Connecting
man to man to God
For
week of May 23, 2010
Issue 305
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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“Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
CONSIDER
“Life
is a voyage in which we choose neither vessel nor weather, but
much can be done in the management of the sails and the guidance
of the helm.”
Author Unknown
THE CHURCH
YEAR: PENTECOST
by
Dennis Bratcher
In
many churches, the season leading up to Pentecost Sunday is one of
the most neglected of the church calendar. Pentecost Sunday was
May 23, 2010.
Pentecost
was originally an Old Testament festival, since the time of
Josephus calculated as beginning on the fiftieth day after the
beginning of Passover. In the Christian calendar, it falls on the
seventh Sunday after Easter. It was called the Feast of Weeks
(Shavuot), and in the Old Testament was originally an agricultural
festival celebrating and giving thanks for the "first fruits"
of the early spring harvest (Lev 23, Exod 23, 34).
By
the early New Testament period, it had gradually lost its
association with agriculture and became associated with the
celebration of God’s creation of His people and their
religious history. By the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the
festival focused exclusively on God’s gracious gift of Torah
(the "Law") on Mount Sinai. It continues to be
celebrated in this manner in modern Judaism.
While
there are other references to Pentecost in the New Testament (e.g.
1 Cor 16:8), it is most significant in Acts 2 and the familiar
scene of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on those in the "upper
room." The New Testament writers associate the events of Acts
2 with Pentecost, and relate it to the prophecies of Joel 2 and
promises of Jesus (Acts 1:8). In both, the emphasis is on a
empowerment through the Holy Spirit to enable the people of God to
witness to Jesus the Christ.... Read this in full at
http://www.crivoice.org/cypentecost.html
TOTAL US
CHURCHES NO LONGER IN DECLINE, RESEARCHERS SAY
America
is not bleeding churches as fast as previously thought. According
to Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research, more churches are now planted
in the US than close each year. "[C]hurch planting is on the
mind of North American Christians at unprecedented levels,"
Stetzer wrote with researcher Warren Bird. Stetzer called church
planting the "it" thing right now after decades of
church decline. In "Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters
Become Movement Makers," Stetzer and Warren encouraged
Christians to move past the "don't we already have enough
churches?" mentality to a "passionate pursuit of the
lost." Other Christian leaders agreed. "The only way to
increase the number of Christians in a city is to plant thousands
of new churches," said Tim Keller, founding pastor of
Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.... Read this in
full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100513/total-us-churches-no-longer-in-decline-researchers-say/pageall.html
MORE THAN
1 MILLION INVITATIONS ANTICIPATED FOR NATIONAL 'BACK TO CHURCH
SUNDAY,' SET FOR SEPT. 12
Following
the huge turnout in churches across America last year for national
"Back To Church Sunday," expectations are even higher
for the 2010 event, set for Sept. 12.
National
"Back To Church Sunday" (www.backtochurch.com) is a
movement that seeks to reach the "un-churched" and
"de-churched" –- people who once attended church,
but don't any more -– and invite them to return for a
special Sunday. During the first event last year, hundreds of
churches across the country participated, with members inviting
more than 700,000 of their friends and family. According to a
survey of participants by Outreach, Inc., a Southern California
church marketing company, churches that took part saw a 19%
average increase in their weekend attendance.... Read this in full
at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/9332013933.html
CONGREGATION
PLEDGES $115 MILLION TO REVAMP FIRST BAPTIST OF DALLAS
Packed
tightly into the ornate, old sanctuary and spilling into overflow
areas to watch on TV, members of First Baptist Church of Dallas
heard the number Sunday that will guide them into the 21st
century: $115,062,000. Senior pastor Robert Jeffress announced the
pledge results during May 16th's service at First Baptist of
Dallas. That's the amount the congregation committed to contribute
over three years to rebuild and reshape the historic downtown
church, a record for a Protestant church in America, senior pastor
Robert Jeffress said, and a huge show of faith by the 3,200
members who attend on an average Sunday.
The
church's building committee will go through the project again over
the next two weeks, present plans to the board of deacons and,
finally, go before the congregation for approval at an all-church
business meeting June 6. Groundbreaking would be July 11, Jeffress
said, with construction completed in time for Easter services in
2013.
