Connecting
man to man to God
For week of April 27, 2009
Issue 249
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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“Since
the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -- his
eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse." Romans 1:20
CONSIDER
“Some people live their whole lives just around the
corner from the world of truth.” Carl Henry
THE REAL
PROSPERITY GOSPEL
by John Calvin with Knox Bucer-Beza
It is not just those
enamored with the prosperity gospel who have pursued health,
wealth, and happiness as if they were divine rights and signs of
God's blessing. Or who have avoided adversity and poverty as if
they were curses. But God's ways are more mysterious than we
perceive.
God so governs the universe by his secret
providence that while nothing happens apart from God's decree, his
hand remains largely hidden from us. What could be more natural
than the changing seasons? Yet there remains such unevenness and
diversity that every year, month, and day is seen to be governed
by a new providence of God.
Church father Basil the Great
said that fortune and chance are pagan terms, and ones the godly
should not use. But even though all things are ordained by God's
plan, for us they seem fortuitous—their order, reason, end,
and necessity seem accidental. Yet in our hearts it nonetheless
should remain fixed that nothing will take place that the Lord has
not previously foreseen.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/april/25.58.html
CHRISTIAN
BUSINESSMEN CONVENE AMID MARKETPLACE 'REFORMATION'
Christian business and financial representatives from at least
15 nations and 40 US states convened in Austin, Texas, to discuss
potential economic strategies and solutions for the troubled
economy.
Patterned loosely after the World Economic Forum,
the 2nd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (K.E.Y.S.) was held
at the PromiseLand Church and featured speakers including
bestselling author Dr. Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby
International; Johnny Enlow, president of Daystar International;
and Os Hillman, president of Marketplace Leaders Ministries.
According to K.E.Y.S. organizer, convener and host Dr.
Bruce Cook, this year’s summit was especially significant
considering the state of the marketplace today..... Read this in
full at
http://www.christianpost.com/Business/General/2009/04/christian-businessmen-convene-amid-marketplace-reformation-23/index.html
WORLDWIDE
CHURCH OF GOD ANNOUNCES NAME CHANGE
The Worldwide Church of God announced that, effective April 3,
2009, it changed its denominational name to Grace Communion
International. Although the church's official, incorporated
denominational name has changed, it nonetheless retains ownership
of the United States Registered Trademark "Worldwide Church
of God" and continues to license that name to those of its
local congregations across the country who wish to use it.
The
denomination, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong in 1934, was
originally called the Radio Church of God. It became the Worldwide
Church of God in 1968.
After Armstrong's death in 1986,
the church re-examined its doctrines and teachings. This process
led to a complete reformation to Christian orthodoxy by the mid
1990s. The evangelical denomination is now a member of the
National Association of Evangelicals with church president, Joseph
W. Tkach, serving on its board. The story is captured in the book
The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God: The Remarkable
Story of a Cult's Journey from Deception to Truth by J. Michael
Feazell
(http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310250111).
Members, pastors, national directors, and missions
directors from around the world were included in the name
selection process, which began in late 2005. After all factors and
criteria were considered, the Church Board and its Advisory
Council of Elders settled on the name "Grace Communion
International." Denominational leaders believe the new name
better describes what the church has become and will serve it more
effectively in the future.
The church's message now
centers on Trinitarian, Incarnational theology and salvation by
grace through faith in Jesus Christ. By 1995, the church had
abandoned its former legalistic doctrines, exclusivist teaching,
and prophetic speculation and has been warmly embraced by the
Christian community. The church sees itself in full communion with
the greater Body of Christ and a participant in the collective
effort to proclaim the gospel of grace.
"Grace lies
at the heart of our values and mission as a transformed church.
Our spiritual unity with God and with one another is reflected in
the word Communion. The word International identifies us as a
unified body of believers who span the globe, sharing a common
history and journey of faith," said denominational president
Joseph W. Tkach. "We are a church that God radically
transformed. Our new name is consistent with that transformation
and aptly describes what God has made of our fellowship."
United States congregations who wish to continue to use
the name Worldwide Church of God will be able to do so, and some
of our non-US National Churches will as well. However, they will
all be part of the denomination named "Grace Communion
International." The denominational website, currently
www.wcg.org, will eventually be moved to the domain name
www.graceci.org.
Grace Communion International has about
42,000 members worldwide, meeting in nearly 900 congregations.
Denominational offices are in Glendora, California. The
denomination publishes the free magazine Christian Odyssey and
produces several video programs available on its website.
