Two British citizens face criminal penalties for violating buffer zones.
Prayer outside abortion facilities is drawing prosecution in multiple cases across the UK.
Adam Smith-Connor prayed silently on a public street in Bournemouth, England, earlier this month, his back to an abortion clinic. When community safety officers asked what he was doing, he told them he was “praying for [his] son, who is deceased.”
The officers expressed condolences but then said Smith-Connor, a 49-year-old physical therapist and British army veteran, was “in breach” of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), according to a video of the incident. Later he was fined.
The PSPO at issue is a local ordinance enacted in October 2022 establishing a “safe zone” comprising multiple city blocks surrounding the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) abortion clinic. The ordinance prohibits protesting “whether by yourself or with others,” and it defines protesting to include prayer.
The deceased son Smith-Connor referenced to the officers was aborted nearly three decades ago, he explained in a release from Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADFI), a conservative legal group supporting him. Smith-Connor paid for the abortion but now regrets it and believes the procedure harms babies, women, and families.
“I would never have imagined being in a position to risk a criminal record for praying silently,” Smith-Connor said.
Smith-Connor isn’t the only UK resident to be punished recently for silent prayer outside an abortion clinic. Pro-life activist Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in Birmingham in December for violating a similar PSPO. When asked by authorities what she was doing near an abortion facility, she replied that she might have been praying. She was asked …
ood Morning Choosters. My heart is very heavy, yesterday my hubs had a serious accident at work. This is why I jetted out so quickly and why you didn’t see me around last night until late when I got home from the hospital.
My hubs was carrying a case of water up on the train engine and slipped and fell through the rails onto the tracks, about 8 feet. This is something he has done for the last 51 years, yes, 51 years he has been a locomotive engineer and always carried the case of water up on the engine for the ride back to the depot. He broke vertebra 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 and he has a blood clot at the end of his spine.
This is so complicated, as the surgeon informs me. The surgeon was very straight forward with me. He informed me that my hubs could die during this surgery. Its very serious and very complicated.
There are many other complications. Im not going to go into them here, you can go read last nights article.
He will be having emergency surgery at 8am and it will take at least 8 hours plus. The surgeon was so worried about my hubs he cleared his other surgeries to take my hubs in immediately in AM.
We are all very close here and have known each other many years and Im very open at whats going on so you don’t need to whisper, because I am also thinking the same things you are. WE KNOW!
However, I am asking you to please pray for my hubs and a successful surgery and recovery. Please put aside all the other bullchit about vaccines and understand this is my husband, the man that gives me life, the man that every breath I take, I take for him. He is the man that makes me who I am.
He is my soulmate and I am his. With out him, I am nothing.
Through many tears, Im begging you to please pray for my hubs.
I will try to keep the site updated but most likely you will have many open articles for many days. I am sorry, but my number one priority in life is my hubs. I hope you understand.
Prayer is an important part of life and right now, it is more important than you can imagine. Man will not save us from all this tyranny world wide because it is too much, it is only something that God can do. God will get all the Glory from this. I love all of you like you are my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please, take care of yourselves and pray everyday! God Bless You and Your Families!
Love,
“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Psalms 95:6 (KJV)
Listen To Daily Prayers
ALL THE GLORY TO GOD
Lord Jesus Come into my heart I am a sinner And Im asking that you will forgive me of all of my sins By faith I believe in my heart that you died for my sins that almighty God rose you from the dead for my justification Lord Jesus come into my heart Be my Lord and Savior Live your life in me and help me to live my life for you Right now I receive you as my personal Lord and Savior In Jesus Name Amen
1. Praise the Lord for another day, and repent before the Lord asking Him to forgive you of all your sins, known and unknown, and cleanse you of all unrighteousness 2. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I ask you put your WHOLE and COMPLETE armor on me this day I ask in Jesus name, every 24 hours 3. Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Grace for this day I ask in Jesus name. 4. Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Wisdom for this day I ask in Jesus name. 5. Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Courage for this day I ask in Jesus name. 6. Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Strength for this day I ask in Jesus name. 7. Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Guidance for this day I ask in Jesus name.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
