MY NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE ON AN AEROPLANE. - Pastor Benny Hinn

MY NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE ON AN AEROPLANE.

- Pastor Benny Hinn

Often, when one of God’s angels comes to your rescue, you won’t realize it at the time. The truth of the situation will dawn on you later.

You may be driving on the highway and suddenly your car swerves to avoid a terrible accident. It all happens so quickly you don’t know what is going on. But a few minutes later you exclaim, “Ahh...Godj ust saved my life!”

Think back on the times the Lord has sent guardian angels for your protection.

I can still recall the moment I heard the pilot say, “We’re in trouble!”

Those scary words woke me from my sleep. We were in a small single engine Cessna at 11,000 feet, returning to Orlando from Naples, Florida, in May 1983 about 1 a.m. The sky was pitch black and there were six of us on board.

“I think we are out of fuel,” the concerned pilot told us as the engine sputtered and stopped. I could feel my heart pounding against my rib-cage and thought, “God in heaven, I could be with You any minute.” Then I began to ask myself, “Am I ready? Am I ready?”

When facing death, that question becomes most powerful. I knew that my answer could leave no room for doubt. Was I ready fort eternity?

If you find yourself in the same situation what will you be asking?

Are you ready?

As the plane was falling and the pilot was anxiously searching for an emergency landing site, suddenly my mind flashed back to an

event that happened eight months earlier.

In September 1982, my father, Costandi, passed away. At the funeral home, the director approached me and said, “Reverend Hinn, your father needs a necktie. Could you get one for him?”

Immediately, I took off the tie I was wearing and handed it to themortician. Later, after the funeral service, I was standing before the

coffin at the cemetery. As they were lowering the casket of my dear father into the ground, an incident happened that I had almost dismissed from memory. But now as the plane was plummeting, I remembered it all too clearly.

As the pallbearers lowered the coffin, I experienced something quite unusual. Even though I had given my necktie to my father, I suddenly felt a tightening around my throat, as if my own necktie was choking me. I then heard a voice say, You will be dead in one year. I  immediately replied out loud, “No, I won’t.”

 When Satan speaks, you had better talk back, even if people are around. I  looked upward toward the sky and said, “God in heaven, the devil can’t do that!” And instantly I heard the unmistakable voice of the Holy Spirit. The words He spoke were all I needed. The Spirit softly whispered, “I won’t let you die.”

Now, on the plane, I remembered those words: “You will be dead I  one year!” But I also recalled the reassuring voice of the Holy Spirit.It took just a second for the entire scene to flash through my mind. Then the peace of God washed over me like a warm blanket and I knew I would not die. I blurted out to the other nervous passengers, “Don’t worry. We’re going to be all right. The Lord just told me!” For I’d heard His voice again on that plane.

Usually, I am excitable, but at that particular moment I became calm. Without the roar of the engine, the silence was deafening in the plane. The pilot spotted an airstrip near Avon Park, Florida, and did his best to maneuver the troubled craft to the runway. But with mo power it became impossible—and he missed his target.

The plane crashed!

We smashed into a tree and the small aircraft rolled over four times. It was totally demolished—the wheels were ripped off and remained in the tree. The fuselage was so damaged that an onlooker would doubt there could be any survivors. The engine was torn from its housing and we hung upside down.

The door of the plane had disappeared as I crawled out to realize that there was not a scratch on my body. Thank God, I was unharmed.

In the darkness, I began to run in circles for help, not knowing where I was or what direction to go. All I knew was that we were in the middle of a farm. Then I thought, “What in the world am I doing?” I had better go back and help the other passengers.”

I ran back to the plane to discover that I was the only one who had escaped injury. The heads of the pilots were jutting through the broken windshield. They were making horrible sounds as I tried to pull them out of the wreckage, but the twisted metal was wrapped around them, making it impossible. Another passenger, a businessman, had injuries to his head, and it was apparent that his eye had popped out of the socket. I reached over and pushed his eye back into place in the name of the Lord.

