Thursday, November 30, 2023

Tra La La.

EU admits Brexit humiliation after trying to steal thousands of jobs

A European Parliament report has admitted that gloating Brussels bureaucrats were wrong to claim thousands of bankers would relocate from London after Brexit.

By DAVID MADDOX, Political Editor

Virginity Matters.

Actress Yvonne Orji embraces virginity with faith and empowerment at 39.

Duncan Williams  10 November 2023. CT.

                                Yvonne Orji is unashamed of being a virgin at 39.(Photo: YouTube)

Yvonne Orji, a renowned actress and devout Christian, recently made headlines in the secular media when she candidly shared her commitment to remain a virgin until marriage during an episode of Chelsea Handler's Dear Chelsea podcast.

At the age of 39, Orji's decision defies societal norms, prompting Handler to playfully exclaim, "Oh my God, I love this. This is the most original guest we've ever had on."

Orji, known for her role as Molly Carter in HBO's hit series "Insecure," first disclosed her virginity in a 2017 interview with People magazine. She firmly expressed that her faith and sense of self are the cornerstones of this significant life choice, asserting, "I'm grounded in who I am."

The topic of Orji's virginity has been a subject of curiosity for many, particularly the popular press, but she views it as an opportunity to demystify and engage in meaningful conversations. She emphasises the importance of open dialogue, stating, "How will they ever understand if I don't talk about it? I can inform your curiosity, as opposed to everyone being in the dark and just sort of creating their own narrative about it."

While Orji maintains a private stance regarding her romantic life, she did have a public relationship with former Cleveland Browns linebacker Emmanuel Acho from 2018 to 2019.

During the 2019 Valentine's Day episode of her podcast "Jesus & Jollof" with co-host Luvvie Ajayi, she reflected on the unpredictability of love, sharing that every time she thought she had found the one, God's response was, "Oh, that's what you thought? I got the goods for you."

Orji's advocacy for destigmatising virginity reaches beyond interviews. In 2017, she took the stage for a TEDx talk, eloquently explaining why she views waiting as a powerful and self-affirming choice.

She clarifies that her intention is not to impose her beliefs on others, but to offer a relatable perspective, affirming, "It was explaining to people why I waited and what worked for me, but then it's also saying, 'Hey, girl, I get it.' My 17-year-old self was not trying to be waiting, but I got bamboozled by Jesus."

Orji's unapologetic commitment to her values serves as an empowering inspiration for many, regardless of public perception, while challenging societal norms.

Her story is a testament of faith and personal conviction in a society that is all too often sex obsessed and sends the message that there is no shame in choosing to remain chaste or virgin.

The Unholy Mire Into Which The Cof E Is Descending.

 https://www.christiantoday.com/article/is.it.too.late.for.the.church.of.england/141032.htm

Debunking The Palestine Lie!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ByJb7QQ9U


Please Pray For The Tarfa Family.

CSW Logo
Hi,

‘Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I left the court to call you so you can also thank all of my brothers and sisters who prayed and tell them God has answered.’ - Mrs Mercy Tarfa

Earlier this year, we celebrated the release of Professor Tarfa  from imprisonment in Nigeria, after his conviction on false charges of forgery was overturned. He was initially arrested on Christmas Day in 2019 and has spent most of the next three years imprisoned.  

As you may be aware, he and his wife Mercy have faced harassment ever since they opened a Christian orphanage in Kano State in 1996. That’s over 25 years.  

In 2021, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded they were being ‘singled out because of their Christian faith and because they are running an orphanage in a predominantly Muslim area.’  

However, their ordeal is not over yet. 

Despite the professor’s acquittal in 2021 of child abduction charges, 16 Du Merci children are still being held in government orphanages. They are traumatised by the lengthy separation from the Tarfas, and several have experienced emotional and physical abuse. 

On 28 November, the Tarfas’ legal case for the children’s return resumes, following several deferrals. Aside from the financial implications, these deferrals further prolonged their suffering and separation from the children. 

So we’re asking you, Les, to continue to pray with us for the Tarfa family to finally be reunited.

