Why the whole world is eager to watch 'The Interview'

After hitting torrent sites within an hour of being made legally available on Sony’s official partner platforms in the U.S. on Wednesday, The Interview was a fast target for illegal downloads. Torrent Freak has updated figures saying the film was accessed more than 750,000 times around the world in the first 20 hours. While it’s not clear if that includes statistics out of Asia, Reuters is now reporting that the film was viewed at least 300,000 times on one video sharing platform in China, and was also being seen in South Korea.

The Plot

Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) are the team behind the popular tabloid-TV show "Skylark Tonight." After learning that North Korea's Kim Jong Un (Randall Park) is a huge fan of the show, they successfully set up an interview with him, hoping to legitimize themselves as actual journalists. However, as Dave and Aaron prepare for their journey to Pyongyang, the CIA steps in, recruits them, and assigns them an incredible mission: Assassinate the dictator.

Any wonder why everyone is eager to see this movie?

Egypt bans "Exodus"

Cairo (AFP) - Egypt has banned the Hollywood biblical epic movie "Exodus: Gods and Kings" citing historical inaccuracies, the culture minister said Friday, a day after a similar move by Morocco.

The film relates how Moses helped Israelite slaves flee persecution in Egypt under the Pharaoh Ramses by parting the Red Sea to let them cross safely.

Culture Minister Gaber Asfour told AFP that Ridley Scott's blockbuster was rife with mistakes, including an apparent claim that "Moses and the Jews built the pyramids".

"This totally contradicts proven historical facts," Asfour said.

"It is a Zionist film," he said. "It gives a Zionist view of history and contains historical inaccuracies and that's why we have decided to ban it."

The ban was decided by a committee comprising the head of the supreme council for culture, Mohammed Afifi, the head of the censorship committee and two history professors, said Asfour.

Afifi said he took issue with the scene showing the parting of the Red Sea in which Moses -- a prophet revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike -- is seen holding a "sword" like a warrior, instead of a "stick".

Furthermore, he said, the parting of the Red Sea is explained in the movie as a "tidal phenomenon" rather than a divine miracle.

Morocco has also banned the film, despite it already having been approved by the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre, media reported on Thursday, quoting theatre managers.

Hassan Belkady, who runs Cinema Rif in Casablanca, told media24 news website that he had been threatened with the closure of his business if he ignored the ban.

"They phoned and threatened they would shut down the theatre if I did not take the film off the schedule," Belkady said.

In March, Al-Azhar, Egypt's top Islamic body, banned the screening of "Noah", another Hollywood biblical epic starring Russell Crowe, saying it violated Islam by portraying a prophet.

The film triggered controversy in the United States where some Christian institutions criticising Crowe's reportedly unconventional portrayal of Noah.

"Exodus" has also sparked unkind reviews and upset some Christian groups, with critics saying Scott took too many liberties with the Bible and cast Western actors in Middle East roles.

Egypt has censored other movies in the past, including the blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" after protests from the Orthodox Coptic Church.

But it did allow the screening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ", which depicts Jesus being crucified.

Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet and was not crucified

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-axes-exodus-film-citing-historical-mistakes-194046196.html

The Anointed Politician by Dr. Jesutola Adewumi

The words ANOINTED and POLITICIAN hardly sound compatible, especially to a Nigerian ear, and understandably so. We have heard, seen and experienced terrible things where politics and politicians are concerned; from money laundering, rituals, bribery and rigging to blackmail, kidnapping, murder and extortion. Because of these facts, we have come to a popular conclusion: politics is a dirty game. As true as this may sound though, Romans 3:4 affirms “let God be true but every man a liar”. The truth is that our experiences cannot define or redefine the truth of God’s Word.

Jesus’ instruction was to go “into all the world and preach the gospel to every CREATURE” (Mark 16:15). A brief study of Romans 8:19-23 shows that God’s grand plan of redemption is not only for humans but for the whole CREATION. Literally, God, through the body of Christ (you &I), is reconciling ALL THINGS to Himself (Colossians 1:18-20 & Romans 8:19-23). That includes human beings, material things, systems and, yes, governments! 1Corinthians 12:28 talks about some that God has set in the church (the body of Christ) called “governments”. These are administrators, but their assignment is not limited to the four walls of any church (local assembly) or church organisation. The same God who raised people like Joseph, Esther, Mordecai, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego under the old covenant is still in the business of raising anointed politicians today.

As sure as there is an anointing for the five-fold ministry, there is an anointing for politics/governance. Daniel and Joseph particularly operated in this anointing. This anointing is peculiar, defined by a number of things. One is FAVOUR. Favour so intense that it made slaves and prisoners of war to become rulers in foreign lands (Genesis 39:4&21, Daniel 1:9). It marked Esther, Mordecai and the 3 Hebrew boys too. Another is WISDOM. Again and again, Daniel and Joseph were recognised as reservoirs of unusual wisdom (Genesis 41:39, Daniel 1:17, 5:11&14). Thirdly, they both operated in SPIRITUAL GIFTS like the word of wisdom and word of knowledge. There were no tongues to interpret but they interpreted dreams!

