Connecting
man to man to God
For week of July 19, 2009
Issue 261
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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“In
Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you
have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every
power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10
CONSIDER
“It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels
he is worthy of himself and claims kinship to the great God who
made him.” Abraham Lincoln
10 COMMANDMENTS
TO HELP THE ABSENT-FATHER SYNDROME
by Jim Burns
Most “absent-fathers” are not
absent by intentional choice, but rather other life choices and
priorities have combined -- resulting in a lot of time away from
home and/or little involvement in their kids’ lives. If
you’re an “absent-father” you’re not
alone. You can begin today to make choices which will bump your
relationships with your wife and kids up a notch. Here are 10
commandments to help you get started.
1. Thou shalt talk
with your kids every day. Even a brief phone call -- to ask your
kids how their day went -- when you are on the road, for example,
communicates your care and concern for your kids.... Read this in
full at
http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=93&sReturnUrl=%2fArticles%2fdefault.aspx%3fsOrderBy%3dsTitle%26sAscOrDesc%3dASC%26iAbsolutePage%3d1%26sKeywords%3d%26bParent%3d1%26bStudent%3d1%26bWorker%3d1
SCRIPTURE
TRANSLATION & DISTRIBUTION GROUP CHANGES ITS NAME
Entering a third century of Scripture ministry, IBS-STL is
launching a new identity, including a new name -- Biblica -- to
reflect its expanding vision and focus for transforming lives
through God's Word. The new name is part of a rebranding process
that began with the merger of International Bible Society and Send
the Light in 2007.
Founded in 1809, International Bible
Society (IBS) has served individuals and organizations through
Bible translation, publishing, distribution, and outreach and is
the translation sponsor and copyright holder of the New
International Version (NIV) Bible, which is the most-read
contemporary English translation and has more than 350 million
copies in print worldwide.
Send the Light (STL) was
established more than 50 years ago by Operation Mobilization
founder George Verwer with worldwide Bible and Christian book
distribution as its vision. STL has become one of the largest
distributors of Christian resources, with distribution centers in
the U.K., India, and the U.S. STL also has retail operations in
various parts of the world.
The two organizations merged
based on the realization they could do more together to further
the cause of the Bible than they could independently. Keith Danby,
Global President and CEO of Biblica, says the new name was born
out of 18 months of planning and developing a vision for a third
century of ministry.
"Because the Bible is central to
our ministry purpose, we felt it was essential to expressly
mention it as being the heart of our organization -- in our name,
our mission, our vision, and our values," he said. "The
name Biblica clearly reflects an emphasis on the Bible, and it
communicates our focus on helping transform lives through the
power of God's Word."
"This year we're
celebrating our 200th anniversary and we see that as a springboard
to a new era of Bible ministry," Danby added. "We
believe Biblica -- the name and the organization -- are
well-positioned to engage and evangelize people and to help equip
the global Church with biblical resources. We look forward to
carrying God's Word to people everywhere under the Biblica banner
as we enter a third century of ministry."
Rebranding
includes name, a new logo, and key messaging: "Transforming
lives through God's Word." Combined, they communicate the
vision of Biblica to bring the life-changing power of Scripture to
people worldwide.
Biblica's branding effort was guided by
an international committee of its senior management and the board
of directors, and led by brand consultant Lambert, Edwards &
Associates with Hanon-McKendry.
http://www.Biblica.com
TALK TO PEOPLE
RATHER THAN ABOUT THEM
by John Piper
Recall that in Luke 18:9, Luke introduces
the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector like this: "He
also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and treated others with contempt." It may
seem minor at first, but notice that it says that Jesus told this
parable TO some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous. It does not say he spoke this parable ABOUT them. Jesus
was looking the Pharisees in the eye and telling them a parable
that implied that they were self-righteous. He was not talking
about them but to them.
Though it may seem minor, it
contains a lesson that is huge for the health of our church. Let's
be like this. Let's not talk to others about people's faults.
Let's talk to them about their faults. It is easy -- and far too
tasty on the tongue of our sinful souls -- to talk about people.
