Saturday, August 31, 2013

Stowaway kid: another evidence of dangerous impact of "Movies"

The story of 13 year old Ricky Daniel Ohikhena who hitched a ride in the tyre compartment of an Arik flight from Benin to Lagos (he thought he was on the way to the US) has the stuff movies are made of. But one hardly noticed factor in the story, as security people grilled the mum to find an explanation for the incident (imagine if it had been a suicide bomber!), is the influence of movies.

Hear the testimony of the mum, Evelyn: "He is always at home.  I have never seen anybody come to look for him and he doesn't have any friends".

Continuing, Mum said "He doesn't go out. What I know is that he is always watching films in the house but he doesn't have friends".

Yet, people are still wondering where Ricky got the ideas, motivation and know-how about stowing-away. It's the movies, stupid!

Now, this is just one case that happens to gain prominence. Extrapolations can be made into several other aspects of life: terrorism, sexuality, spirituality, etc etc.  Who can truly imagine the consequences of millions of kids glued unto the TV and Internet, while the parents keep beating their chest about their child who doesn't keep bad companies? Who needs bad companies with all the "excitement" available 24 hours on the air waves!

Parents who somehow grasp what' s going on here will understand they need to  take extraordinary measures in these extra-ordinary climes.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

ISLAMIC FORCED CONVERSION: CAN DENIES EXONERATING ETSU NUPE


“the demeanour of  the Etsu Nupe each time a truce meting … was called, left much to be desired.” 

There are indications that the Etsu Nupe of Bida, Dr Abubakar Yahaya, is not in any hurry to release the young lady currently staying in his palace, purportedly on “protective custody” to “safeguard” her from her Christian biological father, following her supposed conversion to Islam (see our earlier article).  Though, the Sharia Court, following the outrage the event had attracted, had no choice other than to vacate its order placing 24 year old Charity Uzoechina into the custody of the Etsu Nupe, the masterminds behind the abduction are  obviously looking beyond that event. 

They actually seem engaged in digging the trenches in preparation for a long, drawn-out battle during which they hope public interest in the case will wane. 

How else can one logically explain the massive propaganda machinery now being deployed at a time some are naively declaring the battle  as virtually concluded and over?

According to a widely-circulated false report originating from you guess where, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had exonerated the Etsu Nupe from the whole saga of abduction and forced conversion of Charity.

A livid Dr Musa Asake, General Secretary of the CAN is however denying this so-called exoneration, in very strong terms!  In a written statement made available to interested media houses, Dr Asake wrote:
 “I hereby disown the … statement credited to me and say that I, as the General Secretary of CAN, could not have spoken in that manner, especially after witnessing the emotional encounter between Charity, her parents and siblings, a momentary family union, which suggested to me that the young girl was under certain influences within the palace of the Etsu Nupe.”
 Dr Asake further confirms the cloud of uncertainty still hanging on the matter, despite efforts by the Palace to give appearance of progress.  According to the CAN Scribe:
 “Even now that the Sharia Court has vacated its earlier order, the ruling is neither here nor there.  To that extent, CAN cannot exonerate the Etsu Nupe until Charity is put under the custody of the Niger state Governor as agreed.”
 As for the other case lodged in the High Court by Charity’s father, challenging the jurisdiction of a Sharia Court to try a Christian,  as reported by the Vanguard newspaper, the hearing of that case “could not hold on August 1 because of the ongoing conference of lawyers holding in Minna, which made the courts go on their annual vacation from August 5…”   Practical meaning of this? Those who are thinking of a quick easy victory in this matter need to have a re-think! The hearing of the case has actually been postponed to September 17, and we advise all children of God to keep the date in mind.
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Stating unequivocally that he believes that “Pastor Uzoechina had all reasons to accuse the Etsu Nupe of taking custody of his daughter without his consent”, Dr Asake further wrote that “the demeanour of  the Etsu Nupe each time a truce meting … was called, left much to be desired.”  [see also The Punch, August 5, 2013, pg 7).

In short, as far as the CAN is concerned, the Etsu Nupe is not just a passive partaker in the entire forced conversion saga, but a major active player. 

Again, we warn Nigerian Christians, this abduction and forced conversion is not just a one-time happenstance event.  It is part of a carefully orchestrated grand plan, already flourishing in other parts of the world, and which will not stop on its own, until Christians everywhere, including at the “Marketplace” show SUSTAINED interests and stand firmly against these insidious moves.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Hadrosaur skin found

It was Ray Comfort who titled his 2009 book, "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can't Make Him Think".

There are abundant evidences that dinosaurs lived until recently, (and a few might even still be alive), contrary to the million of years standard evolution theory dogmatically assigned to their extinction. (See Chapter 1 of Behold I come Quickly Book 1)

The article below from Creation Ministries International, Australia, not only describes another compelling evidence on this theme, but also highlights the way the "orthodox" scientific community continues to demonstrate incredible blindness to plain evidence they don't want to see!


