It’s Monday, November 20th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Adam McManus
Israel kills 5 Palestinian terrorists in airstrike
An Israeli Defense Forces airstrike on Saturday killed five Palestinian terrorists, including Mahmoud a-Zoufi, a commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, and wounded two other people in the Fatah headquarters in Balata camp near Nablus, reports the Jerusalem Post.
Among those terrorists killed were Mohammad Zahed, a key commander in Nablus’s terrorist activities.
Zahed took part in various Nablus shooting attacks, but also in an April 2023 shooting in Jerusalem, wounding two Israeli civilians and was reportedly planning additional terror acts.
Bethlehem drops Christmas décor to support Palestinians
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ and a city located in the West Bank, is set to remove Christmas decorations as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, reports the Jerusalem Post.
Despite Bethlehem’s significance to Christians and its status as a destination for Christian tourism during the Advent season, the city has a predominantly Muslim population.
In 1950, the Christians constituted over 80% of the local population of Bethlehem, However, today, Christians only comprise 10% of the Bethlehem population in this now Muslim-dominated town.
Micah, the Old Testament prophet, predicted Bethlehem as the birthplace for the Messiah. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
Arizona street preacher shot in head
Like something out of Nigeria, Africa, a beloved Christian leader was shot in the head Wednesday night while preaching the gospel in Glendale, Arizona.
Hans Schmidt, a young father and the outreach director for the nondenominational Victory Chapel First Phoenix, was standing at the northwest corner of 51st and Peoria Avenues with his megaphone, quoting scripture and preaching to passersby ahead of an evening service. Around 6:00 p.m., someone evidently pulled a gun on him, reported Arizona Family.
After he was rushed to the emergency room, Victory Chapel revealed that Schmidt “began seizing and was intubated. There has been some movement. However, physicians are uncertain how much is voluntary and began draining fluid from his brain.”
Brad Curell, a family friend, reported “the bullet traveled through his brain and is still inside on the right side of his head. … So far, [the doctors] are saying it’s inoperable.”
Officer Gina Winn of the Glendale Police Department held a press conference.
WINN: “We have a 26-year-old who was a military medic. He is recently married. He has two small children and he’s currently in a critical state. We know for a fact that there were people within the area. There were vehicles driving within the area. So, we believe there is somebody within the Valley that does know something about what happened. So, we are asking that you contact the Glendale Police Department. Our detectives are reviewing a huge amount of surveillance footage. So, that’s part of the investigation and part of the leads that we’re following up on.”
Robert Waldrep, a local Christian, stopped by Victory Chapel to pray for Hans Schmidt’s full recovery and for God’s comfort for the injured pastor’s family.
WALDREP: “What really got me is that this young man is my son’s age. To have somebody out there in the community who’s just trying to share the Gospel of love and share Christ with those who need Him. I just pray for his complete healing and blessing over his wife and children and all those who love him.”
And Jesse James, the owner of a nearby comics store, talked with KNXV-TV.
JAMES: “Who knows why someone would take it out on a preacher like that, you know, because he’s speaking the Gospel, the Good News to everybody. He’s out to help the community.”
It’s unclear whether the shooter attempted the apparent assassination on foot or from a car.
You can give to a GoFundMe account to help with Hans Schmidt’s medical expenses. So far, $2,645 has been donated toward a $20,000 goal.
Whoever is guilty of this egregious act of violence against this bold street evangelist will one day be held accountable by Almighty God. Romans 14:12 declares, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Nikki Haley pulls into second place in New Hampshire
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has moved into second place in New Hampshire in two new polls, reports Fox News. For the first time, she closed the gap a bit against Donald Trump, who maintains his solid lead with the state’s primary just ten weeks away.
A University of New Hampshire poll shows Trump getting 42% of the vote against Haley’s 20%, the best she’s done in the state.
In a Monmouth poll, Chris Christie is in third with 11%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%, and Ron DeSantis coming in last at 7%.
Iowa evangelical leader likely to endorse Ron DeSantis
Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader in Iowa, is widely expected to endorse Ron DeSantis in the presidential primary, reports Politico.
Vander Plaats, president of the Family Leader, has picked correctly in every recent GOP primary, backing Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Ted Cruz in 2016. All three won the Iowa primary, but went on to lose the nomination.
But now, with Donald Trump dominating the field, Vander Plaats is poised to back a candidate who is running 30 points behind the frontrunner here — testing not only the clout of his own endorsement, but the willingness of Evangelicals to abandon Trump.
GOP Rep. George Santos will not seek re-election
And finally, last Thursday, after a monthslong investigation into the conduct of Republican Rep. George Santos of New York, the House Ethics Committee released a scathing report, documenting “overwhelming evidence” of his lawbreaking. They sent it to the Justice Department, concluding flatly that he “cannot be trusted.”
Shortly after the panel’s report was released, Santos tweeted that it was a “disgusting politicized smear.” However, he also noted that he would not be seeking re-election to a second term. He gave no indication that he would step aside before his term ends, vowing to pursue his “conservative values in my remaining time in Congress.”
But a renewed effort to expel him from the House was quickly launched. The House could vote on his expulsion as soon as it returns from the Thanksgiving holiday later this month.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, November 20th 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.