A conversion poem by Amy Drew
Tear Stained Pillowcase
mascara smudges and pink flowers
mixed with hours & hours
of what seemed like a bad trip
as I slipped between
fits and spits of muttering madness.
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Jacque & Nick Economo Are Baptized (3rd & 4th from left)
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call. Acts 2:39
When Peter proclaimed God’s promise of salvation “for all who are far off” little did he know how many women would be rejoicing at the prospect of claiming this promise nearly 2,000 years later. It is exciting to see how God is working to bring the message to new women through our Women’s Day gatherings. This year the Chicago International Christian Church will sponsor our very first…
Women’s Day event on Saturday, April 5th from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The cost will be $10 (general) and $5 (students and seniors).
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Ed Stevens (front center) is baptized
“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched”¦Then Jesus said to his host, “˜When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:1, 12-14
Before Jesus could preach about the Great Banquet, he needed to show what made a great banquet.
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Sisters Strive for Christ-Like Unity
The following are notes used to teach a women’s class on unity, taught by Christina Walsh. You’ll find that both men and women will benefit greatly from applying these godly principles.
John 17:6-19, 21-22
- The main manifestation of Jesus being one with God needs to be our level of unity vs 11, 21-22
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| Men must focus on walking in purity. |
“But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire…” Romans 7:8
The battle to live a pure life and not give in to our covetous desires has many casualties of war. Lust is a temptation common to all men, no matter how mature. If you don’t have a plan to fight this evil in your own life then you are either in the darkness or on your way back there.
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| Do you know Jesus? |
With billions of people in the world from countless religions, is there really only one way to be saved? As a non-believer many years ago, I had asked that very question to a young woman who had recently become a Christian. I said to her, “What about Buddhists in Asia who never even heard of Jesus? Are you trying to tell me that they are going to hell just because they don’t know Jesus?”
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| Kip McKean |
Guest Editorial: Kip McKean
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”¦ to give drink to my people, my chosen”¦ that they may proclaim my praise.” Isaiah 43:18-21
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is just one slogan that lured 600,000 people to travel to Las Vegas for Super Bowl weekend. The greater Las Vegas population is two million people and is the fastest growing city in America with 7,000 moving there each month! Located in a picturesque desert valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Las Vegas has been nicknamed “Sin City” for its world famous casinos and notorious nightlife.
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| David Cadell off to war |
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29
In March, we came to Chicago with disciples from several different states to pray and plan for the planting of the Chicago International Christian Church. Our goal in coming to Chicago was to proclaim Christ to the millions of souls who live in this pillar city and consequently the entire midwest United States.
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| Theresa Broom, Women’s Ministry Leader |
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and SOLD EVERYTHING HE HAD and bought it.” Matthew 13:45
“In the same way, any of you who does not GIVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAS cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
I love Jesus’ clear teaching on the price we must pay to be a part of his eternal kingdom. In order to be his disciple I must be willing to GIVE UP EVERYTHING - nothing less will do. This is a challenge at any stage of my life but when I meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice in giving himself up on the cross I am sobered and humbled to gain perspective that my own sacrifice pales in comparison: I have not yet begun to sacrifice. I have not yet begun to give. And I have not yet begun to suffer for my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank God for the message of the cross! Jesus’ example of sacrifice inspires me to respond out of gratitude and with joy. Because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice I get to have something that I don’t deserve - a relationship with God. This is my greatest joy and my richest reward! God himself is my very great reward (Genesis 15:1).
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| Christina Canija (center) gets baptized by Theresa Broom (left) and Jes Junion (right) |
“When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.’” Psalm 126:1-3
It has been an incredible couple of weeks here in Chicago. Just four months ago we had our inaugural service and started this work with 30 disciples. Since then we have seen nine people baptized, and two people restored. Just three Sundays ago, thirty-eight disciples had ninety-two in attendance at our bring your neighbor day. It was a glorious sight.
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| Jesus being nailed to the cross |
The Medical Account of the Crucifixion of Christ
Dr. C. Truman Davis
A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion
In this paper, I shall discuss some of the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ. We shall follow Him from Gethsemane, through His trial, His scourging, His path along the Via Dolorosa, to his last dying hours on the cross”¦.
This led me first to a study of the practice of crucifixion itself; that is, torture and execution by fixation to a cross. Apparently, the first known practice of crucifixion was by the Persians. Alexander and his generals brought it back to the Mediterranean world — to Egypt and to Carthage. The Romans apparently learned the practice from the Carthaginians and (as with almost everything the Romans did) rapidly developed a very high degree of efficiency and skill at it. A number of Roman authors (Livy, Cicero, Tacitus) comment on crucifixion, and several innovations, modifications, and variations are described in the ancient literature.
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| Deandre “Dre” Walker after his baptism |
Guest editorial by Kip McKean, with introduction by Chris Broom.
“For what is the use of a man gaining the whole world if he loses or forfeits his own soul?” Luke 9:25 (Phillips)
Our Sunday, October 8, church was incredible as we started our first principles classes by teaching a lesson on seeking God with all our heart. We desperately want to be equipped to teach people about how to inherit eternal life, so we are very serious about learning the elementary teachings (Hebrews 6:1). It was so special on that day to witness Deandre Walker (”Dre”) as he made the decision to seek God with all his heart and was baptized by the campus brothers after church.
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| Juan Mendoza (2nd from left) now restored to the Lord, enjoys his revival with the brothers who helped him through it (from left): Chris Williams, Rodrigo Ceballos and David Cadell. |
Equally inspiring was seeing Juan Mendoza stand before the church and share how he had become a Christian, but then stopped seeking God with all his heart. He shared how he had started to seek happiness in other ways but still was not happy. He told us of a day where he was just wandering around the city of Chicago discouraged until a scripture came to his mind: “but seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). He immediately called Joe Chiappetta who welcomed him back with open arms and yet challenged him to once again seek God with ALL HIS HEART. It was awesome to hear Juan say, “I am here for good this time!” He was restored to God with the help of the Latino ministry. After the restoration, Chris Williams (who moved here from Portland to lead the Spanish Ministry), Rodrigo Ceballos (recently baptized), Dave Cadell (recently restored to God) and Juan stood up in front of the church together as Chris Williams prayed for communion. It was so inspiring.
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| Men in Strict Training |
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
In the first century AD, the Corinthians hosted an athletic competition every other year called the Isthmian Athletic Games. The people of Corinth would quickly understand Paul’s analogy and agree that if anyone wanted to compete, much less win at that level of competition, they would have to go into strict training. Paul used the example of running to help these people understand the kind of Christian self-denial that it would take to run the Christian race. In order for the athletes to get into good enough condition to run the race in the arena, it took great self-control in diet and exercise: a rigorous bodily discipline. Here, Paul was teaching the Corinthians that if they wanted to win the prize for which God had called them heavenward (Philippians 3:14), they could not compete in an undisciplined way.
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| Are you aware of the devil’s schemes? |
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
Genesis 3:1-8
The serpent was very crafty in the way he led Eve into sin. Revelation 12:9 says, “…that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, … leads the whole world astray.” The truth is that Satan is using the same approach in our modern world that the serpent used on Eve, and far too often, we fall for his tricks. However, If we can learn a few valuable lessons from the mistakes of Adam and Eve and be honest with ourselves about the way Satan gets us to disobey God, it will help us to be more aware as we take our stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
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