somewhere in the
60s) and how long the buds should be at various points in the
growing process.
Temperature
is the secret to getting an Easter lily to bloom on time, said
Norman White, owner of White's Nursery and Greenhouses in
Chesapeake, Va., who has grown lilies for about 40 years.... Read
this in full at
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/04/lily-farmers-race-the-clock-to.php
HOBBY
LOBBY BUYS ADS NATIONWIDE TO EXPLAIN EASTER
A
nationwide business chain bought full-page ads in newspapers
across the United States to explain the true meaning of Easter.
Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts store with 435 locations in 35
states, has taken out full-page ads in every city that the company
has a store in. The Christian-owned company estimates it has
bought about 300 ads that appeared in newspapers Easter Sunday
nationwide.
“We
just need people to know what this season is about,” said
David Green, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, in an interview with
American Family Association. “It is about the death and
resurrection of Christ and we just feel we need to proclaim that
and not lose this season to the Easter bunnies.”
Hobby
Lobby has been placing full-page ads in newspapers nationwide for
Easter and Christmas since 1997.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100404/hobby-lobby-buys-ads-nationwide-to-explain-easter/index.html
NATIONAL
BIBLE MUSEUM EYES DALLAS AS POTENTIAL HOME
A
yet-to-be-opened Bible museum that has already acquired rare
artifacts is considering making Dallas its home.
Johnny
Shipman, the National Bible Museum’s chief executive
officer, said the group is currently negotiating to buy a site in
Dallas but is still open to other locations. Shipman told The
Dallas Morning News that his group is looking for a location near
downtown that is at least 300,000 square feet with a large parking
space.
The
group did not divulge details on what other cities it was
considering for the museum. Wherever its location, the museum will
be home to rare Bibles and manuscripts obtained by the
Oklahoma-based national arts and crafts chain, Hobby Lobby.
Christian
businessman Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, said his family
agreed about four years ago to help with the Bible Museum and
started acquiring artifacts about a year ago.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100402/national-bible-museum-eyes-dallas-as-potential-site/index.html
TOP 10
SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD'S OLDEST BIBLE
On
July 6, 2009, the world's oldest Bible went digital. The 4th
century Codex Sinaiticus manuscript ("the Sinai Book")
is one of the most important texts in Christianity, dating to the
time of Constantine the Great. Thanks to the Codex Sinaiticus
Project, you can now see and read its raw animal-hide pages
online. The photographs of the book's pages show not just the
written text -- an English translation accompanies the original
Greek -- but also skeletal imprints, insect bites, scar tissue,
and spilled candle wax. At nearly 800 pages, Sinaiticus is the
largest edition of an ancient manuscript ever to hit the Web....
Read this in full at
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910141_1910142,00.html
IS THE
MEANING OF EASTER BEING LOST?
Just
as Christmas for many has become less about the miracle of the
virgin birth, Easter may be losing its connection to the
resurrection.
Fewer
than half of Americans mentioned Jesus' death and resurrection
when asked about the significance of Easter, according to a survey
released last month by Christian researchers the Barna Group.
At
the same time, the National Retail Federation reported prior to
Easter that Americans would spend more than $13 billion on the
holiday for food, clothes, candy, and greeting cards.
Although
the holiday is meant to be the central celebration of the church,
disassociating Easter from the biblical narrative of the
resurrection or seeing it in symbolic terms makes Christianity
“safer” for con-temporary churchgoers, some local
Christian leaders say.
“Jesus
is very challenging. To encounter him is existentially
challenging. It can be scary and uncomfortable,” said Jeremy
Wilkins, assistant professor of systematic theology at St. Mary's
Seminary in Houston. “There is a strong pressure in our
culture to reinterpret (the resurrection) or explain it or not to
deal with it as the mighty and miraculous thing that it was.”
.... Read this in full at
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/6942155.html
OBAMA
BARES HIS SOUL AT EASTER EVENT
President
Obama bared his soul before a cross section of Christian leaders
at a White House Easter breakfast on April 6, where he spoke
publicly of his faith in redemption through Jesus in his most
personal terms since becoming president.
Addressing
his “brothers and sisters in Christ” among the nearly
90 pastors, community activists, and bishops in attendance, Obama
spoke of “our risen savior” and the inspiration he
takes from Christ’s resurrection.