In His name and by the power of His Cross and Blood, I ask Jesus to bind any evil spirits, forces and powers of the earth, air, fire, or water, of the netherworld and the satanic forces of nature. By the power of the Holy Spirit and by His authority, I ask Jesus Christ to break any curses, hexes, or spells and send them back to where they came from, if it be His Holy Will. I beseech Thee Lord Jesus to protect us by pouring Thy Precious Blood on us (my family, etc.), which Thou hast shed for us and I ask Thee to command that any departing spirits leave quietly, without disturbance, and go straight to Thy Cross to dispose of as Thou sees fit. I ask Thee to bind any demonic interaction, interplay or communications. I place N. (person, place or thing) under the protection of the Blood of Jesus Christ which He shed for us. Amen
I renounce, reject, break and dissolve every curse, hex, incantation, spell, snare, trap, lie, obstacle, deception, diversion, spiritual influence, evil wish, evil desire, heriditary seal, and/or blood oath made against me and/or my family known and unknown, and claim it was nailed to the cross of Jesus and covered in the blood of the Lamb, rendering it null and void, in Jesus’ name. AMEN
“I plead the blood of Jesus over my heart, my mind, my body, my soul, and my spirit. I declare all of my loved ones and all of my possessions are covered in the blood. I block and destroy every curse placed upon these things by the blood of Jesus. Those curses are now powerless, and cancelled forever. In Jesus’ name. AMEN
I rebuke cancel and destroy every assignment & attack of the enemy and cancel every curse or negative word ever spoken over my life in the powerful name if Jesus Christ. AMEN
Make it a point to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness every morning. Remind yourself of the benefits that are yours in Jesus. What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:
1. He forgives all your sins. 2. He heals all your diseases. 3. He redeems your life from destruction. 4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. 5. He satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6. He executes righteousness and judgment for you against oppression. 7. He sets you free. 8. He makes known His ways to you. 9. He gives you His grace and mercy in times of need.
Make it a point every morning to say those things out loud to the Lord. Stand before Him in prayer and recall His mercies to you. Keep it up and you’ll be stronger in faith and more confident of God’s love than you’ve ever been before…
Psalm 103:1-17 KJV
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
Psalm 119:11-18 KJV
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I mightnot sin against thee.12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psalm 91 KJV
91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Matthew 26:26-29 KJV
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. This is the body of Christ. Eat this in remembrance of me. Raise the bread to God and bring it back to you and do In the name of thy Father, Thy Son, The Holy Spirit, AMEN and eat the bread. You may drink from your juice or whatever you have at this time now.
It’s probably more than a little cliché to point out that we are a busy people who live in a busy time. And while we tend to think there is something unique to the modern context that pushes us especially hard toward overwork, as I have read the books of previous eras I have come to see that the issue transcends the trappings of the world as it is today. There may be some unique components to today’s context, but the issue is much deeper and much older. I dare say it is universal.
It is little wonder that we have a host of books meant to relieve our busyness, or at least to focus it. Many of these books are tremendously helpful and many of them offer useful guidance. The best of them go beyond technique to diagnose and correct the issue from a spiritual perspective. New to the field is a unique and uniquely challenging book from Ian Carmichael titled Busy: Tackling the Problem of an Overloaded Christian Life.
It bears mentioning from the outset that this is not a book that teaches processes or techniques. It is not meant to introduce a new system of productivity. Rather, it is meant to “avoid magic bullets and instead look with you at what God has to say in the Bible about busyness. By which I don’t mean looking for a verse in the book of Proverbs that says something vaguely connected with productivity and using it as a pretext to say what I wanted to say about productivity anyway. No, I mean going to the Bible in search of answers to some of the most fundamental questions about our life’s meaning and purpose—what God created us to do—and seeing what implications that has for our lives.”
In Carmichael’s framing of the issue, busyness is not necessarily bad and may actually be very good, just depending on how it is defined and understood. He begins with ensuring we understand a central truth of the Christian faith—that we are made in the image of God. An implication is that just as God works, so we were made to work. Hence “the bottom line is this: well-directed busyness is actually a good thing. It reflects the nature of God as a worker, and the truth that ‘whatever you do’ can be done ‘as for the Lord’ (Col 3:23). In other words, busyness is not necessarily the enemy. Busyness is definitely not a dirty word.” But then it’s equally true that we were made to rest—“to draw aside from our work and busyness to rest and remember God, and engage with him as our Creator and rescuer,” something he refers to as “God rest.”
At this point the book takes an unexpected turn as Carmichael introduces the Bible’s great metanarrative which he summarizes as going from Point A (creation) to Point B (new creation). Knowing that we are saved by grace frees us from the need to try to earn our salvation and frees us to obey God in leading others from Point A to Point B—to essentially be busy in this crucial work that God has assigned to us through both evangelism and discipleship. This is work we engage in through the local church and through our private lives—work which needs to play a key role in the decisions we make in life.
