Bloodshed, Tensions Boil as Egyptian Government, Opposition Trade Blame

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- All agree that scores angry at Egypt's military-backed government and the ouster of President Mohamed Morsy died in late-night clashes in the volatile nation's capital.

But they are of opposite minds as to who began firing first and who is to blame.

Dr. Mohammed Ali Sultan, chairman of Egypt's ambulance services, told CNN that 72 had been killed in Nasr City, an area of Cairo the Muslim Brotherhood has made its base after the group's former leader was forced from power and ordered jailed.

Medics in a Brotherhood field hospital there earlier Saturday had put the death toll at 66, with another 61 on life support and thousands more wounded.

How did they end up in such straits?

Ask the Muslim Brotherhood -- the Islamist group that was sidelined under longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak only to become the country's dominant political force after his forced exit in 2011 -- and its members will say police fired live ammunition on protesters Friday and Saturday.

Photos: Unrest in Egypt

Pro- and anti-Morsy crowds flood streets

Are oil prices and Egypt's chaos linked?

Tahrir Square filled at general's urging

 

A wounded protester getting medical treatment at a field hospital said he saw men in plainclothes fire on pro-Morsy demonstrators with shotguns.

He referred to them as "thugs," a term commonly used for young men who support the government and resort to violence.

"Police forces were standing behind them. Also, military forces were outside blocking three entrances to Rabaa Adawiya neighborhood," the protester said, adding he had also seen corpses with gunshot wounds at the hospital.

Yet the prosecutor general's office, according to a report early Sunday on state-run Nile TV, concluded that protesters not only initiated the clashes but also fired live bullets on security forces.

A police spokesman likewise rejected any allegations police opened fire, saying they only used tear gas canisters and were not responsible for the deaths.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim offered a similar view during a televised news conference.

The protesters were at fault for starting violence that wounded 14 police, none of whom fired back, he said.

"I want to emphasize here that the Interior Ministry police force has never and will never fire ts weapons at any Egyptian citizen," Ibrahim said.

Fresh clashes erupted early Sunday in Helwan south of Cairo between residents there and pro-Morsy protesters, reported state TV, citing witnesses.

Meanwhile, an attorney has filed a lawsuit at a district court in Cairo, asking that the military overthrow of Morsy be overturned. Tarek Al Kashef is basing his challenge on the country's constitution, specifically sections that stipulate that a presidential term is four years and that the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces. A hearing is slated for October 8.

Continued

Bill Passes in India Jailing Converts, Clergy For Failure to Give Prior Notice of Conversion

India's Madhya Pradesh state has passed legislation that would send those who convert and their religious leaders to prison for failing to obtain permission from authorities at least one month prior to conversion.

According to a story by Morning Star News, the bill requires the governor's signature before becoming law.

Existing law in Madhya Pradesh requires those who convert to notify government officials after conversion. The new legislation not only requires prior permission but also obligates religious leaders to report the conversions, and it increases prison terms from one to three years for clergy and converts who fail to do so.

Under the bill in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state, Morning Star News said religious leaders must fill out an application form giving details of the venue and date of conversion ceremonies and provide a list of names and addresses of those seeking conversion. This application has to be submitted at the district magistrate's office a month before conversion.

The bill, which cleared Madhya Pradesh's Legislative Assembly on July 10, includes a provision for a police inquiry on the conversion request. If the prospective converts are minors, women or members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes - disadvantaged people eligible for affirmative action benefits - the legislation stipulates a jail term of up to four years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 rupees (US$1,680).

With India already on a "watch list" of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Morning Star News reported India's Christians were horrified at the bill's level of interference in private personal belief. In August 2012, the Himachal Pradesh High Court struck down similar legislation.

“These laws are political gimmicks used to polarize voters along religious lines - it is common knowledge that these laws have already been misused to terrorize the minority Christian community across the country,” Tehmina Arora, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom India, told Morning Star News.

The bill is an amendment to Madhya Pradesh's existing “anti-conversion” law of 1968. Called “Freedom of Religion Acts,” such laws forbid forcible or fraudulent conversions, but Hindu nationalists have used them to arrest and harass Christians with false accusations.

“The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief noted in a report after a visit to India that there is a risk that ‘Freedom of Religion Acts’ may become a tool in the hands of those who wish to use religion for vested interests or to persecute individuals on the ground of their religion or belief,” Arora said.

Indira Iyengar, president of Madhya Pradesh Christian Association. (mpcaindia.com)

Indira Iyengar, president of the Madhya Pradesh Christian Association, told Morning Star News the association has written to state Gov. Ram Naresh Yadav and other officials urging them to reject the amendment bill. The governor's post is largely ceremonial, and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds most executive powers.

In its memorandum, Morning Star News reported, the association stated that the bill not only contradicts various Articles of the Constitution of India but also violates states' obligations under the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Such legislation will create religious tensions, the association stated, urging the governor to protect the rights of religious minorities.

Sujit Williams, president of the Grand Council of Christians (Isai Maha Sangh), called upon all citizens to reject the bill, saying it "violated the provision of various Articles in the Constitution of India."

Anand Muttungal, coordinator of the council, said the bill was unnecessary.

“The government has the right to enact a law, but it should be in accordance with the Constitution of India,” Morning Star News reported he said. “Moreover, there is no alarming situation in Madhya Pradesh of conversions for the need of such an amendment.”

The Hindu extremist BJP proposed and passed the legislation with little discussion. Party and state officials have been strangely silent on the proposal, and none was willing to comment to Morning Star News.

Himachal Pradesh Version Struck DownHimachal Pradesh's “anti-conversion” law of 2006 required prospective converts to give prior notice, and the state high court last August ruled it unconstitutional in response to a petition filed by the ADF-backed Evangelical Fellowship of India.
Under the law, a prospective convert's intentions had been subject to a mandatory state inquiry.

The high court recognized that the provisions violated the fundamental right of privacy safeguarded under the right to life in the India Constitution.

“A person's belief or religion is something very personal to him,” Morning Star News reported the court ruled. “The state has no right to ask a person to disclose what is his personal belief. The only justification given is that public order requires that notice be given."
The court continued, "We are of the considered view that in case of a person changing his religion and notice being issued to the so-called prejudicially affected parties, chances of the convertee being subjected to physical and psychological torture cannot be ruled out. The remedy proposed by the state may prove to be more harmful than the problem.”

For more information about Morning Star News visit http://morningstarnews.org

Have We Become Too Comfortable To Share The Gospel?

The Christian life is great, but at some point in our lives we might reach a point where our own comfort hinders us from looking at the needs of others.

I have to admit that I have become lazy over the years. Sadly I am not referring to my work. Much worse, I am talking about my attitude as a Christian.

It is easy to find yourself in a safe haven, especially if you are mainly surrounded by other Christians. Yet the real challenge begins when we step out of our comfort zone.

For me, however, it does not stop there. The majority of us work or are friends with people, who do not share our belief.

We might also, for example in my case, not have had a Christian upbringing. The problem I find myself faced with now is not that those around me do not know that I am a believer or that I find it difficult to tell them about it.

Since I became a Christian when I was 17, most people have accepted my faith and were interested in my lifestyle. But what happens, when you go a step further and actually do what God said in Matthew 28:19-20?

"[Go] and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (NIV)

Continued

Thousands Flock to Download Movie That "Debunks Evolution"

A new documentary that Ray Comfort, the controversial New Zealand-born author, TV host and producer of the movie says “completely debunks evolution within its first 16 minutes” has been made available as a download, and with a week more than six thousand people had downloaded the pre-release of the full 38 minute documentary.

Ray Comfort

“We had no idea that Evolution vs. God would get such a wonderful response, but it shows that this is an issue of great concern to a lot of people,” says who now lives in Southern California. “It was Sir Isaac Newton who said that atheism ‘is so senseless.’ How could anyone believe that nothing created everything? That's scientifically impossible.”

Comfort went on to say, “I ask university students and scientists from UCLA and USC if they think things are intelligently designed. None of them do. So I asked them to make me a rose ‘from nothing.’ They flounder like a gasping fish on an African mudflat. They don't know where to start. It's wonderful to finally see these people who think they are so smart confronted with common sense. This movie puts a powerful weapon into our hands in the battle against senselessness.” 

Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis said, “Evolution vs. God will rock the creation and evolution world!”
Actor, Kirk Cameron added, “Ray Comfort does it again! With simplicity and keen insight on the streets, he pulls back the curtain of Evolution and reveals that the Great Wizard of Darwinism is just an insecure little man with a dream of becoming a god. I highly recommend this helpful, faith-building, and inspiring video for families, teachers, and pastors!”

Artwork from the website

While many are ecstatic about the movie, many are not. Dave Muscato, Public Relations Director American Atheists, Inc., said, “Oh, Ray. I am so disappointed in you.” He went on to say, “Ask experts to define evolution, and then USE that definition from then on. The modern definition of evolution is not the same one used 150 years ago; science has progressed during that time!” David L. added, “He is a Christian fundamentalist extremist who will tell any lie to further his cause. He is scum. A vile [w]retch of a human being…. He is a coward.”

While Ludwig R. stated, “The human race is doomed with people like Comfort walking around.”
Comfort, however, says he understands why atheists are so angry.

Dan Wooding greets Ray Comfort on His Channel Live program

“They cling to faith in evolution because it’s their beloved doorway into unending and exciting pleasures in this sad and sometimes boring world,” he said. 

“If there's no God and everything happened through a random process of evolution over millions of years, then fornication isn't morally wrong. It's fine—it's simply an animal instinct to procreate our species. It gives the green light to pornography, homosexuality, adultery, and anything else that society thinks is morally okay. 

“This movie is more than a wet blanket; it’s a Niagara Falls. It’s the ultimate party pooper because it uniquely exposes—using the words of evolutionary scientists at prestigious universities the lunacy of Darwinian evolution.”

Downloads are now available at the site. It will be released on DVD and YouTube August 7th. Comfort will fly out from California to be at the World Premiere Sevierville, TN July 22: Answers Mega Conference (http://www.answersingenesis.org/outreach/event/answersmega/)
To schedule an interview with Ray Comfort contact Jen Thompson at 562-207-9315 or email jthompson@livingwaters.com

   Source: Assist News    

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Famous Shaman Battles New Power

It was late at night when Bahumathi heard her son Kaanan stir and rush outside, but she was used to it by now. Naasih always called late at night, ready to teach Kaanan more about mantras and witchcraft, and Bahumathi knew it would be worth it.

A shaman

Naasih offered incredible powers to her son—powers of spiritual transformation. And tonight, Kaanan might even learn the secrets to eternal peace. 


Young Man Masters Mantras
 
Kaanan's parents were the ones who inspired his career path in the first place. They raised him to worship their gods and goddesses and to respect the powers of witchcraft. After high school, he studied under a guru named Naasih, who taught him mantras capable of causing great spiritual transformation.

The guru and student held their practices by their religion's most revered river, where followers believe at least one bath is required to attain eternal peace. Late at night, in sight of the “holy” river, they practiced their mantras until Kaanan mastered them.

Kaanan and his guru practiced mantras by the river until he mastered them and became famous for his skills as a shaman

Before long, Kaanan achieved fame for his skills. If a baby cried without end, people asked Kaanan to chant his mantras, and the baby would be calm for hours.

Villagers began calling him for family problems, sicknesses, land disputes and virtually every other problem they had. They even invited him to lead rituals in religious ceremonies, and Kaanan's influence increased. Kaanan's life was everything he and his parents could have hoped for.

One day, however, a man came to the village with a message that threatened to bring Kaanan's career to a swift end.

Booklet's Message Threatens Shaman's Power
 
Gospel for Asia pastor Sabal and the people from his church were friendly enough, but when Kaanan read the piece of literature they gave him, he knew the group had to go.

As Kaanan read the booklet, called “You Can Be Free,” his anger grew. The message was hopeful—beautiful even—and he knew if such literature reached the hands of the villagers, they would receive its message and turn their backs on their traditional beliefs in a heartbeat. They would betray their gods, and Kaanan's role in the community would be gone.

He started thinking about how to get rid of the pastor and quickly became consumed by the idea. A few days later, when he saw the pastor sharing Christ's love in another village, his anger boiled over.