Such is the power of the dinosaurs-died-out-millions-of-years-ago paradigm, that it not only limits what scientists expect to find, but also bizarrely affects how they view ‘unexpected’ evidence when they do find it.
The discovery of hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaur) skin near Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, is a classic example. University of Regina researcher Mauricio Barbi recounts: “As we excavated the fossil, I thought we were looking at a skin impression. Then I noticed a piece came off and I realized this is not ordinary—this is real skin. Everyone involved with the excavation was incredibly excited ….”2
Their excitement is understandable. Everybody is taught that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago yet here is a piece of real skin. No wonder they didn’t expect to find it, and initially thought it must have been only a skin impression. The basic question arising from the discovery ought now to have been, “Why is it that we’ve been taught these fossils are millions of years old, when here quite plainly is evidence to the contrary?”
Instead, Mauricio Barbi and colleagues are trying to answer their question: “how the fossil remained intact for around 70 million years.”

Read more at http://creation.com/hadrosaur-skin?utm_media=email&utm_source=infobytes&utm_content=intl&utm_campaign=emails

Thursday, August 1, 2013

OF PLAYERS AND FANATICAL SPECTATORS


It’s a common sight these days seeing young people engage in hot arguments, defending their favourite football teams.  The arguments are usually very personal and passionate.  Unfortunately, at times, things could go much further than just jaw jaw; and it’s not strange hearing about people dealing physical violence to their own family – just because the outcome of a football match was unfavourable.
What I’m trying to point attention to is the extreme personal involvement and passion of the average football fan today – without necessarily any personal rewards attached.
On the other hand, the soccer players get incredible, even outrageous pays; yet, they are far more somber and less fanatical.  A Chelsea player for instance, will more readily move over to Man U next week – if the pay is right, than a fan of Chelsea would.  In fact the fan might consider that absolutely unthinkable!
If this phenomenon were restricted just to the sporting world, then that would probably be fine.  It would all be part of the adaptation mechanism to take life easy and remain sane in an ever fast-moving world.  Alas, the happenings on the football field are only a reflection of how the world really runs.  In almost every issue of life, two groups stand out clear: the Players and the Spectators.  That is, the people who make things happen and the others who watch things happen.  [A third group is not worth discussing – those who don’t even know what is happening.  Like the average Nigerian watching a game of  cricket].
 Friends, extremely high-stakes engineering and manipulations are going on in the world, and many youths, rather than take their place on the field are glued to the TV, spilling adrenalin and gulping everything down - line, hook and sinker. Fans (i.e. fanatics!) of some wily,  crafty script writer!
            We should all be conscious of three main areas of manipulations going on in the world today, covering the three components of man: Health (body), Sexuality (soul) and Religion (spirit).  It has been abundantly demonstrated that most of the lifestyle being promoted in the world today are open rebellion against God’s design for the human body.  From popular  indulgence in junk foods to the gross abuse of microwave radiation (notably the cellphone), many are sentencing themselves to a future of degenerative diseases.  Thank God, cigarettes are no more in the fad, but even worse chemicals and drugs abound, set to trap the unwary – just think of the sad case of Cynthia!
On the level of the soul, the sex genie has been let loose.  It’s incredible that sane people can think they could pore over pornography (either soft or hard) and not themselves be moved somehow. What crass ignorance about the workings of the human soul!  But the frightening statistics reflect the hard reality.  In Nigeria, as quoted by Praise Fowowe (www.*****), one girl in four, and one boy in six, will be raped before the age of 18.  And the figure is much worse elsewhere – think of India, Pakistan, or South Africa!  In these days where the issue is on accommodating gays, fornication seems like mere child play.
But the manipulations going on in the spirit realm are the most insidious.  Here we have people who sincerely wished to do the right thing still finding themselves pushed onto the road leading to hell just on account of ignorance! (Hosea 4:6).  But how can ordinarily reasonable people claim they did not know that the devil’s agenda in every single transaction he is involved with is just to ”steal, kill and destroy”?  And nobody is more aware about the soon-coming of the Lord other than the devil, who is acutely aware that he has only a little time left before his rendezvous with the lake of fire (Rev 12:12, 20:10). The Apostle John wrote: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth”. Truth lovingly but firmly declared is absolutely necessary to avoid making a shipwreck of the faith; and ending up with unprofitable shell of mere religiousity.
Like salt, a few determined individuals who have understanding of the times, are enough to make the impact God has determined to bring in this generation.  I pray that you my dear reader, may be that Joseph, Esther or Daniel that would change your generation for the better.
But you’ve got to get your acts together and switch from being a spectator to being a player.  Get on the field under His wings – right now as you approach the Lord in prayers.

Celebrating Justice Kayode Eso


Church Arise! celebrates the Christian witness of one of the icon of incorruptibility of our time, the late Justice Kayode Eso whose demise occurred on November 16 2012 at the ripe age of 87.  While  on the bench, Justice Kayode Eso, the vintage “Incorruptible Judge”, was involved in several high-profile political cases in which he was not afraid to tow the minority way - as long as the truth is not compromised.  Confirming the source of the core-values that guided his heart, mouth and deeds while alive, Justice Kayode Eso left behind a glowing Christian witness as well as a chapel – the Church of the Risen Christ, which he built and donated to the Anglican communion in his hometown at Ilesa, Osun state.




“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth” 3 John 4


“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth” 3 John 4