Nicaragua.

'Political messianism:' What’s behind Christian persecution in Nicaragua?

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor| Tuesday, February 08, 2022

Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica carry a banner reading “Ortega Out” as they demonstrate in San Jose to commemorate the third anniversary of the beginning of the protests against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on April 18, 2021. Nicaragua’s political crisis erupted in April 2018, when protests mushroomed into a popular uprising that was met with a brutal crackdown in which hundreds were killed. | EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images

An ideological umbrella, which portrays President Daniel Ortega as being “anointed by God … for sacred Nicaragua,” is behind the persecution of Catholic and Protestant institutions and individuals in the Central American country, an adviser for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has said.

Dwight Bashir, the director of outreach and policy at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, hosted Christopher Ljungquist, an adviser for Latin America at the USCCB’s Office of International Justice and Peace, to spotlight Nicaragua’s “assault on religious freedom” in the bipartisan panel’s latest podcast last Friday.

A trend of persecution started in Nicaragua after protests against reforms to the public pension system in April 2018. The protests came after about a decade of deteriorating economic conditions in the country. Protesters, mostly students, demanded democratic reforms and that President Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, step down as they allegedly established a dictatorship marked by nepotism and repression.

Hundreds of people died in the protests in 2018.

In 2021, the backdrop for the religious freedom violations was not the ongoing protests but rather the lead-up to the November general election in which Ortega won for a fourth consecutive term, Bashir said. 

USCCB’s Ljungquist said that Ortega’s government operates under “political messianism,” a movement that sees itself as “the national savior, the national liberator.” CP.

God Said.

 

Birdie.

 

Boris - Resign NOW!

The Tories are going to take a mega beating in the May local elections wholly because of Boris's shenanigans.

Prevent this Boris! The mere thought of more Green, Socialist, Wokeist councillors turns my stomach.

"Colonial?" - Is This Supposed To Be an Argument?

Backlash at 'colonial' plan to give other nations a bigger say over Justin Welby's successor as Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Candidates for the role are nominated by 16 members of the Crown Nominations Commission and final approval is given by the Queen
• The places for overseas representatives could be boosted from one to five 
• Rev David Bruce Bryant-Scott said plan would be seen as 'profoundly colonial' 

By DAVID WILKES FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED:  22:23, 10 February 2022  | UPDATED:  22:30, 10 February 2022

Giving overseas Anglican leaders more power in choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury could be seen as 'colonial', critics said yesterday.

The most senior clergyman in the Church of England is the spiritual leader of 80 million worshippers worldwide but has no power over Anglican churches in other nations.

Candidates for the role – currently held by Justin Welby – are nominated by 16 members of the Crown Nominations Commission and final approval is given by the Queen. 

Giving overseas Anglican leaders more power in choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury could be seen as 'colonial', critics said yesterday

But under controversial new plans, first revealed in a CofE consultation document last month, the places for overseas representatives would be boosted from one to five.

During a discussion yesterday at the General Synod, the Church's parliament, Rev David Bruce Bryant-Scott – an assistant chaplain on the Greek island of Crete, who was born in Canada – said: 'I think if this proposal was put to my colleagues in the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada it would be resoundingly defeated. 

'That is because it would be seen as profoundly colonial. And perhaps there would be a great suspicion that this was an attempt to re-inscribe aspects of the Anglican covenant by stealth.

The most senior clergyman in the Church of England is the spiritual leader of 80 million worshippers worldwide but has no power over Anglican churches in other nations

And Rev Mae Christie, of the Diocese of Southwark, who was born and raised in the US, said she feared the proposal 'might have the opposite effect to what is intended', adding: 'I worry that this proposal may feel more colonial rather than less as it may appear to elevate the role of the Archbishop internationally.'

General Synod members backed a motion to 'take note' of the paper. They will be asked to vote on the final proposal in July. 

