AP

A CHALLENGE FOR THE AUSTRALIA CHURCH – GOD CREATED MALE AND FEMALE!

Australia no longer has a biological definition of ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ in Federal Law. The Australian Law Reform Commission is now considering whether to loosen Australia’s ban on commercial surrogacy to make it easier for male couples to procure children. If a homosexual relationship cannot produce children, then surrogates must be made more accessible — even paid for. Australia is rewriting creation to satisfy the desires of adults – not the rights of children. And the root of this problem goes back further than many realise. In 2013, then-Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus inserted ‘gender identity’ into the Sex Discrimination Act. This was an Act originally designed for females; but suddenly, any man who identified as a ‘woman’ received the same protections. This legal fiction, that a male can be a ‘woman’, became a protected category. The idea that biological sex doesn’t matter took root, and that idea now shapes everything
The Tickle v Giggle case cemented this new legal definition. A male (Tickle) who identifies as a “woman” sued a female-only app for excluding him…and won. The court ruled that Tickle was disadvantaged relative to other females on the grounds of his trans identity. So much for protecting women! In response to recent questioning by Senator Claire Chandler, Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, couldn’t even answer, “What is a biological male?” Because of this legal falsehood, women are losing every protected space: bathrooms, changing rooms, prisons, sporting clubs, shelters, school camps, accommodation. Everywhere. You see it now in every government form, census questions, health, education, workplaces, and public policy. It appears in rainbow-washed institutions insisting reproductive organs have nothing to do with sex. “Pick your gender: male, female, non-binary, other.”
The fallout is truly devastating. Children are being led into confusion, puberty blockers, sterilization, and irreversible harm. Women are being placed at risk by men in female-only spaces, including in prisons and school camps. Parents, teachers, and even principals are being punished for speaking biological truth. In NSW, a mother was fined $95,000 for vilification, for defending women’s sport. Enough is enough. The Biblical truth of creation is: “Male and female He created them.” This truth is reality. This truth is the foundation of human life. And abandoning it is dangerous and wrong.  [Source: Australian Prayer network]

 AI-ASSISTED TOOL TO HELP TO STREAMLINE THE WORK OF BIBLE TRANSLATORS
New technology has emerged on the heels of a global Bible translation summit. At unfoldingWord’s annual Church-Centric Bible Translation Forum, attended by 85 translators and partners, an AI-assisted tool called BT Servant was revealed. Dane, a spokesman for unfoldingWord says the BT Servant app helps translators check their work. Any question about Bible translation can be asked and answered.
The resource takes operators to a very specific, tightly controlled library of resources. The BT Servant helps church-centric Bible translators solve problems as they are drafting or checking their brand-new translations. BT Servant’s integration with the popular messaging application WhatsApp makes it ideal for Bible translators in underdeveloped or hard-to-reach locations.
unfoldingWord partners with church planting networks around the world. Christians translate God’s Word into their heart languages using tools and training from unfoldingWord. According to Progress.Bible, 541 languages are still waiting for Bible translation work to begin. [Source: Mission Network News]

BIBLES DENIED TO CHRISTIAN PRISONERS IN CUBA
Prisoners in Cuba are being refused access to Bibles and worship, according to a report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The survey of 180 Cuban inmates found that the religious rights of prisoners are routinely and severely violated. 168 participants (93%) said they are never able to practise their faith in prison. 84% said that they were not allowed a Bible or religious literature of any type.
One inmate says he had made over ten requests, and all were denied. Prisoners also said that they are regularly threatened with losing rights to phone calls and visits or being placed in solitary confinement if they are caught praying or singing. Despite all this, CSW reports that those who responded to the survey said they continue to hold on to their faith. The persecution watchdog is urging the international community to press Cuba to respect basic human rights. [Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide]

TAJIKISTAN’S CHRISTIANS
The central Asian republic of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim. Constitutionally it is not an Islamic country, but the government carefully controls all religions, largely because it fears the rise of Islamic extremism and terrorism. The Christian population is very small, less than half a percent, and although churches are allowed to function, they face many restrictions.
The real persecution, however, comes from the local community, particularly from the families of believers who come from a Muslim background. Families who believe in Jesus are often driven from their land and villages. If Christian girls resist forced marriage to Muslim men, they might be severely beaten, locked up, lose their Bibles and phones, and forbidden to contact anyone outside the family. Christians in Tajikistan need our prayers, as they seek the wisdom and spiritual strengthening to be positive and outreaching. [Source:  Back to Jerusalem]