He grabbed Pastor Sabal and said, “Do you know who I am? I will bind you and recite my mantras and make you stand upside down on your head!”

“I belong to Almighty God. He is with me, so you can do no harm to me,” Pastor Sabal replied, fueling Kaanan's rage.

“This is your last day,” the shaman said.

After reading the Gospel literature Pastor Sabal gave him, Kaanan took the earliest opportunity to attack him with spiritual forces

Confident of his powers, Kaanan opened his mouth to say his mantras and unleash his wrath, but when he tried to put words together, all he could do was stammer. 


The mantras he had spent so long learning and refining, the mantras he had put his trust and confidence in failed him. He could not speak. Somehow, this minister's God had taken his powers—all of them. Kaanan fell to the ground in defeat.

“I lost the battle,” he said. 

As Kaanan tried to comprehend what had happened, Pastor Sabal left immediately. When Kaanan came back to his senses, he couldn't find the pastor anywhere, so he went home. 

Defeated Shaman Embraces Christ
 
Kaanan had a temple in his house filled with sacred images he normally sought strength from. That day, however, he ignored them and pulled out the booklet Pastor Sabal had given him. He began reading it again. Although the message still upset him, he didn't get angry this time—he felt guilty.

When his mantras failed in the face of Pastor Sabal's God, Kaanan decided to read the pastor's literature a second time

The next time he saw Pastor Sabal, he desperately sought to make amends for the way he had treated God's messenger. He shared how God had changed his heart and fell at the pastor's feet in tears. 


After talking with Pastor Sabal, Kaanan went home and told his entire family about his decision to follow Jesus. He told them that Jesus is Lord and the gods he had been following did not have ears to hear.

Despite Kaanan's account of how his powers had failed in the face of the living God, his wife, parents and siblings mocked him. A few days later, though, Kaanan got the opportunity to demonstrate his new God's power.

Shaman Calls on Christ in Final Battle
 
Demons began attacking every member of his family, but Kaanan wouldn't use his old mantras. He was only willing to call on one power now. “I will take the name of Jesus and pray for you,” he said. “If you believe in the name of the Lord Jesus, see how the spirits will leave you and go away permanently.” 

When Kaanan's family was attacked by demons, he prayed to Jesus, who delivered the whole family

As Kaanan prayed, God released the family members from their torment. One by one, the demons screamed and left. With all doubts removed, the family listened to what Kaanan had to say about Jesus, and everyone chose to embrace His love.

Today, Kaanan is working to build a new kind of reputation. After sharing the Good News with the neighbors who formerly revered him, Kaanan decided he needed to take the message farther, so he joined a Bible training program to work in full-time ministry.
Instead of proclaiming his own power, he gratefully shares the mighty work God did in him and his family. 

“Jesus is the only way to salvation,” he said. “All mantras are hopeless. Now we have joy and peace at home and in our lives.” 

Costing only half a penny, a simple piece of Gospel literature clearly shares the message of Christ, leading to lives transformed for eternity. You can bring the Good News to thousands!
Literature is treasured in Asia, so a packet of Gospel tracts is a gift that you can be sure will be passed on and read by others. Also, one hundred percent of what you give toward the field, goes to the field. 

If you would like to give to Gospel Literature just go to http://www.gfa.org/donation/cart/ 

Source

A Miracle ... Answered Prayer ... God at Work

“I was sleeping on my bed in the cell, when they woke me up. ‘Sasko, you're going home.’” Sasko Bogeski had just told the Lord, “I give up. There is nothing I can do.” And then he went to sleep in his cell. And God answered his prayers, and the prayers of thousands around the world.

Sasko, Ira, and Abigail Bogeski are reunited on the day of Sasko’s release from a Belgrade prison

Sasko Bogeski is the head of a Christian media ministry in Belgrade, Serbia. ELION Media Ministry’s goal is to bring unity to the Body of Christ; to enhance and augment the ministry of the local church; and to build understanding, credibility and attractiveness of life in Jesus Christ.

 It operates in a country where the evangelical Christians number far less that 1%.
In the early morning hours of May 22, 2013, Sasko, his wife Ira, and their young daughter Abigail, were asleep in their Belgrade apartment when they heard a noise. 

