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There were ten of them, and they were lepers. According to the narrative, they “stood afar off” from Jesus as they lifted up their voices and said, “‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’ And when He saw them, He said unto them, yourselves unto the priests.’ And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger’” (Luke 17:12-18, KJV).

The Bible does not tell us what happened to the nine. However, it would be fair to conclude that after showing themselves to the priest, who in turn confirmed they were indeed cleansed, they returned to the families and friends they were isolated from as a result of the disease. Nowhere do we read that they collectively thanked and praised God for their healing. Of the ten healed, only one returned to glorify God, and that one was not even a Jew! The nine failed to recognize that having been shown grace and mercy, they had a responsibility and an obligation to thank God for His goodness towards them. The psalmist came to the same conclusion when he declared, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD. I will now pay my vows unto the LORD in the presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:12-14). Or, as The Message Bible paraphrases the verses, “What can I give back to GOD for the blessings He’s poured out on me? I’ll lift high the cup of salvation–a toast to GOD! I’ll pray in the name of GOD; I’ll complete what I promised GOD I’d do, and I’ll do it together with His people.” When we receive God’s favour, we “owe” Him something!

Charles Edward Jefferson was right when he said, “Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count past mercies.” Bible scholar John Gill observes, “They are many, that are cleansed by the blood of Christ; His blood was shed for many, for the remission of sins; and by His righteousness, He justifies many; at least there are many who profess themselves to be cleansed by Him, and yet there are but few that glorify Him, by keeping close to the rule of His word, by giving up themselves to the churches of Christ, and by walking with them in the ordinances of the Gospel.” In other words, many of us are no different than the unthankful nine. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve, and we often fail to give Him the glory and thanks. We return to life as we left it; it is business as usual.

“‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger’” Are you one of the nine?

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Netflix, the American media company, plans to reduce the costs to its subscription customer in over 30 countries around the world as it attempts to attract more subscribers. Netflix has cut prices in areas of Asia, Europe, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East that apply to specific price plans. In some cases, the costs are reduced by 50 percent.

The decision by Netflix to cut its prices was prompted by a rising cost of living that has required some households to reduce their purchases and from more competition for customers from other services similar to Netflix. A representative of Netflix told the BBC in an interview that the company continually searches for ways to improve the customer experience and confirmed that the pricing of its plans is being “updated” in some countries.

Netflix operates in over 190 countries around the world and is facing competition from other streaming services, including HBO, Amazon, and Disney Plus. Its members have never before had more choices for their entertainment, according to the company representative. In 2022, Netflix eliminated hundreds of jobs and also introduced a less costly streaming option that operated with advertisements as it struggled to raise its share of the increasingly competitive market for streaming services.

Netflix had also been planning for crack-downs on customers who shared their subscriptions, announcing in February 2023 that customers would have to pay an extra fee if they want to share their subscriptions with family and friends who do not live with them. Reports indicated that the company did not implement this plan in response to strong complaints from customers.

Netflix was founded in 1997 and was initially in the business of selling and renting DVDs by mail. The sales aspect was discarded within a year of the firm’s launch to focus on the rental business. Streaming media and video-on-demand were introduced in 2007, and Netflix began its expansion by moving into Canada in 2010. It then spread its operations to Latin America and the Caribbean. It started to buy and produce original content in 2013 with the program, “House of Cards,” and by 2022, original productions represented 50 percent of the Netflix library in the United States. The company had also moved into video game publishing. Netflix ranks 115th in the Fortune 500 and 219th on Forbes Global 2000. As of February 2022, Netflix was ranked as the eighth-most trusted brand in the world by Morning Consult, and as of January 2023, it had more than 230 million subscribers worldwide.

Photo – Deposit Photos

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A takeaway restaurant in Croydon, London, has been named one of the best places to eat by The Observer, which listed it as one of the “30 things we love in the world of food right now” in February.

The Original Tasty Jerk LTD is located near Selhurst Park stadium, the home of the Crystal Palace Football Club. According to a review by The Observer’s Melissa Thomson, there is a nearly constant line of customers waiting to enjoy the restaurant’s takeaway items. Thomson singled out the pork dish, describing “tender belly slices” fresh from the grill displaying “smoky char on the outside.” She recommends that diners order a little extra because they will not be able to stop taking bites of the dish on their way home.

The Infatuation issued a review noting that the restaurant, an integral part of the neighborhood, has been known to send white smoke from its chimney to announce the appointment of a new manager of the Crystal Palace FC. A Google review anointed Original Tasty Jerk LTD as having “the best jerk chicken in the UK.”

Some of the most popular dishes at Original Tasty Jerk include curry goat, oxtail, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, Caribbean mac’n’cheese, brown stew chicken, and escoviche fish. The mac-and-cheese dish offers a spicy version of the classic comfort food with the addition of flavors from allspice, ginger, and cinnamon. The escoviche fish, which is named for the Spanish word for “to pickle,” features bream, pepper, onion, thyme, and hot peppers. Side dishes are available to complete a meal and include rice-and-peas, ackee and callaloo. The restaurant’s jerk chicken can be ordered as a sandwich on either coco bread or hard dough bread and is served with a salad.

Customers also favor the curry goat meal, which features stewed meat spiced with curry powder, thyme, onion, sweet pepper, and ginger. The curry goat comes with rice and a salad on the side. The chicken current is spicy but not overwhelming with heat and includes flavorings from curry powder, ginger, thyme, and onion, and features jumbo shrimp, carrots, and sweet pepper. The unique brown stew chicken provides the ultimate in tempting aromas with its spicy medley of cumin, garlic, and other spices.

One customer’s online review stated, “Wish I lived closer so I could go there more often. Worth traveling across cities for.”

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