A major international bus company has warned passengers about new items that are no longer allowed to enter Nicaragua, according to a report from CentroAmerica360. These rules come from instructions given by Nicaraguan authorities to transportation companies working across the region.
Along with items that have long been restricted, such as guns, knives, and food that can spoil, the list now includes drones, magazines, printed newspapers, and Bibles. This change has caused worry among travellers and groups that follow human rights conditions in the country.
Notices explaining the rules were posted at bus terminals in Costa Rica, where trips to Managua begin. The company said it is required to follow the rules shared by Nicaraguan officials. Staff at the terminals have been told to stop passengers who are carrying banned items or prevent them from boarding.
The restriction on Bibles has drawn special attention. While religious activity has faced growing limits in recent years, there has been no earlier case of sacred texts being blocked at the border. Many see this as a new step in the control of religious life.
Since 2018, religious freedom in Nicaragua has steadily weakened. Many Catholic priests have been arrested, sent into exile, or kept under close watch. Religious orders and groups have been forced to leave the country. Church leaders have reported that schools, care homes, radio stations, and other church services have been taken over or closed. Church bank accounts have also been shut down.
Evangelical churches have faced pressure as well. Several leaders have been arrested on claims of plotting against the state or mishandling funds. Churches and faith-based groups involved in community support have been closed or placed under government control.
The bus company did not explain the exact laws behind the new rules, but confirmed they were officially delivered by authorities. Passengers have shared concern about how wide these limits are, especially when it comes to printed material and religious items.
In earlier actions, the government banned professional cameras and filming tools. Travellers’ social media accounts have been checked, and content creators and journalists have been denied entry. These steps add to fears about tighter control over information and belief.
Luke wrote his gospel account with great care as a historian. God inspired him to record these events with accuracy and detail. The angel Gabriel appears in this narrative, the same heavenly messenger who spoke to the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament. Gabriel looked like a man in appearance, though he was clearly not human based on how he appeared and departed.
The priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were righteous people who followed God’s commandments. However, they had no children because Elizabeth could not bear children, and both were now advanced in years. The culture of that time wrongly believed that childlessness meant God was judging a person. This explains why Elizabeth felt shame about her situation. When she later became pregnant, she said God had taken away her disgrace among the people.
Mary and Elizabeth, IRS Images, 2025
Elizabeth was likely in her sixties while Mary was probably only a teenager, around fourteen or fifteen years old. Girls were often promised in marriage at this young age in that culture. The age gap between these two women was significant, with Elizabeth old enough to be Mary’s grandmother. God was preparing to work two miracles through these women from very different stages of life.
Gabriel told Mary to rejoice because she was highly favored. God was with her. Mary felt troubled by these words and wondered what this greeting meant. The angel told her not to fear because she had found favor with God. She would become pregnant and give birth to a son named Jesus. He would be great and called the Son of the Highest. God would give him the throne of his ancestor David, and his kingdom would never end.
Mary asked a logical question about how this could happen since she had not been with a man. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of God would overshadow her. The child born would be holy and called the Son of God. As proof that nothing was impossible for God, Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth had also become pregnant in her old age. Elizabeth was now six months along, even though people had called her unable to have children.
Mary submitted to God’s plan. She called herself the servant of the Lord and said let it happen according to God’s word. The angel then left her. Mary’s response showed faith and courage. She accepted what seemed impossible.
Joseph had to receive his own message from an angel in a dream, as Matthew’s gospel records. Without this divine message, Joseph would have assumed the worst about Mary’s pregnancy. He was a just man who planned to end the betrothal quietly to avoid bringing shame on Mary. The angel told him not to fear taking Mary as his wife. Joseph was not royalty in appearance, but royal blood from David’s line flowed through him. Jesus became legally his firstborn son with all the rights that came with that position, even though Joseph’s blood did not flow in Jesus.
Mary traveled quickly from Nazareth to an unnamed city in the hill country of Judea, probably a journey of two or three days. She went to visit Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby inside her moved suddenly. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She spoke loudly, saying Mary was blessed among women and the child in her womb was blessed. Elizabeth wondered why the mother of her Lord would come visit her. She said that when she heard Mary’s voice, the baby in her womb jumped for joy.
John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth. His movement in the womb was his first act of prophecy, recognizing the holy child that Mary carried. John’s entire purpose would be to point people toward Jesus as the promised rescuer. Even before his birth, he was already doing this work. His ministry began three months before he entered the world.
Elizabeth called Mary blessed because she believed what the Lord had told her. Both women carried miracle babies. Elizabeth gave birth to the last prophet of the old way, while Mary carried the one all those prophets had spoken about. The one who would bring in God’s kingdom. John would announce that people should turn from their sins because God’s kingdom was near. Jesus would declare that the kingdom of God had arrived and was among them.
These two women could encourage each other in what God had done for them and for all people. They shared faith in God’s promises. This same kind of mutual encouragement happens in churches today. Believers share common faith in what God has revealed, common experience of new life through Jesus, and common hope in God’s promises.
A blessed person is someone who knows God’s favor on their life. This favor only comes through trusting in Jesus and what he accomplished through his death. God is pleased with his son and pleased with all who trust in him for forgiveness of sins. Mary herself needed this savior, as she would later acknowledge. She was honored to bear the one who would save her and all who believe.
The Bible reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:13 that we should not boast about things outside the place God has given us. Paul explained that he would stay within the limits of the mission God had assigned to him. He would not try to claim influence in areas where he was not called.
Consider what this may mean for us today. Each person has a role and a place of service given by God. When we stay within that role, we are free to do our best without needing to compete or act like we know everything. It helps us to value the gifts of others, since God gives different callings to different people.
Trying to act outside of what God has given can lead to pride and foolish mistakes. But when we accept our lane and respect the lanes of others, we are guided toward humility and peace.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;
Many Christians turn to 1 Corinthians 10:13 during hard times, remembering God’s promise to provide a way to endure temptation. In the original Greek, the same word is used for both “temptation” and “trial.” I believe this means that life’s challenges can be either, depending on how we respond.
If a difficulty leads a person to sin, through doubt, accusing God, or losing trust, it has become a temptation that succeeded. But if the same situation is met with prayer, trust in God, and patience for His deliverance, it becomes a trial that builds strength.
Temptations pull a person toward sin, while trials grow a believer’s faith. The very same problem can be one or the other, based on our reaction. God calls us to view life’s struggles as opportunities to grow in faith and serve Him better, trusting His promises to guide us through.
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Some people search for peace in all the wrong places. They look to money, pleasure, or distractions. But nothing outside of God can bring lasting peace. As long as someone lives in a way that goes against God’s will, inner peace will remain out of reach.
When a person begins to know God better and grow closer to Him, it becomes clear that ignoring His direction only leads to restlessness. Disobedience may be hidden under temporary comforts like wealth, alcohol, drugs, or relationships, but these things can’t quiet the soul. Peace does not come from what we own or experience; it comes from who we know.
Peace is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Him, people can face difficult moments with calm and confidence. This kind of peace does not depend on circumstances but on the presence of Christ within.
Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.
Texas Gospel Canada Southern Gospel Radio 