The mistake we are tempted to make is in thinking about it as my agenda for my life. That is a wrong way to think about it as Christians, because “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. The life agenda we adopt has to now be thought of as Jesus’ agenda for his life in me. As Christians, we must relinquish any sense of entitlement to the control of our lives or the setting of our own priorities, whilst at the same time thoughtfully setting priorities and making choices about what we do.
What we Need to do is find the right balance of work and rest as we pursue the priorities God has assigned to us.
At the end there are several appendices dealing with matters such as paid employment, the local church, and family life. But there is no app to download, no journal to buy, no technique to master. There is instead much to ponder, much to pray about, and perhaps much to course-correct.
Busy offers a unique take on busyness and one that strikes to the very heart of our God-given purpose. It is a book that blessed and challenged me and, I trust, one that will bless and challenge you as well. I am glad to recommend it.
Zach and Maggie (whom you’ll recognize from The Gettys’ live shows) have released a fun and quirky album. Here’s a video from it. You can find the full album on all the usual apps and platforms.
Crossway has published an important new book by John Piper entitled Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ. For the launch, Desiring God has partnered with Westminster Bookstore to offer the hardcover edition at 40% off. (Sponsored Link)
I found this article from Elliott Clark very interesting. “I reached out to church leaders from around the world, asking how they apply Paul’s command to ‘be subject to the governing authorities’ (Rom. 13:1). These believers hail from all sorts of countries—where persecution is overt and political or more social, where Christians are an extreme minority or nominalism is normal, where there’s relative peace and security or rampant political instability.”
“How long must a wife bear witness to Christ before her unbelieving husband? How long must parents pray for a child who hasn’t trusted Christ? Why does so much sowing not result in reaping? Why do the due seasons seem to come later than we’d expect, if ever?”
Trevin Wax: “Why are these battles so heated? Why do so many in our society demand everyone show their support for LGBT+ causes? Why the insistence on preferred pronouns? Why the expectation there will be ‘consequences’ for someone who, out of religious conviction, respectfully dissents from the prevailing view?”
No one is more harmed by your sin and no one is more blessed by your sanctification than your spouse. If you love your husband or wife, then give them the gift of holiness. Be holy for the benefit of that person you love the most.
A man has no more right at table to talk all than to eat all. —C.H. Spurgeon
he Ukrainian government on Tuesday confirmed the resignation of multiple high ranking officials amid large-scale corruption allegations, in what’s being called the biggest mass resignation and graft scandal since the Russian invasion began.
Some dozen officials have quit their posts after a huge political shake-up over allegations and probes into cases ranging from bribery, to mismanagement of aid funds for purchasing food, to embezzlement, to driving expensive cars while common people suffer under wartime conditions.
A top presidential adviser and four deputy ministers – among these two defense officials, along with five regional governors were forced out of their posts. And among the regional governors to step down included officials overseeing regions which have seen intense fighting, including the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, where Russian forces have lately reported gains.
n reference to the announcement by a senior government official, Oleg Nemchinov, international reports detail the following list:
Deputy Prosecutor General Oleskiy Symonenko
Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Ivan Lukeryu
Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Vyacheslav Negoda
Deputy Minister for Social Policy Vitaliy Muzychenk
And the regional governors of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Sumy and Kherson
And separately, “the defense ministry had earlier announced the resignation of deputy minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who was in charge of the army’s logistical support, on the heels of accusations it was signing food contracts at inflated prices.”
company behind the manufacturing of a pill used in chemical abortions filed a lawsuit on Wednesday morning challenging state bans on the abortions, The New York Times reported.
GenBioPro, which makes the abortion pill mifepristone, filed the lawsuit in a West Virginia federal court to argue that Federal Food and Drug regulations (FDA) take priority over state laws regulating abortion, according to the NYT. The lawsuit argues that the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill trumps state laws and that abortion bans violate the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, which protects interstate commerce.
“Laws like the ones in effect in West Virginia are harmful and unlawful,” Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward and counsel for GenBioPro, said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Our case makes clear that nothing in the Court’s decision last year in Dobbs displaced Congress and FDA’s role in deciding whether medications are safe and effective and determining which regulations should be imposed on mifepristone. States cannot substitute their medical and scientific judgments for judgments FDA has made, and doing so undermines not only access to medication, but the country’s entire drug regulation system.”
