Friday, January 27th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Kevin Swanson
Christian Man Arrested in Southern India Now in a Coma
A Christian man distributing Gideon Bibles and literature in Hyderabad, Southern India is suffering from brain hemorrhaging and is now in a coma. This comes after an arrest and interrogation by local police. The state government has promised to provide for the medical expenses for the Christian man, whose name is K.A. Swamy.
Christians Being Randomly Murdered in Egypt
And in Egypt, Christian Solidarity reports that Coptic Christians are experiencing random murderous attacks — already five dead in the last two weeks. The Islamic phrase “Allah Akbar”, which means “Allah is Great”, has been used in the attacks, according to witnesses.
Trump Plans to Announce Supreme Court Nomination Next Thursday
In a Thursday evening interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, President Donald Trump said that he is pretty certain of his final Supreme Court pick. He’s planning to announce his selection next Thursday.
Plus, the president is also pressing ahead with building the wall on the Mexican border, suggesting a 20% tariff on Mexican goods to pay for it.
John Piper Posts a Prayer for President Trump on His Blog
Pastor John Piper issued a public prayer for President Trump on his blog (http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/john-piper-s-prayer-for-donald-trump), writing, “Lord, we ask that You would bring Donald Trump out of darkness and into light. Give him a spirit of brokenness and humility.”
And then Piper quoted from Matthew 18:3, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
New Federal Law Helps Assist Genocide Victims in Iraq and Syria
The World View spoke to International Christian Concern about the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. Nate Lance, Advocacy Manager for ICC, gives us an overview of the important things this federal legislation would do for Middle Eastern Christians.
“The first is that it would direct the State Department to provide more direct assistance to victims of ISIS’ genocide in Iraq and Syria. So all the groups that were declared to be suffering from genocide based on the State Department’s resolution on genocide last year. Christians, Yazidis and others. It provides them food assistance, shelter, things of that nature.
“It also provides assistance to organizations on the ground who are working to hold the perpetrators of the genocide accountable. There’s groups who take satellite imagery of mass graves, people who are documenting everything that has gone on there and hopefully one day hold the perpetrators of that accountable.”
Pastor Eddie Long Passes Away
Eddie Long, a controversial mega-church pastor, was put to rest on Wednesday, as 6,000 attended his funeral in Atlanta, including the former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes. Long was a respected leader among the Baptist Pentecostals despite being the subject of a number of scandals, and settling out of court with a number of young men who claimed that he had molested them. Pastor T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House in Dallas provided a tribute by video for the embattled pastor.
Psalm 125 says, “The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.”
Former Transgender Speaks Out Against National Geographic Cover
Walt Heyer, a former transgender, has decried the most recent cover of National Geographic magazine featuring a child subjected to transgenderism.
In an article on The Public Discourse, Heyer testifies that he “turned to Christ and away from transgenderism. I wanted to be obedient to the Lord. Obedience is giving up what I want, in order to live the life Christ wants. I had to stop living in defiance of God and stop demanding that the church, God, and everyone else make accommodations for my delusions.”
Vice President Pence Plans to Speak at March for Life
Mike Pence would be the first Vice President in the history of the U.S. to speak at a March for Life. The VP says that he longs “for the day that Roe v. Wade is sent to the ash heap of history, when we move past the broken hearts and the broken lives of the past 44 years.”
The World Viewspoke to Bob Enyart, speaker at the Colorado March for Life, about why these marches for life are so important.
“In Colorado, we are trying to return the pro-life movement to its biblical foundation. So what we do every year is we make sure that our speakers are presenting a biblical basis for why it is that we have an obligation to love our neighbor, to protect the innocent, and the things that we need to do to fight against abortion.”
Pray for our leaders, that they would honor God, fear Him, and not back down on preserving life made in God’s image.
Former Abortion Worker Calls Pro-Lifers to Have Compassion for Abortion Workers
An abortion worker who is now pro-life is urging people to have compassion when confronting abortion clinic workers. Abby Johnson spoke to Christianity Today about reaching out to the workers. She warned against a lack of love for those inside the clinics.
Johnson said, ”Telling them, ‘You’re a baby killer’ or ‘You’re a murderer’ doesn’t address the hurt in their heart. It doesn’t address where they are or how they got there in the first place. And it reinforces the stereotype that pro-lifers only care about babies.”
Johnson’s words are appropriate as thousands gather around the U.S. this Saturday to attend various Marches for Life. The March for Life will happen in D.C., and the White House confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence will be one of the speakers at the event.
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.