Someone was breaking into their flat. It had happened previously, just a month before. Sasko cautiously went to see what was happening, and confronted and intruder in their apartment. In order to protect his family and his home, Sasko grabbed a kitchen knife and used it to get the robber to leave. In doing so, Sasko inflicted knife wounds on the intruder.

Police were called, and the intruder was found a short distance away from their home. He had died. What happened next has shaken the sensibility of people in Belgrade, Serbia, and around the world. Sasko was taken by the police with charges of murder hanging over his head. He was placed in a prison cell, and there he remained, with little hope of being released until his case was settled, which could take many months. In the worst case...Sasko could be found guilty of murder and sentenced for as much as 30 years in prison. 

Many around the world have prayed for Sasko’s release and a quick resolution to this ordeal. And God heard...and God answered.
On Friday night, June 21, 2013, a group of friends in Belgrade had gathered for a concert to raise money for the Bogeski family, and to pray for Sasko to be released. As the concert began, Sasko walked in unannounced, and was immediately greeted with hugs, tears, and praise to God for his release. The comparison to the story found in Acts 12 of Peter in prison, and the prayer meeting for Peter to be released, was clear to all. Yes…God had done another miracle. 

Recently Sasko and Ira showed their deep appreciation for all who have prayed, helped, and contributed during this family's time of need. 

They wrote, ....with this e-mail we would like to express our immense gratitude for all your support. Thank you so much for sharing the information with brothers and sisters around the world, and now we can all together say PRAISE GOD for answering our prayers! We want to say thank you to all of you who have helped us financially, because without you and your generosity we would definitely not be able to hire a lawyer.
 
Many throughout Serbia are seeing this miracle unfold before their eyes. Newspapers and television stations have followed the story, most of them citing the unfairness of the current laws that would allow someone like Sasko to be charged with murder for defending his family and home. And Sasko and Ira have been given incredible opportunities to give glory to God for answered prayer. 

How incredible is this miracle? Again, the Bogeskis write: 

The lawyer himself was very much surprised (although he was the one who wrote the appeal for Sasko to be released from detention) that he was actually released. He says that in his career of over 20 years as a prosecutor and now attorney, he has never witnessed something like this. But, we know that our God was the One who touched the hearts of judges to make this decision. Praise God!!!
 
And now, prayers are needed so all potential charges will be dropped...that the prosecutor and the judge in the case will not take the case to trial. The additional expense would be very difficult for this family, and the trauma of going through a trial should be avoided. We are being reminded again and again…God answers prayer. 

What was it like for Sasko for those 30 days in prison? In a recent conversation via Skype, Sasko talked of his experiences. Of course, it was a shock to be incarcerated, especially after having to deal with the intruder and the break-in in the middle of the night. Yet Sasko soon saw God at work in the prison. 

One man, being detained for what we would classify as “white collar crime” saw Sasko reading his Bible and devotional books early in the morning and through the day. It led to a discussion of spiritual matters. At one point the man asked Sasko to pray for him. Sasko's response: “I have been praying for you since the day we arrived.” 

It became obvious that through the month in the prison, that the attitudes and spirit of the 8-10 men that shared the same cell with Sasko began to change. Several began asking questions, giving Sasko the opportunity to open his Bible and share scripture...including the incredible story of God's love, found in John 3:16. 

The story is not finished in Belgrade, Serbia. God is using an act of evil to bring about good. And God is using a family that is fully committed to the Lord's ways to show an entire country about the grace and mercy of their God. As Sasko and Ira wrote: 

The lesson that Sasko and we as a family have been learning over this time is God's unconditional grace and the fact that only God's grace can bring true changes in people's lives.
 
The Bogeskis would like to move from their current location. It holds too many traumatic memories, and is obviously not in the safest part of Belgrade. But the costs for another flat in a better part of Belgrade, Serbia, are very high. They know that if they are able to do so, it will be…another miracle. 

In the US, donations for legal and other expenses for the Bogeski family can be made through MEDIAlliance International on their website, www.medialliance.cc. 