As of Jan. 6., at least 13 states have laws on the books that outlaw abortion, according to tracking by the NYT. GenBioPro said that its mifepristone sales in several states which have banned abortion dropped to zero, the NYT reported.
y former OANN colleague Christina Bobb has shared an exclusive excerpt from her new book Stealing Your Vote — which came out today. It tells the story of corruption within the Democratic Party, as well as the cowardice throughout the Republican Party as fat and happy politicians from both parties desperately worked to protect the status quo. Bobb also tells the story of a handful of brave patriots who tried, and continue trying, to find out just what happened in 2020.
Christina currently serves as attorney for President Donald J. Trump, working closely with him to further the America First agenda. Most notably, she was his legal representative onsite during the unprecedented raid by the FBI on Mar-a-Lago. She began her legal career in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a defense counsel representing marines and sailors in court-martial and administrative separation hearings. She has also served in multiple overseas tours including Afghanistan. She eventually moved to Washington, DC, where she held executive level positions within the Department of Homeland Security.
From Stealing Your Vote:
Despite Congress’s failure to act, Pennsylvania could well go down as the worst case of election theft in our country’s history. When election officials halted the count on election night, President Trump was ahead by 700,000 votes. But three days later, they declared that Joe Biden had won. President Trump was winning by the greatest margin on election night, that I believe Democrats were convinced they couldn’t catch him. So, Democrats stopped the counting, blocked Republicans from even entering the building, and then somehow counted an alleged 1.4 additional million ballots without oversight. That gave the race to Biden . . . three days later on November 7.
t midnight Tuesday, AT&T’s DirecTV cut Newsmax’s signal, immediately shutting the network off from more than 13 million customers of the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.
This is the second time in the past year AT&T has moved to cancel a conservative channel, with DirecTV deplatforming OAN in April.
Despite Newsmax being the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, a top 20 cable news channel overall, and watched by 25 million Americans on cable alone, according to Nielsen, DirecTV said it was taking the step as a “cost-cutting” measure and would never pay Newsmax a cable license fee.
DirecTV pays cable license fees to all top 75 cable channels and to all 22 liberal news and information channels it carries. Almost all of these channels are paid hefty license fees significantly more than Newsmax was seeking — and despite the fact that most of the channels have much lower ratings than Newsmax.
“This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax,” Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax said.
“The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN need to be deplatformed,” Ruddy added.
Last week, as news spread in Congress that AT&T DirecTV was moving to deplatform Newsmax, 41 Republican congressmen led by Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, sent a letter to the CEOs of AT&T, DirecTV, and hedge fund TPG Capital, the minority operator of the satellite system, warning of hearings.
Michigan-based think tank has claimed that it now costs less to drive an internal combustion vehicle 100 miles than to charge up a comparably all-electric vehicle using home charging. Though this claim comes with a few caveats, starting with acknowledging that this only applies to “midpriced” vehicles based on the national average for fuel and electricity rates.
“The run-up in gas prices made EVs look like a bargain during much of 2021 and 2022,” the Anderson Economic Group’s Patrick Anderson told Automotive News in a recent interview. “With electric prices going up and gas prices declining, drivers of traditional ICE vehicles saved a little bit of money in the last quarter of 2022.”
From Automotive News:
An analysis of late-2022 fueling costs by the Anderson Economic Group (AEG) says midpriced ICE drivers are paying about $11.29 for 100 miles of driving, an average of 31 cents less than midpriced EV drivers who charge at home.
The switch is the result of fuel costs dropping by over $2 and falling below upward trending home-charging costs, AEG explained.
Prior to that, it was reportedly cheaper to charge an EV than fuel a comparable internal combustion vehicle. But this would also mean that any claims about electric cars being cheaper to run when national gasoline prices were averaging less than $3.00 per gallon (e.g. 2015-2020) are now doubly suspect.
n Wednesday, a dual citizen of Canada and France admitted to mailing threatening letters containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald Trump as well as eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, sent these ricin-laced letters from Canada in September 2020, then drove to the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, New York where she reportedly informed a border agent that she was wanted by the FBI for the ricin letters.
At this time she was in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a stun gun, pepper spray, two knives, and a truncheon.
According to a court filing written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Friedman, Ferrier “was placed under arrest that same day.”
In 2019, Ferrier visited Texas and was detained there for about 10 weeks for unlicensed firearm possession, and authorities eventually departed her to Canada. The DOJ reported that she believed the law enforcement officials who she sent the poisoned letters to were responsible for her detention.
According to the DOJ, earlier in September, Ferrier tweeted that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face”.
