It’s Thursday, August 5th, 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
Muslim Turkish government clamps down on Christian pastors
Christian pastors in Turkey are facing daily threats as the government clamps down on their activities. Pastors from abroad especially face discrimination.
Alliance Defending Freedom reports officials forced Canadian-American evangelist David Byle to leave Turkey where he had ministered with his family for 19 years. Authorities imposed a permanent re-entry ban on Byles after he left and tried to return to his family.
Byles and his family now live in Germany and are taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Byles told Alliance Defending Freedom they hope to eventually return to their ministry in Turkey.
New Zealand seeks to prohibit homosexuals from embracing God-given heterosexuality
New Zealand is considering legislation to ban so-called conversion therapy.
People who try to help people change their homosexual preference or so-called gender identity could face prison time.
New Zealand’s Justice Minister Kris Faafoi denounced conversion therapy practices but claimed general religious expressions about sexuality and gender were not under attack.
Irish statesman boldly opposes abortion
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Paul Givan has announced he will block any attempts by the U.K. parliament to make abortions available in the province.
The U.K. relaxed abortion laws in Northern Ireland when the legislative assembly of the province was suspended in 2019.
Givan said he would risk being taken to court in order to resist the new abortion laws.
Scottish CEO in hot water for affirming God-ordained marriage
An employment court recently ruled that Scotland’s biggest grant-making trust discriminated against its Christian CEO for his views on marriage.
The Robertson Trust dismissed CEO Kenneth Ferguson last year for his beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman.
The Christian Institute, which represented Ferguson, said the ruling was a warning to those who would try to mistreat Christians in the workplace.
Gymnast Simone Biles earns bronze medal
(sound of Olympic theme song)
After dropping out of most of her Olympic events, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles got back in the competition on Tuesday.
Biles took bronze on the balance beam on the last day for artistic gymnasts in the Tokyo Olympics.
American gold medal winner gives glory to Jesus
Also on Tuesday, American Sydney McLaughlin won gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. She finished in 51.46 seconds, breaking her own world record.
When McLaughlin initially broke the world record back in June, she wrote, “I no longer run for self-recognition, but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything. Records come and go. The glory of God is eternal. Thank you, Father.”
Philippians 3:8 says, “I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Christian bigotry of leftist governors in COVID lockdowns
And finally, after representing churches facing discriminatory lockdown restrictions for a year, Mat Staver, Founder of the Liberty Counsel, gave an interview with International Christian Concern about their fight to keep churches open.
Staver pointed out the hypocrisy of many states in their lockdown restrictions.
STAVER: “Pastors and people going to church are threatened with criminal activity for worship. That has crossed the line. That’s unsettling here in the United States. What we find is that the worst restrictions have come from these governors in states that are very pro-abortion, very pro-LGBTQ. And they really don’t think that the church is essential. They literally put their heavy hand on the church, while allowing everything else, frankly to operate.”
Staver also said churches that have continued to meet are experiencing revival despite severe backlash.
STAVER: “We’re seeing that around the country as well. You see different places and churches that have faced intense persecution and they’re having revival in their areas.”
Acts 5:41-42 says, “So [the apostles] departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, August 5th, 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.