The
project, originally projected to cost $130 million, has been
tweaked to reduce costs. With builders eager for business, church
leaders say, $115 million should be enough. The church already has
$35 million in hand.
A
new 3,000-seat sanctuary stands as the centerpiece of the project,
along with a religious education building and parking garage, a
sweeping glass-fronted concourse and a sky bridge over St. Paul
Street. The revised campus will include an acre of green space and
a soaring fountain, topped by a towering cross, that can be used
for warm-weather baptisms.... Read this in full at
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/DN-firstbaptist_17met.ART.State.Edition2.f3fe974.html
IMITATE
JESUS
“Our
imitation of God in this life ... must be an imitation of God
incarnate: our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the
workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly
oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions.
For this, so strangely unlike anything we can attribute to the
Divine life in itself, is apparently not only like, but is, the
Divine life operating under human conditions.”
C.S. Lewis, from his book The Four Loves
TEN
MINUTES WITH MONET
by
Patrick Morley
My
literary agent, Robert Wolgemuth, and I were in New York City on
business. When I go there, I try to take in the Monet Collection
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As we left for the airport, I
asked Robert if he wanted to catch the Monets.
He
was game, but we only had a few extra minutes. So we briskly
walked through the Monet Collection then hopped back into our
waiting cab.
You
can't really "get" Monet that way. Even if you see all
you want, it still isn't enough to really appreciate the depth
that's there.
It's
the same with the Bible. You can't really "get" the
Bible by hurriedly flipping through it. Even if a ten or twenty
minute "quiet time" gives you all you want, it still
isn't enough.
The
concept of a quiet time is an ill-advised accommodation to men who
live in an overly busy culture. It's good to do, but not if it's
the only thing they do. It will dumb you down. Frankly, I find
reading the Bible for ten minutes is like eating one potato
chip.... Read this in full at
http://www.maninthemirror.org/weeklybriefing/wb373.htm
POLL: MORE
AMERICANS SAY US MORALITY GETTING WORSE
More
Americans believe moral values in the United States are getting
worse, according to a new Gallup Poll. The Gallup’s annual
poll on moral values found 76% of Americans said moral values in
the country are getting worse, up 5% from last year. This year’s
rise marked the second highest one-year increase in nine years. In
2004, 77% of Americans said moral values were getting worse,
marking a 10 percentage rise from the previous year.
Opinions
about moral values in the country tend to stay relatively stable
between years. The highest figure was in 2007 at 82%.
Respondents
most often cited declining moral values/standards and disrespect
of others (both at 15%) as ways they see moral values in the US
getting worse. The open-ended question also found popular
responses to be: parents not instilling values in children (8%);
dishonesty among government, business leaders (8%); and rising
crime and violence (8%).
Others
said the moral value decline can be seen in people moving away
from religion, church and God (7%), the breakdown of family and
unwed mothers (7%), and sex, promiscuity, and pornography (5%)....
Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100517/pollmore-americans-say-us-morality-getting-worse/index.html
DROP A
HINT
Father’s
Day is June 20, 2010.
MEMORIAL
SERVICE FOR BILL PEARCE, GIFTED MUSICIAN AND PIONEERING RADIO
BROADCASTER
by
Stephen Boalt
My
friend Bill Pearce went to be with the Lord on February 22, 2010
at age 83 from complications of Parkinson's disease.
On
Saturday, May 22, 2010 loved ones and friends gathered at the
Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. The service was held in the
auditorium of the Alumni Student Center, 821 North Wells Street,
Chicago, IL, from 1 to 3 o'clock PM. This service was a joyous
time of celebration as Bill was remembered through song,
testimonials, and video presentations.
I
first knew Bill as a staff announcer and musician on WMBI when I
was a student at MBI in the spring of 1957 living on the 4th floor
of Norton Hall. Later hosting his own music programs, along with
the daily duet music shows with Dick Anthony were cutting edge and
way ahead of their time. Then the record albums with Dick Anthony,
the Melody Four Quartet, the 16 Singing Men and numerous solo
trombone and vocal albums with full orchestral arrangements by
Paul Mickelson, Kurt Kaiser, Larry Mayfield, Otis Skillings and
others filled my home with glorious, Christ honoring music. I own
every album these men ever did!.... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2010/s10050091.htm
The
Bill Pearce ministry website:
www.nightsoundsradio.org
Bill
Pearce obituary:
http://www.neeldfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/NeeldF1/obit.cgi?user=174832Pearce
A
wonderful video tribute to Bill Pearce by Dick Anthony:
http://www.vimeo.com/11641445
A
terrific interview of Bill Pearce by Douglas Yeo, the bass
trombonist from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who will be the
featured guest at Bill’s Memorial Service 5/22/10:
www.trombone.org/articles/library/pearce-int.asp
HIS
GREATEST DESIRE
“How
many people are in heaven? Have you ever wondered? Only God knows
how many people are in heaven now and how many will be in heaven
for all eternity.
