It’s Wednesday, June 7th, 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
Pakistani court sentenced 22-year-old Christian to death
Last Tuesday, a court in Pakistan sentenced a 22-year-old Christian to death. Noman Masih faced unsubstantiated charges of breaking the Islamic country’s blasphemy laws.
His attorney told Morning Star News, “There was no proof against Noman, and none of the witnesses produced by police could corroborate the blasphemy allegation against him.”
Noman’s father said their family was shocked by the verdict, but that “we are standing firm in our faith and looking to God for Noman’s freedom.”
Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Pakistan, ranked the seventh most difficult country to be a Christian on the Open Doors’ World Watch List.
In Psalm 27:12, David wrote, “Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.”
34th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre
Sunday marked the 34th anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square massacre. In 1989, the communist country cracked down on pro-democracy protests, leading to the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of people. Officials also rounded up underground church leaders associated with the protests.
Mainland China has banned commemorations of the massacre. Officials extended such bans to Hong Kong in 2020. The administrative region used to enjoy the freedom to commemorate the massacre with candlelit vigils since 1990.
Over the weekend, Hong Kong authorities arrested or detained dozens of people for their pro-democracy expressions.
Biden’s bizarrely named “Fiscal Responsibility Act”
On Saturday, President Joe Biden signed the “Fiscal Responsibility Act” ahead of a default deadline on Monday.
The not-so-responsible act actually suspends the U.S. government’s debt ceiling until 2025. The national debt stands at about $31.4 trillion.
As of the beginning of this year, the federal debt as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product was about 120%, up from 35% in 1970.
The debt ceiling bill caps federal spending until 2025, except on defense spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation will cut the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade.
Oklahoma’s first taxpayer-funded, faith-based charter school
On Monday, a state school board in Oklahoma approved the first publicly funded faith-based charter school in the U.S.
The online charter school will be operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma and the Diocese of Tulsa.
Republican Governor Kevin Stitt said the approval was a “win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state. Oklahomans support religious liberty for all and support an increasingly innovative educational system that expands choice.”
57% of Americans do not attend church
A new survey from Pew Research evaluated the religious attendance of U.S. adults following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sixteen percent of respondents attend religious services in person, 10% watch services virtually, 17% attend in person and watch virtually, and 57% do not attend services at all.
The survey found people who attend services in person were more likely to be satisfied with the sermons and music than those who watched services virtually. Those attending in person were also much more likely to experience connection with other worshippers.
Of the people who attend online and in person, most said they prefer attending in person. The top reason cited for watching services online was convenience.
Psalm 122:1-2 says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!”
Franklin Graham preached to 70,000 in Seoul, South Korea
And finally, Evangelist Franklin Graham preached to 70,000 people at the Seoul World Cup stadium in South Korea on Saturday.
The event took place 50 years after Graham’s father, Billy Graham, preached in the country. The 1973 crusade drew over three million people.
Nearly 6,000 South Korean churches participated in Saturday’s event.
Franklin Graham told South Korean media his purpose there.
GRAHAM: “There’s no nation in the world quite like Korea. But all the money and all the technology does not fill the vacuum that’s in a human heart.
“Only God can fill that vacuum. So, I’ve come just to preach a simple message of God’s love for the Korean people. I want the people of Korea to know how they can have a personal relationship with God. That’s through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, June 7th 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@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.