Miraculously, not one person was killed in the crash. As the ambulance was approaching the site—which seemed to take

forever—I began to cry, “Oh Lord, the devil wanted to kill me, but Your angel was by my side. You alone have preserved me Because You have a purpose for my life. Otherwise, I would be dead right now. Thank You, Lord.”

Later I learned that at the exact moment our plane was experiencing engine trouble, a woman was awakened from her sleep in California. She told the story of how God woke her, saying, “Benny Hinn is in danger! Pray!” She added, “The devil wanted to snuff out your life!”

How well I knew it! I will never forget the tension-filled moment when I asked, “Am I ready?” In my heart of hearts I knew that I was, and I also understood that God was not finished with my assignment on earth.

Earlier, the Holy Spirit had given me the assurance, and now an angel of protection was guarding my life.

Credit : Jesus SAVES TV

Am I ready? 

Are you ready?

Are we ready?

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HOW THE APOSTLES DIED

 HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.

1. Matthew

Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.

2. Mark

Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.

3. Luke

Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

4. John

Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.

John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter

He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.

According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James

The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his

enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.

* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee, 

was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was   beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew

Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew

Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas

Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

11. Jude

Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias

The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul

Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many

epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. 

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Pass on to encourage other Christians

Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer, 

But stay awake through a 3 hour movie?

Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK,

But find it easy to read other books?

Why is it so easy to ignore a msg about God,

Yet we forward the nasty ones?

Why are Prayers getting smaller,

But bars and clubs are expanding

Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity,

But very difficult to engage with God?

Think about it, are you going to forward this?

Are you going to ignore it, cause you think you will get laughed at?

Forward this to all your friends.

80% of you won't forward this.

God  said: If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you on the day of judgment: 

When one door closes, God opens two: If God has opened  doors for you, send this message to everyone on your contact list.

Make this message your contribution to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, be blessed.

Credit: Elijah Ayodeji Dimeji

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Amicus curiae: Friend of the Court

Amicus curiae: Friend of the Court. 

An amicus curiae (literally, " friend of the court"; plural, amici curiae) is someone who is not a party to a case and may or may not have been solicited by a party and who assists a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case; and is typically presented in the form of a brief. The decision on whether to consider an amicus brief lies within the discretion of the court. The phrase amicus curiae is legal Latin.

Not to be confused with Litigation friend.

History

The amicus curiae figure originates in Roman law. Starting in the 9th century, it was incorporated into English law, and it was later extended to most common law systems. Later, it was introduced in international law, in particular concerning human rights. From there, it was integrated in some civil law systems (it has recently been integrated into Argentina's law system and Honduras's 2010 civil procedures code). Today, it is used by the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Presentation

The role of an amicus is often confused with that of an intervener. The role of an amicus is, as stated by Salmon LJ (as Lord Salmon then was) in Allen v Sir Alfred McAlpine & Sons Ltd [1968] 2 QB 229 at p. 266 F-G:

I had always understood that the role of an amicus curiae was to help the court by expounding the law impartially, or if one of the parties were unrepresented, by advancing the legal arguments on his behalf.

The situation most often noted in the press is when an advocacy group files a brief in a case before an appellate court in which it is not a litigant. Appellate cases are normally limited to the factual record and arguments coming from the lower court case under appeal; attorneys focus on the facts and arguments most favorable to their clients. Where a case may have broader implications, amicus curiae briefs are a way to articulate those concerns, so that the possibly broad legal or public policy ramifications of the court's anticipated decisions will not depend solely on the positions and arguments advanced by the parties directly involved in the case.

In prominent cases, amici curiae are generally organizations with sizable legal budgets. In the United States, for example, non-profit legal advocacy organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Landmark Legal Foundation, the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Center for Law and Justice or NORML, frequently submit such briefs to advocate for or against a particular legal change or interpretation. If a decision could affect an entire industry, companies other than the litigants may wish to have their concerns heard. In the United States, federal courts often hear cases involving the constitutionality of state laws. Hence states may file briefs as amici curiae when their laws or interests are likely to be affected, as in the Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago, when thirty-two states under the aegis of Texas (and California independently) filed such briefs.

