Cubans Find Biblical View 

     Evangelical churches promote human life, providing hope and support to pregnant women, even as Cuba's quality of life deteriorates. Their pro-life movement began in 2016. One woman, for example, had only a cup of coffee for breakfast, and smoked a cigar at lunch time to battle hunger pangs.

     For years, women had blinders about shedding of innocent blood. A team could not afford a building for pregnancy care, but they could make house calls. One congregation rallied around new mothers, and child dedications started becoming common place. Cuba's leaders wanted more babies due to the negative population growth...not because what God may want.

     There is a pro-life movement across the nation. Churches have real conviction rather than fleeting emotional responses. Even unregistered churches are joining the movement. One woman gave up her steady $20 per month income to lead a pregnancy counseling team. 

     The challenges of living in Cuba are mounting. There is a shortage of food, supplies, medicines, electricity etc. Hurricane Melissa left families homeless. Without Venezuelan oil, gas to power garbage trucks trash has piled u. Breadlines extend for blocks. Shopkeepers only accept dollars, keeping the average Cuban from buying food. The communist regime exports all beef as a cash crop.

      A volunteer says, "If God created a baby, He will provide for it." Churches are growing. Our government puts the number of Protestants at about 55,000, or 5 percent of Cuba's population. Schools have more children. A volunteer said, "Glory to God. This is the work that the Lord is doing in this place." 

     And we'll see what President Trump has in mind, and what the charge against Raul Castro might lead to. A good life for all these babies, we hope.  

              Jimmy  

Why Charge Raul Castro?

     Picking up where we left off, in 1996 an organization called "Brothers to the Rescue" was searching for Cuban refugees who needed rescue at sea. Three Americans and one Cuban American in two Cessnas were doing something extra. From international airspace they released fliers with anti-government messages, somehow destined to come ashore at Havanna. 

     They may not have known about Cuban intelligence in Miami and Tampa, and among some members of our Congress. Raul Castro was informed, sent two fighter jets to down the Americans, and so he is accused of murder. Who started the process? Donald Trump, in 2016. 

     Raul, 94, is no longer president but still involved. A number of people at the head of government are named Castro or are Castro women who married others. The Cuban people suffer. Yet, many Americans think communism is the way to go.  

     Six decades of communism has taken its toll, leaving many Cubans impoverished and angry. In 2022 and 2023, Cuba lost 18 percent of its population...to Venezuela, Russia, (communist) China, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Some, like doctors, volunteered for programs and never returned. Cuba closed its borders for two years. 

     About 15 years ago, we and a few others transferred from our church in Wesley Chapel Florida to a dying church on the county lines of Hernando and Pasco counties. Years later, Wesley Chapel sent us a Cuban immigrant, who knew some English, and his wife, to be our new pastor. In Cuba he had to borrow clothes to attend church. Now, he pastors two English and two Spanish services every Sunday.

Sunday: more Cuban life 

Life in Cuba...More Babies Live 

     In 1963 I was in the Army at Ft. Lee, VA as one of seven guys with journalism or business degrees, working for a "school" for those who provide the Army with everything from uniforms to weapons. 

     One morning I woke up to learn a number of guys in our barracks were gone. There might be war with the Soviet Union which was placing artillery in Cuba. President Kennedy had decisions to make. Americans everywhere were nervous, including a lady at my church back home. 

     I had leave to visit home. I asked if I should stay at Ft. Lee, and he said I was not included in this. So, I drove home, wondering if a Russian missile might find me along the way. On Sunday at church, a woman scowled, "What are you doing here?" 

     That's my Cuba story. Fidel Castro and brother Raul turned communist while in jail reading Karl Marks. They were friendly with Russia, China and North Korea. Iran would join the team. The Castros were freed in 1956 and three years later, with 160 men for starters, overthrew dictator Batista and executed dozens of his officers. 

     This week, the U.S. charged Raul Castro, now 94, with killing four people in 1996. Stay with us. We'll get to the babies later.

          Jimmy    

     

Death Through Adam

Life Through Christ

     "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin...for before the law was given, sin was in the world. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a commandment, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. - Romans 5:12-14. 

     "The gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 

     "For if the trespass of one man, death reigned, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ. - 5:16-17 

>    "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - 5:20-21 

Friday, we go to Cuba

 Showing God's Love 

     From YouVersion:

     In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus shared God's greatest commandment - to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. 

Note: Our heart, soul and mind, and emotions, are what lasts forever. 

     Then He says something equally important - You shall love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:39. 

     Jesus calls us to love others as ourselves, because doing so is how we show we love Him. YouVersion provides three ways to love people:  

* Ask a friend how you can pray for them.

* Encourage someone by sharing a Bible verse and what it meant for you.

* Pray about loving others. 

~ ~ ~

     We have not yet learned that a man is more powerful 

     on his knees than behind the most powerful guns. 

     We have not learned that a nation is more powerful

     when it unites in earnest prayer to God than

     when its resources are channeled into weapons. 

                                the late Billy Graham 

 Midterms

     "The problem for the president is the Republican and independent voters who supported him in 2024, but are not his natural constituency. Polling suggests most of them are happy with his foreign policy, but unhappy with his economic policies. From tariffs to running roughshod over allies, these voters prefer him to the alternative, but they may not show up in the midterms." 

Erick Ericlson

     "They want some accountability for the president, even if it means 
Democrats take control in Congress. That is the historic nature of midterm elections. Trump remains a transcendent politician, but the rules of politics still apply. Midterms tend to benefit the party out of power. The party out of power is more motivated to vote and the president's voters who are not actually his strongest supporters tend to stay home."

"If you're somewhere right now in a world

where you don't think you're loved,

you need to know Jesus loves you."

Billy Graham

Things That Matter 

     Do we organize our life by distractions, or purpose? 

     Do our activities leave us exhausted, not fulfilled? 

     Does our success and happiness crowd out contributions? 

Hmmm. I'm not scoring high.

     Does our attention skip meaningful work?

     Are daily habits aligned with deeply held values?

     Do we focus on meaningful service to others? 

Well, once in a while. 

     This is from Joshua Becker, 51, a former pastor and now state senator. He is also an author, speaker and philanthropist. What else does he ask?

     Do we make room for what deserves lasting attention? 

     Do we ever rethink success itself?

     Does meaningful life depend less on what we accumulate than on what we choose to prioritize? 

              Jimmy