Wednesday, May 24th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Adam McManus
Christian Former Governor in Indonesia Withdraws Appeal of Prison Sentence
Basuki Purnama, the Christian former governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, will withdraw an appeal against his controversial two-year prison sentence over claims that he insulted Islam, saying that has decided to “forgive and accept”, reports Christian Today.
At an emotional press conference in Jakarta, his wife cried as she read out a letter her husband wrote in prison. “It isn’t easy for me…but I’ve learnt to forgive and accept all of this if it is for the benefit of the nation and the country.”
Purnama lost the election in April to a Muslim rival. As a Christian and ethnic Chinese, he is doubly disadvantaged in Indonesia’s predominantly Muslim society, in which Christians are increasingly under pressure.
Matthew 5:44 says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
President Trump Says Islamist Militants are “Evil Losers”
President Donald Trump issued a new brand for the Islamic State terrorist group in response to the deadly suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England which claimed the lives of 22 young people and injured another 59 concertgoers.
He called the Islamist militants “evil losers” yesterday during a visit to Bethlehem, Palestine.
President Trump made these remarks at a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
TRUMP: “We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom. So many young, beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives, murdered by evil losers in life. I won’t call them monsters because they would like that term; they would think that’s a great name. I will call them, from now on, losers because that’s what they are: they’re losers. And we’ll have more of ‘em. But they’re losers. Just remember that.”
100 Notre Dame Students Walk Out on Vice President Pence’s Graduation Speech
Vice President Mike Pence gave a graduation speech at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday, but more than 100 students of the 3,100 graduates staged a walk-out protest against him.
The peaceful protest had been planned for weeks by the student organization WeStaNDFor, according to USA Today. The group said they opposed the former Indiana governor for his positions on homosexuality, supporting Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban, and previous attempts to stop Syrian refugees from settling in Indiana because of Pence’s concern that some of them might be terrorists.
The university became aware of the planned walkout last month.
Staff at Planned Parenthood Facilities Say They Don’t Offer Services Besides Abortion
Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards would have us believe that the murder giant offers all sorts of redeeming services to women like pre-natal care.
In a new undercover Live Action video there are two especially chilling moments when Planned Parenthood staffers tell women who are looking for an ultrasound, that they don’t do ultrasounds unless the clinic is about to take the baby’s life through abortion.
Patient: “Ah, so no ultrasounds? Is there any other clinic you can refer me to?”
Staff member at a Council Bluffs, Iowa, Planned Parenthood: “I don’t know of anything; I would look around on the internet. We don’t do any ultrasounds for prenatal care, we do them when we’re doing abortions, but not for any other reason.”
In fact, Planned Parenthood offers little but abortion. That’s why staff at seven local Planned Parenthood abortion mills tell callers to “just go online” or “just Google” information on services ranging from prenatal care to adoption and parenting resources.
Patient: “I think I’m about 9 weeks pregnant and I’m thinking about adoption. Can you guys help with that?”
Planned Parenthood: “Unfortunately, nnno. No we don’t. You should go online and Google ‘adoption agencies’, okay?”
Patient: “Do you have like any parenting resources at all?”
Planned Parenthood: “Um, I could Google it for you and see, but you could Google it yourself.”
Planned Parenthood: “What I can do is maybe Google something for you and give you reference numbers.”
Patient: “Are there any pregnancy services at all at the Planned Parenthood of Cedar Rapids?”
Planned Parenthood: “No, not unless you were terminating a pregnancy. That’s really the only service that we’re able to offer.”
Oregon Considers Bill That Could Deny Food and Water to Patients
The Oregon state legislature introduced an alarming bill, SB 494, which would put countless medically vulnerable persons at risk of a premature and untimely death, reports Life News.
With the sweep of a pen, SB 494 would wipe out existing Oregon law that mandates food and water access for all patients who can naturally receive nutrition and hydration. In simple terms, patients who are awake, conscious, and aware could nonetheless be denied food and water—even by cup or spoon.
Oregon’s SB 494 is radical because it would redefine food and water delivered by such basic means not as “basic and ordinary,” but as a regulated, physician-controlled form of “medical care.”
Indeed, it’s important to underscore that this bill is not about food and water delivered by means of “feeding tubes,” but rather basic utensils like spoons. Whether we’re sitting at our own breakfast table, or sitting with our mother in a hospital bed, food and water should be considered basic and ordinary.
Sadly, the most enthusiastic supporter of “regulating” food and water is the health insurance industry.
James Bond Actor Roger Moore Dies at 89
“My name’s Bond. James Bond.”
Roger Moore, best known for playing the womanizing James Bond in seven of the 007 films, has died in Switzerland after a “short but brave battle with cancer,” reports Fox News. He was 89.
In real life, Moore, like Bond, was not a one-woman man. He was divorced three times, from skater Doorn Van Steyn in 1953, from English singer Dorothy Squires in 1969, and from Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, the mother of his children Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, in 2000. He married a fourth time, in 2002, to Swedish socialite Kristina Tholstrup.
Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
Another 500,000 People Pledge to Boycott Target
Yesterday afternoon, American Family Association President Tim Wildmon hand-delivered another 500,000 #BoycottTarget pledge signatures to Target headquarters in Minneapolis. That makes for a total now of 1.5 million Christians who have pledged to boycott Target over their dangerous and misguided restroom and fitting room policy that puts women and children at risk.
Despite the fact that Target has lost millions of dollars in lost business for five out of the last six quarters, they refuse to prohibit men from using the women’s restrooms and fitting rooms. Last week, the embattled retailer announced its 2017 first-quarter earnings. Target’s same-store sales fell 1.3 percent, while overall revenue in the first quarter dropped 1.1 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Plus, the Target Executive Team is in disarray. Only one person in CEO Brian Cornell’s 10-member original executive team remains employed at Target. Plus, Cornell’s cash-and-stock compensation was recently slashed by one-third.
Remembering the Role of Martin Luther in Proclaiming Salvation by Grace Alone
500 years ago this coming October 31st, Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the Castle Church Door in Wittenberg, Germany which planted the seeds for the Reformation of the church.
Among Luther’s grievances, he objected to the Catholic view on indulgences, that freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money given to the church. Luther’s refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 resulted in his excommunication.
Inspired by the plain reading of Scripture – Romans in particular, Martin Luther was used by God to reform the church and thus inspired The Five Solas. Scripture Alone. Faith alone. Grace alone. Through Christ alone. To the glory of God alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Off-Site Bible Class for Elementary School Students Gets Shut Down
An off-site Bible class has been cancelled in Michigan after one parent of one student issued a complaint.
Fox News reports that about 100 of the 400 children at Daisy Brook Elementary School in Fremont, Michigan attended the Bible classes which were optional and required parental approval, and which were held during lunch hour.
Parent Britney TerVeer was flummoxed, saying, “It’s not on school property. Parents have to sign their kids. It’s completely optional.”
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.