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/worldwide_church_of_god_announces_name_change/
JUSTICE
THOMAS ON RELIGION AND HIS COURT DUTIES
“There are some cases that will drive you to your
knees,” Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said.... Read
this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/us/14bar.html
GRACE
“It is not that we keep His commandments first, and that
then He loves; but that He loves us, and then we keep His
commandments. This is that grace, which is revealed to the humble,
but hidden from the proud.” St. Augustine (354-430),
Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel according to St. John,
lxxxii.3
HCJB
GLOBAL LAUNCHES CONTEST TO ENCOURAGE OUTREACH AMID ONGOING
RECESSION
HCJB Global, an international media and healthcare ministry,
is launching its Voice and Hands Contest to encourage and enable
Americans both to pray and to reach out to their communities and
the world during these tough economic times. The Voice and Hands
Contest is a part of the "Me and My Household"
initiative, which HCJB Global announced in February.
According
to Wayne Pederson, HCJB Global president, the goal of the contest
is to "challenge individuals, households, and churches to
come up with ministry projects that have a ‘voice' component
that declares Jesus and a ‘hands' component that
demonstrates the love of Jesus in tangible ways."
Pederson
is inviting people to submit their project ideas to HCJB Global,
and 10 submissions will be selected to each receive a $200 prize
that can be used toward their outreach or short-term mission trip
and a flip video camera to record their experience. HCJB Global
also will be allowing people to vote for a subset of entries as
part of the selection process.... Read this in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/hcjb_global_launches_contest_to_encourage_outreach_amid_ongoing_recession/
CHURCHES
FIND 'GREEN' WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
Some call it "going green," but churches big and
small are discovering that examining utilities usage also can
translate into significant savings.
More than a year ago,
First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark., which has about 6,000
attendees on Sunday mornings, began a partnership with the company
Energy Education to cut into its electric, gas and water bills --
a significant endeavor because the church was spending roughly $1
million annually on its utility bills for its two campuses in
Springdale and Rogers and its private school, Shiloh Christian.
In the ensuing year, the church didn't do anything
dramatic but simply tried to take common-sense approaches to
saving energy: switching off lights when not in use, turning off
computers when leaving for the day and paying close attention to
thermostat settings, particularly Monday through Saturday. The
church examined every point of energy consumption.
The
result? The church estimates it saved $268,000 during the first
year of its initiative, which ended in February. The figure is a
"cost avoidance" calculation that uses, among other
things, degree days.
The money saved is money that can be
spent elsewhere, such as on missions.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30325
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF 'EARTH'
CNN's Naamua Delaney interviews the directors behind the movie
"Earth" following 3 animal families across the planet.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2009/04/21/dcl.earth.directors.cnn
See
the trailer at
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/earth/
NATIONAL
DAY OF PRAYER EVENTS OVERSHADOWED BY POLITICS
Every year between 2001 and 2008, former President Bush's
calendar was cleared on the first Thursday in May to mark the
National Day of Prayer in the White House East Room with prominent
evangelicals. This year it’s May 7.
Now the Obama
White House is facing questions of inside-the-Beltway etiquette:
Should Obama maintain the open door to conservative critics like
James and Shirley Dobson, and if so, should they accept? Or, will
the White House have an official observance at all?
With
those questions unanswered less than three weeks before the annual
observance, the National Day of Prayer Task Force headed by
Shirley Dobson is moving ahead with other plans.... Read this in
full at
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=17939
PROMISE
KEEPERS INVITES WOMEN TO ANNIVERSARY EVENT
For the first time ever, Promise Keepers is opening the door
to women for its 20th anniversary event in Boulder, Colo. The
evangelical men's organization, which has drawn more than 5.5
million men to its conferences since 1990, is inviting wives,
daughters, mothers and sisters to the July 31-Aug. 1 "A Time
to Honor" event at Folsom Field at the University of
Colorado.
"We expect men to invite thousands of women
to 'A Time to Honor.' This will be powerful," said Bill
McCartney, who was recently called back to lead Promise Keepers as
chairman. "We want to honor women in a profound way at this
event."
"We need to rally around women and raise
the bar for what it is to be virtuous," he stated, noting
that many teen girls are having sex outside of marriage. "The
next generation must have a true model for womanhood."
The
anniversary conference is the only planned event for Promise
Keepers this year and the first major event since McCartney
returned to the helm of the ministry in September.... Read this in
full at
http://www.christianpost.com/Ministries/Groups/2009/04/promise-keepers-invites-women-to-anniversary-event-21/index.html
PREDESTINATION
DEBATED AT CALVIN FORUM
When she was 10-years-old Laura Smit, a Calvin College
religion professor, had an immediate reaction when she first
learned at the dinner table of the doctrine of predestination, the
teaching that some people are elected by God while others aren’t.
