Wednesday, December 04, 2024

Inspirational Gifts.

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Compassion
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Wrap up Christmas with a life-changing gift!

Christmas shopping needn't be an exhausting quest for the impossible gift. In fact, it can be an uplifting, faith-enhancing, life-giving experience!

 

When you give a Gift of Compassion, you share your faith both near and far.

 

Bless the friend who has everything; the uncle who wants nothing; and the couple who would love to change the world with a gift that will help transform the lives of a child and their family.

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Personalised e-cards for your loved one

With every individual Gift of Compassion, you can send a personal message to your loved one – inspiring them with the impact their gift is making.

 

Our gifts cover a range of prices so, whatever your budget, you can give a present that makes a hugely significant difference in the life of a child living in poverty.

 

This Christmas, let’s see God’s love bless families far and wide.

Choose a gift today

“Our family animals make me happy because they’re the source of all my family’s needs.”

Josphat, Kenya

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Birdie.


 

Indeed.

The Roman Church Is Wrong. By Biblical Definition - I Am Already A Saint. The RC Church Cannot 'Create Saints!' It Is Emphatically NOT Within Their Purview.

 The Bible refers to believers as saints in several places, including: 

  • 1 Corinthians 1:2: "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy" 
  • Ephesians 2:19: "We are all 'fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God'" 
  • Colossians 1:1-2: Paul refers to all the faithful at Colossae as "saints" 
Inside the Vatican’s secret 'saint-making' process

Syrian Christians.

 Syrian Christians in 'grave danger' as Islamist militias take over Aleppo.

Anugrah Kumar  02 December 2024.

(Photo: Getty/iStock)

(CP) Syrian Christians in Aleppo face "grave danger" after Islamist militias took over the city, local church leaders say. The militias, including jihadist groups, have seized control following the withdrawal of government forces and are removing all Christmas decorations, according to a report.

Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, Joseph Tobji, described the situation as being in "limbo," noting that armed groups took over after a surprise offensive, as per Agenzia Fides.




"Life here started up again. The situation was calm, but now everything is closed," Archbishop Tobji was quoted as saying.

Shops and bakeries have ceased operations, and citizens have not stocked supplies due to the lack of warning before the attacks. "Nobody warned us," Tobji said, adding that despite the lack of current attacks on Christian targets, uncertainty looms over what might happen next.

The militias have reportedly documented their takeover of Aleppo through social media.

According to Fr. Hugo Alaniz of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, almost all of Aleppo is now under militia control, with religious leaders visiting parishes to provide support. Fr. Hugo told Fides that while their church remains open, many residents, including students and elderly, have moved to other parts of the city for safety.

The Iraqi Christian Foundation reported on social media that militants had begun removing Christmas decorations and had beheaded captured soldiers. The group also called for prayers for Christians and other minorities in Aleppo.




The Switzerland-based human rights group Christian Solidarity International said in a statement that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, had seized control of Aleppo, mirroring the Islamic State's capture of Mosul in 2014. This jihadist group's takeover has instilled fear among Aleppo's diverse religious communities, including Christians, Alawites, Shiites and non-observant Sunnis, due to HTS' history of enforcing a strict Sunni supremacist ideology with violent persecution, it noted.

The United Nations' Commission of Inquiry on Syria has documented the brutal governance of HTS, marked by executions, torture, sexual violence, and arbitrary detentions, alongside the desecration of religious sites. These actions are reminiscent of the harsh rule experienced during their previous control from 2012 to 2016.

"President Trump's special representative for Syria, Ambassador James Jeffrey, acknowledged in 2021 that HTS had been functioning covertly as an 'asset' of Washington's Middle East policy, despite its designation as a terrorist organization," said John Eibner, CSI's international president.

Shortly before election day, President-Elect Donald Trump pledged to protect persecuted Christians.

"The incoming president now has a golden opportunity to fulfill his pledge," Eibner said. "Christians and others who value religious freedom and other fundamental human rights should insist that this pre-election pledge is honored.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since the offensive began Wednesday. The rebels, led by Islamist militant group HTS and allied factions, have taken control of Aleppo's airport and dozens of towns nearby, reported the BBC.




HTS is a significant militant presence in Syria, and its leadership of the offensive has marked this as the most notable conflict in Syria's ongoing civil war since a ceasefire was agreed in 2020.

According to the Syrian army, the attack on Aleppo involved multiple axes, covering over 100 kilometers (62 miles) of frontlines. The army reported numerous casualties among its soldiers and acknowledged that rebels now control significant portions of the city. Government forces have vowed a counterattack but provided no specific timeline.

The Russian air force conducted air strikes in Aleppo on Saturday, marking the first military intervention by Russia in the city since 2016, when it helped Syrian government forces recapture Aleppo, according to the BBC. The strikes aimed at rebel positions come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity," according to a statement from his office.

© The Christian Post

Syrian Armed Forces - Well Worth A Look!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knK3iclS_Ps

Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Birdie.


 

India.

Christians banned from 8 villages in India’s Chhattisgarh state.

People take part in a protest march against the ongoing ethnic violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur, in Ahmedabad on July 23, 2023.
People take part in a protest march against the ongoing ethnic violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur, in Ahmedabad on July 23, 2023. | SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images

In the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, eight village councils have passed a resolution that bans Christians from staying in their villages, requiring them to either renounce their faith or leave. The order impacts about 100 Christians whose property and fields were threatened with confiscation if they did not comply, according to reports.

