It’s Thursday, January 16th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus
Top 10 worst countries for persecution of Christians
Open Doors US released their 2025 World Watch List yesterday. The report covers the 50 worst countries for the persecution of Christians.
The ten worst countries are North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Once again, North Korea tops the list for a 23rd year in a row.
The report found 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution. That’s one in seven believers worldwide.
From October 2023 to September 2024, 4,476 Christians were killed for their faith, 4,744 Christians were detained, arrested, or sentenced for their faith, and 209,771 Christians were forced to leave their homes.
Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”
Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage exchange
Israel and Hamas reportedly agreed to a ceasefire yesterday brokered by America, Egypt, and Qatar.
If successfully completed, the agreement would end 15 months of fighting.
The deal would begin with Hamas releasing 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The agreement also involves more humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
Both President Joe Biden’s administration and President-elect Donald Trump’s team cooperated in making the agreement.
Biden removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism
In other international news, President Biden announced that the United States would remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
It’s one of Biden’s last official acts before Trump takes office next Monday. However, the Trump administration may reverse the decision.
At this moment, Cuba has promised to release 553 prisoners, likely including people imprisoned during anti-government protests in 2021.
The agreement was brokered by the Catholic Church to secure the release of political prisoners.
Vatican’s approval of sexual perversion
Speaking of the Catholic Church, the Vatican approved a document in favor of sexually perverted lifestyles.
The Italian Bishops’ Conference published the document last Friday.
The provisions allow candidates for priesthood to have “homosexual tendencies.” However, priests are still required to live in celibacy.
Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”
Biden awarded Pope Francis Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction to Pope Francis on Saturday.
It’s the highest civilian award of the United States, and it’s the first time Biden awarded the medal “with distinction.” The White House praised Pope Francis as being “unlike any who came before.”
However, Fox News notes, “Francis, 88, has pushed to open the Church to the modern world since he took the helm in 2013. He has drawn criticism from some U.S. Catholics for his support of … positions that are contrary to Church teachings.”
Marco Rubio: Emphasizing “national interest above all else is not isolationism.”
Yesterday, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, whom Trump has nominated to be his Secretary of State, outlined his vision before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reports CBS News.
RUBIO: “We are once again called to create a free world out of the chaos. And this will not be easy. And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests once again above all else. In Moscow, in Tehran, in Pyongyang, dictators, rogue states now sow chaos and instability and align with and they fund radical terror groups. And then they hide behind their veto power at the United Nations Security Council or the threats of nuclear war.
“The post war global order is not just obsolete. It is now a weapon being used against us. Placing our core national interest above all else is not isolationism. It is the common sense realization that a foreign policy centered in our national interest is not some outdated relic.”
Ted Cruz asked Trump’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, pick whether she would be fair
In addition, Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General, also appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee She vowed to end the weaponization of the Justice Department, saying her focus will be on reducing crime and upholding the law, reports CBS News.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas opened his time this way.
CRUZ: “I don’t know that there is a more important position in this new administration than the position to which you have been nominated, Attorney General of the United States. Perhaps the most tragic legacy of the Biden-Harris administration has been the politicization and the weaponization of the United States Department of Justice. Joe Biden publicly mused and allowed the New York Times to report it, calling on Merrick Garland: ‘Why will he not prosecute Trump more quickly?’ Merrick Garland, sadly, he sat in that chair and promised to be apolitical, and he broke that promise almost the instant he walked into the Department of Justice.
“If you look on the west pediment of the Supreme Court of the United States, just above the entrance, there’s a simple, yet profound, four word phrase: ‘Equal justice under law.’ We have seen over the last four years a Department of Justice that systematically targeted the political opponents of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and that systematically protected his friends and allies. I don’t think there’s an institution in America who has lost more respect from the American people than the FBI has in the last four years.
“So, I want to start with just a very simple question, if you, [Pam Bondi], are confirmed as Attorney General, will you pledge to fairly and faithfully uphold the law regardless of party?”
BONDI: “So help me, God!”
CRUZ: “Amen. I want to be clear for folks at home, I don’t want a Republican Department of Justice. I don’t want a Democrat Department of Justice. I want a Department of Justice that follows the law, and I think the American people do too. That shouldn’t be too much to expect.”
Trump plans to create the External Revenue Service
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to create a new agency to collect tariffs from foreign sources.
He began by criticizing the Internal Revenue Service on Truth Social. He wrote, “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service. … Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves.”
Trump went on to say, “It is time for that to change. I am today announcing that I will create the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE to collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources.”
935 languages still need a Bible translation
And finally, Wycliffe Global Alliance has published their 2024 Global Scripture Access Report.
The report notes that there are 7,396 languages in the world spoken by at least 7.45 billion people.
Currently, 756 languages have full Bibles, an increase of 20 languages from 2023. About 10% of all languages now have full Bibles, accounting for 6 billion people.
Additionally, the number of languages needing Bible translation to start is 985, down 283 from 2023.
The total number of languages with at least some portion of Scripture has reached 3,756. That’s about half of all languages and accounts for 7.3 billion people.
Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Thursday, January 16th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or 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@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.