Monday, August 15th, in the year of our Lord 2016
By Adam McManus
Two Pastors in Sudan Facing Espionage Charges
Two Sudanese Christian pastors may face the death sentence over trumped up espionage charges with little evidence, reports Reuters. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a group which advocates for the persecuted, Rev. Abduraheem and Rev. Shamal were charged with helping raise money for the medical care of a student who had been badly burned by Sudanese officials during a demonstration. Jesus has a message for these brave Christian leaders. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)
Chinese Authorities Close Down Prominent Church, as G20 Summit Approaches
With the G20 summit of leaders of 19 nations and the European Union, including President Obama, to be held in China’s coastal Zhejiang province in early September, China Aid reports that Communist authorities have increased pressure on churches in the area. They have closed down a prominent, 2,000-member house church affiliated with Watchman Nee’s “Little Flock” for organizing “Christian activities without permission.”
Riots Erupt in Milwaukee After Police Officer Shoots Man Armed with Handgun
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin police officer shot and killed a 23-year-old man who was armed with a handgun, sparking riots Saturday night. Crowds of protesters set fire to a police car and torched a gas station. Here is one eyewitness account from a smartphone video posted on YouTube.
“Police killed a young man on 44th. […] They set a detective’s car on fire, over there still burning, I don’t know if you can see it. Then the police came and started shooting at us, and they were shooting back at the police, they was throwing rocks at them. So then they went down and bust this gas station down now… Gas station on fire… Police coming, to hopefully stop the gas station fire. They’re throwing bricks at the police, rocks at the police. They raided the gas station, took everything in it, bust the gas station down. Gas station on fire, all the cars in the gas station on fire.”
Google Reportedly Manipulating Searches to Favor Hillary Clinton
The New York Observer is claiming that Apple, Twitter, Google, and Instagram are colluding to defeat Donald Trump. For example, Google is manipulating searches to bury negative stories about Clinton. In July, searches for Trump’s book, Crippled America returned images of Adolf Hitler’s manifesto Mein Kampf. And Twitter has banned Trump supporters such as Breitbart’s Milo Yiannopoulos and, most recently, rapper Azealia Banks.
Eric Metaxas Questions Hillary’s Claim That She Defends Religious Liberty
Christian author Eric Metaxas questions Hillary Clinton’s recent claim in her op-ed column in the Mormon-owned Deseret News that she has worked for years to defend religious liberty. Metaxas told Fox News that if ever there was an enemy to religious liberty, the former Secretary of State would be it.
Thirteen States Asking Federal Judge to Halt Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Mandate
Thirteen states, led by Texas, will ask a federal judge to halt the Obama administration’s order to allow transgender students in U.S. public schools to use the restrooms of their choice, reports FoxNews.com. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at the time, “We will not yield to blackmail from the president of the United States.” The other states objecting to transgender bathrooms are Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
School Board in South Carolina Moves to Reinstate Lord’s Prayer Before Meetings
Despite the threat of a lawsuit, the Berkeley County, South Carolina school board is moving to reinstate the Lord’s Prayer before its meetings, reports WFMB News. Matthew 10:32 says, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.”
At Least Two Dead in Gulf Coast Flooding
At least two are dead and more than 1,000 rescued from Gulf Coast flooding deemed ‘historic’, the National Weather Service reports. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as Baton Rouge reported getting drenched with 11 inches of rain in just 24 hours.
Katie Ledecky Breaks World Record in 800-Meter Freestyle
Katie Ledecky delivered another winning performance at the Rio Olympic Games Friday night, breaking her own world record in the 800-meter freestyle, reports NBC Sports.
Three Olympians Tie for Second Place in 100-meter Butterfly
And Michael Phelps settled for silver along with two longtime rivals, Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. They all three came in second place at 51.14 seconds — a half-body length behind Singaporean Joseph Schooling.
Phelps Finishes With Gold Medal in 4 × 100 Medley
On Saturday, in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay, Phelps ended his career with another record-setting gold medal — swimming the butterfly leg of the medley, his 23rd at the Olympics and his 28th medal overall.
Ethiopian Olympian Almaz Ayana Breaks World Record for 10,000 Meters
In other Olympic news, Almaz Ayana, an Ethiopian athlete, smashed the 23-year-old world record for running 10,000 meters by 14 seconds, reports Reuters. When the gold medalist was asked in a press conference whether she used performance-enhancing drugs, she replied through an interpreter, “My doping is my training; my doping is Jesus. I am crystal clear.”
60 Percent of Bill and Hillary’s 2015 Income Came From Paid Speeches
Bill and Hillary Clinton just released their 2015 tax return. 60 percent of their $10.6 million dollars of their income last year came from paid speeches, reports CNN Money. Hillary, whose typical speaking fee is $225,000, had earned $10.5 million in speaking fees alone in 2014 and $9.7 million in 2013. Donald Trump is trying to make it a campaign issue, saying that she’s controlled by the corporations who paid her.
Zika Virus Increasing in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico reports 10,690 Zika cases, including 1,035 involving pregnant women. Zika has been tied to severe birth defects, reports the Associated Press. The U.S. surgeon general said he expected 25 percent of people on the island will be infected by Zika by year’s end.
Workers on Major North Korean Construction Project Being Given Meth
North Korean workers are being given a methamphetamine-based drug in the hope it will speed up a major construction project, according to the New Zealand Herald. When snorted or inhaled, crystal meth gives users a sense of euphoria, increased energy levels and a suppressed appetite for up to 12 hours.
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes