The Action Plan was launched on June 6, 2012, as a comprehensive blueprint guiding 18 different federal departments in their fight against the serious crime of human trafficking. The organizations mentioned, along with Beyond Borders and Not For Sale Canada, in addition to other Canadian NGOs, submitted recommendations for inclusion in the Action Plan. Going forward, the NGOs are encouraging the Government of Canada to further strengthen its anti-trafficking efforts.
On the first anniversary of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking Alberta, the Alliance Against Modern Slavery, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, International Justice Mission Canada, the Salvation Army and World Vision, together recognize the Government of Canada’s commitment to addressing the heinous crime of human trafficking and highlight the urgent need of its implementation.
The Action Plan was launched on June 6, 2012, as a comprehensive blueprint guiding 18 different federal departments in their fight against the serious crime of human trafficking. The organizations mentioned, along with Beyond Borders and Not For Sale Canada, in addition to other Canadian NGOs, submitted recommendations for inclusion in the Action Plan. Going forward, the NGOs are encouraging the Government of Canada to further strengthen its anti-trafficking efforts.
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A few weeks ago when I addressed the topic of homosexuality, a reader posted a comment on our forum suggesting that the biblical King David and his friend Jonathan were gay lovers. After a few other readers questioned this interpretation, another reader repeated the claim. “The Bible is clear that David and Jonathan were physical, sexual, gay male homosexual lovers,” this person wrote authoritatively—without citing a chapter and verse. Most evangelical Christians would drop their jaws in bewilderment if confronted with such an odd theory. Even people with minimal knowledge of the Old Testament know that (1) David was married to Jonathan’s sister, Michal—and he had a few other wives, and (2) David’s biggest blunder was his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba—a woman he saw bathing on a rooftop. God was not happy about David’s lust or with his decision to have Bathsheba’s husband killed so he could hide his sin. The United Nations Human Rights Council heard directly from the wife of imprisoned Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini June 4 as she asked the international community to "do more" to ensure that Iran upholds its human rights obligations. "I hope that my presence here today will put a face to those who suffer when a government does not uphold its obligation to protect these freedoms," Naghmeh Abedini said, referring to the rights of religious freedom, expression and peaceful assembly. By now, you’ve probably heard about the new children’s cartoon show called Shezow, featuring a 12-year-old boy named Guy “who uses a magic ring to transform himself into a crime-fighting girl” wearing “a purple skirt and cape, as well as pink gloves and white boots.” And to change from boy to girl, he just says the magic words, “You go, girl!” Another harmless TV program for the little ones? Not on your life. This is yet another attempt to blur gender distinctions and to celebrate transgender identity. And in this case, the target audience is very young: ages 2 to 11. George Washington (1743-1799), known to have chopped down his father’s cherry tree, as legend would have it, would become the United States’ first president. Serving two terms as president from 1789 until 1797, he managed the United States with energetic, organized, and efficient candor. Washington refused serving a third term in office, even though he had unanimously been voted by the electoral college his last two terms, believing that no president should serve more than two terms lest he be looked upon as a king. “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.” While looking at the Charisma News website last week, I noticed two stories. One had been shared almost 11,000 times, the other barely 100. Is it any surprise that the first story was about a scandal in a gospel celebrity’s family and the second story about a courageous martyr in Africa? The first article was posted on May 7 and was titled “Mary Mary's Tina Campbell Reveals Husband's Infidelity,” detailing the struggles Tina went through after learning of her husband’s unfaithfulness. “Once I became aware [of the affair],” she said, “I initially wanted to kill my husband.” Thankfully, they are seeking to preserve their marriage, but I’m sure that wasn’t the main reason the article was shared. Rather, it was because of the nature of the story, featuring a well-known gospel singer, adultery and extreme jealous anger. (The reporting itself was meant to be informative and constructive.) Interior Ministry Denies Responsibility for Restoring Guidance Sessions, Holds Azhar Responsible6/4/2013 Member of Egypt’s Shura Council Faridi el-Bayadi said he met with Egypt’s Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim to brief him on the phenomenon of the increased disappearance of Coptic girls threatening the security of the Christian families. Bayadi said he called on the interior minister to restore the sessions of advice and guidance that were held for those people who convert from Christianity to Islam, clarifying that former Minister of Interior Habib el-Adli cancelled these sessions. He added that the Egyptian security official stressed that it is not the role of the ministry, and that converting to Islam is the role of Azhar. Kids will become special agents during LifeWay’s Vacation Bible School 2014 as they collect and log evidence about Jesus for “Agency D3” and its mission to “Discover. Decide. Defend.” “Using their high-tech operative skills, they will examine eyewitness reports, physical proof and biblical accounts to uncover and defend the truth about who Jesus really is,” LifeWay Christian Resources stated in a June 2 news release. “By collecting all the evidence, they will Discover the truth of the Gospel; Decide to believe it; and then Defend that decision.” Jerry Wooley, LifeWay’s VBS specialist, said VBS participants, as part of the investigative “Agency D3,” will “discover if Jesus is really who He claims to be and if the Bible is true.” Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring for more fruit. (John 15:2) The key verse for this final lesson confirms it is God's desire that spiritual fruit be evident in your life. This chapter provides guidelines for developing spiritual fruit.
An astounding 100,000 Christians are killed each year because of their faith, the Vatican reports. “Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because of some relation to their faith every year,” Vatican spokesman Monsieur Silvano Maria Tomassi said Tuesday in a radio address to the United Nations Human Rights Council. “Other Christians and other believers are subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to rape and to the abduction of their leaders, as it recently happened in the case of Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yaziji, in Aleppo [Syria],” he added. |
Walter Blackwood
Associate Pastor with The Bridge Community of Faith in Kelowna BC Canada. Archives
May 2017
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