Thursday, January 26th, in the year of our Lord 2017

By Jonathan Clark

Chinese Government Forces Churches Under Control of Communist Party

China Aid reports the Chinese government has been forcing the churches in the country into conformity with the agenda of the Communist Party. This came largely over the last year under the presidency of Xi Jinping.

Although officials want all religions to “surrender to the authority and leadership of the Chinese Community Party,” Bob Fu, founder of China Aid, said the government’s main goal is to put a check on the rapid growth of Christianity.

May the Christians in China stand boldly in their faith, bowing to Christ alone “who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15)

A Billion Unborn Babies Murdered Worldwide in the Past Century

A report released yesterday puts the number of murdered babies over the last century at an appalling one billion lives.

Entitled “Abortion Worldwide Report: 100 Nations, 1 Century, 1 Billion Babies”, the report comes from years of research by Dr. W. Robert Johnston and Global Life Campaign director Thomas Jacobson, tracking data from 136 countries starting in 1920. In a press conference yesterday, Researcher Jacobson labeled this atrocity against the preborn as “genocide.” 

His numbers do not include the larger quantities of babies killed by the use of abortifacient forms of contraceptives since 1960.

Congress Votes to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to prohibit taxpayer funding of the murder of the unborn. The No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act passed 238 to 183, making permanent the Hyde Amendment. The legislation now goes to the U.S. Senate. 

Boko Haram Uses Babies in Suicide Bombings

Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram is now using babies in their suicide bombing missions, according to The Christian Post. A January 13 attack involved two women carrying babies to avoid detection before setting off explosives killing themselves, the two babies, and four other people. Boko Haram has been operating in Nigeria since 2009 to drive out all the Christians.  

We cry with the Psalmist to God, “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)

Trump Administration Removes Apology to LGBT Community from Government Website

The Trump administration withdrew an apology to the LGBT community for mass discrimination against them historically by the U.S. government. John Kerry extended the apology earlier this month on the state department website. That apology has since been removed.

Trump Signs Executive Order for Building Wall on Border Between U.S. and Mexico

President Donald Trump signed executive orders for immigration reform yesterday. Following through on campaign promises, one of the executive actions orders the building of a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump repeated his assertion that Mexico will “absolutely” pay for the wall one way or another. The President told NBC News the construction would begin within “months.”

Dow Reaches All-Time High

The Dow Jones Industrial average closed above 20,000 points yesterday for the first time. This after President Trump’s executive orders for the business sector on Tuesday, sending stocks to all-time highs. 

Two Russian Bombers Fly Around Japan

Two Russian nuclear-capable bombers flew around Japan on Tuesday, reported Fox News. The Japanese military put fighter jets in the air immediately while the North American Aerospace Defense Command raised its threat posture. The Russian bombers remained in international airspace. 

Nearly One-Year-Old Son of Pastor Craig Houston Dies Suddenly

On January 5th, tragedy struck the family of Pastor Craig Houston, husband and father of 13 in Washington state. Their precious boy, Lemuel, nearly one year old, was found unresponsive that Thursday. He was resuscitated at a local hospital and transferred to intensive care. On January 20th, Lemuel went to be with the Lord. Please pray for Pastor Craig Houston, his wife Emily, and their children as they grieve from this loss. Also, please consider donating to help the Houston family here: https://www.youcaring.com/craigandemilyhouston-733744. 

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 says, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.