It’s Thursday, May 20th, A.D. 2021. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Algeria, Africa: Churches remain closed; mosques allowed to open
International Christian Concern reports the government of Algeria, Africa is now targeting individual Christians after closing all Protestant churches in the country since 2018.
Under COVID-19 restrictions, Protestant churches must remain closed while mosques are being allowed to reopen.
Multiple Christians in Algeria now face years in prison on false charges of blasphemy against Islam.
Swedish Church: Hagar poster child for transgenderism?
The Church of Sweden, Europe’s largest Lutheran denomination, announced the group is now “trans” in a letter this week.
The letter states, “We believe in a church and a [god] who welcomes people beyond power, national boundaries, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.”
The letter even tried to hold up Hagar in the Bible as a poster child for transgender lifestyle promotion.
But the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons … the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. … But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”
CA court stops all COVID-19 Tyranny against churches
On Monday, a California District Court issued a statewide permanent injunction on COVID-19 restrictions on churches.
The case involved Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena. Under the settlement, California will pay $1.3 million in attorney fees to Liberty Counsel which represented the church.
Pastor Ché Ahn celebrated a previous victory at the Supreme Court during an interview with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins back in February.
AHN: “I want to thank the Supreme Court, and of course, I want to give the glory and praise to Jesus. Because ultimately, He is the one who moved on our behalf. Even John Roberts, who has been voting liberal in the past, he sided with us and gave us a 6-3 decision, that our constitutional rights were violated. The ban has now been lifted. The good news is not just for us, really, it’s for the body of Christ, and not just in California, it’s for the whole United States.”
Texas GOP Governor signs Heartbeat Bill into law
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act into law on Wednesday.
The law bans abortions on babies with detectable heartbeats. Unfortunately, it include an exception for medical emergencies.
The law also allows private citizens to bring suit against abortionists with penalties of at least $10,000 per abortion.
Iranian-born American fighter dedicated victory to Marxist victims
Beneil Dariush, an Iranian-born American mixed martial fighter, beat former Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson after three rounds at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event last Saturday.
Speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan right after the fight, Dariush dedicated his victory to victims of Marxism.
DARIUSH: “First things first, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That’s number one. Hey, calm down, calm down. Number two, I want to dedicate this fight to all the people who’ve been hurt by Marxist ideologies. There are millions of you and I know it.”
One estimate puts the number of deaths under 20th century socialism at 200 million worldwide, mostly in the Soviet Union and China. Nevertheless, Communism is making a comeback among younger generations.
Working long hours spikes stroke, heart disease
A study published by the World Health Organization found that working long hours poses a risk to hundreds of thousands of people each year.
The study found that people who worked 55 hours or more per week were 35% more likely than others to have a stroke and 17% more likely to die from heart disease.
In 2016, over 745,000 people died globally from heart disease and stroke combined, attributable to exposure to long work hours.
Psalm 127:2 says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for [God] gives to His beloved sleep.”
Almost 1,700th anniversary of Nicene Creed
And finally, today marks the day when the early church began the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, nearly 1,700 years ago.
This first ecumenical council of the early church focused on the doctrine of Christ and produced the Nicene Creed which churches across the world still recite.
The ancient creed begins: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, May 20th, in the year of our Lord 2021. 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@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.