Three ways you can pray for the Tarfa family in Nigeria today: 

  1. Pray that justice is finally served, and that the hearing will result in the swift return of their children. Sixteen of the children who were forcibly removed from the Du Merci centres in Kano and Kaduna in December 2019 remain in government-run orphanages. Pray that the new court case will be successful, and for justice to be served.
  2. Pray for the whole Tarfa family, for healing from the trauma of separation, confinement and mistreatment. 
  3. Finally, pray for God to restore what has been lost to them, for compensation and for reparations. 

Thank you for standing with this family. 

Branston, Huh? - Not Anymore For Me.

Branston Pickle maker forced to make ‘unprecedented’ price increases.

Rising energy and packaging costs push up ploughman’s lunch staple by 40pc BUT look at the jar in the picture from Aldi. Bramwells is, IMHO, just as good and a fraction of the price.

The maker of Branston Pickle has been forced to make “unprecedented” price increases after manufacturing costs soared.

Mizkan Euro, which sells Sarson’s Vinegar as well as the ploughman’s lunch staple, said in newly filed accounts that the business was impacted by the rising cost of energy and packaging.

This led to a 40pc jump in the price of Branson Pickle in some stores, as research shows that a 360g jar in Tesco rose from £1.50 to £2.10 over the past two years. 

The price of goods on supermarket shelves is ultimately set by the retailer but suppliers like Mizkan Euro usually give a recommended price.

Food manufacturers have had to pay a higher price for everything from fuel to ingredients, labour and packaging in the past two years as inflation surged across the UK and Europe.

Some cost increases were linked to high gas prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Ichiro Nishikura, chief executive at Mizkan Euro. 

He added that the company was “impacted by the tail end of the Covid pandemic and structural supply chain issues following Brexit”. DT.
Blogger: I no longer buy Branston's pickle. Aldi's equivalent is perfectly fine for me and mine!

Antarctica.

2021 - the COLDEST Spring and Summer ON RECORD.

      DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIES!

 Here's why:-




Birdies.


 

We ALL Need A Deliverer.

Look How Many Scientists Have Broken Ranks AFTER They Have Retired Or Their Careers Have Reached A Natural End.

Appalling!

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Pope Francis has decided to punish one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by revoking his right to a subsidized home... Mail.

Mass Migration Crisis.

https://mail.aol.com/d/list/referrer=newMail&folders=1&accountIds=1&listFilter=NEWMAIL/messages/AOjr0adcv6_KZWdlXAQimMeP8Ok 

Correct, Jim. They May Pretend To Be Cute But ...

Anger as DUP MP Jim Shannon says grey squirrels are the 'Hamas of the squirrel world.'

By ARTHUR PARASHAR 

PUBLISHED: 29 November 2023

DUP MP Jim Shannon has sparked controversy by labelling grey squirrels as the 'Hamas of the squirrel world'. 

Mr Shannon compared the common rodent to the Palestinian militant group, designated a proscribed terror group in the UK, as MPs considered ways to protect red squirrels.

Hamas was globally condemned after its barbaric attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The terrorists dragged some 240 people back into Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, older adults and Thai farm labourers. Mail.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Preaching Is Seldom Easy.

 Evangelist shot while preaching shows signs of recovery but 'not out of woods yet,' pastor says

Pastor Gary Marsh of Victory Chapel First Phoenix has vowed that his church will never stop preaching on the streets as the church's outreach director is showing some signs of recovery after being shot in the head last week.  CP.

Birdie.


 

Great Advice.


 

Do You Want A Climate Change Research Grant?


 

Really Sorry To Say So But The Council Is Correct.

 https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1839758/Elderly-woman-fine-feeding-birds

IDOP 2023 - What Happened?

Don’t miss out on IDOP online 2023
On Sunday 5 November, we partnered with the Evangelical Alliance, Release International and Open Doors for IDOP, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. 

This is a significant moment in our calendar every year, as we reflect, pray for, and stand in solidarity for the millions of Christians who face injustice because of their faith. 

If you missed the live stream, you can catch up on it here.

Thank you for standing with those who share our faith, but not our freedom. CSW.

Cuba.

There is something powerful happening in Cuba at the moment…

During October, members of religious groups from across Cuba came together in Havana, for a roundtable to discuss the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian denominations attended the event, as well as Afro-Cuban, Jewish and Muslim groups, reflecting a real diversity of faith. 

The Cuban Communist Party responded by using their internal intelligence to harass and detain religious leaders from participating – against a backdrop of violations of religious freedom only ever increasing across the island. 