But it is hard -- and often tastes bitter -- to talk to them. When
you are talking about them, they can't correct you or turn the
tables and make you the problem. But if you talk to them about a
problem, it can be very painful. So it feels safer to talk about
people rather than talking to them..... Read this in full at
http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11579446/
OFF THE PLAYING
FIELD WITH KURT WARNER
When most people think of NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, they
usually remember his two MVP Awards, his rags-to-riches
professional football story, and his outspoken faith. As one of
the most prominent evangelical Christian athletes of the last
decade, Warner is just about as good a role model as you will
find. He leads an authentic Christian life, offering a major
portion of his free time to his local and national
ministries. But to his wife, Brenda, and 7 kids, he's a husband or
a dad -- and is by no means perfect. In his new book, First Things
First, Kurt and Brenda give an inside look into their family life,
from the good to the bad to the ugly. New Man recently talked with
Warner about his book and his challenges as a Christian athlete.
New Man: So tell us about the book. Why did you all want
to write it?
Warner: You know, I just wanted to give people a
different look into our lives. Everybody has got kind of their own
idea about me as a football player, as a person and as a
Christian. This book is just giving people a look into my life as
an athlete and our life as a family, and how we balance all that.
We wanted to give people a backstage look at our lives.... Read
this in full at
http://newmanmag.com/e-magazine/web/story1.php
A WHOLE GOOD
WORLD OUTSIDE
by Philip Yancey
I emerged from childhood with a distorted
image of God: a frowning Supercop looking to squash anyone who
might be having a good time. I have since come to know God as a
whimsical artist who fills the world with creatures like the
porcupine and skunk and warthog, who lavishes the world with
wildflowers and tropical fish more beautiful than any design on
display in an art museum.
Francis Collins, former director
of the Human Genome Project, sees God's hand in the magnificent
coding of the DNA double helix. Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Annie Dillard sees it in the creatures that swim and dive in
Tinker Creek in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. From nature
writers such as John Muir, Henri Fabre, Loren Eiseley, and Lewis
Thomas I gain appreciation for a Master Artist they may not even
believe in; their precise and reverent observations help to raise
the blinds for me.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/july/15.64.html
NOT ONE SPARROW
We misstep when we brush off animal cruelty with nonchalance.
Showing animal compassion does not de facto assign animals the
same worth as humans. It merely acknowledges that animals have
worth and dignity -- something plainly assumed in biblical
passages like Exodus 21-22:14 and Deuteronomy 25, which outline
upright ways to handle livestock, and Proverbs 12:10, which
praises the righteous man who "cares for the needs of his
animal." The church has traditionally interpreted Isaiah 65's
well-known apocalyptic imagery of lions and lambs not as a cozy
metaphor of human community, but as a picture of fully restored
creation, people and animals. And while Luke 12:6's five sparrows
sold for two cents usually refer to God's sovereign care for us in
our daily lives, it's remarkable that those five sparrows aren't
forgotten by God, but are part of his sovereign care as well.
Instead of leading us down dangerous paths toward secular
humanism, animal compassion becomes part of our privileged role as
custodians of the creatures in which God delights. In fact, C. S.
Lewis, who wrestled in many essays with the seeming senselessness
of animal suffering, argued that it was precisely because humans
are higher than animals in creation's hierarchy that they should
oppose animal cruelty. Our very superiority to animals, he said,
ought to motivate us "to prove ourselves better than the
beasts precisely by the fact of acknowledging duties to them which
they do not acknowledge to us." .... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/july/26.19.html
CHURCHES AFFECTED
BY FCC CHANGES ON WIRELESS-MICROPHONE FREQUENCIES
While the digitization of television signals June 12 garnered
wide publicity, many churches were left unaware their wireless
microphone systems also were affected.
The Federal
Communications Commission auctioned off the lower half of the
700-megahertz band to several telecommunications companies and
reserved the upper half of that spectrum for law enforcement, fire
and safety operation, and municipalities. Many of the sound
systems in churches operate in that 700-megehertz frequency. So,
what has the impact been on churches? .... Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4229&Itemid=53
SURVEY: 1 IN 3
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE IN GOD
About one out of every three scientists in the United States
professes believing in God, a recent survey finds. That figure is
strikingly lower than the proportion of the general American
public that say they believe in God (83%), according to the report
by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the
American Association for the Advancement of Science. However, a
Christian biochemist after examining the report says the
comparably small number of scientists who believe in God is
nothing to be alarmed over.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090716/survey-one-third-of-scientists-believe-in-god/index.html
JUST HOW
RELIGIOUS IS OBAMA'S NOMINEE FOR DIRECTOR OF THE NIH?
Whenever scientists get around to hunting for the Boy Scout
gene, they should start with the genome of Francis Collins.