“I thought that was a really wrong idea,” she
said on Thursday night during a panel discussion on the topic of
predestination at Calvin Theological Seminary. The discussion was
held in conjunction with a conference that celebrates the 500th
anniversary of the birth of reformer John Calvin. “I was a
child of the ‘60s and had a strong sense of individualism...
Freedom was autonomy.”
In subsequent years, however,
the Calvin religion professor has had change of mind about the
doctrine. “As a member of a confessional community, I keep
getting called back to this doctrine. I’m much closer to
accepting it now than I was many years ago.”
Her
view of freedom and individual responsibility have changed over
time. “I’m groping my way toward an embrace of the
doctrine of predestination as it relates to God’s absolute
sovereignty… I like to think of God as the final cause
drawing us to a relationship of love with him.”
The
panel discussion, which drew a packed crowd to the seminary
chapel, also included Richard Muller, the P.J. Zondervan Professor
of Historical Theology at Calvin Seminary, and Richard Mouw, a
former Calvin College philosophy professor who is now president of
Fuller Theological Seminary in California.
The doctrine of
predestination remains one of the thorniest, and perhaps least
understood, among the teachings of the Reformed tradition, said
Mouw. On the surface, it can seem to reflect a cruel God who
capriciously chooses who to save and who is not to be saved. There
is much more to it than that, and included in this doctrine is a
fair amount of mystery, in that God is God, wholly other than man
and yet is alive and active today in the world. God has purposes
and plans that are light years away from human understanding. If
looked at in one important way, though, the doctrine can give
great comfort to people, as it did to Calvin and as it does to
Mouw.... Read this in full at
http://www.wfn.org/2009/04/msg00121.html
LEADERSHIP
TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
Academy Leadership newsletter features 5 lessons leaders can
learn from the Battle of Gettysburg. Here is 1 of the 5:
THE
HISTORY LESSON: Pickett's Charge. On July 3, nearly 15,000
Confederate soldiers massed for a frontal assault against Federal
troops dug in along Cemetery Ridge, nearly a mile distant. Lee had
every reason to believe his men, who had been victorious in almost
every meeting with the Union Army, would prevail, break the spine
of the Union position, split the enemy forces and send them
running. Lee would then move on to Washington, and the war could
be over in a week.
Lieutenant General James Longstreet was
Lee's most trusted and experienced subordinate. He counseled Lee
against the assault: It was unnecessary, unwise and, as he saw it,
doomed to fail. Longstreet argued his case for hours. Lee listened
but finally overruled him. Longstreet was right, and Pickett's
charge turned out to be the beginning of the end for the
Confederacy.
THE BUSINESS LESSON: Know When to Listen.
"One of the hardest things to do is to accept that your
convictions may be wrong," says [historian Ed] Ruggero. "I
think the lesson here is that when a trusted subordinate or
partner approaches you with a viewpoint that's vastly different
from your own, you should push aside ego and preconceived notions
and carefully consider what he or she is saying. This doesn't mean
you should concede every point -- but true leadership means
knowing your own limitations and respecting the insights of
others." .... Read this in full at
http://www.academyleadership.com/news.asp?page=article49
VERSE TO
PONDER
[Jesus said,] “‘I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are
one.’” John 10:28–30
CONSIDER
"In the midst of a generation screaming for answers,
Christians are stuttering." Howard Hendricks
AN
EXPERIENCED FARMER'S ADVICE
~ Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and
bull-strong.
~ Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
~ A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere
tractor.
~ Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not
yelled.
~ Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
~ Forgive
your enemies. It messes up their heads.
~ Do not corner
something that you know is meaner than you.
~ It don't take a
very big person to carry a grudge.
~ You cannot unsay a cruel
word.
~ Every path has a few puddles.
~ When you wallow
with pigs, expect to get dirty.
~ The best sermons are lived,
not preached.
~ Most of the stuff people worry about ain't
never gonna happen anyway.
~ Don't judge folks by their
relatives.
~ Remember that silence is sometimes the best
answer.
~ Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older
and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
~ Don't
interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
~ If
you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop
diggin'.
~ Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
~
The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
~ Always drink
upstream from the herd.
~ Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
~ Lettin' the cat
outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
~
If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try
orderin' somebody else's dog around.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
RICK
WARREN'S JOURNEY FROM POLITICAL PEACEMAKER TO LIGHTNING ROD
Unlike many evangelical leaders of recent decades, the Rev.
Rick Warren doesn't want to be a lightning rod. When I asked him
before the last election whether the Christian right had tarnished
the image of American evangelicals, Warren didn't blink: "without
a doubt."
