Friday, June 22nd, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Jonathan Clark
Tortured Chinese Pastor Released
Chinese Pastor Yang Hua of Living Stone Church was released on Tuesday after two-and-a-half-years in prison. Yang is in dire need of medical attention. He is believed to have been tortured by officials who also shut down his church and fined the leadership $1 million.
Despite all this, Yang’s wife said he “broke out into loud worship songs after his release. . . Even though my husband experienced misfortune, his belief remains resolute.”
Psalm 40:2-3 says, “[The Lord] brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.”
Canada Treats Christian Speech with Contempt
Back in 2016, a Christian man named Bill Whatcott handed out flyers at the Toronto Canada Pride Parade, warning of the physical and spiritual dangers of sodomy. A month later, activists filed a $104 million class action lawsuit against Whatcott.
Now, police in Toronto have issued a Canada-wide warrant for Whatcott’s arrest on charges of “hate” crimes.
Whatcott said, “The ‘crime’? My ministry bringing the Gospel and the truth about homosexuality to Toronto’s homosexual pride parade in 2016.”
Islamic Attacks Exploding in Europe
Nations in the European Union experienced 205 terrorist attacks last year, according to a new Europol report. Britain alone saw 107 of the incidents of violence.
The attacks resulted in 68 deaths and over 844 casualties, mostly from jihadists. And the number of plots by radical Islamists doubled from 2016 to 2017.
Trump Gives Better, Abortion-Free Health Coverage
A new Labor Department regulation on Tuesday under the Trump administration expanded health care coverage to four million Americans, while lifting the previous requirement to purchase Obamacare insurance plans that fund abortions.
Now, these individuals can opt for other insurance plans that do not support the murder of unborn babies.
The Labor Department also announced premiums under “association health plans” will drop by $1,900 to $4,100 per year.
Christians in Denver, Colorado Line Up at Christian Bakery
Jack Phillips told The Christian Post that his Masterpiece Cakeshop bakery in the Denver, Colorado area has received three times as many customers since his Supreme Court victory to not bake a cake for a faux homosexual wedding.
Since being targeted for his beliefs, Phillips said he lost 40 percent of his business and six of his employees. But 400 people showed up to support Phillips after the victory.
Phillips gave thanks to God in a recent video from Alliance Defending Freedom.
“A lot of people are coming out to show their support and encouragement, and encourage us. And people have been praying for us across the country and around the world, it is just phenomenal. Our God is so good.”
1 Samuel 2:30 tells us “Now the LORD says . . . for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”
Alabama Justice Allowed to Speak Out Against Sodomy
The Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama began investigating Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker for criticizing the legalization of unnatural relations. The inquiry surfaced after a complaint from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge W. Keith Watkins ruled that Parker can criticize such legislation, saying it would violate the First Amendment to restrict his speech. Watkins also required the defendants to pay $100,000 plus legal fees to Parker’s lawyers
Fatherlessness on the Rise
Last Sunday was Father’s Day, but fewer Americans are growing up with fathers.
A U.S. Census Bureau study found children living in single-parent homes increased from 12 percent in 1960 to 31 percent in 2016. The study also found the percentage of children living with just their mother tripled over that same timeframe.
Malachi 4:6 says, “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Sneak Peek: Crazy California Law Criminalizes Christian Speech
The California legislature wants to criminalize offering help to homosexuals who are experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction. Stay tuned for the unique insight of a World View listener who was one of 350 Christians who attended a rally and spoke out before the key committee in Sacramento on June 12th.
Pastor Kills Carjacker
And finally, over the weekend, Pastor David George of the Oakville Assembly of God shot a carjacker outside of a Walmart in Washington state who was firing shots at the store.
After being cleared of any wrongdoing, George came forward to say his actions were “to protect my family and others from the gunman and his display of obvious deadly intent. This is in accordance with both my training as an emergency responder and calling as a pastor, husband, father and grandfather.”
Close
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Friday, June 22nd in the year of our Lord 2018. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Special Report: California Legislators Ignore, Dispute Testimonies of Former Homosexuals
Time now for a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus
The California Assembly has seemingly lost its mind.
Assembly Bill 2943, introduced and sponsored by the homosexual legislative caucus, threatens anyone, even churches, with lawsuits for helping people overcome their unwanted same-sex attraction. This includes any resources, books, conferences, programs, college classes, or counseling that seek to change same-sex desires, behaviors, or gender expressions.
The World View spoke with Shanna Boomershine, a California listener who became personally involved.