President Obama's nominee for director of the National Institutes
of Health has a folk résumé a mile long: He plays
his acoustic guitar during commencement addresses and national
prayer breakfasts, likes to talk about his motorcycle, and grew up
on a 95-acre farm in Staunton, Va., where his parents ran a summer
theater production among the oak trees. One summer, there were so
many actors staying with the family that he and his brother
Fletcher had to sleep in the farm's corn crib.
Collins is
also a decorated scientist with a Yale PhD in physical chemistry
that he finished on weekends after he'd half-quit graduate school
to get a medical degree instead. His composite public image -- as
a brilliant, eminently likable polymath -- allows him to get away
with talking openly in scientific circles about another quirk of
his personality: Since age 27, he has been an evangelical
Christian.... Read this in full at
http://www.slate.com/id/2222562
WITH ALL YOUR
MIND
by
Francis S. Collins
When he was asked to name the greatest
commandment, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Many of us struggle to live up to this challenging decree. But a
special conflict of the mind exists in many Christian
communities—how to accept evolution and still love God. I
regularly get e-mails from young people in crisis: Having been
raised to believe that the earth is 6,000 years old, they
encounter overwhelming evidence to the contrary in a university
class, and their world starts to come apart. What a terrible and
unnecessary tragedy!
A recent Gallup poll indicates only
39% of Americans believe in evolution. Among weekly churchgoers,
that number drops to 24%. So even if you are personally
comfortable with evolution, you are probably surrounded by many
others who are not.... Read this in full at
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0908&article=with-all-your-mind
GERSON: FRANCIS
COLLINS SIGNALS MATURITY FOR EVANGELICALISM
Christian
groups took notice when President Obama chose evangelical
scientist Francis Collins as the new head of the National
Institutes on Health, despite some questions about his support for
embryonic stem-cell research.
Michael Gerson writes for
the Washington Post that his appointment signals that
evangelicalism is growing up. He says it signals maturity for
President Obama. "In the process, Obama has affirmed
something important: that anti-supernaturalism is not a litmus
test at the highest levels of science," he writes.
If
you want a few chuckles, take a look at this 2006 video where
Stephen Colbert heckles Collins a little bit about science and
faith....
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2009/07/gerson_francis.html
A GOOD MAN DOWN
In Parkersburg, Iowa, it was a high school coach who led the
townspeople out of the rubble of a tornado, showed them how to
live a Christian life and brought honor to a football field he
mowed himself. What they can't understand is why Ed Thomas was
gunned down by a former player.... Read this in full at
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1157377/1/index.htm
ROOT INNOVATION
IN MISSION
In
his most recent Serious Times newsletter, James Emery White talks
about a series of steps the Church of England is taking to try to
connect to contemporary culture. He then observes: "Does the
Church of England know why they are doing these things? This is
not only a pressing question for the Archbishop, but for every
church leader as they grapple with mission, strategy, and method
in light of reaching out to an increasingly post-Christian
culture. There is a myth that churches are successful because they
do certain things; in truth, churches are successful because they
know why they do certain things. In other words, there is a clear
missional target on the wall.
"This is why the most
effective churches lead the way for innovation, and those who
borrow their innovations get frustrated when the church they
copied drops what they copied for something even more innovative.
"This is far from original with me. Bestselling
business author Jim Collins, whose previous works Built to Last
and Good to Great charted how the mighty rose, has recently come
out with a book titled How the Mighty Fall. What perplexed his
naturally curious mind was a simple but profound question: If you
were in organizational decline, what would be the signs? What made
the question more pressing was Collins' early sense, later
confirmed through his research, that decline is analogous to a
disease, perhaps like a cancer, that can grow on the inside while
you still look strong and healthy on the outside. He calls it 'the
silent creep of impending doom.'
"One of the earliest
signs is companies saying, 'We're successful because we do these
specific things,' as opposed to the more penetrating understanding
and insight: 'We're successful because we understand why we do
these specific things and under what conditions they would not
longer work.'
"This is the foundation for any and all
innovation; otherwise you are simply gathering an assortment of
tactics independent of a mission. Biblical fidelity is, hopefully,
a given; but once you are confident you are working within those
parameters, you must then determine why it is you do anything:
What is the foundational nature of your mission? What are you
trying to accomplish? Who are you trying to reach?
"If
you know why you are doing something, you know whether it is
effective and are quick to discard things that no longer work. If
you are attempting to evangelize the unchurched, you are not
attracted to any and all innovation, or even innovation that may
reflect the culture of the unchurched; instead, you are after
innovation that is effective at evangelizing the unchurched."
http://www.serioustimes.com
THE MEN WHO WENT
TO THE MOON, 40 YEARS LATER
A lunar journey is hard -- but not as hard as coming home when
the mission is done. Forty years after the first moon landing, the
nature of the men who made the trips may be the deepest mystery of
all
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910599_1910769,00.html
Also
see the inspiring movie “In the Shadow of the Moon”
http://www.intheshadowofthemoon.com/
OUCH!
