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BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS
How are we to "bear one another's burdens"? When Jesus Christ first started His ministry, He said: "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19).
Then He showed His disciples how to preach the Gospel and minister to the sick, handicapped and poor (Luke 5:12-15). Next, He sent them out two by two and they practiced what He taught (Luke 9:1-2): preach the Gospel, care for the needy and heal the sick. After that, He taught His followers to minister to the same audience: "the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind" (Luke 14:12-13 and 21), and He put it into practice: "Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people" (Matthew 9:35).
And in the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to make more disciples and teach their disciples to FULFILL ("observe" but not just spectate!) everything He had taught His disciples to DO (Mat. 28:18-20). What was it that He taught His disciples to DO? Proclaim the Good News and Minister to "the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind"! P&M - Proclaim & Minister - that's Practical Ministry! It's not an "either-or" solution: either preach, evangelize, witness for Christ; or do social action things like feeding the poor, sheltering the homeless, helping the jobless find work. It's a "both-and" proposition: Do Both!
Later, the Apostles selected seven deacons (Greek "diakon" = "minister") to carry out this diakonia-ministry to the poor, widows, etc. "...and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly" (Acts 6:1-7). St. Paul taught that the bishops, pastors and deacons should equip the saints to do the work of diakonia-ministry "to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). This is not just dry theory or theology: it is practical, hands-on ministry that helps the church grow! Enroll in our free courses to see how YOU can do diakonia-ministry. And Join "The ARC" Chat/Video Forum to Build the ARC!
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If 5% of the people who see this would give $5 per month (just 17¢ per day!) – two cups of coffee with your favorite friend at your favorite coffee shop – we could cover our operating expenses and do much more in spreading the word, serving and providing accessible housing for the disabled. My wife and I left our careers over 30 years ago to serve in Russia as missionaries: we're now "semi-retired" – we've put on a new set of semi tires and keep on trucking! We live on our retirement income and volunteer our time: we receive no financial support from Agape Restoration Society. Our websites and ministry are funded by us and just a few friends. ...thanks, friends!
LAWMAKERS AND PRO-LIFE GROUPS CALL FOR INVESTIGATION AND JUSTICE FOR THE 'D.C. FIVE'
from: LiveAction News
(14 Feb.) Synopsis: The Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) and other pro-life organizations, along with several congressional representatives, called for "Justice for The Five" at a press conference in Washington, D.C., to address the lack of investigation into the deaths of five aborted children. Recovered in March 2022 outside the Washington Surgi-Clinic, the bodies, named Christopher X, Harriet, Angel, Holly, and Phoenix, may provide evidence of federal crimes committed by abortionist Cesare Santangelo. Despite calls for an investigation, D.C. authorities focused on the activists who exposed the situation. The Department of Justice reportedly ordered the destruction of the bodies, prompting a coalition effort to protect them. Congressional representatives emphasized the need for accountability and proper burial for the children. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Nietzsche wrote a book called The Transvaluation of Values. Philosophers are sometimes able to see ahead at what the effect will be from current trends. Indeed, our values have been transvalued, turned upside-down: good has become evil and evil has become good, virtue has become vice and vice-versa. Where will it end?
INADVERTENT INCEST AFTER IVF IS REAL
from: BioEdge.org
(15 Feb.) Synopsis: A CNN investi-gation reveals a case of "fertility fraud" where a Connecticut woman, Victoria Hill, discovers her biological father is her mother's doctor, Burton Caldwell, through a DNA test. Shockingly, Hill later learns that her high school boyfriend is also Dr. Caldwell's offspring, raising concerns about incestuous relationships resulting from fertility fraud. Over 30 U.S. doctors have been accused of using their own sperm for patients, prompting calls for federal legislation. Despite a decline in such practices due to DNA testing, concerns persist in sperm banks supplying lesbian couples and single women. LGBTQ groups oppose fertility industry regulation, fearing reduced accessibility. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: "My, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" (nineteenth century Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott). This doctor in his practice thought he could deceive these women, who believed they were receiving IVF treatment from an "anonymous donor." In reality, it was the doctor himself who artificially impregnated them with his own sperm. Now the innocent children do not feel they know who they really are or which of their close friends they are actually related to. Disgusting!
ARMENIA: APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR'S JAIL TERM
from: Forum 18 News Service
Hebrews 13:3 – "Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them..."
(8 Feb.) Synopsis: The Yerevan Criminal Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of 20-year-old Baptist conscientious objector Davit Nazaretyan on February 7. He had received a two-year jail term in October 2023 for refusing military service. Despite repeated requests for alternative civilian service, officials denied his applications. The court's decision raised concerns about discrimination against conscientious objectors, violating their right to alternative service. While Nazaretyan considers further appeal, the judges' apparent bias and disregard for European Court of Human Rights decisions were criticized. The case highlights ongoing issues with conscientious objection and alternative service in Armenia. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: You may or may not believe in pacifism – there are Scriptural arguments for both pacifism and self-defense. But the issue here is the freedom to obey one's conscience and elect alternative service instead of military service. In this article, that freedom of conscience has been denied.
TEACHER WHO CREATED ORCHESTRA FOR STUDENTS WITH IDD WINS GRAMMY
from: Disability Scoop
(9 Feb.) Synopsis: Annie Ray, a high school music teacher at Annandale High School in Virginia, received the Music Educator Award at the Grammy Awards for her work promoting universal access to music education. Ray, who started an orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, was recognized for creating a parent orchestra and the Crescendo Orchestra program, teaching students with disabilities to play music. She expressed gratitude to her students, stating, "This award, it’s my students’ award 100%. They are the coolest kids in the world at Annandale High School." Ray will receive a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant for her school’s music program. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: It is encouraging to learn of this teacher who went out of her way to make the great effort of creating orchestras for people with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities). We applaud this teacher for recognizing the inherent value of human life as created in God's image, regardless of one's abilities.