The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Rev Mark Tanner, told the meeting the move was 'an embodiment of our fellowship [and] a visible expression of our global identity'.

Blogger: There are still many Christians in leading roles in largely African, Anglican Churches. Those who have tried their demonic best to fight against Bible teaching are terrified of the influence that these Godly people might have to rescue the Anglican Church from the wokeists, the compromisers, the leftists and yes - the atheists currently in senior positions in the CofE.

Who Could Possibly Be Scared of Adrian Snelling? - Well ...

Webinar - Evidence for the Flood and the Research We Had to Fight for.

A discrimination lawsuit had to be filed against Grand Canyon Park Officials to enable Dr. Andrew Snelling to be given permission to do research. The evidence from that four-year project helped to confirm the rapid formation of the Canyon’s layers by massive flooding. Is that why the Officials wanted to refuse permission? Dr. Snelling will be discussing this and the findings of his research with AiG-UK’s Simon Turpin. Join us for this online webinar LIVE and for FREE on Facebook, YouTube or Answers.TV.

Please note all times are GMT, London. Creation Research.

Please Sign Migration Watch Petition.

Sign This Petition – We Must Have Transparency From The Home Office On Channel Boat Arrivals.

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Asylum, Current Affairs, History, Legal Matters, Migration Trends, Policy, Population

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Without transparency, democracy is impossible. Officials must not be able to get away with hiding the truth.

Migration Watch UK has launched a petition to tell the government that it must not cover up the daily arrival totals of people coming to the UK via the English Channel in boats. Instead it should continue to publish daily arrival totals, as they have been forced to do since the crisis began.

Please make sure you sign the petitionand also share it as widely as possible among family and friends.

Since the crisis began in earnest in 2018, and the crossings started shooting up, the government have always felt obliged – in the midst of media cajoling – to release the number of people who arrived on any particular day.

Over that time, we have been holding the government to account by tracking the number of people reported to be arriving illegally here on our unique and hugely popular Channel Tracking Station.

This shows that the number of people reported arriving illegally by boat rose from 299 in 2018 to 28,401 in 2021 (a 95-fold increase). Now the figures for 2022 so far are six times the total that reportedly arrived in the first month of 2021.

But because the government is now starting to feel serious heat about its hopelessly betrayed promises to stop the crossings, they are now looking to stop publishing the daily figures which allow them to be held properly to account over their record.

It has been reportedthat the Home Office is preparing to ditch the publication of daily figures – prompting accusations that ministers are trying to bury bad news. The department is set to publish the figures only every three months after the official statistics watchdog said data on migrant crossings needed to be more thoroughly checked before publication. The move was revealed to The Telegraph by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), but it said the decision to publish quarterly had been taken by the Home Office.

The simple fact is that preventing the public from knowing the daily arrival totals is a blatant insult to democracy. It seems those in power are terrified of letting you know the truth because they know it makes them look bad.

It’s no wonder because about 76% of the public say the government is handling immigration badly, including three-quarters of the government’s own voters (YouGov).

Make sure you sign the petition and also share as widely as possible in order to ensure that the government feels as much heat as possible and also so we can get this issue debated in Parliament.

1st February 2022

Please Help.

.

Zabi’s* father and brother were killed by the Taliban for being Christians. Now Zabi has fled Afghanistan, and is living as a refugee in a neighbouring country.  “Our situation is desperate,” she says. “What will happen to me? I feel alone and hopeless.”  I’m so grateful for your support for the persecuted church. Today, will you give a gift to show Christians facing extreme persecution that they are not alone? Every £37 could provide emergency food, medicine and shelter for a month to a family of Christian refugees fleeing extreme persecution.  “You are a strand of hope to me,” says Zabi. She is getting vital help from Open Doors partners. So many more Christians need that help. Thank you so much for standing alongside our brothers and sisters who face extreme persecution.   With every blessing,  Henrietta Blyth CEO, Open Doors UK & Ireland

Whyever Not?

