Anniversary of Billy Graham’s 1957 NYC crusade; Hurricane Idalia hits Florida with 125-mph winds; 16% of churchgoers had, paid for, or encouraged an abortion

It’s Thursday, August 31st, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Jonathan Clark

Nigerian Muslims kill more Christians

Muslim terrorists kidnapped two Christians last Friday in Nigeria’s Kaduna State. This comes just days after Muslim gunmen killed a Baptist pastor in another part of the state.

One local told Morning Star News, “The terrorists have so often made our area their target of attacks and abductions of our people. In fact, recently two Christians in our community were killed in similar attacks.”

Pastor Joseph John Hayab with the Christian Association of Nigeria said, “It is very painful that gunmen move freely in broad daylight to execute their evil acts.”

Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.”

English pastors: Our country is no longer Christian

new poll by The Times of London found most clerics in the Church of England do not believe the country is Christian anymore.

Over 64% of priests said the United Kingdom could only be called a Christian country historically but not currently. Twenty-four percent said the country is still Christian. Also, a majority of clerics were in favor of faux same-sex marriage.

The results are in line with 2021 census data that found Christian identification in England and Wales fell below 50% for the first time.

Hurricane Idalia hits Florida with 125-mph winds

Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast yesterday as a Category 3 storm with winds of up to 125 mph.

The storm knocked out power to nearly half a million people in Florida and Georgia.

In God’s providence, the hurricane struck what is known as Florida’s “nature coast,” a very sparsely populated area. As of yesterday, authorities had not reported any direct deaths from the storm.

Twitter will allow political ads

On Tuesday, X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, announced it will allow political parties and candidates to make political ads on the platform. This comes as the company prepares for the 2024 presidential election.

Since 2019, Twitter had banned political ads. Last October though, tech billionaire Elon Musk acquired the company. And in January, it began lifting the ban on political ads. 

X said its new policies will prohibit false and misleading content while preserving free speech.

16% of churchgoers had, paid for, or encouraged an abortion

Last week, the Family Research Council released a survey on the worldview of adult churchgoers in the United States.

The study found that 16% of respondents admitted to having paid for, encouraged, or chosen to get an abortion. Twenty-seven percent of churchgoers said they are pro-life without exceptions; 36% said they are pro-life with exceptions; 22% said they are pro-abortion; 5% said they lean pro-life; and another 5% said they lean pro-abortion.

Churchgoers were divided on what the Bible teaches about abortion. Thirty-five percent said it is not acceptable under any circumstances, while 36% said it is acceptable in certain situations. And 6% said it is acceptable in any circumstance.

Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For [the Lord] formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Franklin Graham told British: “Turn from your sin!”

Evangelist Franklin Graham preached to over 10,000 people in London on Saturday.

The event is a continuation of the “God Loves You” tour that started last year in the U.K. Graham faced hostility from activists in the country who wanted to shut down his events because he opposes sexually perverted lifestyles. 

However, that didn’t stop the preaching over the weekend.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM: “A lot of people here tonight that have been searching and looking and trying to find meaning and purpose. But I’m here to say to you tonight, God loves you. He sent His Son from Heaven to this Earth to take your sins. He died and shed His blood on the cross for your sins. And, on the third day, God raised His Son, Jesus Christ to life.

“You’ve got to be willing to turn from your sin! And you’ve got to be willing to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust Him as your Savior here tonight. And you can do that right now!”

After the event, Franklin Graham posted, “It was such a privilege to share the hope of the Gospel here. I was able to tell those who came that God loves them and sent His Son Jesus Christ from heaven to earth to save them from their sins. I thank God for the hundreds who came forward at the invitation to turn from their sin and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ last night. Their lives are changed for eternity!”

Anniversary of Billy Graham’s 1957 New York City crusade this week

And finally, speaking of the Grahams, this week is the anniversary of Billy Graham’s 1957 crusade in New York City.

The outreach began in May 1957 and lasted for 16 weeks. It concluded on September 1st in Times Square. An estimated two million people attended the preaching during the time frame.

Gospel singer George Beverly Shea sang “Holy, holy is what the angels sing.”

SHEA:

“Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make
the courts of Heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption’s story,
they will cease to sing,
For angels never felt the joy
that my salvation brings.”

And Billy Graham brought the Gospel message.

BILLY GRAHAM: “A Christian is a person that has made a choice. You’ve made a decision. You’ve had an encounter with the living God. You’ve received Christ into your heart. That is the first step in being a Christian.

“Has that happened to you? Has there come a moment in your life where you repented of your sins? When you acknowledge that you’re a sinner? When you said, ‘Oh God, I’m willing to turn from my sin.’ And then, by faith, you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.”

Over 100,000 attended on the concluding night in 1957. Overall, an estimated 96 million people saw the event televised, and over 60,000 people reported turning to Christ.

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, August 31st in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldiew.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

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