“We
are awed by the grace he showed even to those who would have
killed him,” Obama said, pausing occasionally to glance at
written notes. “We are thankful for the sacrifice he gave
for the sins of humanity. And we glory in the promise of
redemption in the resurrection.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/obama_bares_his_soul_at_easter_event/
THE
RELIGION BEAT: FRESH INSIGHTS INTO TIMELESS TOPICS
by
Anders Gyllenhaal
As
much of the world stepped away from the workplace for Holy Week
and Passover, Miami Herald religion writer Jaweed Kaleem has been
at his busiest.
It
began with his fascinating piece on the luxury Seders flourishing
across South Florida. It ended with a front-page story on how the
earthquake is bringing a kind of resurgence to South Florida's
largest Haitian Catholic church.
In
between, he has done dozens of interviews to deliver on one of the
trickiest assignments on the religion beat: offering a fresh view
on holidays that are by nature unchanging, built around traditions
that date back thousands of years.
Easter
Sunday is a good time to recognize the unique role a religion
writer plays at the paper. With much of the news focused on the
fleeting events of the day, this is a beat that delves into our
deepest topics.
“You
know how you don't talk about religion or politics at the dinner
table?” said Jaweed, whom everyone calls JD. “For a
religion writer, your job is to ask about anything that you want
to know. And people open up, about how they feel about their
religion, about their churches and temples. It gets very
personal.”
When
a string of churches and schools in the Miami Archdiocese closed
this year, JD was swamped with testimonials on those institutions.
“I was getting letters and phone calls from people. They
said, ‘This is more than a church. This is my life,’”
he said.
The
religion reporter's role is to keep up with the news at the same
time as he watches the hidden currents that tend to carry the most
interesting stories.... Read this in full at
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/04/1561283/the-religion-beat-fresh-insights.html
THE
MONASTIC LIFE
Monasteries
stand in contrast to the prevailing culture. They value community
over competition, service over self-interest, and in a world of
Internet, cell phones, and 24-hour talk, they stress listening and
silence. It’s a way of life. It’s an absence of noise
and clutter to be in the presence of God. Monastic life is a life
of living together in prayer and community. View this video report
at
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/march-12-2010/the-monastic-life/5849/
DOCUMENTARY
MAKERS WARN VIEWERS TO ‘BEWARE OF CHRISTIANS’
Will
Bakke, director and executive producer of Beware of Christians,
recognizes the provocative title of his new documentary will raise
some eyebrows. He hopes it also will raise consciousness about
what radical commitment to Christ really means.
“The
idea is to beware of Christians like us who never really have
known what it means to follow Christ,” said Bakke, a senior
film major at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
In
Beware of Christians, the story centers primarily on
self-discovery -- the story of four college guys who grew up in
Texas seeking answers to their own questions about what being a
Christian means.
In
the process, the four students -- one from Baylor, two from Texas
A&M University and one from Georgetown University in
Washington -- candidly explore how a commitment to Christ affects
attitudes about matters such as sex, alcohol, materialism, and
media.
To
“get beyond churchy answers” and deal with those
issues honestly, Bakke believed he and his friends needed a
temporary escape from the comfortable cultural Christianity of
Bible Belt America.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5026/53/
See
http://bewareofchristians.com/
FILM
PROBES AMERICANS' IMAGES OF GOD
On
the big screen of the movies, God has been played by everyone from
George Burns ("Oh, God!") to Alanis Morissette ("Dogma")
to Morgan Freeman ("Bruce Almighty").
On
the small screen of people's imaginations, God frequently looks
like an old man in the clouds, like something out of "The
Simpsons." Or Kenny Rogers. Or more ambiguous terms like
creator, energy, love or nature.
That's
how some Americans described their image of God in a small
independent documentary titled "God in the Box."
"I
really wanted to be able to look behind people's eyes and see what
God looks like to them and what God means to them," said
filmmaker Nathan Lang. "They're not leaving novels about
their feelings, they're leaving just snapshots."
Lang's
four-man crew traveled across the country for three years with a
phone-booth-sized black box that they set up on street corners.
The hope was that people would feel comfortable enough in the
anonymity of the box to share their thoughts and visions of God.