A thought has suddenly occurred.

Ian Duncan-Smith is an excellent politician with leadership experience.

The man oozes integrity and - as a Scot could surely shave a few % off any SNP Referendum on Independence.

Moreover we do not see the faux pas so common under the Boris reign.

He would hardly alienate any ordinary voters - he's a genuinely nice, honest chap.

IDS to replace Boris? - I REALLY LIKE IT!

Birdie.

 

Heavy Laden?

 

The BBC Deserves All It Gets - or Perhaps Won't Be Getting.

 https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1564083/bbc-licence-fee-latest-funding-model-nadine-dorries-lords-committee

Ah.

 

Ex-Porn Star Proffers Good Advice.

 Ex-porn star details how she embraced a life of purity, shares tips for singles.

By Nicole Alcindor, CP Reporter| Thursday, February 10, 2022

Facebook

Brittni and Richard De La Mora | YouTube/Brittni De La Mora

Ex-porn star Brittni De La Mora, who found God and pursued sexual purity until she was married, has shared tips for how people can resist the temptations that come with being single.

After seven years working as a porn star, De La Mora came to know Jesus and left the porn industry behind. Now, she's a podcast host and leads the Christian ministry Love Always Wins alongside her husband, Pastor Richard De La Mora.

Following her conversion, De La Mora took a vow of celibacy, abstaining from sex until marriage. Now married for six years, she and her husband shared tips for singles on how to be pure in a February episode of their podcast, "Let's Talk Purity." 

"When I was single, I feel like practicing sexual purity was pretty easy because when I was single, I actually committed to not date anybody for an entire year. So, I didn't have any distractions," Brittni De La Mora said. "I wasn't hanging out with guys one-on-one. And so, it wasn't as difficult. Sometimes you get that feeling down there, but it passes."

The ministry leader reflected on her time in the porn industry, revealing she lived a life of sin by starring in explicit films and abusing drugs. At the time, she was not convicted of her sin, yet still felt "awful," "depressed" and "suicidal" about her actions.

After converting to Christianity, De La Mora heard a pastor talk about how he and his wife waited until marriage to have sex and how it was one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

Those words, she said, stuck with her and made her wish she could've had that same opportunity.

"And for those people, who ask me, 'Why don't you delete your [porn] videos?' I can't. … When you sign your contract away, they repurpose your videos," she said, explaining why her porn videos are still online. "So, they're just stuck on the net, unfortunately. There's nothing I can do about it. And it's awful. It's not something that I'm proud of. I don't make residuals from it. They're just out there." 

"And that's why, singles, you also need to really be careful what you're posting on the internet because you never know what your future spouse may come across," she warned. "You never know what your future children may come across. … Be careful of those images. … That's good wisdom for a single person." 

Prior to meeting her now-husband, De La Mora took a year off of dating and embraced singleness as part of her vow to God. Around that same time, Richard De La Mora, who had recently experienced a breakup, reached out to his now-wife and asked her to keep him in her prayers.

"That to me, was dynamic confirmation," Brittni De La Mora said. "I didn't want to see your heart broken, but I was like, 'Oh my goodness God, that is confirmation,' because the whole time I was waiting, the Lord was telling me you were going to be my husband."  

The couple reflected on the importance of individuals becoming healthy before entering into a relationship. Richard De La Mora said many people have the misconception that if they rush into a relationship, then they will be "fulfilled." However, he said, partners cannot fulfill one another; they can only complement one another. 

"Only Jesus fulfills us. So, if we set up thinking that, 'Oh, when I get in a relationship with you, everything is going to be fine, there's going to be no problems, you're going to be the cure to all my answers,' we are setting ourselves up for failure," he contended. 

During her year-long single period, Brittni De La Mora said there were a few things God had to work on in her to prepare her for the dating stage and eventually marriage. Spending time with God on a daily basis, she said, helped her stay on track.