"I never was a part of it,"
Warren said of the Christian right. "I'm trying to stake out
what I call a common ground for the common good."
Indeed,
Warren has adopted causes important to the political right and the
left. He toes the conservative evangelical line on gay marriage
and abortion rights but has also decried global warming and taken
a high-profile role battling AIDS in Africa, two traditionally
liberal issues.... Read this in full at
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/religion/2009/04/21/rick-warrens-journey-from-political-peacemaker-to-lightening-rod.html
LEADERS
AND NEXT GENERATION MEETINGS DISCUSS ISSUES FACING THE SPIRIT
EMPOWERED MOVEMENT
Leaders from the traditional Pentecostal/Charismatic community
as well as leaders in new emerging ministries gathered together
for two separate meetings for the Commission on Holy Spirit
Empowerment in the 21st Century. The leaders conversation track
met on the campus of Oral Roberts University on April 9 and 10 and
the next generation conversation track met at Gateway Church in
Dallas on April 16 and 17. Each group had deep discussions on
issues facing the future of the Pentecostal/Charismatic
movement.... Read this in full at
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/751310154.html
GEORGE
VERWER SAYS THERE'S NO RETIREMENT PLAN FOR KINGDOM PEOPLE
by Peter Wooding
Now in his 70s Operation Mobilization
founder George Verwer shows no signs of slowing down his itinerant
ministry to continue to mobilize people around the world into
missions.
At the recent mission-net congress in Oldenburg,
Germany wearing his usual global jacket and laying hands on his
inflatable globe, George led a passionate prayer time for the
3,000 delegates for the world's top 10 most unreached nations.
Earlier that day I asked George what motivated him to keep going
in his ministry: "God has called me to this ministry, that's
more important than any technicalities of what job you're doing.
By the way most of my friends and heroes, they're all passing on,
including Homer Payne at 96 years of age. So there's no retirement
program for Kingdom people.
"You may lose your health
you may become very limited. One man was stuck in his bed in
Switzerland and led a literature ministry from his bed touching
lives. So these are the kinds of people that inspire me. Amazingly
enough non-Christians sometimes are more pro-active than
Christians in making their senior years count and that should be
such a slap in the face to the average all age evangeli-fish of
our day. We should be at the foot of the cross repenting and may
God grant us that kind of reality, humility and brokenness right
through our senior years."
As well as challenging
people in their senior years to carry in ministry I asked George
why he'd come to this congress to motivate the next generation of
young missionaries: "I'm here because they asked me to share
in one of the main plenary sessions Saturday night and also a
seminar this afternoon, but I'm also here because I'm a raving fan
of what they're trying to do. Many organizations, church and
alliances have come together, including OM to make this happen. We
haven't had something like this for quite a few years and it's
greatly needed, so I'm just believing God that He's going to do
great things in the lives of everyone who's here young and old....
Read this in full at
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09040127.htm
PALESTINIAN
TV PRODUCER SEEKS TO PRESENT WORLD A DIFFERENT VIEW OF PALESTINE
While earning an undergraduate degree in the United States and
a graduate degree in England, Palestine native was "shocked"
at how her homeland was portrayed in the Western media.
"I
thought the media might be one-sided, but I didn't expect that
many negative images and wrong images," said Kharroub. Most
news reports she saw on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict usually
featured "the bad guys" and "the good guys"
with the Palestinians always cast in the negative light.
These
days Kharroub, 27, is manager of the Bethlehem Media Center. She
and a small staff produce programs that she says show the world a
more complete and accurate portrayal of Palestinians.
"We
try to show the human dimension of the Palestinian people,"
Kharroub says. "We try to focus on the cultural aspects of
Palestine, the arts and social issues. We try to bring good news
from Palestine."
Telling the good news does not mean
that BMC ignores the pressing problems created by years of war and
occupation. One program focused on the wall that separates
Bethlehem from Jerusalem.... Read this in full at
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09334
CONSIDER
“The devil's boots don't creak.” Scottish proverb
VERSE
TO PONDER
"Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came
through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a
man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
ON
PRAYER
“Do I want to pray or only to think about my human
problems? Do I want to pray or simply kneel there contemplating my
sorrow? Do I want to direct my prayer towards God or let it direct
itself towards me?” Hubert Van Zeller
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.
Scrabble
meets Tetris
http://deepleap.org/
Stop
Motion Photo Art with 1300 pictures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmkLlVzUBn4
Create
your Google Profile
http://www.google.com/profiles
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.)
Is
it possible to scream at the bottom of your lungs?
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
Thanks
for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
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CONNECTIONS
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The
CONNECTIONS
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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,
[email protected]
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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