15. “ In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made ; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3)
29. The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— to do his work , his strange work , and perform his task, his alien task . (Isaiah 28:21)
30. Yet by far the best ‘answer’ to the problem of evil…
61. In 165 AD, a devastating epidemic swept through the Roman empire, killing 1/3 of the population, incl. Emperor Marcus Aurelius…
62. In 251 AD, another plague hit the empire, this time both rural and urban areas were affected…
63. “ Most of our brothers showed unbounded love…never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another…Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ …drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains…” Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria, AD260
64. “ The heathen behaved in the very opposite way. At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest , throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treated unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.” Bishop Dionysius
65. Result? ‘ Miraculous’ healing Huge Conversions Growth of Christian population Spread of Christian love/principles throughout empire!
66. What is your 1-minute elevator pitch? “ A Christian is ______”
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71. The kingdom of God is like a team of resistance fighters...
72. If a country starts mobilizing its troops, preparing its airplanes, testing its weapons, sending spies to other countries, etc. – what does that tell you?
91. " If you are the Son of God… throw yourself down . For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands , so that you will not strike your foot against a stone ” (Luke 4:3)