A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is
standing in front of a full length mirror taking a hard look at
herself. "You know, dear," she says, "I look in the
mirror and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, everything
else is either sagging or bloated. I've got fat legs, and my arms
are all flabby." She turns to her husband and says, "Tell
me something positive to make me feel better about myself."
He studies hard for a moment thinking about it and then says in a
soft, thoughtful voice, "Well, there's nothing wrong with
your eyesight." Services for the husband will be held
Saturday morning at 10:30 AM at Morris Memorial Chapel.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com
VERSE TO PONDER
“Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so
prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can
save you.”
~James 1:21~
CONSIDER
“Joy is not in things, it is in us.”
~Richard Wagner~
NO
PLACE FOR ISLANDS
by Charles R. Swindoll
(Romans 15:1-7) Nobody is a whole
chain. Each one is a link. But take away one link and the chain is
broken.
Nobody is a whole team. Each one is a player. But
take away one player and the game is forfeited.
Nobody is
a whole orchestra. Each one is a musician. But take away one
musician and the symphony is incomplete.
Nobody is a whole
play. Each one is an actor. But take away one actor and the
performance suffers.
Nobody is a whole hospital. Each one
is a part of the staff. But take away one person and it isn't long
before the patient can tell.
Cars are composed of numerous
parts. Each one is connected to and dependent upon the other. Even
if a tiny screw comes loose and falls out of the carburetor, it
can bring the whole vehicle to a stop. You guessed it. We need
each other.... Read this in full at
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/Day_by_Day/11606002/
THE HERESY OF
'INDIVIDUALISM'?
by Richard J. Mouw
In her opening address to the Episcopal
Church's recent General Convention, the Rev. Katharine Jefferts
Schori, the church's presiding bishop, made a special point of
denouncing what she labeled "the great Western heresy"
-- the teaching, in her words, "that we can be saved as
individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship
with God." This "individualist focus," she
declared, "is a form of idolatry."
There is good
news and bad news here. The good news is that the Episcopal
Church's presiding bishop is not afraid to denounce heresy. The
bad news is that we evangelicals turn out to be the heretics she
is denouncing.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/julyweb-only/128-31.0.html
THE ART OF
AUTHENTIC HOSPITALITY
Nanette Sawyer, pastor at Wicker Park Grace, explores the
realms in which we extend hospitality. Hospitality starts in our
core, as we extend hospitality to God, inviting him to be in
relationship with us. Encountering God through this core
relationship makes it possible for us to then extend hospitality
to our friends and neighbors, to strangers, even to our enemies
and nature at large. See the interview at
http://theooze.tv/featured/nanette-sawyer-the-art-of-authentic-hospitality
EPISCOPAL BISHOPS
MOVE ON BLESSINGS
US Episcopal bishops voted overwhelmingly July 15 to allow
bishops in states where gay marriage, civil unions, or domestic
partnerships are legal to provide a "generous pastoral
response" to gay couples, but stopped short of authorizing
liturgical rites for same-sex blessings.
The unofficial
tally was 104 bishop in favor of the resolution, 30 against, and 2
abstentions. The resolution now goes to the House of Deputies,
where it must be approved before it becomes church law.
Bishops
from the six states where gay marriage has been legalized had
asked for the flexibility to adapt the church's wedding rites for
use with same-gender couples. The vaguely worded resolution may do
just that, while allowing conservative bishops leeway not to
conduct same-sex ceremonies. The resolution also treads a fine
line on authorizing rites for blessing same-sex unions. Other
Anglicans worldwide, a majority of whom view homosexuality as
sinful and unbiblical, had asked the Episcopal Church repeatedly
not to take that step.
The key passage is: "that
bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions
where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships
are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the
needs of members of the church."
The resolution also
"acknowledges the changing circumstances in the United States
and in other nations, as legislation authorizing or forbidding
marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships for gay and
lesbian persons is passed in various civil jurisdictions that call
forth a renewed pastoral response from this Church, and for an
open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical
resources and liturgies for the blessing of same gender
resolutions."
It also authorizes the church committee
on liturgy to "collect and develop theological and liturgical
resources" for rites for same-sex blessings and report to the
next General Convention in 2012.