It’s not necessary to condone her exhortations to curse God. But we should seek to understand them.
You’re reading the English translation of the winner of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest for Christians who write in French. Learn more about the competition and CT’s multilingual work and check out the winning essays written originally in Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Indonesian.
After seeing her husband lose his fortune, his family, and his health, Job’s wife is at her wit’s end. “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity?” she asks her husband in Job 2:9 (NLT). “Curse God and die!”
This is the only time Job’s wife’s voice appears in this 42-chapter book. We learn scant details about her. Even her name is unknown.
We know, however, that she is the wife of the book’s “hero.” A man described as “blameless and upright,” who “feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). A man who is wealthy, blessed with many children, and “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (v. 3).
As the story begins, the narrator presents Job to us as a man who is both upright and respected. We can therefore deduce that his wife is a woman of the upper class, probably as influential as her husband. As mother of a large family, manager of the household, she is used to a certain lifestyle. We do not know her degree of faith, but nothing suggests that she does not respect the God of her husband or follow his religious practices.
Suddenly, in just a few verses, her husband loses his herds and wealth (and with that his social status and power), his children, his servants, and finally his health:
“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet …
Wisdom, perspective, and theological understanding from Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Indonesian writers.
Hagar’s unhappiness helps one Indonesian father become a better parent. A Mexican mother reflects on the parallels between Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac and the false idols that tempt families to sacrifice their children today. A Chinese writer ponders the ramifications of Joseph’s decision to bring his brothers close after a life-changing betrayal. A Brazilian writer explores the significance of his country’s growing evangelical population, even as the number of people going hungry increases. Is there something we can learn from Job’s wife’s demand that her husband “curse God and die”? asks a French nurse.
These are themes and questions the winners of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest wrestled with. As we open 2023, we’re delighted to be sharing pieces originally written in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Indonesian with our English readers.
For this contest, we received more than 140 submissions from 26 different countries. These essays were meticulously reviewed by our language editorial teams and then assessed anonymously by a team of judges. Thank you to these judges for their time and thoughtfulness. And thank you to everyone who submitted an essay for deeply engaging your faith and the world.
We’re currently entering our fourth year of building out CT Global’s language ministries. If you’re interested in assisting us in growing this work, here’s where you can learn more about our translation and social media roles.
His response to his treacherous siblings invites us to reevaluate similar relationships in our lives.
You’re reading the English translation of the winner of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest for Christians who write in Chinese. Learn more about the competition and CT’s multilingual work and check out the winning essays written originally in Portuguese, French, Indonesian, and Spanish.
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Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” (Gen. 45:4)
“Come close to me” is a simple statement. But it also signals an act of restoration.
Joseph, the victim, made a seemingly ordinary remark to his brothers, the perpetrators. He had experienced an accumulation of hurt from an unfortunate past and conflicting emotions. The sorrows of Joseph’s life constantly stalked him after his brothers betrayed him. Now, facing his past perpetrators from a high and prosperous position of power, he could have easily retaliated against them to alleviate his psychological and practical pain. Instead, he chose to praise God for his providence, reveal his own identity to his brothers, and show mercy to them (Gen. 45:5).
“Come close to me” is a phrase that may also have surfaced in the nightmares of a deeply wounded Joseph. As a young boy, Joseph was ignorant to the point that after God revealed a vision to him, he approached his brothers and shared it with them without reservation. Yet this only made them become jealous of him. Later, when his father, Jacob, asked him to go to his brothers, he went out obediently. However, the purpose of his brothers’ “coming close” to him was to kill and sell him. Their “coming close” caused Joseph the greatest harm. …
We may flinch at seeing the revered patriarch nearly end his own son’s life. But what do we miss when viewing this story through contemporary eyes?
You’re reading the English translation of the winner of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest for Christians who write in Spanish. Learn more about the competition and CT’s multilingual work and check out the winning essays written originally in Portuguese, French, Indonesian, and Chinese.
One of the most dramatic moments of the entire Bible occurs when Abraham reaches out his hand to take the knife, ready to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to the Lord (Gen. 22:10). Considering the customs of the time with regard to child sacrifices, perhaps the Lord’s request did not seem so far-fetched to Abraham. Except that, of course, the Lord had promised Abraham that he would multiply his offspring “as the stars of heaven” through this son (21:12; 26:4).