Two more remarkable things about people who are truly called into this office: INTEGRITY and a genuine CARE/CONCERN for others. It’s not so much an anointing as it is a character component. Both Daniel and Joseph exhibited high-class integrity every time they were tested by men and by God. Sex, rich food and drink, money, death…..no temptation did they allow to compromise their integrity. Joseph cared enough for fellow prisoners to notice that the butler and baker woke up sad. He did something about it. Daniel was genuinely alarmed that the wise men of Babylon would be massacred. He did something about it.

When you’re staring down the barrel of a hired assassin’s gun, as you probably will if you’re a Nigerian politician, favour and wisdom might not be the solution. Character might not be much succour. In that moment, remember Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:22). There’s a strong angelic detail attached to the anointed politician! If the Median invasion and the lions could not tear Daniel, Joseph’s brothers could not end him and the fiery furnace could not consume Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, how can bullets, grenades, car bombs and machetes touch you, the Lord’s anointed politician in the new covenant?

It is time, church, for us to take our place. The whole creation waits expectantly, groaning! The problems we see today in Nigeria and other nations are simply groans. The social order is groaning “where is the church, where are the sons, where is the Lord’s anointed politician?!” There’s a response from the heavens. God has set in the Church, men and women of noble character, anointed with unusual favour and wisdom, empowered with the gifts of the Spirit to take the reins of this country, this continent, this world. But some are busy doing other things, saying “politics is dirty”, some are even completely unaware, some are in politics, but they don’t know their God or they don’t know they’re called, so they’re falling flat on their faces.

Read more at http://tolaadewumi.com/blog/2014/12/12/the-anointed-politician/

The Wild Whirlwind by Olumide Fadakinte

Our fathers do say that a whirlwind that is strong enough to carry the thick paste of ground corn should be a huge source of concern to the flour hawker. Many people have condemned the actions of the legislators that scaled the gates to the NASS on Thursday, 20th November, 2014. But what should we say about the lockers of the gates (and of course, their patrons)? If this could be done to the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, unarguably the No 4 citizen of the country, imagine what could be done to you and I who have our rankings in the millionths.

You may want to watch the video here now (or again, if you had before). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7mtoucTT3o

To you who blame the 'gate-climbers' can you remember how many times you'd wished you could jump over the barricades at police check points? Can u recall how many times you had wished you could break hospital gates locked up because of needless strikes? Remember how many times you'd wished you could open the gates to our universities after several wasted months at home resulting from avoidable ASUU strikes. Remember how roads, streets and half of whole cities are locked down bcos a 'first lady' was attending a marriage ceremony and how u were so discomforted that you wished you could scale all the barriers and baricades.

The story is still the way it is now simply because the intended villains in the original script had enough power to fight back. Should a common, law abiding Nigerian be faced with this tactless travail, would he not have been swept away like the hawker's flour in the whirlwind of Nigeria's politicians and security (co-)operatives?

My submission: Let the common man think of Nigeria; not politics, politricks or politrickcians. 

Building a Reading Culture on the African Continent by Oluwafemi-IMPACT Ogunjimi

On October 1st 2009, Bishop David Oyedepo, while speaking on “Your Responsibility in Staying Empowered in Your Field” at THE PLATFORM, a programme, organised by Covenant Christian Centre, emphasised the need for acquisition and use of knowledge. This gave birth to the vision of Readers Forum which is to build a Reading Culture on the Africa Continent.

I believe that everyone on earth has a purpose to achieve and since knowledge is vital to fulfilling that purpose, I saw it as a privilege to make mind-building knowledge available to both young and old. I took a step then to make books (Christian literature and motivational books) available to the public starting with secondary school students. I started by lending books to the students to read which they were to review at our monthly meetings where we also gave motivational talks. And since 2009, it’s been a worthwhile experience. This initiative which started at Holy Saviour’s College, Isolo, Lagos has now extended to six (6) other schools:

• Isolo Comprehensive Junior Secondary School, Isolo, Lagos.
• Isolo Junior High School, Isolo, Lagos
• HighQue Schools, Isolo, Lagos
• QS-Daystar College, Egan-Igando road, Igando, Lagos
• Toyek Triumph Comprehensive College, Igando, Lagos
• Baptist Academy, Awe, Oyo State.

It’s been an awesome and impactful time in the seven (7) schools. Students read books placed in the school and a termly meeting is held with them where they review books read and also listen to talks delivered by us. We also organise an inter-secondary school event tagged “The Great Minds”, which is aimed at building the mind of teenagers thereby building the future.

The Great Minds features debate, quiz, career and health talk, sex education, competitions, talent hunt and other mind building activities. We have successfully held 4 editions of this event since 2011.

Oluwafemi-IMPACT Ogunjimi

081377229888