“His
assurance for you in this Scripture passage is that Jesus, God the
Son, not only is preparing a place for you in heaven, but also
will come back and take you to that place with him.
“The
important thing is to know that God loves you and he has provided
a way for you to be in heaven. His greatest desire is for you to
have a relationship with him forever. If you have received Jesus
as your Lord and Savior, you are going to be there, and you need
to tell others how they can be sure they will be there too.”
André K. Dugger, from the book
Dear God
REFERENCES
TO GOD BANNED FROM CLASSROOM
A
San Diego high school math teacher was forced to remove two
posters from his classroom walls because they included the phrases
"In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God" and
"God Bless America."
A
federal judge said the Poway Unified School District was wrong to
order the removal of the posters, and now the school district is
appealing the judge's decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32962
NEW
CHRISTIAN SOCIAL WEBSITE COMBINES FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE
APPLICATIONS ALL IN ONE NETWORK
Think
of it as a cross between Facebook and MySpace with a Christian
twist. It's MyBLAB.com.
www.MyBLAB.com
(acronym for "Be Linked as Believers") is a
non-apologetic, targeted community structured to bring Christians
and organizational ministries from every denomination and every
part of the world together online.
As
Facebook and MySpace continue to vie for the number one and number
two positions as the top social networking sites on the web,
MyBLAB.com is a newcomer to the social network crowd which has
quietly combined the best features of both Facebook and MySpace as
well as incorporating Twitter applications.
But
MyBLAB.com has an even greater mission in mind than becoming a
social networking empire. "Honestly, MyBLAB.com started out
as a social networking site to compete with Facebook and MySpace,"
says co-founder Chris Burkhart in a media release. "But I
really began to become convicted by God to make it into a
worldwide community for Christians. I didn't want to just add more
'noise' to the internet," Burkhart said.
"I
wanted the network to bring something positive into people's
lives. I grew up in the church as a preacher's kid and I had the
strong desire to create a worldwide community for believers to
interact with each other, encourage each other and just 'have
church' online." .... Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2010/s10050085.htm
'UNBELIEVING'
PASTORS?
A
study by Tufts University has called attention to the presence of
Protestant pastors who do not believe what they preach, something
the authors describe as a nearly "invisible phenomenon"
of "unbelieving clergy."
Ambiguity
regarding who is a believer in Jesus and who is a nonbeliever, the
report said, is a result of the pluralism that has been fostered
by many religious leaders for at least a century.
"God
is many different things to different people, and since we can't
know if one of these conceptions is the right one, we should honor
them all," the authors wrote in summarizing the pluralistic
view.
Rather
than relying on statistical evidence to point to a conclusion, the
study employs anecdotal stories of five ministers whose identities
have been obscured. Even the authors admit they couldn't draw any
reliable generalizations from such a small sample of clergy, but
what they found, they said, does deserve a closer look.... Read
this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32843
See
the report at
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/Non-Believing-Clergy.pdf
VERSE TO
PONDER
"The
fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’"
Psalms 14:1
CONSIDER
“Progress
towards maturity is not to be measured by victory over the sins we
are aware of, but by hatred of the sins which we had overlooked
and which we now see all too clearly.”
Arthur C. Custance
WATER:
FACTS ARE HEARTBREAKING
At
the next sight of clean water, consider:
--
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the
typical person living in a developing country's slum uses in a
whole day (United Nations Development Programme).
--
1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water,
roughly one in eight of the world's population. In Africa, two out
of five people lack clean water (World Health Organization/United
Nations International Children's Emergency Fund).
