May 25

MEMORIAL DAY! HONORING ALL WHO SERVED!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6yA76fOIwo

This day I am paying special recognition to two of my Heroes, who just happen to also be my brothers; for their more than 20 years each, honorably serving  their country;

First Sargent (E-8) US Army, Gordon Perry served for 26 years, from 1959-1985.

Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) US Navy, Charles Perry served for 20 years, from 1955-1975.

And to all the many other brave men and women who have served so well; THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

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“The Gospel of John” Part 1

John 1:1-5

FILL IN THE BLANKS! (Check answers below.)

NOTE! Filling in the blanks each week, could give a serious student of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible, an education equal to a Theological degree within 2 years.  GIVE IT A  TRY!

1. John 1:1, “In the __________________ was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
2. __________ is the “Word” of the Hebrew Scriptures.
3. During the time of the ____ Testament writing, the name that was used for Jehovah was never pronounced because it was considered such a high holy word.
4. John presents __________ to us as the One who was “in the beginning.”
5. Creation (Genesis 1:1) is the ______________ that took place in time and space and it _________ be dated.
6. God is all ___________ and has always ____________. Jesus was already in ___________. God had no ____________.
7. The Lord Jesus is separate and distinct from God the Father. “…and the Word was ________ God…” John 1:1
8. The Lord Jesus Christ is in fact _______. “…the Word was God...” John 1:1
9. The _________ was made flesh. John 1:14
10. John 1:14, “…and the Word made His dwelling among us.” The word _____________ here is the Greek word “Skenoo” and it literally means, “He pitched His ___ among us.” Our human bodies are little tents that we live in. (See also 2 Cor. 5:1)
11. The Lord Jesus Christ is full of _________ and _________. John 1:14
12. The Lord Jesus Christ was 100% _______ and 100% _____. Jesus was truly God in the _____.

To find the answers to “fill in the blanks”, click here to view God Tube TV or here for Sermon TV.

For discussion on this message leave a comment on this BLOG.

http://perrysperiodicals.blogspot.com/2014/05/may-25.html#comment-form

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ROMANS 12:2 “TO BE OR NOT TO BE?”

The bottom line is this: What you choose is what you get. Five years from today, you will be exactly the same person you are today (with the exception of being 5 years older), except for the choices you make beginning right now.

You make a lot of choices every day—what to wear, what to have for breakfast, who you go to see, what you do and say, which route to take to work, etc. Those are transactional choices.

But you can also choose at any point to transform your life. Those transformational choices should be wise decisions, and will change the direction of your life—putting your life on a path to success… and more importantly… to wisdom and understanding.

The people who I admire most don’t live their lives by a “to-do” list; they live their lives by a “to-be” list, for example:I want “to-be” more like Jesus, I want to be a student of the Bible, more loving, more patient, more caring, more understanding, more reasoning…

While you can check things quickly off a “to-do” list, you may never be able to check off a “to-be” list, because it will now become an on-going life-long pursuit. And here’s the other side of the coin: You can’t have a “to-be” list, without having a “stop doing” list (Romans 12:2-a). To become something, you must undo something… this requires acting on an item from your “stop doing” list.

Those who live by a “to-be” list (Romans 12:2) have discovered wisdom… knowledge and understanding, that serves them well for life.

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American Latinos abandoning Catholicism

Posted: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 1:00 am

By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer

NEW YORK — Latinos in the United States are abandoning the Roman Catholicism of their childhood in increasing numbers to become evangelical Protestants or leave organized religion altogether, according to a new survey released Wednesday.

Only 55 percent of the nation’s Latinos consider themselves Catholic, a 12 percentage point drop since 2010. Of those who remain in the church, slightly more said they could imagine leaving than they have in previous years. At the same time, the share of Hispanic evangelicals rose from 12 percent to 16 percent, while Latinos with no religious affiliation increased from 10 percent to 18 percent. 

The Pew Research Center report, “The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States,” is based on a 2013 survey of more than 5,100 adults and points to the challenges ahead for the U.S. church, whose fortunes are inextricably linked to the growth of the Hispanic population.

The Catholic Church remains the country’s largest denomination by far, with more than 66 million members, but has been steadily losing non-immigrant parishioners. In a previous analysis, Pew found former U.S. Catholics collectively would be the third-largest faith group behind Catholics and Baptists.

Hispanics are still expected to become a majority within the U.S. church in the coming years given the overall increase in the general Latino population. Already, one-third of U.S. Catholic adults are Latino, Pew researchers said. But Catholic leaders have been struggling to hold onto new immigrants given the shortage of priests and the competitive religious marketplace in the U.S. Nearly every American faith tradition has intensified its outreach to Latinos in recent decades.

Pew found no single reason for the changing Latino religious landscape.

Respondents most commonly said they gradually drifted away from the faith of their childhood or stopped believing the teachings. About 30 percent said they found another congregation that helps its members more. Others said they had a personal spiritual crisis or left for family reasons. While a large percentage of Latinos overall said the church should do more to address the clergy sex abuse scandal, only a tiny percentage cited the crisis as a reason they left.

The changes partly reflect religious trends in Latin America, which has also seen a steady decline in Catholics as the ranks of evangelicals and nonbelievers have grown. Concern about the region’s losses is believed to have been a factor in the election of Pope Francis, an Argentine and the first pontiff from the Southern Hemisphere. Pew found about half of U.S. Latinos who left Catholicism did so before they arrived in this country.

However, U.S. religious life has also been an influence. The share of Americans overall who say they have no religion, or “nones,” has increased to about 20 percent in recent years. The trend is more pronounced among young people. Pew researchers found similar patterns among U.S. Latinos. Most of those ages 18 to 29 who left Catholicism now say they belong to no particular religious group. Hispanics ages 30 to 49 moved toward both evangelical Protestantism and no religion.

Some Latinos who became Protestants have joined mainline churches in the U.S., but most Hispanic Protestants are evangelical. Of those born-again Christians, some belong to Pentecostal groups, known for their spirit-filled worship and belief in divine healing. Overall, 22 percent of U.S. Latinos are Protestant.

Regarding political affiliation, Latinos overall favor Democrats over Republicans, but support for Republicans is much higher among evangelicals. Three in 10 evangelical Hispanics lean toward the GOP, compared to 21 percent of Hispanic Catholics and 16 percent of the religiously unaffiliated.

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A Reminder!!!

Our Church Service starts at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by a food fellowship, with Bible Study (The Truth Project)at 11:30 a.m.
     CH_ _ CH, What’s Missing? U R!!

A QUESTION THAT DEMANDS AN ANSWER!

“Can you be a follower of Jesus, and NOT follow Jesus?  AND, If you’re NOT a follower of Christ, are you a Christian?  Come visit us and learn the truth! 

Video files of our worship services are available on the Internet. Last week’s viewings totaled  531 on God Tube TV and 425 on Sermon TV for a total of  956.  We pray that you were blessed by last week’s message and look forward to hearing from you.  To view this week's message click here for God Tube TV or here for Sermon TV.

Continue to pray for us as we seek to serve the Lord here in Arizona.
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