The
documentary, still in the final editing stage, hasn't been
publicly released, but Lang hopes to take the film on the film
festival circuit. Until then, he's showing it at synagogues,
churches, mosques, and community centers and anywhere people want
to see it.... Read this in full at
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=15835
See
the trailer at
http://www.godinthebox.com/
ASTEROIDS,
STARS, AND THE LOVE OF GOD: TWO ASTRONOMERS AND THEIR FAITH
The
radio program Speaking of Faith explores life, faith, and the
universe with two astronomers who study the composition of
meteorites and the life and death of stars. Brother Guy
Consolmagno is curator of meteorites at the Vatican Observatory.
Father George Coyne is director emeritus and president of the
Vatican Observatory Foundation. They are both Jesuits, and both
have asteroids named after them.... Read this in full at
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2010/asteroids/
IRAQI
CHRISTIANS UNDER FIRE
The
campaign of violence against Christians is one of the most
under-reported stories of Iraq since the invasion of 2003. And it
could change the country's character in a fundamental way; by the
time the dust finally settles on the chaotic current chapter of
Iraq's history, the Christian community may have disappeared
altogether – after 2,000 years as a significant presence....
Read this in full at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7550048/Iraqi-Christians-under-fire.html
VERSE TO
PONDER
"I
love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress
and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18:1-2
CONSIDER
“Reflect
upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your
past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
Charles
Dickens
PASTOR
CALLS CHRISTIAN ATHEISTS TO SHED HYPOCRISY
Pastor
Craig Groeschel is a recovering Christian Atheist. He may have
called himself a Christian all his life, but he didn't always live
as if God existed. It's a struggle he's had both as a layman and
as a pastor (of one of the fastest growing and largest churches in
the country). And it's a struggle he wants to help millions of
so-called Christians to overcome.
Christian
Atheists are everywhere, Groeschel, who leads LifeChurch.tv,
writes in his newly released book, The Christian Atheist. They
attend church and seminaries and some even read their Bibles
everyday. "Many of us look the part," the Edmond, Okla.,
pastor says. "Or we think we're Christian because, you know,
it's not like we're Buddhists. We believe in God, but our lives
don't reflect who he really is." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100407/pastor-calls-christian-atheists-to-shed-hypocrisy/index.html
INDEPENDENT
DOCUMENTARY GETS TO THE HEART OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS
Are
government rules against proselytizing preventing military
chaplains from praying in accordance with their faiths? Or are
chaplains violating the Constitution, viewing troops as
"low-hanging fruit," ripe for conversion? A new
documentary, "Chaplains Under Fire"
(http://www.chaplainsunderfire.com)
goes behind the contradictory headlines to the heart of what
chaplains do and the church-state tensions they face.
Filmmakers
Lee Lawrence and Terry Nickelson spent three months with military
units in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We selected stories
illustrating the stresses that troops experience," Mr.
Nickelson says, "from the boredom of routine duties to the
rush of night patrols, and the guilt-laced grief over losing a
buddy in combat or to suicide."
They
also follow chaplains as they minister to wounded troops from
battlefield medevacs to hospitals in theater, Germany, and the
U.S.; they visit families, including chaplains' families, to
record the strains they cope with during their spouses'
deployment. "And don't forget the toll chaplains' work takes
on the chaplains themselves," Ms Lawrence says.... Read this
in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/independent_documentary_gets_to_the_heart_of_military_chaplains/
WHERE TO
WORSHIP? CHURCH REVIEWS GO ONLINE
As
a military wife, Melissa Hager has to find a new church every time
her husband is reassigned. While she's skilled at unpacking boxes,
the church quest isn't as easy.
For
people settling into a new community, reading online church
reviews can make the transition a little less stressful.
"When
you move to a town, you have a whole list -- new pediatrician, new
dentist, new play group, new friends, new hairstylist, and new
church is on that list," says Hager. "And if I can get
some insight on that online, it makes my life easier."
A
few months ago, Hager and her family moved to a suburb of Tucson,
Ariz. "We're churchgoers. That gives us an instant built-in
family when we are, in actuality, strangers in this new town,"
Hager says.