Learn more

📸: Pastor Alejandro Hernandez Cepero, arbitrarily detained by the Department of State Security, and therefore unable to attend the roundtable. CSW.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

El Niño ENDS Pacific And Indian Ocean Warming and Turns To COOLING ...

              ... beginning April 2024!

My thanks to climatologist Professor David Dilley!

The Tory Suicide Note Explained.

Net migration to UK hits record high.

New Conservatives group of more than 20 MPs says surge in numbers represents existential threat to party

Net migration has hit a record high, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is estimated to have hit 745,000 in the year to last December.

Iran 'Heart Languages'.

Iranians secretly translating the Bible into their heart languages to share Christ with their people.

As the underground Church continues to grow in Muslim-majority Iran, Bible translators are putting their lives on the line to bring the Gospel into the local dialects so that their friends and neighbours can have access to the written word of God for the first time. 

Through the work of the translation agency unfoldingWord, Christians in Iran and across the globe have been able to translate the Gospel themselves into more native languages.

The Christian Post interviewed a representative from unfoldingWord, Evan Thompson, who preferred to use a fake name or pseudonym for his safety.

"There are 1.45 billion people in the world who speak about 5,500 languages that do not have the whole Bible in their heart languages. ... The Church has expanded exponentially in the last 20 years. And what these folks have learned is that you can lead someone to Christ, but if they don't have a church, they don't survive on their own," Thompson said. 

"You can start a church, but if that church doesn't have the Bible in its heart language, it will typically only last one generation. Iran, for example, has churches operating underground. And there are thousands of underground churches in many other parts of the world," he added. 

UnfoldingWord, a nonprofit organization that has been around for roughly seven years, "works with Church leaders around the world who are seeking to establish their churches in sound doctrine, but lack access to Bible translations in the languages their people speak."

A day in the life of Iranian Bible translators 

The Christian Post heard from two Iranian women risking their lives to help translate unfoldingWord's Open Bible story resources from Farsi into other Iranian dialects for evangelizing.

Both women Bible translators have chosen not to give their real names for this article to protect their identities and maintain their safety. 

The first woman, using the name Miriam, said she gave her heart to Christ after coming to the realization that she is "God's child and daughter."

Miriam is part of a people group in Iran that is made up of millions of natives. She says she is often treated as a second-class citizen because of how those from other people groups view her status in her people group.

Miriam's life could be in danger if the Iranian government finds out that she follows Jesus in the Islamic Republic, which Open Doors ranks as the eighth-most hostile country for Christians.

"God is my Father. I feel deeply honored to be part of this work of bringing God's Word to my people," Miriam said. 

Despite having children and knowing that her life is at risk for believing in Jesus, Miriam said she will not stop working to translate the Gospel into her heart language. 

"I cannot even imagine leaving this work unfinished. I must complete this work and see the result. I want to see my beloved ones experience salvation in Christ. This is my dream; that my people can talk about God and speak His name freely without any hesitation; without any fear they can talk about God," she said. 

Miriam was introduced to Christianity through a friend in college who gave her a Farsi New Testament. She had to read the Bible alone and in secret, an act that left her without much of a clear understanding of the Christian faith. 

After college, Miriam married into a strict Muslim family. But, no matter how hard she tried to adapt to the strict religious practices of Islam, she could not find God as a Muslim.  

Miriam said she didn't give her life entirely to Jesus until after she heard about Transform, an online class offered in Iran that covered the basic teachings of Christianity. 

She watched the classes secretly through various digital platforms. And during one of the class sessions, she gave her life to Christ. 

Following her conversion, Miriam's husband caught her one day watching the Transform Iran pastor on television.

Miriam could no longer hold back the truth about her faith from her husband. 

"By the grace of God, he did not get angry. He said, 'I know you are a serious-minded woman, and if this is important to you, it's OK,'" Miriam recalled. 

Miriam's husband began watching the class with her, and several months later, he also gave his life to Christ. 

Before her husband's conversion, the Transform Iran pastor asked her if she would get involved in Bible translation because of her expertise in her heart language. 

Miriam accepted the offer even if that meant risking her life to help translate the Bible into more Iranian tongues. 

"We are not allowed to study our heart languages in Iranian public schools. This is a limitation for our people. I have this language specialty and experience, this expertise so that I can help my own people. People like my mother can read this book," Miriam said. 

"I have a Bible in Farsi, and I can read it. But I cannot understand the more complicated concepts in it because Farsi is not my heart language. I couldn't establish a relationship with the Bible in Farsi. I'm very fluent in Farsi. I studied hard and had great teachers. Still, I cannot establish a relationship with the Bible in Farsi," she continued. 

"How about other people who don't have my educational advantages? My family and friends? Having the Gospel in my heart language makes it much easier to talk to my family about Jesus. They can understand and accept Him easily."

'Jesus fed me'

Another Iranian Bible translator who is using the pseudonym Stella accepted Jesus into her heart after her husband died of cancer.

Following her husband's death, Stella was left alone to care for her young son. During that time, she relied on the peace of God as her only hope. 

"God has helped me. The Name of Jesus Christ was in my life. I didn't need anybody. Jesus fed me, put clothes on me and gave me peace," she said. 

​​Stella learned more about God through a Bible translated into Farsi. At first, she thought Christianity was a religion. But, now she understands that Christianity is a relationship. 

"When I was a new believer, I was thinking that, 'OK, I'm going to just switch religions.' But, when I got to know the Holy Spirit, I understood that this is a relationship, not religion," Stella said. 

Stella is currently working on a Bible translation in her heart language. Her sister-in-law became a Christian thanks to her work translating the Bible. Stella worked for five years alongside her family as they helped her review the translation of the Bible, and now she works as part of a larger Bible translating group.

"I love my mother language. I'm telling the poetry; I write the context. I write the sentence. I record it. … I know all of this is God's work for us. God wants us to do this. … I am thinking about my mom, my father, my childhood. And everyone that doesn't have it right now. I really want to bring God to my town and my people," she said.

A dire need for Bible translations

Before unfoldingWord was launched, traditional Bible translation agencies across the globe have done "marvelous work" and continue to do so, Thompson noted. 

However, he said the number of Western Bible translators that Bible translation agencies can send overseas is dropping, and the demand for Bible translation is increasing rapidly. 

"The group that founded unfoldingWord developed a way to address this problem. We call it church-centric Bible translation. ... It's Bible translation incorporated into the life of the Church as part of its discipleship," Thompson noted.  

"Most of those unreached people have neighbors who know Christ, and they're taking the Gospel to them. And what unfoldingWord does is we equip the Church in every people group with a goal of translating the Bible in every language." 

To help local churches translate the Bible, unfoldingWord provides people groups with open-source software and open-licensed biblical content that's breaking the copyright barriers to source texts.

The organization also has comprehensive translation guides to answer difficult Bible translation questions. The organization offers essential doctrinal education to protect the theological integrity of the translations.

"unfoldingWord provides training for indigenous Bible translation teams over Zoom and sometimes in neutral locations," Thompson said.

The training locations are kept secret to protect participants in certain countries where practicing Christianity is not accepted.  

"Our training allows for indigenous Bible translation teams to be able to use best practices when they are translating the Bible for themselves. One of the ways that I like to say it is: 'We don't make Bible translations. We help develop Bible translators.' Because that's what the Church really needs all over the world."

Issues bringing translations to Iran  

Thompson said unfoldingWord has aided Iranian natives who have translated the Bible into dozens of native languages.

However, he said there are some unfortunate limitations to the organization's ability to aid translators in Iran. He cited strict government policies prohibiting Iranians from studying their heart languages or their native tongues in public schools. 

"All of these oppressive countries, like Sudan, like Iran, and some others we could name, are trying to Islamasize their whole population. And one of the ways that they do that is by forcing them to speak this one national language, and it's causing their heart languages to die out," Thompson said. 

In Iran, the government recognizes Farsi as the national language. However, many natives speak other Iranian dialects more fluently.  

"It's very much like anybody that comes to America from someplace else, and we put them in American schools to learn English. Unless their family makes it a point to keep their native languages ... alive in their families, by the second or third generation, the kids can't speak their native language anymore," Thompson said. 

The few responsible for the many

Miriam believes God has blessed her with a huge responsibility to help translate the Bible into more Iranian languages.  

"This is not just a scientific book. This is God's Word. I felt some tension. I was scared that I would not do the work well enough, but I'm very happy to make it available so that my people can establish a relationship with the Bible. That's why I got involved with this Bible translation project," she said. 

