Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Cubs President Theo Epstein wasn’t ready last week to say whether the team would invest heavily in the free-agent market amid speculation the Cubs could make a push for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Craig Kimbrel and the Boston Red Sox held off the Yankees‘ ninth-inning rally that ended with a video replay, eliminating New York with a 4-3 victory Tuesday night that set up a postseason rematch with the World Series champion Houston Astros.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Confirming Brett Kavanaugh was the best outcome at the end of a hellish decision tree that left the country with no ideal option.
Here’s a link to the editorial at the Chicago Tribune.
As the November election looms, interest groups and newspaper endorsements are rolling in, but not all of them are pleased with the choices on the ballot.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
Real estate experts say J.B. Pritzker, Democrat candidate for Illinois governor, may have some serious legal problems stemming from a leaked report outlining how he allegedly manipulated Cook County’s tax system to lower his property tax bill.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College has been chosen as the largest recipient of the 2018 Brookwood-Sago grant totaling $97,853.50 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
The grant is part of $250,000 in awards issued by the MSHA this year. The funding is designed to help organizations develop and conduct training programs that support safety and prevent health hazards in underground mines.
Specifically, RLC will utilize the funds for its Mine Emergencies: Train, Prepare and Prevent project, said Gabriele Farner, Dean of Applied Science & Advanced Technology. This two-fold project includes, first, an invitation to rescue teams and fire brigades from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky to participate in mine rescue and firefighting skills at RLC’s Coal Mine Training Center or at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg. The grant funds will provide for instruction and food during the training.
“Being awarded the Brookwood-Sago grant allows a regional partnership between RLC and Southeastern Illinois College. This reinforces a regional commitment to mine safety and skill readiness to meet the demands of the mining industry,” Farner explained. “Mine rescue teams provided letters of support for this project, and now they will benefit with a free day of training.”
Part two of the project will utilize grant funds to reduce training costs for new miners in accordance with MSHA standards, thereby helping many local, small mines to create a stronger pool of candidates.
All of the trainings funded by the grant will begin this month and run through the end of September 2019. Farner estimates 400 miners will be trained at RLC and SIC during this time.
RLC was first awarded a Brookwood-Sago grant in 2009 totaling $50,000, which was used to train mine fire brigades and rescue teams, plus develop new curriculum for future trainings. In 2012, RLC received a second $93,000 grant that, in addition to training, allowed for the construction of the three-story firefighting facility, built from shipping containers, on the west side of campus. A third grant in 2016 of $133,240 focused on continued training and preparedness for mine emergencies.
A provision in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 established the Brookwood-Sago grant program to promote mine safety while honoring the 25 miners who died in Brookwood, Ala., in 2001, at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine, and in Buchannon, W. Va., in 2006, at the Sago Mine.
For more information about RLC’s Brookwood-Sago grant or mine trainings, contact the Applied Science and Technology Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1261. Read more about the Brookwood-Sago grants online at www.msha.gov.
Other recipients of the 2018 grants are as follows:
By Rick Warren
”For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV).
Let me offer three reasons for making that choice:
You will never have to forgive anyone else more than Jesus Christ has already forgiven you. Remember that you haven’t always gotten what you deserved, either. God has been gracious with you. Now choose to be gracious with others.
Scientists tell us that resentment is the unhealthiest emotion there is. It always hurts you more than anybody else! Resentment will not change the past, and it won’t solve the problem. It doesn’t even make you feel better. In fact, it makes you feel worse.
The Bible says in Hebrews 12:15, “Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace which God gives, for if he does there can very easily spring up in him a bitter spirit which is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others” (PHILLIPS).
Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NIV). Jesus says we cannot receive what we are unwilling to give. If you say, “I could never forgive that person,” then I hope you never sin. If you just don’t feel like doing it, do it anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.
One reason you may have a hard time forgiving others is because you don’t feel forgiven. Would you pray this prayer of liberation and freedom in your heart?