Instead
of relying on trial and error, Hager visited a website called
Churchrater.com. Co-founder Tyler Mahoney wanted to create a site
that made choosing a church less overwhelming. But he needed to
set a few ground rules.... Read this in full at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125394718&ft=1&f=1016
DAILY
GRIND
“Integrity,
whether at work or at home, is not the sort of thing you work on
every now and then. You don't set aside one day a month to work on
your integrity much like you might pay your bills. It's something
we have to address almost 24/7 because of the insidious nature of
dishonesty, which always presents us with small, seemingly
insignificant openings. Few people actually decide to outright lie
or cheat; rather, they find themselves taking shortcuts out of
convenience. I read somewhere that according to a company that
conducted 3.8 million background checks on people applying for
jobs, more than half lied on their resumes.4 These aren't horrible
people or chronic liars but ordinary citizens like you and me who
think those little white lies are okay and will never be caught
anyway. Unfortunately, even if they are never caught, they erode
our standards and make it easier to make duplicity the norm.
“In
1912, Leon Leonwood Bean started a mail order business in
Greenwood, Maine, by selling a hunting boot with a money-back
guarantee. However, defects in the design led to 90 percent of
them being returned. Making good on the guarantee could ruin his
fledgling business, but Leon kept his word, corrected the design,
and continued selling the boots. L.L. Bean is now one of the
largest mail-order companies in the United States, in large part
because it has continued the tradition of treating its customers
with integrity.
“Being
a man of your word is not always easy, and like Leon Bean, you
will make mistakes along the way. But if you treat your wife and
loved ones the way Mr. Bean treated his customers, you will enjoy
a long and fruitful relationship with them as they realize that
you love them enough.”
Louis Upkins Jr., Treat Me Like a
Customer
BENDING
YOGA TO FIT THEIR WORSHIP NEEDS
Christian
pop music played quietly in the background as instructor Bryan
Brock led a recent yoga class at the nondenominational Church at
Rocky Peak in Chatsworth.
Incorporating
prayer and readings from the Bible, Brock urged his class of about
20 students to find strength in their connection to their creator
through yoga's deep, controlled breathing. "The goal of
Christian yoga is to open ourselves up to God," he said. "It
allows us to blur the line between the physical and the
spiritual."
The
instructor then recited the Lord's Prayer while his students moved
slowly through a series of postures known as the sun salutation.
Such
hybrid classes, which combine yoga practice with elements of
Christianity or Judaism, appear to be growing in popularity across
Southern California and elsewhere.... Read this in full at
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs-yoga5-2010apr05,0,1068344,full.story
SOME
CHRISTIANS SUSPICIOUS OF GOING GREEN
For
some evangelicals, the reasons to be suspicious of
environmentalism are complex. One appears to be that
environmentalism can be perceived as idolatry because it suggests
worshiping creation rather than its creator. Other reasons appear
to center on politics and a distrust of science.... Read this in
full at
http://www.gazette.com/articles/going-96438-green-creation.html
VATICAN
POSTS 142 YEARS OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS ONLINE
The
Vatican has posted online 142 years of documents, from Pope Pius
IX to Benedict XVI, including unofficial texts relating to the
period during the Second World War.
The
official site of the Holy See (http://www.vatican.va)
is offering access to the documents from the resource library,
including papers of popes and of the Roman Curia, from 1865 until
2007.
Beginning
with Pius IX, who served for almost 32 years in the 19th century,
the official Vatican documents had been published on what are
known as “Acta Sanctae Sedis” (Acts of the Holy
See).... Read this in full at
http://ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=15875
CHRISTIAN
RADIO STATION ON AIR IN IRAQ
The
first Christian radio station broadcasting hymns and Bible
readings went on the air in the southern Iraqi province of Basra,
city officials said. The minority Christian community in Iraq has
faced violent suppression in the past, with much of the population
displaced by violence, mostly in the north.
Saad
Matti Petros, who leads the committee for minority affairs on the
Basra city council, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Iraqi
bureau that the station does not have a certain ideology, adding
the director of the station signed a statement pledging to respect
other religions.
