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A R C-N e w s, Apr. 26, 2025
Fortnightly Report on Christian Agape-Care in Secular Societies, by Dr. Robert D. Hosken
The right to believe and the right to life are inseparable: Right belief in a loving God enables us to love our neighbor!
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CHRIST IS RISEN! SO... WHAT NOW?
When I thought up the title for this article, I searched the Internet to see if it was unique: turns out I found four articles and several videos with almost the same title! I wondered: what were Christ's disciples thinking just before and right after His crucifixion and resurrection?
In Matthew 20:17-28 we read how hugely they misunderstood what was about to happen. He told them straight out: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day He will be raised up" (verses 17-19). Nothing could be clearer to us than this blunt statement, but we're thinking from our 21st-century viewpoint, we have likely heard this story hundreds of times.
The disciples, however, couldn't comprehend what He just said: they were following Jesus as the Messiah who would ride into Jerusalem on a white stallion, start a revolution in Jerusalem, overthrow the Roman occupation army, and liberate Israel from opression. Right away, James and John put their mother up to asking Jesus if one of her sons could be Prime Minister and the other Secretary of Defense in His new kingdom. He replied: "Guys, you don't know what you're asking for. You're going to get killed or exiled." He told them: "I didn't come to be an earthly ruler, I came to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many."
Then He rode into Jerusalem on a little, young donkey. He shook things up by driving the moneychangers and animal sellers out of the Temple. He healed the blind and sick, he confronted the pharisees, the chief priests and the scribes several times as if He was forcing them to play their hand, to work out their plot to have Him killed.
Next came the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane where Peter blustered saying how bold he was, how he would never deny Jesus... and within just a few hours Peter denied Him three times. All of the disciples except John ran away, effectivly denying Him too – only a few women and John stood with Him as He was nailed to the Cross and executed. After three days, when He rose from the dead, the disciples were dumbfounded, they couldn't grasp what their own eyes saw: He was alive again! How could this be? Thomas doubted until he saw the wounds in His hands from the nails, then said: "My Lord and my God!"...
Get the full article on our ARC-News blog.
A Personal Note: Two weeks ago, Cheryl had another MRI done to learn what the present condition of her spine is, including the surgical site and the vertebrae above it. The MRI showed some shifting of the L2 and L3 vertebrae that is most likely the cause of her persistent severe pain in her thighs and knees. Her orthopedic surgeon recommended a second surgery to fuse them together with L4 and L5 that he fused on December 10 last year. So this new surgery is set for May 13, just over 2 weeks from now. Please pray for a successful outcome, her relief from this intense pain. Thanks in advance!
Here's our next free online course, (click →) Intro: "Ministry to Handicapped and Poor" - deadline to enroll: 28 Aug. 2025 (← click). So enroll today, before you forget!
SYNOPSIS: The article argues that human embryos are human beings from the moment of fertilization, regardless of their stage of development or potential for survival.
Nancy Flanders and the authors of the article on the Fried Eggs podcast contest the notion that an embryo is not a child, emphasizing that it's a unique human organism with its own DNA. IVF procedures, in their view, raise ethical concerns due to the destruction of embryos during the process and the potential for creating more embryos than are needed or utilized.
SYNOPSIS: The OCU Primate, Metropolitan Epifaniy, issued an Easter message emphasizing the victory of Christ over death and evil, and renewed hope in the triumph of Truth and Good. The message called for continued resistance against darkness and sin, both personally and globally, and emphasized spreading the joy of Easter and faith. Epifaniy also extended congratulations to Ukrainian defenders, volunteers, allies, and those under Russian occupation, wishing them victory and unity.
SYNOPSIS: A new report from the Guttmacher Institute shows a significant increase in DIY chemical pill abortions, rising by 40,000 between 2023 and 2024. This doesn't account for an estimated 34,500 chemical abortions performed by skirting laws in states with bans. Online-only abortion facilities are increasing their market share, potentially accounting for 14% of all abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. American Life League claims the true figure is likely much higher (50% or more), obscured by shield laws.
SYNOPSIS: Protests are ongoing against the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center's use of electric shock devices to treat individuals with developmental disabilities, particularly those with autism. Jacob Levy, a 16-year-old with autism, and other former residents are speaking out against the treatment's effectiveness and the alleged trauma it causes. Former residents like Jennifer Msumba and Krista Cormier describe negative experiences, including physical and emotional abuse, and the failure to address underlying needs or provide appropriate support beyond the shock devices.
SYNOPSIS: A new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, and University of Montreal found that a diet rich in plant-based foods, with moderate amounts of healthy animal-based foods, and low intake of ultra-processed foods is linked to healthy aging. The study, published in Nature Medicine, examined eight healthy dietary patterns and their impact on overall healthy aging by following over 105,000 people for 30 years. Healthy aging was defined as reaching age 70 free of major chronic diseases and with good cognitive, physical, and mental health.
SYNOPSIS: This article, written from the firsthand perspective of Emily Cowen, who has athetoid quadriplegic cerebral palsy, offers a candid and insightful account of the social challenges faced by individuals with severe speech impediments. It is particularly useful for anyone seeking to better understand respectful interaction with people with disabilities, highlighting common missteps such as making assumptions about intelligence, invading personal space, or infantilizing adults. The narrative is especially relevant for seniors, people with disabilities, caregivers, and professionals.
How many disabled people attend your church? How does your church compare to society at large? Over 25% of the people in the U.S. are disabled, and notice in this graphic how the likelihood of disability increases with age: as shown here, it's about 10% of working-age adults, for those 65-74 about 35% are disabled; for those 85 and up, it's about 70%! Remember: only about 5% of those you invite to church will come, but 100% of those you take to church will come!