“My daughter and I went to a rally on June 12th to a rally in opposition to Assembly Bill 2943. Over 30 individuals who have been redeemed from the homosexual lifestyle gave their testimonies about how the Holy Spirit and the Gospel have transformed their lives. This bill wants to squash that choice for people who do not want to be in this lifestyle and have unwanted same sex attraction. This bill is basically saying that they can’t seek that help that they want.”
One of those former homosexuals was Pastor Jim Domen, President of Church United.
“I’m a California native, and I have a message for the California Assembly. My wife, my 4-year-old daughter, my 1-year-old son, and the baby in my wife’s womb are not fraud. Assembly Bill 2943 removes my right to choose my sexuality. I left the homosexual lifestyle 16 years ago Friday. Change is possible. This bill would prohibit myself and my brothers and sisters behind me from choosing our sexuality. What has California become?
“Assembly, Senators, LGBTQ. What does ‘Q’ stand for? Let me remind you. ‘Questioning.’ You’re going to prohibit any member from questioning their sexuality. You’re flipping on what you say you are. And let me be very clear. We have nothing against the LGBTQ community because we were in it. I lived it most of my life. But at the age of 28, God transformed me, Jesus Christ transformed my heart. I said, ‘You know what God, I’m yours again.’
“Last time I knew, we were the freest country in the known world. President Trump is in Singapore doing incredible things with North Korea, and my own state is saying I’m a fraud and my friends are all deceptive. Read the language in the bill. The people of God in California are awakening. We will not be silent. You can file a law to try to silence any of us, but we will proclaim the power and the blood of Jesus Christ.”
Boomershine and her daughter were deeply moved by his testimony and 20 other former homosexuals and transgenders.
“Many of the former homosexuals were involved in alcohol and drug addiction, and self harm, and many of them were suicidal. They knew that they were not living according to the way that God had designed them. And when they started to seek help and find their true identity through Christ, that’s when they were able to find, what they call, ‘wholeness in Christ.’ These are stories that I had never even heard. It was such a testimony to the transformational power of the Gospel and Christ working through these people’s lives. It was incredible to be part of that.”
Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills underscored the importance of pastors having the freedom to talk about God’s transformational power with those in the churches who are experiencing unwanted same-sex attractions.
“As a pastor, the entire Gospel is about change; it’s about hope. And what we are being asked to consider by our elected officials is to take that power of hope and change and to sideline that, to put it off to the side. The very Gospel message is that Jesus Christ changes lives. It’s what we preach; it’s Who we preach. And He brings hope.
“In my office, and in and out of the offices of our pastors, are people’s lives being changed. They come to us; they ask us for guidance. They’re asking us for help.
“And to think that this House that we’re standing in front of represents the will of the people. We are the Republic of California. We are to have a voice. And this House stands for – they say – choice. We’re just simply asking that people would be left alone and let them make their choice if they want to receive our input from God’s Word or not. It’s a free country. Let’s keep it free. And let’s keep our pulpits free with hope.”
Despite the fact that 20 former homosexual and transgender individuals testified to God’s transformation in their lives, Boomershine explained that the majority of the California Senate Judiciary Committee did not believe the claims of those who left lives of sexual perversion.
“According to Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, the committee members did not believe the testimonies that were given by those redeemed from the homosexual lifestyle. There’s little doubt that these legislators don’t believe in this transformation because they’re coming from a premise of ‘born this way, always this way’ and that there’s no possible redemption out of this lifestyle.”
The ultimate vote of the committee did not reflect the will of the people as World View listener Boomershine explained.
“So from what I can tell, there were less than a dozen people who were brought forward in favor of this bill. But then there were 350 who stepped forward in opposition to Assembly Bill 2943 including myself and my college-age daughter.”
As the California Family Council documented, five Senators (Hannah-Beth Jackson, Robert Hertzbert, Bob Wieckowski, Bill Monning, and Henry Stern) voted yes and two Senators (John M. W. Moorlach, Joel Anderson) voted no.
The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, June 25th, and then to the California Senate floor for a full vote of the Senate. If the California Senate approves the bill, the full Assembly will also have to vote on this amended bill again before Governor Jerry Brown makes his decision. All of this could happen before the summer legislative break, which begins on July 5th.
Boomershine gave a great bird’s eye perspective.
“The California legislature is trying to censor free speech, but also censor speech that ties into a biblical worldview and traditional values and morals.”
The bold men and women who publicly shared the ugliness of their former sexual sin and the beauty of Christ’s forgiveness and transformation have truly embraced the teaching found in Ephesians 4:22-24.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Now it’s time to pray that God would intervene and transform the lives of misguided and deceitful California politicians — before it’s too late.
This has been another World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.