“Dear Jesus Christ, you know I’ve been hurt by others. You know that my resentment has made me act in ways that have been unreasonable and unhelpful and unhealthy. I need your power to release and forgive those who’ve hurt me so I can stop letting them control me. Would you please replace my hurt with your peace? God, I realize that I’ve hurt a lot of other people with my habits and my bad decisions and my hang-ups. Would you please forgive me for the way I’ve hurt others? Help me to make a list of those I’ve harmed and to humbly seek to make amends in the right way and at the right time. Jesus Christ, I want to refocus my life on you. I want to face the future courageously with love and peace in my heart. Would you replace my resentment with your love, my bitterness with your grace? Thank you for your graciousness to me. Thank you for forgiving me for the wrong things that I’ve done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Perhaps you need to go a step further. Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation?
No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you can have a place in God’s forever family ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive.
Are you ready? Here’s a prayer you can start with —
“Dear God, I know that when I die I’m going to give an account of my life to you directly. I confess that I have ignored you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and move toward you.
“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know that only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place.
“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I ask you to save me from the sins and the habits that are messing up my life right now. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe that you will keep your promise to save me instantly and certainly and completely and eternally. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, please write and tell me at Rick@PastorRick.com. I’d love to send you some materials as you begin your journey with Jesus.
A Prayer for America
By Debbie McDaniel
It is “God who changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel 2:21
Sometimes in the midst of heated political battles and uncertain times, it’s difficult to even know how to pray or where to begin. We just know we have a deep ache in our hearts that cries out for God’s mercy, and a longing to see him heal our land. Maybe other times we wonder how effective our prayers even are.
Yet God is faithful, no matter how we feel, and His Presence of power and peace still reigns over all that swirls around us in our nation today. That same power that broke prison chains, raised Lazarus from the dead, and parted the Red Sea, the same power that healed the blind man, and delivered the delirious from demons, that same power is at work even today. He is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.
May we stand together in unity as believers in Christ, and pray for God to heal our land, and strengthen His people. May we pray for all those in authority. May we pray for God’s miraculous intervening, for blind eyes to be opened, for many to see the power of our Lord as never before.
Dear God,
Thank you for your great power. We praise you for your Truth. We’re grateful that you have set us free from the clutching grasp of sin and death.
Would you be with your people, extending your grace, granting your freedom, providing your protection, and empowering with your strength. We ask that you’d bring about an awakening of your presence as never seen before. We ask that your Name be proclaimed, that all plans to silence the Name of Jesus would be thwarted and crushed.
We pray that many would come to know you as Lord and Savior, we pray that many would see your Light, that you would open blind eyes and release those still imprisoned.
We pray that you would unify your people for the glory of your Name, that all who call themselves Christians would rise up, believing your great Truth.
Wake us up Lord! Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, to listen to your words, to be willing to make a difference in this land.
We pray for all those in authority, that you would give them your wisdom and discernment as they lead. We ask that you would appoint strong, faithful men and women to serve this nation and our people.
We pray for your great healing on our land. Shine your face on us dear God. We need you now, more than ever before. Our times are in your hands.
Thank you that you are rich in mercy and full of grace. Thank you that you are forgiving and merciful. Thank you that you are strong and mighty. Thank you that you are for us and that you fight for us still today.
Bring honor to your Name, Oh Lord, for You alone are worthy.
In the Powerful Name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
The Democrats have done lasting damage to the Senate confirmation process and to the very decency that has symbolized our Constitutional Republic for centuries with their reprehensible 11th hour smear campaign against a good man, Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The reprehensible tactics employed by Democrats in the Senate of the ends justifying the means and the politics of personal destruction all failed. Millions of reasonable hardworking American taxpayers have now had their eyes opened to the chaos the left has in store for our country if they take over the House of Representatives this November. President Trump, as usual, has his finger on the pulse of the people with these two recent tweets:
Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.