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnsblog/comments/episcopal_bishops_move_on_blessings/
A YAWN GREETS
CATHOLIC COURT
by Stephen Prothero
Is it too much to ask for a moment of
silence for the demise of the Episcopal seat on the US Supreme
Court? Episcopalians might have gained a celebrity when Alberto
Cutié (aka "Father Oprah") left the Roman
Catholic Church in May to marry his girlfriend and become an
Episcopal priest, but with the departure of Justice David Souter,
the Supreme Court is losing the last of the Episcopalians.
It
has been downhill for Episcopalians since, well, the American
Revolution, when Anglicans (as Episcopalians used to be known)
made the mistake of backing George III instead of George
Washington. But that little misstep has not prevented
Episcopalians from marching into corridors of power in Washington.
Though fewer than 2% of Americans today call themselves
Episcopalians, a quarter of our presidents and nearly a third of
our Supreme Court justices have done so, making the Episcopal
Church the most popular religious affiliation in White House and
Supreme Court history.
If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is
confirmed, 6 of the 9 members of the Supreme Court will be
Catholic. As such, religious diversity in America these days might
mean finding a Protestant nominee.... Read this in full at
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/07/a-yawn-greets-catholic-court.html
RETAILERS CHOICE
AWARDS 2009 WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Winners have been announced in the 2009 Retailers Choice
Awards, sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine. More than 250
products were nominated in 30 categories, with the winning
products revealed during a press conference July 13, 2009, at the
International Christian Retail Show in Denver.
Nominated
products were judged on the impact they have had on staff and
customers, including their ability to speak to hearts and evoke
emotion, open minds to new ways of thinking and encourage and
affirm Christlike living.
Movie-related books fared well
this year, as Eric Wilson’s novelization of Fireproof
(Thomas Nelson) won in Fiction: General, while The Love Dare (B&H
Books/B&H Publishing Group) rose to the top of the
Relationships category.... Read this in full at
http://www.retailerschoiceawards.com/
2009 CHRISTY
AWARDS FOR BEST CHRISTIAN FICTION ANNOUNCED
The winners of the 10th annual Christy Awards were announced
July 11 ahead of this year’s International Christian Retail
Show. From each of the 9 Christian fiction categories, a winner
was selected by a panel of 7 judges and recognized with the top
honor, continuing a tradition that has been running since 1999.
Among this year’s 9 winners, 2 were published by Tyndale
House Publishers and 3 were published by divisions of Baker
Publishing Group (Revell and Bethany House).
Named in
honor of Catherine Marshall’s novel and of her contribution
to growth of the fiction Christians love to read, the Christy
Awards recognize excellence in fiction written by contemporary
Christian authors and highlight the breadth and diversity of
Christian fiction.... Read this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090714/2009-christy-awards-for-best-christian-fiction-announced/index.html
THE IMPORTANCE OF
FAMILY MEALS TOGETHER
Bringing back the time-honored practice of "breaking
bread" with your own family could be the single greatest step
you take toward saving your family from all kinds of ills.
For
more than a decade, CASA -- the National Center of Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University -- has been studying the
tremendous impact that family meals have on children. Its research
repeatedly shows how children suffer when they don't spend
regular, casual time with their parents gathered around the dinner
table. Consider this summary of their findings:
"Compared
with teens who frequently had dinner with their families (5 nights
or more per week), those who had dinner with their families only 2
nights per week or less were twice as likely to be involved in
substance abuse. They were 2.5 times as likely to drink alcohol,
and nearly 3 times as likely to try marijuana." .... Read
this in full at
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090714/news/307149984
SECURITY GROUP
FORMS CHURCH VIOLENCE TASK FORCE
The world's largest security training organization has opened
a new church-security division and will instruct churches on how
to prevent and respond to violent crimes at its annual conference
in September.
ASIS International's new church-security
division will lead a seminar at its convention in Anaheim, Calif.,
to address threats and vulnerabilities that leave faith-based
organizations at risk for violence.
"They don't think
that it can happen (to them). That's the biggest issue we have to
overcome," said Donald Knox, chairman of ASIS's Houses of
Worship Security Working Group.... Read this in full at
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/07/security-group-forms-church-vi.php
SOTOMAYOR HAS
MIXED RECORD ON CHURCH-STATE DISPUTES
As a federal judge, Sonia Sotomayor sided with Santeria
prisoners who wanted to wear religious beads and Muslim inmates
who wanted to break the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
At the same time, she ruled against Muslims who wanted a
Muslim crescent and star added to post office holiday displays
that featured Christmas and Hanukkah symbols.