"Just by spending time with God daily, with no agenda. Like my agenda wasn't anything but, 'I just want to know You Lord, reveal to me who You are.' And in Him revealing to me who He was, He showed me who I was," she said.

"He healed my heart. He gave me strength to forgive every person that has ever hurt me, which is so powerful because you don't want to take your past baggage into your new relationship. Your past baggage will destroy your current relationship," she continued.

The ministry leader said the Lord took her through a "beautiful journey of healing and forgiveness," emphasizing her self-worth.  

"When you know who you are in Christ, you won't settle for anyone who can love you less than Christ. And I know wholeheartedly, had I not waited, and had I not been healed by God, and started to understand who I was in Him, I wouldn't have attracted a man of God like yourself," she said to her husband.  CP.

"I was able to attract a man of God because I had become a woman of God," she said. CP.

The Chinese Communist Party.

 https://www.christianpost.com/news/chinas-communist-party-a-brief-history.html

Death of Texas Pastor.

 https://www.christianpost.com/us/texas-pastor-allegedly-killed-by-daughter-during-prayer.html

Rocker To Priest.

 From rock musician to orthodox priest

6 January 2022By Chris Foley. PC.

Part of American rock band, Luxury, Chris Foley was a Christian musician who struggled to reconcile his faith with his creativity – until he discovered Eastern Orthodoxy. He tells his story of how he became an Orthodox priest.

https://www.premierchristianity.com/testimonies/from-rock-musician-to-orthodox-priest/5925.article

Meeting Angels?

‘I met an angel outside my church on Christmas morning’.

By Ian Ferguson 21 December 2021 1 min read

• 

What I am about to tell you may sound unbelievable.

To be honest, I couldn’t believe it myself.

I cannot count the number of Christmas Eve services I have led during my

 ministry. This particular experience happened after one of those services some 

years ago.

It was 12.30 in the morning. The midnight service had finished and people had 

left the church. I was locking up when I suddenly heard a noise at the front door, 

so I walked over. Standing by the door was a young man. I told him that he had

 missed the midnight service. All he said was that he had come to bless me.

I was puzzled. He was wearing trousers and a jacket. His shoes looked like the

y were sandals - not the kind of attire for a night like this. Outside it was cold and the snow had 

been falling heavily over the church car park. 

Looking at the weather, I said, “Wait there and I’ll drive you home”. I turned to 

lock the office door, which was next to the main door of the church. I think I was 

still talking,

 saying something along the lines of, “You’ve not got a coat...you’ll freeze to death”.

 When I turned

 to face him, he had gone. It was just a matter of seconds. So I rushed out into the 

car park to

 see where he had gone, however, there were no footprints on the virgin snow. 

The car park was 

covered with a blanket of the white stuff.

I thought to myself “Where did he go? Where are his footprints?”

I locked the church, got into my car and managed to get out without getting stuck

 in

 the snow.

It was then, as I was driving home that I felt a warm feeling in my heart. 

I started to laugh. The car seemed to be filled with a strange peace.

When I arrived home, my wife Heather was putting the finishing touches to our

 Christmas lunch for later that day.

“Heather, I think I’ve met an angel.”

She could see by my face that something had happened to me.

So did I really meet an angel? I think I did. I believe in heavenly visitors, and the

 Christmas narrative is full of them.

I shared this story with a few folks and even mentioned the occasion in some of

 my later sermons. One of the people I shared the story with was my dear friend 

of many years, Rev Albert Bogle. He wrote a song based on my encounter — 

‘Just Past Midnight on Christmas Morn’ You can hear it now on Spotify and 

Apple Music. PC.

Does Putin Not Have Enough Cash To Invade Ukraine? - Or Sabre-Rattling To Upset The Free World?

 https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1562966/ukraine-news-vladimir-putin-russia-economy-ruble-sergei-guriev

Birdies.

 

Our Creator.

 

Windfall Tax? - Yes, Please.

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60295177