Story by  Dr. Ron Harris

Rafael Saracual: A Broken Man Forgives

Canada Foils Al-Qaida-Inspired Plot to Bomb Canada Day Event

The Jerusalem Post reports: “Canadian police said on Tuesday they foiled an al-Qaida-inspired plot to detonate three pressure-cooker bombs during Monday's Canada Day holiday outside the parliament building in the Pacific coast city of Victoria, arresting a Canadian man and woman and seizing their home-made explosive devices.

Police said there was no evidence to suggest a foreign link to the planned attack, which targeted public celebrations outside the parliament building in Victoria, capital of the province of British Columbia.

They declined to detail any links between the two Canadians and the al-Qaida network. They also said they were not aware of any connection to the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon in which three people were killed by devices built from pressure cookers.

‘This self-radicalized behavior was intended to create maximum impact on a national holiday,’ Wayne Rideout, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told a news conference.
‘They took steps to educate themselves and produced explosive devices designed to cause injury and death.’ Police said there was no risk to the public at any time because they began monitoring the suspects in February and had known all along what was happening…”

Source

Syrian Jihadists Publicly Behead Catholic Priest

A Catholic priest has been publicly beheaded by Syrian terrorists after he was accused of collaborating with President Bashar Al-Assad's regime.

Franciscan Father Francois Murad was executed along with two other people in the countryside of Idlib in northern Syria on Sunday, the New York Daily News reported. The brutal beheading was filmed and posted to the Internet.

The Vatican confirmed Murad's death Monday, but the circumstances surrounding the 49-year-old priest's death are not entirely known, reported the Daily News.

Spectators recorded the killings that included two others with their smartphones and cameras before uploading it online.

Local sources told the Vatican that convent for the Custody of the Holy Land, where Murad had taken refute, was ambushed by terrorists linked to the jihadist group Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front).

In the video, which Arutz Sheva has chosen not to post here due its graphic nature, a man identified as Murad is seen sitting cross-legged in the grass with his hands bound as a mob of men around him shout in Arabic.

Several are seen shamelessly holding up cameras to record the horrific killings, stepping as close as they can to the aftermath of bloody bodies.

According to the Vatican's press release quoted by the Daily News, Murad traveled to the area after becoming an ordained priest to help construct a coenobiotic monastery.

The radical, jihadist Al-Nusra Front has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Nusra is one of 13 factions in the radical Islamist rebel council that announced its secession from the main opposition force and declared its own Islamic state in Aleppo. The group was recently blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council.

Source

Hidden Microphone Discovered in Ecuador's Embassy That Shelters Julian Assange

The Ecuadorean Embassy has discovered a hidden microphone inside its building where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is sheltering from extradition to Sweden.

Politician Ricardo Patino said the microphone was found inside the office of the Ecuadorean ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ana Alban. It was found during a visit made by Patino to the embassy to meet with Assange on 16 June.

"We have found a hidden microphone in the London embassy," said Patino. "I did not bring this up before because I didn't want my visit to London to hold talks on Julian Assange to be confused with accusations over this surveillance device found in the ambassador's office."

The Foreign Office in London declined to comment immediately on the allegation and Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said he did not comment on security issues.
Assange has been living inside the embassy for more than a year to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations by two women of sexual assault. He denies this allegation.

If sent to Sweden he fears he would then be extradited from there to the United States to face potential charges over the release of thousands of confidential US documents on WikiLeaks.
Wikileaks are attempting to assist Snowden, who is believed to be stranded at a Moscow airport and is seeking asylum in over 20 countries including Ecuador.

“We regret to inform you that in our embassy in London we have found a hidden microphone,” Patino told a news conference in Quito on Tuesday.
“I didn't denounce this at the time because we didn't want the theme of our visit to London to be confused with this matter,” said Patino, who met during his time in London with British Foreign Secretary William Hague to discuss Assange.

“Furthermore, we first wanted to ascertain with precision what could be the origin of this interception device in the office of our ambassador,” he said.
“We are sorry to say so, but this is another instance of a loss of ethics at the international level in relations between governments,” he added.

The microphone was discovered in a different room to the one Assange currently lives in.
Ecuador's protection of Assange has strained their relations with Britain. The Foreign Office said after the meeting between Hague and Patino on 17 June that no substantive progress had been made to break the legal and diplomatic deadlock.