--
The average North American uses 158.5 gallons of water a day. The
average person in the developing world uses 2.6 – 5.2
gallons a day for drinking, washing and cooking (U.N. Human
Development Report) .... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32951
NEW BIBLE
TRANSLATIONS CLEAR UP CONFUSION IN PHILIPPINES
Sometimes
meaning gets lost in translation. Literally. For instance, an old
Cebuano Bible translation for the Philippines' second-largest
language group (16 million speakers) incorrectly refers to marital
sex using a word that refers to illicit sex, pakighilawas,
bringing a negative connotation to Bible passages that doesn't
exist in the original languages.
Because
the meaning of older Cebuano and Tagalog (22 million speakers)
translations often caused confusion, church leaders asked Biblica
to work on new Bible translations based on the same principles of
accuracy and modern language used by the New International
Version® (NIV®) of the Bible. It took 18 years to complete
these two translations, which are bringing God's Word in
contemporary language to the two largest people groups of the
Philippines.
On
May 3, 2010, Biblica celebrated the launch of the Cebuano and
Tagalog Bibles in Manila. Special guest and award-winning author
Philip Yancey joined Biblica International CEO Keith Danby, and
Biblica Asia Pacific Group Vice President Somporn Sirikolkarn for
the celebration.... Read this in full at
http://www.biblica.com/press_release/news.php?news_id=97
ADVENTURES
IN MISSIONS TO GIVE AWAY A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
Adventures
In Missions (AIM), an interdenominational missions organization,
is sending someone on an adventure of a lifetime -- a trip around
the world. The trip, valued at over $14,000, is a part of The
World Race.
The
World Race is a Christian mission trip that travels to 11
countries in 11 months. Participants live out of a backpack,
survive on a limited budget and find themselves in situations
where faith is the only reality to choose from.
In
partnering with existing missionaries and ministries, World Racers
develop relationships with locals in developing countries, and
through acts of service see communities and nations transformed
all over the world.
The
winner will be departing in October 2010 and will travel to 11
different countries, which include Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru,
Thailand, China, India, South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.
To
be eligible, individuals are asked to submit either a written or
video blog sharing their story and why they should go on the World
Race. Written blogs must be 500 words or less, and video blogs
must be 120 seconds or less.
Top
contestants' stories will be shared on the World Race Facebook
page (facebook.com/theworldrace), and the finalists will be
selected through peer voting via Facebook. A panel of AIM staff
will select the winner from among the finalists based on strength
of message, content, and creativity. For more information on the
application process, as well as terms and conditions, visit
http://www.theworldrace.org/giveaway
BEHIND THE
SCENES
“Sometimes
we figure out right away where God wants us to be so he can open
up a way for us we cannot open for ourselves. Other times, we get
the general idea of what God is after in our lives, but we don't
know the time or place we need to be so that we can watch him
divide our Red Seas. The encouraging thing about Bible stories is
that most of them make it clear that God is always at work behind
the scenes (even in the book of Esther, in which God is never
mentioned at all). Which means that if, like Paul, we are trying
to do God's will and take on a big challenge we believe he's set
before us, and we get mixed up about precisely what it is we're
supposed to be doing, we shouldn't worry. Eventually he'll get us
to where we need to be.
“When
things are right in God's eyes, often long after we thought they
were right in ours, he sends the dream, or the east wind to push
the waters back, or Jesus to raise the dead. The challenge has
been met and overcome, but in God's way and in God's power. We
think we can do it for ourselves. Then we find we can't. Then we
find God's way.”
Murray Andrew
Pura, from the book Streams
COURT
UPHOLDS MENTION OF 'GOD' IN PRESIDENTIAL OATH
A
federal appeals court ruled May 7 that a California atheist lacked
legal standing to strip the phrase "so help me God" from
the presidential oath of office.
Michael
Newdow, an activist who previously sued unsuccessfully to have
"under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance and
"In God We Trust" taken off United States coins and
currency, asked a district court to bar President Obama from
inviting two private ministers -- The Purpose Driven Life author
Rick Warren and civil-rights activist Joseph Lowery -- to lead
invocation and benediction prayers at his inauguration in 2009.
Newdow
also sought to prevent Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts
from asking Obama to repeat "so help me God" at the end
of his oath. The words are not part of the oath or affirmation
required by the Constitution, but a tradition of adding them
dates, by some accounts, to George Washington. Many historians are
skeptical of that claim, but the phrase has been used in unbroken
succession since Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first inauguration in
1933.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5131/53/
MARTY:
CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION DOESN’T MEAN OPPOSING RELIGION
Church-state
specialist Martin Marty said supporting strong separation of
church and state doesn’t mean you also have to oppose
religion in a series of lectures sponsored by a Baptist
religious-liberty organization April 27-28.