The
Voice of the New Testament went on air in Basra province from
offices at the Basra National Evangelical Church. Ahmad
al-Sulayti, the deputy head of the Basra city council, said city
leaders gave the station immediate permission to start
broadcasting. "We consider this a big achievement in the new
Iraq," he said. "It proves there is an opening to all
the other cultures" in the country.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/04/07/Christian-radio-station-on-air-in-Iraq/UPI-40731270659022/
PREPARE A
HEART-ATTACK/HEALTH "EMERGENCY KIT"
Special
from Bottom Line/Retirement
What
it should contain: A bottle of uncoated aspirin... a contact list
of your physicians and key family members and friends as well as
the hospital to go to in an emergency... a list of medications you
are currently taking... notes on any allergies or adverse
reactions to medications... medical-insurance plan information and
the procedures to follow for using your hospital of choice. Make
sure your family members know where you keep the "kit"
in the event that they need it in an emergency when you are
disabled.
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=46715
SLEEP
APNEA BOOSTS STROKE RISK, ESPECIALLY FOR MEN
Obstructive
sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops intermittently
during sleep -- is associated with an increased risk of stroke in
middle-aged or older Americans, especially in men, according to a
new study out of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical
Care Medicine. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 18
million people in the US suffer from sleep apnea and many of them
don't know it.
Researchers
compiled data from the famous Sleep Heart Health Study and looked
at stroke risk in 5,422 participants aged 40 years and older
without a history of stroke. At the start of the study,
participants performed a standard at-home sleep test that
determined whether they had sleep apnea and, if so, the severity
of the sleep apnea. Participants were followed for an average of
nine years. During that period, a total of 193 participants had a
stroke -- 85 men (of 2,462 men enrolled) and 108 women (out of
2,960 enrolled).... Read this in full at
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/08/sleep-apnea-boosts-stroke-risk/
CONSIDER
“Art
-- if it is to be reckoned as one of the great values of life --
must teach men humility, tolerance, wisdom, and magnanimity. The
value of art is not beauty, but right action.”
W.
Somerset Maugham (1874-1965)
VERSE TO
PONDER
"Let
those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his
faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked."
Psalm 97:10
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: CHRIST IS RISEN! HALLELUJAH!
Words:
John S. B. Monsell, 1863
Music:
Frederick Maker, 1881
Christ
is risen! Hallelujah!
Risen
our victorious Head!
Sing
His praises! Hallelujah!
Christ
is risen from the dead!
Gratefully
our hearts adore Him,
As
His light once more appears,
Bowing
down in joy before Him,
Rising
up from grief and tears,
Christ
is risen! Hallelujah!
Risen
our victorious Head!
Sing
His praises! Hallelujah!
Christ
is risen from the dead!
Christ
is risen! all the sadness
Of
His earthly life is o’er,
Through
the open gates of gladness
He
returns to life once more;
Death
and hell before Him bending,
He
doth rise, the Victor now,
Angels
on His steps attending,
Glory
round His wounded brow.
Christ
is risen! all the sadness
Of
His earthly life is o’er,
Through
the open gates of gladness
He
returns to life once more.
Christ
is risen! henceforth never
Death
or hell shall us enthrall;
We
are Christ’s, in Him forever
We
have triumphed over all;
All
the doubting and dejection
Of
our trembling hearts have ceased,
’Tis
His day of resurrection!
Let
us rise and keep the feast.
Christ
is risen! henceforth never
Death
or hell shall us enthrall;
We
are Christ’s, in Him forever
We
have triumphed over all.
>from
NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/c/i/cirhallj.htm
ON PRAYER
“When
at night you cannot sleep, talk to the Shepherd and stop counting
sheep.”
Author Unknown
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.
Magician
showing laser magic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2U1ZsVkhiA
Monthly
series of satellite photos of Earth
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/satelliteeye
Earthquake
map
http://www.niceone.org/lab/quakes/
Paris
panorama
http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/paris.htm
100
Epic images from the Hubble space telescope
http://coolvibe.com/2009/100-epic-images-from-hubble-space-telescope/
Stunning
landscape photo
http://img15.nnm.ru/7/e/3/b/8/91c3663a6f16dca8026241512ff.jpg
All
links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply
endorsement by this ministry.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in
this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail
program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it
into a temporary email message. Then delete the return in the
middle of it and copy it again. Then paste it into your web
browser and hit enter.)
One
nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other
people.
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.net/
----------
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