It’s Thursday, January 13th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Chinese Communists sentenced 5 Christians to 6 months in prison
A Chinese court sentenced five Christians to over six months in prison last week.
Officials arrested the believers from Xuncheng Reformed Church for attending a Christian conference in Malaysia last year.
Although the Christians traveled through Chinese customs with their passports, the government is treating their trip as illegal.
Family members of the Christians said they are doing well and have joy in their hearts. During their trial, they shared their faith and preached the Gospel to the judge.
Latin America’s Roman Catholic population dropped from 80 to 59%
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Roman Catholic portion of Latin America’s population has fallen from 80% in 1995 to 59% in 2018.
Brazil, known as the country with the most Catholics in the world, is expected to become minority-Catholic as soon as this year.
During the pandemic, Evangelical churches were very successful in engaging with people.
Many Catholics in Latin America are now turning to Protestantism and especially Pentecostalism. Their reason? To have a more personal connection with God and because they found a church that helps members more.
California shuts down Christian pre-school over mask issue
California officials shut down Foothills Christian Church Preschool last month for not complying with a mask mandate.
Officials wanted the school to have employees and children wear a mask.
Pastor Kevin Miller with Foothills Christian Church told KUSI News the state targeted them.
MILLER: “They said you must mask toddlers, two, three and four-year-olds. But you can’t violate their civil rights. You can’t force them to wear masks. And so, we said, ‘Okay, could you work with us? Because quite frankly, we’ve got parents that don’t think masking their three-year-old is a really good idea. In fact, we think it’s impossible.’
“So, we began that journey, and we did the best we could. It was very hostile from the beginning. We had an analyst come in who really interviewed kids without the parents’ permission or knowledge, was really antagonistic and very, very aggressive.”
The church appealed California’s decision which will be heard tomorrow.
Psalm 14:4 asks, “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?”
43 reformed churches leave over homosexuality
On January 1, 43 churches left the Reformed Church in America to join the Alliance of Reformed Churches over the issue of homosexuality.
The Reformed Church in America is one of America’s oldest Protestant denominations and had about 1,000 congregations before the split.
Another 125 churches from various denominations are also looking at joining the Alliance of Reformed Churches.
The new denomination rejects faux homosexual marriage and the ordination of people living sexually perverted lifestyles.
10 states push back on Transgender movement
State legislators across the country are pushing back against the transgender movement.
New bills would ban hormone blockers and transgender surgeries on children as well as prohibit men from competing in women’s sports.
Lawmakers are introducing such bills in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
14 new abortion mills opened in 2021
Operation Rescue reports the number of abortion mills in the U.S. increased slightly last year by 14 to a total of 720.
It’s far below the record of 2,176 abortion mills in 1991.
The uptick in abortion mills recently is largely due to an increase in chemical abortion mills. The number of surgical abortion mills is on the decline.
Inflation at 40-year high
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the consumer price index increased 7% in December compared to the year before.
The inflation surge represents a 40-year high and is eating into wages.
Real earnings decreased 2.4% from December 2020 to December 2021.
Medical helicopter crash lands; everyone survives
And finally, a medical helicopter crash landed outside a church in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The chopper was transporting an infant to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In God’s providence, everyone on board survived.
Upper Darby police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt said the way the pilot was able to land the helicopter between power lines and buildings was a miracle.
Matthew 10:29-31 asks, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, January 13th, in the year of our Lord 2022. 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.