Source

Adly Mansour Sworn In As Egypt's Interim President

CAIRO, Egypt -- The chief justice of Egypt's Supreme constitutional Court was sworn in Thursday as the nation's interim president, taking over hours after the military ousted the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Adly Mansour took the oath of office at the Nile-side constitutional Court in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.


 According to military decree, Mansour will serve as Egypt's interim leader until a new president is elected. A date for that vote has yet to be set.

Dressed in a dark blue suit and blue tie, Mansour used his first remarks as interim leader to praise the massive street demonstrations that led to Morsi's ouster. He also hailed the youth behind the protests that began on June 30.

"The most glorious thing about June 30 is that it brought together everyone without discrimination or division," he said. "I offer my greetings to the revolutionary people of Egypt."

"I look forward to parliamentary and presidential elections held with the genuine and authentic will of the people," Mansour said. "The youth had the initiative and the noblest thing about this glorious event is that it was an expression of the nation's conscience and an embodiment of its hopes and ambitions. It was never a movement seeking to realize special demands or personal interests."

The revolution, he said, must continue, so "we stop producing tyrants."
Mansour replaced Morsi, who was Egypt's first democratically elected president but was overthrown by the military on Wednesday after a tumultuous year in office. Morsi is under house arrest at an undisclosed location.
The military, in a statement read by army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday evening, also suspended the Islamist-drafted constitution and called for new elections. Morsi has denounced the action as a "full coup" by the generals.

Read more: CTV News

Top Female Porn Star Finds Jesus

Brittni in 2010

In 2010, Maxim Magazine named her one of the top female porn stars in the world. Little did they know, she was already on a rocky road to sanctification as a new creature in Christ.
Brittni, who used the professional name Jenna Presley, started dancing to earn extra money as a freshman at Santa Barbara City College in 2005. Two men approached her after one of her performances and asked if she would like to make “romance movies.”

“You mean porn?” she joked. They nodded affirmatively, but it was no joke.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” she admits now. “At 18, I was only a baby. I was looking for love in all the wrong places.”

Brittni was insecure as a result of her upbringing in a home with a “verbally abusive” mother and passive father. For the first time in her life, she began to receive positive affirmation, and it felt good. She traveled to L.A. and shot her first pornographic scene.

“I felt so loved that day because they did my hair and make-up. I was told I was beautiful and that I was going to be a star. In the first few months it felt good.”

Producers worked her relentlessly in the early phase of her career because of her youthful, fresh appearance. “I already looked like I was 12,” Brittni recalls. They dressed her in “little girl” clothing and pigtails, which made her uncomfortable.

The inescapable conclusion is that filmmakers wanted to appeal to the depraved fantasies of men with pedophile tendencies. “It’s disgusting how they can portray you as a little girl,” she says today. “It’s complete perversion.”

During this period, she worked as much as 60 days without a day off, shooting two and sometimes three sex scenes a day. “I didn’t know how to say no,” she notes. “I didn’t know how to stand up for myself. Before this, my mother made every decision for me.”

The youthful spark that made her such an attractive commodity began to fade. “It left me feeling drained,” she says. “I was so robotic I was like a rubber Barbie doll. I had no emotions.”
Initially, she made $900 for each sex scene she filmed, but the money quickly disappeared. As hopelessness and emptiness overwhelmed her, she turned to drugs to numb the pain. “I started with cocaine. Then it became a downhill spiral to heroin.”

“I had many lonely nights when I cut on my wrists. I tried to kill myself. I spent all my paycheck on drugs.”
After three years in the adult film industry, she was fed up. She placed a 911 call to her grandmother. “I need you grandma,” she said. “I’m done with this. Come and get me.”

During her stay with her grandparents, they took her to the Rock Church in San Diego, led by Pastor Miles McPherson. Brittni was “bawling” through most of the sermon. In response to his invitation, she raised her hand to receive Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.

The church gave her a Bible and after she got home, she devoured Genesis. “I always wondered how we became human. Finally I had the answer and I was so excited. I couldn’t put it down.”

