It’s Monday, May 10th, A.D. 2021. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Chinese Communists arrest preacher after funeral
On May 7th, a Chinese preacher from Early Rain Covenant Church, the heavily-persecuted house church in Chengdu, was arrested and detained after officiating a member’s funeral, reports International Christian Concern.
Police from the Damian Police Station in Longquanyi District arrested preacher Wu Wuqing around 3:00pm for allegedly “disturbing public order.” He was not released until late in the evening.
In addition, the Communists followed and targeted Wu in the past few days, puncturing three of his vehicle’s tires. They’ve also shut off the utilities at his home multiple times. The Chengdu officials have threatened that if he continues to serve at Early Rain Covenant Church, they will continue to intensify their control and crackdown against him.
1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.”
Cyberattack forces a shutdown of a top U.S. pipeline operator
A cyberattack forced the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the United States, in what appeared to be a significant attempt to disrupt vulnerable energy infrastructure, reports DNYUZ.com. The pipeline carries refined gasoline and jet fuel up the East Coast from Texas to New York.
The operator of the system, Colonial Pipeline, said in a statement late Friday that it had shut down its 5,500 miles of pipeline, which it says carries 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel supplies, in an effort to contain the breach on its computer networks.
Treasury Secretary Yellen: Extra unemployment not dissuading workers from working
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that the extra unemployment compensation funds were not a factor that made a difference in last month’s jobs numbers, reports CNSNews.com.
The economy added 266,000 jobs in April, far fewer than the 770,000 added in March and the 536,000 added in February.
Listen to this reporter’s question.
REPORTER: “President Biden suggested that the increase in unemployment benefits has not affected the jobs report. But the Chamber of Commerce and some business leaders are arguing that it’s easier for people to stay home. They’re receiving more money than they would for them to go back to work. How do you explain the slowdown in hiring that we saw in this job report? And if they’re talking about reducing that unemployment benefit in the future to get people back to work?”
YELLEN: “I don’t think that the addition to unemployment compensation is really the factor that’s making a difference. There’s no question that we’re hearing from businesses that are having difficulty hiring workers. We’ve had a very unusual hit to our economy and the road back is going to be somewhat bumpy. I really don’t think the major factor is the extra unemployment.”
However, Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania admitted to Fox News on Friday that “systematically paying unemployment benefits that are more than a person makes working doesn’t create an environment that’s particularly conducive for going back to work.”
Male weightlifter, pretending to be a woman, likely to win Olympic medal
Gavin Hubbard, a male weightlifter from New Zealand who pretends to be a woman, is very likely to earn an Olympic medal as he will be competing against women, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Sadly, the International Olympic Committee changed their policy in 2015 to allow such foolishness.
Hubbard, 43, has been pretending to be a woman named “Laurel” since his mid-30s and has competed at the top international level since 2017. He last competed against other men in 2001.
His father is Dick Hubbard, a former Auckland mayor and cereal magnate. Not surprisingly, he climbed to the top of the Olympic qualifying race while winning five of his last seven competitions as he unfairly competed against women.
Columnist Anthony T. wrote, “As the woke Left praises this transgender weightlifter as a hero, the reality is they’re really celebrating the demise of women athletics.”
‘Historic night’: Saddleback Church ordains first female pastors
And finally, Saddleback Church, the California-based megachurch headed by Pastor Rick Warren, announced that they ordained their first three female pastors, despite being affiliated with the Southern Baptist denomination, which prohibits female ordination, reports The Christian Post.
In an announcement posted to their Facebook page on Friday, Saddleback said that they had “an historic night” on Thursday when they ordained their first three female pastors: Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty, and Katie Edwards.
Owen Strachan, a theology professor at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, posted a comment labeling the ordination as an example of “unbiblical developments. Now is the time to leave and find a sound congregation. Do not delay. There is no spirit of competition in what I write here; what Saddleback is doing grieves me, and I have no doubt grieves many in the congregation. Churches that affirm women pastors are opposing the Word of God, and opposing the Word of God means opposing God Himself.”
To justify his stance, Strachan cited 1 Timothy 2:9-15, which includes the verse in which Paul writes: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, May 10th, in the year of our Lord 2021. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.