Amici curiae who do not file briefs often present an academic perspective on the case. For example, if the law gives deference to a history of legislation of a certain topic, a historian may choose to evaluate the claim from specialized expertise. An economist, statistician, or sociologist may choose to do the same. Newspaper editorials, blogs, and other opinion pieces arguably have the capability to influence Supreme Court decisions as de facto amici curiae. They are not, however, technically considered amicus curiae, as they do not submit materials to the Court, do not need to ask for leave, and have no guarantee that they will be read. 

Credit:https://soft24hours.page.link/legalterminology

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"Interrogating the Criminal Responsibility of a Minor Under the Nigerian Criminal Law System: Whether a Minor Can be Charged with Offence of Treason in Nigeria."

"Interrogating the Criminal Responsibility of a Minor Under the Nigerian Criminal Law System: Whether a Minor Can be Charged with Offence of Treason in Nigeria."

 

"Ever since the dawn of history crime has been with us and it is no exaggeration to say that it is a product of society. " (Kharisu Sufiyan Chukkol: 2010). It is trite that if there is no law, there is no sin. On the other hand, this amount to saying that if there is law, there is sin. It is an open secret that whenever an offence is committed the following must be identified: (a) there must be the written law proscribing the act or omission making it an offence (b) the laid down punishment for such an offence (c) criminal responsibility and lastly (d) the offender. In examining the Nigerian criminal law system, it is apropos to state that there are two criminal laws guiding the administration of criminal law system in Nigeria. Firstly, in the Southern part of Nigeria, the Criminal Code is the applicable criminal law there. The Criminal Code has its origin from the Queensland in Australia. Secondly, in the Northern Nigeria, the Penal Code is the applicable criminal law over there. It has its origin from Sudan Penal Code. In interrogating the criminal responsibility of a minor under the Nigerian criminal law system recourse shall be made to the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, Penal Code, Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and the Child Right Act, 2003. 

By virtue of section 1 of the Criminal Code criminal responsibility "means liability to punishment as for an offence." Under the Child's Rights Acts 2003, a child is a person under the age of 18 years. According to Proverbs 11:21 "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished..." An offender will never go scot-free under the Nigerian criminal law system. However, it is necessary to know the position of the law in respect of criminal responsibility of a minor. The crux of this paper is to ascertain the criminal responsibility of a minor under the Nigerian Criminal law system and whether a minor can be charged with offense of treason in Nigeria and if yes, what are the laid down procedures for the adjudication of the fate of such a minor. The provisions of sections 30 and 50 of the Criminal Code and Penal Code respectively shall be examined in respect of the criminal responsibility of a minor under the Nigerian criminal law system. 

Pursuant to section 30 of the Criminal Code

 "A person under the age of seven years is not criminally responsible for any act or omission.

A person under the age of twelve years is not criminally responsible for an act or omission, unless it is proved that at the time of doing the act or making the omission he had capacity to know that he ought not to do the act or make the omission.

A male person under the age of twelve years is presumed to be incapable of having carnal knowledge."

It can be deduced from the above provision of the Criminal Code that a minor under the age of seven years is incapable of committing an offence so he/she cannot be held criminally liable for an offence under the Nigerian Criminal Law. There is a strong presumption that a minor under the age of seven lacks the capacity to commit an offence (doli incapax). Also, a minor under the age of twelve can be held criminally liable if it can be proved that at the time of committing the offence he has the capacity to know that he ought not to do the act or make the omission. Thus, illustrative in this instance is the Indian case of Musamut Aimona (1969) I. L. R, 43 where the accused, aged ten years killed her husband and hid herself the court held that she had attained a sufficient degree of maturity to know the heinous character of her act. Similarly, in another Indian case of Ula Mahapatra (1950) A.I.R. Orissa 293 an eleven year old boy threatened to cut the deceased into bits and later stabbed him to death with a sharp knife. The court held that his action could lead to only one inference, namely, that he did what he had intended to do and in fact knew that a cut made by a sharp knife could cause death or serious bodily injury. He was therefore convicted for murder. Lastly, under the Criminal Code a male person under the age of twelve years is presumed to be incapable of having carnal knowledge. However, he may be convicted of the lesser offence of indecent assault. (See section 231 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015; R v Waite (1892) 2Q B. 600.) 