METR. EPIFANIY: SOON THERE WILL BE DECISIONS BY SEVERAL LOCAL CHURCHES REGARDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE OCU
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine
(14 Feb.) Synopsis: Metropolitan Epifaniy, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), stated that efforts are underway, albeit unofficially, to gain recognition from other Orthodox Churches globally. He acknowledged external opposition [from the Moscow Patriarchate -ed.] working to prevent such recognition, but expressed confidence in diplomatic efforts facilitated through connections with the Ecumenical Patriarch. While not disclosing specific plans, Metr. Epifaniy expects recognition from several local Churches soon. He emphasized the OCU's positive growth and consolidation, driven by support from Orthodox Ukrainians, and anticipates receiving recognition from other Orthodox Churches in the future. The OCU's progress is closely observed by the broader Orthodox community. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Thank God the tide is finally turning, due to the Moscow Patriarch's full support of Russia's atrocities in Ukraine. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine!
'TERMINALISM': DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE DYING IS WRONG
from: BioEdge.org
(15 Feb.) Synopsis: Philosopher Philip Reed introduces the concept of "terminalism" in bioethics, highlighting discrimination against the dying. In the Journal of Medical Ethics, Reed defines terminalism as treating the terminally ill worse than expected if not dying. He explores its implications in hospice eligibility, medical resource allocation, right-to-try, and right-to-die laws. Reed challenges the conventional narrative in debates about the "right to die," asserting that denying the terminally ill access to assisted death constitutes a form of discrimination. He argues that such distinctions negatively impact the dying, reinforcing societal blind spots and prejudices, and underscores the importance of recognizing the value of individuals facing the end of life. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: "Terminalism" is a new term, related to the legalized offer of euthanasia or assisted suicide to people who do not have long to live. But this legalization, being limited to terminally ill people, creates the suggestion in their minds that the elderly and ill ought to end their lives themselves, instead of at God's timing.
THIS TITLE IS BANNED IN "THE LAND OF THE FREE"!
Tap on this photo to see the front and back cover of my book's BANNED TITLE in "the land of the free," A First-Century View of Yeshua, the Messiah. (See how to get a free copy, and print this cover with the "fit to page" setting.) Yes, right here in the U.S., "the land of the free," some people oppose the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment rights: freedom of speech, the press, and religious expression; and promote “soft totalitarianism”: soft porn, gluttony, public intoxication, and pantheism – “you can believe anything in general, but nothing in particular.”
If you download the PDF of the book cover, you'll notice the blacked-out words in the above photo: in the "bad old days" of the USSR, certain sections in the Pravda newspaper would be blacked-out, so you knew that some info was being kept from you. But with today's new censorship, the info is simply gone as if it were never there, you don't know what you don't know. This is called "shadow banning" on social media or "editorial policy" on news media: their algorithms and policies sift out Christian and conservative viewpoints, so very few people ever see that type of news or info that you post.
The Apostle Paul faced similar but harsher persecution for publicly expressing his faith: he was driven out of town in Ephesus, so from Miletus he called the bishops ("episkopoi" in Greek) of his newly-founded church in Ephesus to defend the rightness of his actions, as we read in Acts 20:17-34 –
"From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the church. When they had come to him, he said to them, 'You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; how I didn't shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Yesous."
Yes, confessing publicly that Jeshua is Yahweh – Yesous is the Lord God – can land you in a peck of trouble! As Roman culture dictated, “you can believe anything in general, but nothing in particular.” You could confess as many of their pantheon of gods as you wish (pantheism), but you were not allowed to confess that there is only One God (monotheism). Rome later demanded that Christians just offer a pinch of incense to the gods and the Christians could go free, but were forbidden under the penalty of death to worship only the One True God.
The godess Artemis – called Diana by the Ephesians – was a fertility idol, and of course what one really believes results in how one behaves: there were gluttonous feasts to this idol, complete with sex orgies and drunkenness. Also, as Demetrius the silversmith shouted, there was much money to be made off manufacturing idols to Diana.
Get the full article on our ARC-News blog at blogspot.com!)
A Personal Note: This week I've developed an e-book and an Android web-app for The Good News of Yeshua, the Messiah, a companion book that links to A First-Century View of Yeshua, the Messiah. You can get it HERE You can load an e-book into an e-book reader app to store the book on your smartphone, and you can install a web-app, a simple smartphone app, on your phone and it runs just like any other app.. I'm also in process of converting it into a paperback book to distribute on Amazon.com and on my website: stay tuned!
Many people from around the world have joined us in our "Morning Prayers and Readings" Skype group, so this week I've also created a matching web-app for "Daily Prayers." See the "Note 3" on my Literature web page for instructions on how to install these web-apps. It includes a "Life of Christ" link at the top of the screen to The Good News of Yeshua, the Messiah as well. In both this app and in the web page there's a button so you can listen to Ancient Faith Radio's music Channel. Not bad work for an 80-year-old "geezer," hmm?
Please remember to pray for Christians in Secularized Countries, and for...
Your fellow-servants,
Bob & Cheryl
p.s. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of its blessings;
the inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. – Churchill
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