It’s Wednesday, January 3rd, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Pakistan, Nigeria, China, & Afghanistan increasingly persecute Christians
Release International put out their Persecution Trends 2024 report last week.
Paul Robinson, CEO of the persecution watchdog, said, “Anti-Christian persecution is rising in India and other nations around the world. Hostility is turning to violence. Christians are being attacked and driven from their homes.”
Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Afghanistan, Eritrea, North Korea, and Iran are increasingly persecuting Christians as well.
Despite being the worst country in the world for the persecution of Christians, the report noted that believers actually gained ground in North Korea. Under the cover of the pandemic, they ministered through radio broadcasts and online content.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
Abortion: Leading cause of death worldwide
Once again abortion was the leading cause of death last year.
Worldometers estimates at least 44 million babies were murdered in the womb last year. The World Health Organization has an even higher yearly estimate, “Around 73 million induced abortions take place worldwide each year.”
Based on that, abortion accounted for over half of deaths last year, far outpacing deaths from cancer, smoking, and disease.
Abortion remains the leading cause of death in the United States as well. Nearly one million babies were killed in 2023.
Christian student’s T-shirt: “Homosexuality is a sin.”
The daughter of a street preacher finally reached a settlement with a Tennessee school in a religious liberty case.
Three years ago, Livingston Academy public high school sent Brielle Penkoski home for wearing a shirt that read, “Homosexuality is a sin” with the Bible reference of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
Her father, Rich Penkoski, told The Christian Post, “Brielle got $100, which is way, way more than we thought she was going to get. The other part of this is all the teachers, at least from 2020, were told to start taking First Amendment courses. It was one of the things that I insisted on.”
Trump back on Colorado ballot
Former President Donald Trump is back on the ballot in Colorado.
Last month, the state’s Supreme Court ruled he was ineligible for the presidency based on the insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment.
Last Wednesday, the Colorado GOP appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, responded by announcing Trump’s inclusion on the ballot until the high court acts.
Meanwhile, Trump leads President Joe Biden in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll 39% to 37%. Trump also leads or has made gains among Black, Hispanic, and young voters.
Sound of Freedom: 10th biggest movie of 2023
The faith-based movie Sound of Freedom from Angel Studios came in 10th at the box office last year. Jim Caviezel starred in the film based on a true story about rescuing children from human trafficking.
Sound of Freedom grossed over $184 million. It beat out several big productions with much larger budgets like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.
Only 37% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions
A CBS News poll found only 37% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. But of those who do, 59% said their New Year’s resolutions will mostly be about praying or attending religious services more.
The survey noted, “Those who already attend religious services at least weekly are overwhelmingly likely to say their resolution is to pray and attend services more.”
Bible remains best-selling book of all time
And finally, the best-selling book in 2023 was, you guessed it, the Bible. It’s also the most sold book of all time.
Guinness World Records notes, “The best-selling book of all time is the Christian Bible. It is impossible to know exactly how many copies have been printed in the roughly 1,500 years since its contents were standardized, but research conducted by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 2021 suggests that the total number probably lies between 5 and 7 billion copies.”
On top of that, about 80 million Bibles are printed every year.
Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, January 3rd in the year of our Lord 2024. 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.