EGYPTIAN PROGRESS
The government of Egypt has approved the licensing of another 160 churches and church-affiliated buildings. This is the 29th batch of approvals since the licensing committee began work in 2017. The committee has now approved licences for 3,613 out of the 3,730 churches that applied. Previously it was extremely difficult for churches to obtain a licence, and many congregations had no option but to worship illegally in unregistered buildings and risk prosecution. Egypt is a mainly Muslim country, but it is promoting religious tolerance. This is improving conditions for Egyptian Christians, especially converts from Islam, who are at risk from extremist elements in their communities. [Source:Barnabas Aid]

FROM SLEAZE TO CHRIST: DITCHING ADULT FILMS FOR ABUNDANT LIFE
God has long been in the business of transforming lives. Whether drug addicts, gang members, murderers, or those trapped in the adult film industry, Jesus came to set captives free. And, a number of former porn performers have joined the growing list of people whose lives Christ has turned around.
Jenna Jameson has moved beyond featuring in adult film, in order to help others “find Jesus”. After decades of being known for her body and sinful occupation, she is becoming known as one who loves Jesus, and helping others find Jesus too, Jameson’s rep told Fox News Digital, “Jenna is being loud and proud about her walk with Jesus Christ. She believes that boldly proclaiming her love for Him is helping to open  many people’s eyes to the truth that no one is beyond redemption.”
The encouraging news is that Jameson is not alone. Over the years, several performers have left the adult industry to follow Christ. One of the most significant was Shelley Lubben, whose 2010 book ‘Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn’, which exposed the $57 billion porn industry for what it is—full of lies and deceit, addiction and broken lives. Now happily married to Garrett, her husband, and the mother of three daughters, Shelley continues to take the life-transforming Gospel message  to prisons, TV, radio and film, conferences and to  missions, involved as she is, in rescuing those trapped in these soul-destroying lifestyles.
A further example appears in a recently updated article featuring twelve former porn stars who turned to Christ. One story involves Brittni Ruiz: “The devil wanted me back, but God kept tugging at me… I never found love in my life and was looking for it in all the wrong places. I have finally encountered the unconditional love of God, and I will never go back.”
It is a great encouragement to the Christian Church to take the Gospel to people like these.  Christ has set countless captives free before. He will continue to do so. And every time someone steps out of the shadows and into His light, the kingdom of God advances. [Source: The Daily Declaration]

ABORTION – LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE IN 2025, KILLING 73 MILLION PEOPLE
Statistics compiled by Worldometers indicate a heart-breaking reminder, that there were over 73 million abortions world-wide in 2025. This 73 million estimate reflects about 39 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–49 globally. It corresponds to 61% of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion. The independent site reports on data collected from governments and other organizations. It was the leading cause of death worldwide in 2025.
When contrasting the abortion numbers to other causes of death, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, traffic accidents and suicide, abortions far outnumbered every other cause. By contrast, an estimated 10 million people died from cancer in 2025, 6.2 million from smoking, 17 million from disease, and 2 million died of HIV/AIDS. Deaths by malaria and alcohol are also recorded. With 67.1 million people dying last year from a cause other than abortion and 140 million people dying in total from abortion and all causes, that means abortions accounted for almost 52% of all deaths around the world last year. Unborn babies are not recognized as human beings even though biology indicates that they are unique, living human beings from the moment of conception and they die brutal, violent deaths in abortions.
In most cases, the unborn babies’ hearts are beating when they are aborted. [Source: LifeNews (USA)]

CHINA TO BECOME WORLD’S ‘MOST CHRISTIAN NATION’ BY 2030?
China could very well become the largest Christian nation in the world by the year 2030, according to experts. Despite reports surrounding the persecution of Christians amid recent enhanced religious regulations (see next item), the nation is still predicted to overtake the United States and South America as the world’s largest Christian nation by the end of the decade.
With a population of over 1.4 billion, China currently sits as the second most populous nation in the world, with 58 million identifying as Protestant Christians. According to CBN, this figure looks likely to increase to a total of 247 million Christians across the different denominations, which would secure the title as the most populous Christian nation globally.
These predictions have been met with scepticism from some due to the recent release of data that shows a slowing in church growth in China, although experts have stated this could quite be due to pressures from the state rather than an accurate depiction of Christian activity.
Following the death in 1976 of Mao, chairman of the Communist Party, the number of Christians increased with the reopening of many churches, which suggests the link between state intervention and public declaration of Christianity is strong. “Mao thought he could eliminate religion,” said sociologist Fenggang Yang, but there is a “growing underground church movement that can’t be contained”. And the Church continues to grow despite the ongoing persecution. [Source: CBN News]

– compiled by Guido Kettniss