Furthermore, section 50 of the Penal Code provides " No act is an offence which is done- Act of child.

   (a) by a child under seven years of age; or .

   (b) by a child above seven years of age but under twelve years of age who has not attained sufficient maturity of understanding to judge the nature and consequence of that act.

Summarily, under the criminal responsibility of a minor under the Nigerian criminal law system Okonkwo and Naish (2018) assert that: 

"No problem better illustrates the necessary arbitrariness of the legal concept of criminal responsibility than the problem of when to hold a child liable for an offence, because the solution is simply in arithmetical terms. People are divided into three age-groups. 

(a) A child under the age of seven is not criminally responsible for any act or omission 

(b) A child who is seven or over but under the age of 12, is not criminally responsible for an act or omission, unless it is proved that at the time of doing the act or making the omission, he had the capacity to know that he ought not to do the act or make the omission. 

(c) At the age of 12, a child becomes fully responsible according to the criminal law."

The other part of this paper shall venture into providing an answer as to whether a minor can be charged with an offence of treason in Nigeria and what is the laid down procedures for the determination of the fate of such a minor in the light of the provisions of Child Right Acts, 2003.  

On the issue of whether a minor can be charged with an offence of treason. The answer to this is in the affirmative however it is apposite to state clearly and categorically that the laid down procedures as contained in the Child Right Acts, 2003 for the adjudication of the fate of such a minor must be followed. By virtue of section 204 of the Child Right Acts, 2003 "No child shall be subjected to the criminal justice process or to criminal sanctions, but a child alleged to have committed an act which would constitute a criminal offence if he were an adult shall be subjected only to the child justice system and processes set out in this Act." Also, as far as the question of proving age is concerned, if it appears to a court that an offender was a child or young person at the time of committing an offence, he shall be presumed so, unless the contrary is proved. This is the extant provision of section 265 of ACJA 2015. 

The following is the extant procedures as laid down by the Child Right Acts, 2003 for the adjudication of a minor charged with a criminal offence (treason). Until the age of 18, children are dealt with in special courts- family Courts. These courts are provided for by the section 149 of the Child Right Acts. The public and the press are not admitted. Only the members and officers of the courts, the parties and their counsel, parents and guardian of child and other persons directly concerned in the case are allowed to attend the court. (s. 156 of the Child Right Acts). There is no publication of the identity of the child. (s.157 CRA) . The words "conviction" and "sentence" are not to be used ( s. 213(2) CRA), the child's right to fair hearing and compliance with the due process shall be observed, (s. 214 CRA), his legal status as a child shall be respected (s.214(2) (a)) and the proceeding shall be conducted in such a manner as to respect the legal status of the child and promote his best interests and well-being ( s. 214(2)(a)(b)). 

The courts which should be staffed by people who are trained in dealing with children ( s. 154 CRA) , have at their disposal a wide range of methods, (s. 233 CRA) but no child shall be ordered to be imprisoned (s.221(a) CRA) or subjected to corporal punishment. (s. 221(b) CRA). And no child shall be subjected to the death penalty or have the death penalty recorded against him. (s. 211(1) (c) CRA). It would appear also that the death penalty cannot be recorded against an adult who was a child when he committed the offence. This provision has overrode the decision of the court in the case of R v Bangaza (1960) 5 FSC 1. 

In conclusion, having examined the criminal responsibility of a minor under the Nigerian criminal law system by considering the provisions of sections 30 and 50 of the Criminal Code and Penal Code respectively, it is submitted that a minor under ranging above the age of 7 to 18 years can be charged with offence of treason in Nigeria. However, the laid down procedures for the determination of the fate of such a minor as provided in the Child Right Acts, 2003 must be followed. However, there has been an upsurge movement from the concept of responsibility towards the welfare jurisdiction. The care and protection of the child is the sole aim of the concept of child welfarism as opposed to the criminal responsibility theory. If he has committed the offence, the court's decision must be aimed at the child's welfare. 

Olawuni Samuel Idowu (SanAfflatus)

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