When asked if she can imagine the day when the Bible is completed in even more  Iranian languages, Miriam said it will take many years, and she doesn't know if she'll live long enough to see the project's conclusion. 

"I want my children to experience the result of my work so that they can know Jesus through their heart language. I never thought this project would grow like this. But I've learned that it's not just about me," Miriam said.  

"I need this team that has been pulled together. For safety, we have many people working on this project secretly. There may be several Christians in one Iranian family, but they cannot share their faith with each other openly," she continued.  

"We need more people who can speak my heart language to continue working on this project. … I want to ask for prayer … to recruit people into the project who know our language well." CP.

Birdie.


 

Make Haste, O Lord.

 

                                    Help our Godless nations!

Watch How The Data on 'Rising Sea Levels' Is Manipulated!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3FSRawUXdk

Without Comment.

In a paper released last month, the Canadian Human Rights Commission cited Christianity’s two biggest holy days as examples of "present-day systemic religious discrimination" because they are statutory holidays in Canada. Because Christmas and Easter are the only Canadian statutory holidays linked to religious holy days, the report states that "non-Christians may need to request special accommodations to observe their holy days and other times of the year where their religion requires them to abstain from work." Readmore.
Freedom Post.

Sigh. I Remember When Cliff College Was A Bastion of The Christian Faith!

image description

Curated for you by CP Editors
Theology lecturer Aaron Edwards, 37, has filed a lawsuit with the help of the Christian Legal Centre after he was terminated by Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, in March. The Methodist Bible college dismissed Edwards after he claimed in a tweet that "homosexuality is invading the church." The school alleges that Edwards brought the institution into "disrepute." Edwards is suing for discrimination and unfair dismissal. Read more.

Monday, November 27, 2023

Pastor Murdered.

 Pastor killed, wife kidnapped by armed bandits in Nigeria.

Rev. Joshua Amako Maraya of an ECWA church in Damakasuwa, Kaduna state, Nigeria, was killed on Nov. 17, 2023. | Facebook via Morning Star News.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Armed assailants in Kaduna state, Nigeria, last Friday killed a pastor and kidnapped his wife, sources said.

The Rev. Joshua Amako Maraya of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Damakasuwa town was killed at night by “bandits,” said the Rev. Romanus Ebenwokodi, spokesman for ECWA in Jos, Plateau, state.

“We solicit your prayers for the safe return of the wife and comfort to the family and ECWA, Damakasuwa District Church Council (DCC),” Pastor Ebenwokodi said in a press statement.

The late pastor’s wife was reportedly released late on Sunday after a ransom was paid. 

A nephew of the late pastor, Geoffrey Ruga, said his uncle was “brutally killed in his house.”

A member of Pastor Maraya’s congregation, Wisdom Christopher, said he was killed by “terrorists who invaded his house.”

“We, the members of the church, are in deep pain over the killing of our dear father, uncle, brother and friend,” Christopher said in a text message to Morning Star News. “The Rev. Maraya always encouraged us to preach the gospel with courage and without reservation. He said, ‘The message of the gospel is for Jesus, so don’t fail to preach it because of fear. Preach it, whether they like it or not, just deliver it.’ He was a father, mentor and a friend to us."

Yohanna Gandu, a member of the Kauru Local Government Council, described Pastor Maraya as “a gallant soldier for Jesus Christ.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the church, and family in this time of sorrow,” Gandu said. “We pray that the Lord will uphold His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.”

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.

In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.

“Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery,” the WWL report noted. “This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation. … Nigeria’s government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians’ rights are carried out with impunity.”

Morning Star News is the only independent news service focusing exclusively on the persecution of Christians. The nonprofit's mission is to provide complete, reliable, even-handed news in order to empower those in the free world to help persecuted Christians, and to encourage persecuted Christians by informing them that they are not alone in their suffering.
Morning Star News is the only independent news service focusing exclusively on the persecution of Christians. The nonprofit's mission is to provide complete, reliable, even-handed news in order to empower those in the free world to help persecuted Christians, and to encourage persecuted Christians by informing them that they are not alone in their suffering.

God’s Love and Ours. 1 John 4.

God’s Love and Ours. 7)  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows G...