A Divided World

I am a soccer fan! I have always rooted for the team from Inter Milan.

Now I might be making enemies among you readers, for I live in Rome, where the team of choice is Roma! Over the years, I have watched games between these two teams with friends who rooted for Roma, and I can tell you that even though we watched the game at the same time, in the same environment, quite often it was viewed with diametrically opposed reactions. Some referee calls that I was cheering about were met by my friends with indignation. But I must say that, at the end of the day, soccer has never caused me to break relationships with dear friends. Even my son Jordan roots for Roma!

Politics have divided nations, families, friends, and even Christians!

United States has proven this over the past few months, and Italy will have a major vote that will divide the country in two. We grieve over these facts, but we recognize we live in a fallen world, ruled by sinners and populated by sinners.

As believers, we are confronted daily with a much greater and more dangerous division: those who know God and have become His children, and those who are not. Ideologies, tradition, religions, families seem to divide the world in multiple groups, but through the Scriptures we know better. People either follow the truth or follow the deceitful lies of the devil that present themselves in different forms.

Dear friends, we continue to depend upon your prayers for us

As we proclaim the truth here in Italy, for our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers…

Please pray for our church. We are encouraged by the spiritual growth and the desire we see to study the Word of God. David finished preaching through the book of Philippians and now is preaching through some of the Psalms before he begins the book of Ephesians in January. Loredana is teaching the women’s Bible Study on the Lord’s prayer. The Gospel of Luke continues to be our study on Tuesday nights. Pray that the Lord will add more, as He pleases, and that He will use our monthly distributions of tracts and the personal witness of our believers.

[pullquote2 quotes=”true” align=”left” variation=”mossgreen” textColor=”#0f3685″]Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18[/pullquote2]
Please pray for our publishing ministry. Every month over 1,500 people receive our publication, “La Voce del Vangelo”. Because literature continues to be a great tool to reach out to people who have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel, we will continue to publish and distribute booklets that we trust will reach the 30,000 Italian towns where there is no Gospel witness.

Please pray for our continued partnership with two churches in Sicily. As we have mentioned before, we travel four times a year to Acireale and Siracusa to help our friends, Marco and Simona Albanesi. Marco pastors two churches, and at this time there are no mature men who can work alongside him. So he has asked David to mentor him and encourage him in this work. While in Sicily, David preaches in both churches and meets with the men who are being trained there. Loredana has a great ministry of encouragement and discipling with the ladies there. As you pray for us, please remember to pray for Marco and Simona, as well.

Please pray for our financial and prayer partners. Join us in thanking the Lord for those who partner regularly with us in our ministry and pray that more would be added. We just returned from four weeks of ministry in the US, where David had the privilege to speak 18 times in 26 days. The most encouraging part of the trip was meeting dear believers who pray for us regularly, some who had not even met us in person before! This is what the Gospel does: it unites people from different races, different cultures, different levels of education and gives them a new prospective on life and new goals. We were overwhelmed by the love and care we received by so many dear friends!

Our prayer is that more people will come to know Christ. We pray this for you, for your churches, for Rome and for the country of Italy. As we watch our world, may the divisions and strife push us to share the beauty of the Gospel that changes hearts and lives forever. May nothing around us blur our vision and responsibility every day!

Grateful for the possibility to represent you in Italy,
David and Loredana

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CORNELIUS MINISTRIES
55 South Main Street #164
Oberlin, OH 44074

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