Marty’s
talks were presented as this year’s Shurden Lectures on
Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State, a series
sponsored by the Washington-based Baptist Joint Committee for
Religious Liberty. They were hosted this year by Samford
University in Birmingham, Ala.
Marty,
a respected interpreter of religion and culture and author of 50
books, has written and taught extensively on religious freedom.
“There
are strong impulses in society to say that you serve religion by
protecting and privileging it,” said Marty. But, he added,
there is a difference in protection and privilege. “There
are all kinds of ways to protect religion without privileging it,”
he said.
Marty
told how 18th-century French philosopher Charles Montesquieu --
who wrote that religion is more harmed than helped by favoritism
-- influenced the writers of the United States Constitution on
matters of separation of church and state.... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5110/53/
WHY
DIFFERENCES AMONG RELIGIONS MATTER
In
his new book, "God Is Not One," Stephen Prothero takes
issue with those who argue that religions are all just different
paths up the same mountain. Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
managing editor Kim Lawton spoke with Prothero about how religions
are different and why people, including adherents within each
religious tradition, need to acknowledge the importance of those
differences. See the video interview at
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/by-topic/literature/stephen-prothero-all-religions-are-not-the-same/6266/
CNN STARTS
RELIGION BLOG
The
CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest
stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment,
fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and
belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Dan Gilgoff and
Eric Marrapodi, with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide
newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and
author Stephen Prothero.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/
BILLY
GRAHAM: BACK FOR MORE?
He’s
already shared the Gospel with more than 215 million people in 185
countries, according to the evangelistic association bearing his
name, but it seems the Rev. Billy Graham - who's slowed down in
recent years - may have one more message to deliver.
While
appearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month for the
reopening of the Billy Graham Library, the Baptist preacher
indicated that he’d like to give another sermon, said
Graham’s spokesman A. Larry Ross.
“Despite
diminished energy and strength, at 91 years of age, Billy Graham
continues to have the heart of an evangelist and has expressed a
desire to preach a Gospel message one more time,” Ross said.
“While it is yet to be seen whether that vision will become
a reality, it is encouraging that he remains healthy, alert and
committed to his life-long calling.” .... Read this in full
at
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/18/billy-graham-back-for-more/
Also:
“Billy Graham wants to preach, but family unsure about
format”
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/18/1954796/billy-graham-wants-to-preach-but.html#ixzz0oMGJ8Znb
HUMOR IN
THE COMPUTER AGE <prepare rim shot>
What
is a computer's first sign of old age?
Loss
of memory
What
does a baby computer call his father?
Data
What
is an astronaut's favorite key on a computer keyboard?
The
space bar
What
happened when the computer fell on the floor?
It
slipped a disk
Why
was there a bug in the computer?
It
was looking for a byte to eat
What
is a computer virus?
A
terminal illness
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
INDIANAPOLIS
500
May
30
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_500
http://www.indy500.com/
2010 FIFA
WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA
June
11 – July 11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html
WORLD CUP:
200 BRAZILIAN VOLUNTEERS PLAN TO SHARE GOSPEL WITH PLAYERS,
TOURISTS
Brazilian
Baptists plan to share a Christian witness at the 2010 FIFA World
Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. For 20 days, 200 Brazilian
volunteers working with the 2010 African Connection Project will
conduct outreach activities among soccer enthusiasts at the
tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 11.
The
Brazilian Baptist Convention's World Mission Board is organizing
the project as part of its volunteer program to send Brazilians
overseas on short-term missions trips.
Brazilian
Baptist pastor Marcos Grava, coordinator of the initiative, noted,
"The 2010 African Connection Project is one of the biggest
volunteer projects in the history of the missionary church in
Brazil."
The
goal is to bless the people of South Africa with the Gospel
message, Grava said. "We ask prayers for local security,
volunteers' security, and many fruits among the South Africans and
tourists," he said.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32955
COMEDY
CENTRAL CONSIDERS SERIES ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Having
already caused a fuss this spring with the depiction of the
prophet Muhammad on "South Park," Comedy Central said it
has a cartoon series about Jesus Christ in the works.