But according to Hebrews 11:19, Abraham obeyed God because he “reasoned that God could even raise the dead.” As we know, the Lord did not let Abraham harm Isaac but provided a ram for the sacrifice (Gen. 22:12–13). After Abraham’s demonstration of reverence to God, the Lord promised to bless him to the point that all nations would also be blessed through his offspring (v. 18).
This passage marks a radical contrast with the practice of the other nations of Abraham’s time (and continuing in subsequent centuries) that did sacrifice their children to pagan gods. Even some of the Israelites did so, in total disobedience to God (2 Kings 16:3).
Today it is almost impossible to identify ourselves with this event in the lives of Abraham and Isaac. We can’t fathom offering our children as a physical, living sacrifice before God, much less sacrificing them to pagan gods.
Will we be remembered for our political aspirations or for feeding the famished?
You’re reading the English translation of the winner of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest for Christians who write in Portuguese. Learn more about the competition and CT’s multilingual work and check out the winning essays written originally in Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Spanish.
Brazil’s 2010 Census revealed that evangelicals in Brazil had reached nearly a quarter (22.2%) of the total population. Most expect this number to be even larger in the next census. In the most optimistic estimates, by 2040, Brazil’s evangelical population will surpass that of Catholics (who made up 64.4% of the population in the 2010 data).
As the number of evangelicals continues to rise, the community has the opportunity to grapple with the legacy it will leave on Brazil. What concrete impact should its presence have on the country? Perhaps more important, how will the lives of those who suffer the most change as a result of the expanding influence of evangelicals?
As the number of evangelicals grows, I expect the impact of our Christian witness on the country to also grow. But what will be the focus of our testimony: increasing our numbers in the halls of power or proclaiming the kingdom and caring for those who suffer?
Hunger in Brazil and in the Bible
Last July, Brazil returned to the United Nations’ Hunger Map eight years after it had first left. Today, at least 61 million Brazilians face some form of food insecurity, and 4 percent of the population suffers from chronic hunger. The data is alarming, especially since Brazil is a major global food producer. There is plenty of food; it just doesn’t make it to everyone’s table.
Hunger is a global problem, a part of human history since …
s the COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out across the United States, a disturbing trend has emerged. The United States is facing a devastating loss of life among its children and young adults.
And it’s all because Pfizer lied and caused millions to die.
According to official figures from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly half a million have lost their lives since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine.
This marks a devastating 118,000 excess deaths compared to the 2015-2019 average.
The year 2021 was a devastating one for children and young adults in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 291,461 excess deaths among those aged 0 to 44 – a shocking 60,000 more than in the previous year.
The CDC’s data reveals that this sudden and alarming increase in deaths was largely due to a “mysterious” rise in fatalities among children and young adults starting around week 31 of the year.
Unfortunately, data published by the UK Government suggests that this “mysterious” rise in deaths, which has contributed to the loss of half a million young American lives, is likely linked to the COVID-19 vaccine.
This shocking tragedy has devastated families and communities across the United States, and it is imperative that we understand the full extent of the damage caused by this experimental injection.
As we continue to study and monitor the data, it is crucial that we do everything in our power to protect the lives and well-being of all individuals. The implications of this devastating loss of life are far-reaching and demand our immediate attention.
How an enslaved Old Testament woman’s trials gave me insight into raising the “strawberry generation.”
You’re reading the English translation of the winner of Christianity Today’s second annual essay contest for Christians who write in Indonesian. Learn more about the competition and CT’s multilingual work, and check out the winning essays written originally in Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Spanish.
At its core, life is a challenge. A challenge that requires people to have the mental equipment to either face it or avoid it. (Rhenald Kasali, Strawberry Generation , 2017)
Several years ago, economist Rhenald Kasali wrote about the current cohort of young Indonesian people that many of have referred to as the “strawberry generation.” The fruit metaphor has become popular as a way of expressing both this cohort’s beauty and propensity to bruise easily. Currently experiencing far greater prosperity than their parents and grandparents and often praised for their creativity, the strawberry generation has also been criticized for wilting in the face of adversity, being overly sensitive, and hunting for quick ways to achieve something.
As a father of two children, one of whom is a teenager, I have come to suspect I may have “strawberries” growing in my household. My concerns have become compounded by an increasingly sophisticated digital world and a pandemic that has forced my children to live online for the last few years.
In searching for wisdom on how to best parent my children in the coming years, I’ve turned to Genesis, a book full of stories of imperfect patriarchs. Specifically, I’ve returned multiple times to the story of Hagar (Gen. 16) and learned that sometimes God allows his people to endure hardship so they can understand his beautiful plan.