The villages in Sukma district collectively approved the resolution, instructing Christians to either abandon their faith or face the loss of all belongings and property, reported the U.K.-based organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

A local leader from one of the affected villages, Michwar, upheld the decree, reportedly asserting that the authority of the village councils supersedes India's Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion under Article 25.

Freedom Post.

Truly Corrupt!

BBC The Archers blasted over 'biased' coverage of farmer protests.

BBC radio soap opera The Archers has riled up listeners who accused the channel of spreading "state propaganda" and bias" about the farmers' protests.

BBC's The Archers has attracted controversy

BBC's The Archers has attracted controversy for its handling of plot lines (Image: BBC)

BBC's The Archers is the longest-running present-day drama, with more than 20,000 episodes airing over almost 75 years.

However, a recent installment of the soap angered some fans, who claimed it was glossing over issues like Labour's recently introduced inheritance tax fee for farmers with land worth over £1 million. One disgruntled fan pointed out that it portrayed rural characters as being comfortable with the tax hikes, and that it then swiftly changed the subject.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the listener wrote: "BBC rural radio soap opera The Archers covers the recent mass farmers protest: 'There's a lot of anger about this new inheritance tax on farms,' admits David.

"'But we need those taxes to pay for things like the NHS,' says Leonard. And with that, the entire subject is covered."

Sharing the annoyance, someone replied in the comments section: "The BBC seems to have taken on the job of introducing State propaganda via bad *soaps*. Presumably all would-be writers have to submit potential scripts to the Ministry of Creativity for approval."

Amazing.

Our Triune God.

 

Union:
Vertical Encounter  Horizontal Impact

Explore the profound depths of Jesus’s prayer for unity between the Triune Godhead and His church—an essential element for the world to truly believe the gospel.

This groundbreaking work unveils the vital need for a corporate spirituality that generates an unparalleled horizontal impact. Unlike any other book in recent memory, “UNION” offers a transformative perspective on church unity.

Essential reading for:
– Leaders of movements
– Students of church history
– Those yearning to grow in Christ
– Anyone eager to witness the church’s profound global oneness

The Mandate: A Call to Embrace the Restorative Power of the Gospel

Discover the transformative guide penned by a seasoned practitioner dedicated to bridging historic ethnic divides and rejuvenating at-risk communities. This insightful book merges profound theology with actionable strategies, offering a pathway to unity within His church. A must-read for those dedicated to impactful change, this blueprint is ideal for anyone seeking to make a real difference.

HYPOCRISY of The Very Worst Type!

Sam Ashworth-Hayes Sam Ashworth-Hayes.

Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter marks a new low for the Democrats. As Adrian Vermeule has noted, dredging up the President’s criticism of the Supreme Court ruling on Donald Trump – “no one is above the law” misses the mark; this is not a matter of legal technicality but cartoonish nepotism that lays bare the rank hypocrisy of his party.
For months leading up to the 2020 election Democrats thundered from the pulpit about Trump’s venal, self-serving nature, how he was a liar unfit to serve as President, and how he needed to be replaced to protect American democracy.
In order to achieve this end, they proceeded to lie about Hunter Biden’s laptop, lie about Russian collusion with Trump, and repeatedly stated their doubts about any vaccine announced before polling day in 2020. How lucky for them, then, that the announcement of Pfizer’s success was delayed due to a change in trial protocol after pressure was poured on the company by public health officials, with the new data available just after the election.
Once in office, the Democrats set about making sure Trump wouldn’t win again. A series of politically motivated prosecutions were rolled out as the party rediscovered the zeal for upholding the law that so curiously left it during the Black Lives Matter riots.
In 2020, suggesting crime was bad was so unfashionable Democratic strategists were ostracised for merely suggesting that heaping praise on rioters might be unpopular with voters. In 2024, new and innovative legal theories were deployed to make sure Trump and his allies felt the full force of their disapproval.
Social media companies were pressured to censor Covid content the White House disliked, and traditional media allies were drawn into colluding in the delusion that Biden was fit to govern despite the evidence available to anyone with eyes. And when after all this they lost anyway, Biden made sure to pardon his son before he left office.
Remind me again: who was the threat to democracy and standards in the oval office here?
The Democrats were so enraged by Donald Trump that they assumed any means was fair and legitimate so long as it led to their desired end of keeping him out of office. At the same time, they sold themselves as the party of moral superiority: the well-educated people of conscience who just knew better than you what was right, and what was best for the country.
It’s hard to think of a worse combination. The belief that the party had moral permission to do whatever was necessary to defeat its opponents – that they were the good guys because of who they were, no matter what they did – led to its obvious conclusion. The Democrats richly deserve their years in the wilderness. DT.

Why Say Anything So Combative? Why Say Anything So Stoopid? Why Say Anything At All?

Starmer warns Trump: Britain will not side with US against EU.

It is ‘plain wrong’ to suggest UK must make ‘either/or’ choice between its allies, says PM.

SO One-Sided!

Christians take issue with 'one-sided' engagement over conversion therapy ban.  (Photo: Getty/iStock) The Christian Institute (CI) h...