"JC"
is one of 23 potential series the network said it has in
development. It depicts Christ as a "regular guy" who
moves to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow."
His
father is presented as an apathetic man who would rather play
video games than listen to his son talk about his new life,
according to Comedy Central's thumbnail sketch of the idea.
Reveille, the production company behind "The Office,"
"Ugly Betty" and "The Biggest Loser," is
making "JC."
It
wouldn't be the first time Jesus Christ has been on a Comedy
Central cartoon; he's a recurring character on the long-running
"South Park."
Comedy
Central was the target last month of an Internet threat for a
"South Park" episode that supposedly showed Islam's
prophet in a bear costume.... Read this in full at
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gxnZK5i67vuSLHEv_p8Db2L9mCAgD9FHV64G0
EVANGELICALS
CALL FOR PRISON-RAPE REFORMS
Evangelicals
are calling on the Obama administration to enact long-promised
prison reforms, saying the incarcerated deserve protection from
violence and rape. In 2003, former president George W. Bush signed
the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which aimed to lower the
estimated 13% of inmates sexually assaulted each year. The bill
called for the Department of Justice to research prison rape and
requires prisons to establish prevention programs.
Now,
the National Association of Evangelicals is urging the National
Prison Rape Elimination Commission to follow up on the standards
proposed. NAE President Leith Anderson and Director of Government
Affairs Galen Carey wrote on May 10 to Attorney General Eric
Holder that "those behind bars deserve the same protections
against violence as those on the outside." .... Read this in
full at
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/05/evangelicals-call-for-prison-r.php
CELL
PHONES AND CANCER: A STUDY'S MUDDLED FINDINGS
It
has become one of the most controversial questions in cancer
medicine: can using a cell phone cause brain tumors? The federal
government and the mobile industry have maintained there is no
conclusive data to support a link between cell-phone radiation and
cancer, but a growing band of scientists are skeptical, suggesting
that the evidence that does exist is enough to raise a warning for
consumers -- before mass harm is done.
What
scientists and regulators need is truly conclusive scientific
evidence. Enter Interphone, a $24 million long-term study that
matched rates of brain cancer with cell-phone use among more than
12,000 participants (including 7,400 who developed tumors) in 13
countries. The long-awaited report -- whose findings were finally
released May 17 after years of delay -- is by the far the most
comprehensive look at the issue to date, and was designed to
provide the final word on the debate. Unfortunately, however, the
results turned out to be anything but clear.... Read this in full
at
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989740,00.html
CONSIDER
“Enthusiasm
is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act
enthusiastic until you make it a habit.”
Author Unknown
VERSE TO
PONDER
"He
was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and
by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah
53:5-6
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: PENTECOST IN MY SOUL
Words
& Music: Thoro Harris, 1920
To
me the Holy Ghost is giv’n,
An
earnest of the joys of Heav’n;
Since
He has taken full control,
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul.
Refrain
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul,
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul;
The
Spirit has come, has come to abide;
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul.
The
Spirit dwells my heart within
And
breaks the pow’r of pardoned sin;
Tho’
o’er my head dark clouds may roll,
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul.
Refrain
O
holy rest! O peace sublime!
He
reigns within me all the time;
He
purifies and makes me whole—
I’ve
Pentecost in my soul.
Refrain
Then
seek this Gift without delay,
Receive
the Holy Ghost today;
Yield
all to His benign control,
Let
Pentecost fill your soul!
O
yes!
Refrain
>from
NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/p/e/pentsoul.htm
ON PRAYER
“Have
I rejoiced with and for my neighbor in virtue or pleasure? grieved
with [her] in pain, for him in sin? ... Have I revealed any evil
of anyone, unless it was necessary to some particular good I had
in view? Have I then done it with all the tenderness of phrase and
manner consistent with that end? ... Has goodwill been, and
appeared to be, the spring of all my actions toward others?”
John Wesley, quoted in A Guide to
Prayer for All God's People
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.
Download
a free copy of the Logos Bible Software iPhone app
http://www.logos.com/iphone
Time
lapse photography of the Iceland volcano
http://vimeo.com/11673745
Free
Online Courses from Top Universities
http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses
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.)
What
disease did cured ham actually have?
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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