She began to date a man she met at church, but the relationship had a tragic ending. As they sat together at Los Panchos restaurant in San Diego one evening, men from a rival motorcycle gang approached their table and began to beat her boyfriend with brass knuckles. “He got murdered, stabbed in front of me,” she recalls. The attackers were in and out of the restaurant within minutes.

Traumatized by the incident, her burgeoning faith was derailed. “That began another spiral into more drugs and suicide attempts,” she says.

She began to date someone close to her former boyfriend. He encouraged her to get off drugs and get baptized, and she began to get involved with church again.

In another bizarre turn, this man turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “He ended up being a pimp and got me back into the adult film industry,” she says.

Brittni began to straddle two worlds ruled by opposing powers. “I was on the Howard Stern show preaching the Word and I was preaching on the set.” She kept making adult films for two more years to make ends meet, as she battled contradictions that left her weary and dry. “It was a big mess,” she admits.

“The devil wanted me back, but God kept tugging at me,” Brittni says. “The devil had a plot, but God has a plan.”

The ministry of XXX Church, which employs creative outreach strategies to the porn industry, caught Brittni’s attention at a porn convention. Their booth at the Exotica convention blares to attendees, “Jesus loves porn stars.” Remarkably, they distribute hundreds of Bibles at these venues.

One of the young women who ministers to the girls, Rachel Collins, made an impression on Brittni. “She brought coffee, Bibles, lip gloss to the girls in the industry,” Brittni recalls. “She was so sweet and loving; there was a glow to her.”

After Brittni saw Rachel’s photo in one of their magazines, she contacted the ministry and eventually filmed an interview with Rachel about her experience with adult films.
In November 2012, Brittni filmed her last sex scene. “It was seven long years,” she laments. “I hated what I was doing, but I wondered what I would do next.” After Brittni left adult films, she found work with a limousine company and makes a decent income.

“I look forward to waking up every morning,” she says. “There is life after porn; there is life after drugs and prostitution.”

Brittni also reconciled with her parents and has a wonderful relationship with them today. Recently, her entire family sat together in church. “I love my mom so much,” she exclaims. “My sister got baptized with me and my brother prayed the prayer of salvation with me on the phone.”

“God is alive and He is working!” she says. “He is in the business of miracles. I have finally encountered the unconditional love of God and I will never go back.”

Mark Ellis

Source

Are We Living in the Days of the Great Apostasy?

I believe we are living in the days of the Great Apostasy. Whether we are in the early stages or nearing the end will be known only in hindsight. But that we are in the throes of the greatest "falling away" the church has ever experienced is clear.

Jesus informed His disciples that the kingdom of heaven (His presence on earth through the church) would be infiltrated by the enemies of God (see Matt. 13:24-30,36-43). He prophesied that while everyone was sleeping, an enemy (the devil) would come and sow weeds among the wheat.

The wheat (that is, believers) and weeds (sons of the evil one) would grow together in the world. At the end of the age, Jesus will send angels to collect the weeds for burning and to harvest the wheat.
He puts it this way: "The Son of Man will send out His angels and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil" (Matt. 13:41, NIV).

Jesus warned of a time when "many will turn away from the faith" and "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matt. 24:10-11). We have seen this prophecy repeatedly fulfilled throughout history, and yet what we see happening today in the church has not been seen since the days of the Borgia and Medici popes.

Aspects of the final "Great Apostasy" are spoken of in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. And as with many prophecies, there is most likely an initial fulfillment within a generation of the prophecy; perhaps multiple, partial fulfillments as history progresses; and one final and complete fulfillment awaiting mankind on the last day.

In Acts 20:29-31, after admonishing the presbyters in the Ephesian church to carefully watch over the flock put under their care by God, the apostle Paul warns:
"I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears."
The Bible warns of a day like ours, when the world will become so corrupt that even so-called "believers" will fall away. Their separating themselves from true Christians will show that they are not of them (see 1 John 2:19).

We are seeing these Scriptures fulfilled today, as denominations, leaders and other believers turn from the Lord to serve themselves and the kingdom of darkness.
It was not odd in the early church for there to be weeds among the wheat. In 1 Timothy 1:19-20, we see the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander, who Paul says had "shipwrecked their faith" by rejecting both faith and good conscience.
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