As the
Senate held confirmation hearings on the woman who hopes to be the
newest member of the US Supreme Court, experts who monitor
church-state cases say -- as on other matters -- that Sotomayor's
past decisions indicate that she's hard to pigeonhole.... Read
this in full at
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=18393
LAWSUIT SEEKS TO
BLOCK 'IN GOD WE TRUST' ENGRAVING
The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics filed a
lawsuit July 14 seeking to block an architect from engraving "In
God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance at the Capitol
Visitor Center in Washington. The Madison-based Freedom From
Religion Foundation's lawsuit, filed in US District Court in
western Wisconsin, claims the taxpayer-funded engravings would be
an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.
The House and
Senate passed identical resolutions this month directing the
Architect of the Capitol to engrave "In God We Trust"
and the pledge in prominent places at the entrance for 3 million
tourists who visit the Capitol each year.... Read this in full at
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5htxe4DfXCO-Usm3nLfXgWZmLiYTQD99EEGD80
AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), guaranteeing equal
opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations,
commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local
government services, and telecommunications.
41.2 million:
The number of people who have some level of disability. They
represent 15% of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 5
and older.
By age --
-- 6% of children 5 to 15 have
disabilities.
-- 12% of people 16 to 64 have disabilities.
--
41% of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013739.html
ATHEISTS PUT OWN
STAMP ON SUMMER CAMP IN SIERRA FOOTHILLS
At Camp Quest, campers may not believe in God, but they do
have faith in their community. On Sunday evening, 49 children from
across the western United States arrived at the camp nestled in
the hills outside Nevada City. It’s one of five summer camps
in the country for the children of atheists and other
nonbelievers.
In a campground in Malakoff Diggins State
Historical Park, the campers have many of the traditional summer
experiences. They practice archery in the meadow, participate in
team competitions and gather around the campfire at night to sing.
Their activities, however, have a decidedly secular twist.... Read
this in full at
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2023517.html
ONLINE
EVANGELISTS TAP MILLIONS LOOKING FOR GOD
Two million people look for God each day -- not in church, but
in a search. "The number is staggering," said Mark
Weimer, a self-described techie evangelist whose ministry has
tapped the Internet to capture those looking for spiritual
answers. Weimer is CEO of Global Media Outreach, the technology
arm of Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI), which hosts
91 Web sites in 11 languages to spread the "good news."
Weimer, who previously ran his own Silicon Valley
start-up, insists this is not virtual proselytizing. "We are
always up front about the fact that we are presenting the
Christian message," he told ABCNews.com. "We don't want
to deceive anyone. That would be offensive." Global Outreach
estimates that 1 in 1,000 Internet searchers is looking for
information about God. Just last year, their sites had 3 million
visitors.... Read this in full at
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7884708&page=1
CONSIDER
“And if you will here stop and ask yourself, why you are
not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will
tell you, that it is neither through ignorance, nor inability, but
purely because you never thoroughly intended it.”
~William Law~
VERSE
TO PONDER
“[Jesus said,] “‘If you obey my commands,
you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s
commands and remain in his love.’”
~John
15:10~
ON
PRAYER
In
a scene from Shadowlands, a film based on the life of C. S. Lewis,
Lewis has returned to Oxford from London, where he has just been
married to Joy Gresham, an American woman, in a private Episcopal
ceremony performed at her hospital bedside. She is dying from
cancer and, through the struggle with her illness, she and Lewis
have been discovering the depth of their love for each other. As
Lewis arrives at the college where he teaches, he is met by Harry
Harrington, an Episcopal priest, who asks what news there is.
Lewis hesitates, then, deciding to speak of the marriage and not
the cancer, he says, "Ah, good news, I think, Harry. Yes,
good news."
Harrington, not aware of the marriage and
thinking that Lewis is referring to Joy's medical situation,
replies, "I know how hard you've been praying… Now,
God is answering your prayer."
"That's not why I
pray, Harry," Lewis responds. "I pray because I can't
help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need
flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't
change God; it changes me." (Thomas G. Long, Whispering the
Lyrics)
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.
Daily
Comics
http://comics.com/
MacroHistory
http://www.fsmitha.com/t-index.html
Manage
Your Money
http://www.mint.com/
Radio
Free World
http://www.radiofreeworld.com/
We
Choose the Moon
http://wechoosethemoon.org/
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.)
I’m
so broke, I can’t even pay attention.
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
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, [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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