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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
Page A-6 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Satan rises in Las Vegas - Angels fly high: by Dr. Glenn Mollette Doubters of Satan were furnished all the proof they should need as a living Satan arose to the top of Mandalay Bay hotel last Sunday night and unleashed hell for about eleven minutes. Stephen Paddock acted only as Satan and someone possessed with evil knows how to act. He wreaked devastation in the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States. Fifty-nine deaths and over 500 wounded people were the result of Paddock’s calculated, well strategized maneuver to bring about mass carnage. Evil works hard to find a way. Evil is cunning, calculating, sly, secretive, hypocriti- cal but works toward the goal of destruction. Whether we are talking about devils who were involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks that resulted in about 3000 deaths or Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma bomb- ing or the recent attack on a theatre in Paris, France, evil finds a way. Evil can use a car driven into a crowd or a homemade bomb to mangle people. Evil can use knives, fire, poison, acid or other ways. We don’t have to name all the ways that evil can bring about sadness and sorrow because evil works day and night plotting and thinking of how it can succeed in stealing, killing and destroying good people just so their lust for innocent blood is briefly satis- fied. Whether you believe that Satan is a horny-headed figure walking around with a pitchfork, a spirit, a fallen and disgraced angel from heaven or something else, surely you believe in the reality of evil. We saw evil, once again, on Sunday night in Las Ve- gas embodying Paddock and doing what evil always does. We see evil breaking into people’s houses and robbing people. We hear of evil robbing convenient stores. We hear of evil killing one another in Chicago or evil abus- ing a child or hurting a spouse. Evil rises up in all kinds of ways. Sunday, evil briefly rose up but seemed like an eternity, to those fleeing for their lives. Las Vegas, our nation and especially all the families involved were forever changed. For every Satan that rises there are hun- dreds and thousands of angels. We have heard many, many stories of good and wonderful people saving lives and rescuing people in Las Vegas. Countless stories have been told of people who gave their lives saving some- one else. There are so many stories of heroes who did so much to aid and save people who had been wounded. Say whatever you want about Las Vegas, there were a lot of God’s people at work helping people in that scene of real hell. The massacre in Las Vegas reminds us that we live in a world of good and bad. Satan is real and he embodied Paddock to carry out his work. God is also very real and he embodied thousands of people in Las Vegas Sunday night from the police to the many concertgoers who worked so heroically to overcome evil with good. We have to keep helping each other and working together. We must be angels soaring higher. We have to put race, religion and partisan politics aside. We have to be on the lookout because there is always another Satan lurking and waiting to rise. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of 12 books.He is read in all50 states. Read his new book, “Uncommon Sense.” Contact him at GMollette@aol. com. Learn more at www.glennmol- lette.com Like his facebook page at www.facebook.com/glennmollette. Community Bible Church Burning Fields “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptable with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Romans 5:3-5 When the harvest came to an end on my uncle’s farm, it was time to burn fields. I always looked forward to that end of the season job. The grain and grass harvesting would leave a lot of straw on the ground. While much of this was baled and used for winter feed or bedding, some always remained in the fields, not to mention the left over stubble on the ground. To help cut down on disease and insects and to remove what was left on the ground, the local farmers would get together and burn off the residue. I was lighting a field that had a gully up the middle of it, and as the fire climbed up that gully it resulted in a tremendous whirlwind of fire. It was frightening and mar- velous at the same time. I think of that event when I read about God being likened to fire in the Bible. When the field-burning fire had finished moving over the ground, everything was laid bare and in the open. I believe that’s a good picture of God’s judgment of mankind. Nothing will be left hidden or concealed. We will have to answer to God for every word and deed. Fortunately, Hebrews 8:25 says the following, “Therefore He (Jesus) is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” God made a way for us to be saved from the penalty of our sin through Jesus’ sacrifice, but only if you have received His free gift of salvation. Have you received God’s free gift through faith in Jesus? See you Sunday. In Christ, Pastor Dave Ministry at CBC Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Praise and Prayer 6 p.m. Wednesday A.W.A.N.A. 6:15-8:00 Preschool to Grade 6 Free Senior Exercise Class Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 9-10 a.m. in Dining Room Community Christian Academy Preschool – 12th grade Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Where Is God? Suppose everything we thought and believed got stripped away from us in one hor- rific event. Suppose all the answers we thought we had to all the questions we thought we knew seemed hollow and empty. Suppose our friend is gone, killed by forces that to us are incomprehensible. And suppose, in the midst of this loss and tragedy – this relentless “why” – we encounter God again in the ordinary moments of life. This is what happened in Las Vegas. But where, you ask, was God in this tragedy? Where was God in this senseless killing by a man who seems to have no motive and no reason to hate, or even dislike, his victims? Some will trot out the ancient question, “If God is all-powerful and all-good, then why didn’t he prevent the carnage on the Las Vegas Strip?” The first thing we know is, this wasn’t God’s will. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” But God’s will isn’t always done on earth, as the tragedy of this week reminds us. We also know that this tragedy isn’t a “wake up call.” It didn’t happen so that we could be taught some kind of lesson. These are the kinds of easy answers that betray those who were killed by offering explanations and justifications for evil that are simplistic, insen- sitive, incredible or even obscene. Instead, the question we should be asking ourselves isn’t why this happened, but why it doesn’t happen more often than it does. Why do we as human beings not abuse, violate, and kill each other more than we do? The mystery isn’t why there is evil in the world. The mystery is why there is any good in the world at all? That’s where we find God. For God is moved by this tragedy, too. We know how God reacts toward our suffering in the example of Jesus. Jesus saw tragedy – sickness, blindness, lameness, the darkness of demon-possession, hopelessness, despair, hunger, and grief – and moved over and over to end the suffering and relieve the pain of those whose lives he encountered. Jesus wept over Jerusalem when it would not respond to God’s love, and cried in grief when his friend Lazarus died. Even knowing that he would bring Lazarus back from the tomb, Jesus was still moved to tears. Jesus in his own suffering on the cross saw his moth- er’s pain and asked John to care for her from that time on. Jesus is moved by our fear, our grief, our pain, our loss, our suffering because he, too, has suffered. And he weeps with us when we weep. Where is God in this tragedy? Where he’s always been. Right here among us; pres- ent in his creation, moved by our tragedy, mak- ing us strong enough to bear our grief. “Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.” William J.H. Boetcker, Religious Leader, Influential Public Speaker Places of Worship BRIDGEVIEW COMMUNITY CHURCH 5181 Holland Loop Rd., CJ 541-592-3923 “Come Join the Worship!” Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Pastor Sonny Moore www.bridgeviewcc.org * * * 7th DAY ADVENTIST 265 S. Old Stage Rd., CJ Sabbath School - 9:30 a.m. Saturday Worship 11 a.m. Pastor Christian Martin Church (541) 592-3218 Madrone Adventist School 541-592-3330 * * * IMMANUEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 200 Watkins St., CJ Phone 541-592-3876 Pastor Charles Chase Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship - 9:15 a.m. Child-care for small children *** Illinois Valley Praise Center 28569 Redwood Hwy. CJ Non-denominational Bible-believing Church Sunday school - 9:30 a..m. Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. Thursday Seekers 7 p.m. Youth group Thursday - 7 p.m. www.ivpraisecenter.com COMMUNITY BIBLE CHURCH Pastor Dave Gordon 113 S. Caves Ave., CJ Office: 541-592-3896 Email: cbccca@gmail.com Sunday Worship - 10:30 a.m. Christian Academy Pre-K to 12th grade Awana - Wednesdays - 6 p.m. * * * ST. PATRICK OF THE FOREST CATHOLIC CHURCH 407 W. River St., CJ 541-592-3658 Fr. William Holtzinger, Pastor Mass - Sunday 11 a.m.. Sacrament of Reconciliation Sunday - 10:30 a.m. Holy Days TBA * * * TAKILMA BIBLE CHURCH 10343 Takilma Road, Takilma Pastor Dan Robinson Bible Study / Prayer Time 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 11 a.m Wednesday Bible Study 7 p.m * * * First Baptist Church of Selma 18285 Redwood Hwy., Selma 541-597-4169 Pastor Monty Pope Sunday School - 9:45 a.m. Worship - 11 a.m. GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH East River Street & Lewis Court, CJ Annemarie Richardson Lay Pastor. Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship - 10 a.m. Church Phone: 541-592-2290 www.goodshepherdlutheraniv.net * * * VALLEY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH 498 Laurel Road, CJ P.O. Box 1248 Pastor Marvin Porter Sunday School - 9:45 a.m. Worship Service - 11 a.m. evfree@frontiernet.net 541-592-6160 * * * FOUNTAIN OF LIFE ASSEMBLY OF GOD 451 S. Junction Ave., CJ 541-592-3956 Pastor Mark McLean Morning Worship 9:30 & 11 a.m. Wednesday - 7 p.m. Adult Bible Study * * * ST. MATTHIAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 25904 Redwood Hwy., CJ 541-592-2006 Rev. Bryant Bechtold Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 209 S. Junction Ave., CJ Sacrament Meet - 10 a.m. Sunday School - 11:20 a.m. Priesthood, Relief Soc. - 12:10 p.m. Bishop Larry Hammersmith 541-592-3919 * * * Illinois Valley Baptist Church 541-592-6149 102 S. Redwood Hwy. (in the County Building) Sunday Worship 10:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study, Prayer & Youth Program 7:00 PM Ladies Bible Study Call for info * * * Wonder Bible Chapel 11911 Redwood Hwy. Wonder, Ore. Sunday worship 10 a.m. Non-denominational Bible believing Church Sunday School Nursery Youth group meets Sunday 6:30 p.m.
