Wednesday, December 27th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Adam McManus
Dr. Ben Carson Leads Cabinet in Prayer
At President Donald Trump’s request, Dr. Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, led the cabinet in a prayer.
President Trump: “So Ben, we’ll ask you to say grace. Thank you.”
Ben Carson: “Our kind Father in Heaven, we’re so thankful for the opportunities and the freedom that you’ve granted us in this country. We thank you for a President and for Cabinet members who are courageous, who are willing to face the winds of controversy in order to provide a better future for those who come behind us.
“We’re thankful for the unity in Congress that has presented an opportunity for our economy to expand so that we can fight the corrosive debt that has been destroying our future. And we hope that that unity will spread even beyond party lines so that people recognize that we have a nation that is worth saving, and recognize that nations divided against themselves cannot stand.
“In this time of discord, distrust, and dishonesty, we ask that you would give us a spirit of gratitude, compassion, and common sense. And give us the wisdom to be able to guide this great nation in the future. We ask in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
President Trump: “Thank you Ben. Beautiful. Thank you very much.”
MSNBC White House correspondent Kristin Welker described “that moment [when] Ben Carson [was] effectively leading everyone in prayer … It was striking to see everyone bow their heads.”
Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world…Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Companies Announce Capital Expansion and More Pay Due to New Tax Cuts
Thanks to President Trump’s tax cuts, 18 companies have now announced major bonuses, more pay, and capital expansion, which is just what conservatives had predicted, reports WorldNetDaily.com.
According to analysis by the Tax Policy Center, President Trump’s “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” law will lower taxes for 143 million Americans.
Many Puerto Ricans Still Without Power After Hurricane Maria
Three months after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, many are still living without electricity in the mountains, reports The Associated Press.
Waiting in two hour-long lines under the searing sun for their twice-a-week handout, Puerto Ricans receive 24 bottles of water and a cardboard box filled with basic foods such as tortillas, canned vegetables and cereal.
Churches Severely Damaged by Hurricanes Get Help from Knights of Columbus
In a related story, 13 churches that were all but destroyed by the disastrous hurricanes this past summer and fall will receive $1.4 million from the Knights of Columbus, the nation’s largest Catholic fraternal organization, to help them get back on their feet, reports The Christian Post.
Actor Jim Caviezel Explains Significance of Saul of Tarsus’ Conversion
Actor Jim Caviezel, who plays Luke in the upcoming film “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” explains the significance of Saul of Tarsus’ transformation into one of Jesus’ apostles and what it means to be great in God’s eyes, reports The Christian Post.
While on the set of his upcoming Bible epic to be released on Easter 2018, Caviezel explained, “The name Saul means great one. And Paul, the name, just by one change of a letter, means little one. In order for us to be great in the eyes of God, we have to become very small.”
James Faulkner, known for his work on “Game of Thrones”, will portray Paul.
The film will showcase when “Paul suffers alone in a Roman prison, awaiting his execution under Emperor Nero. At great risk, Luke the physician visits the aged Paul to comfort and tend to him — and to question, to transcribe and to smuggle out Paul’s letters to the growing community of believers. Amid Nero’s inhuman persecution, these men and women will spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and change the world.”
Evangelist Born With No Limbs Announces Birth of Twin Daughters
Nick Vujicic (pronounced VOO-yee-cheech) might have been born with no arms and no legs, but that hasn’t handicapped his ability to preach. In fact, Pastor Bobby Schuller of Shepherd’s Grove Church in California described him as this generation’s Billy Graham.
Now, just days before Christmas, his wife Kanae gave birth to their twin girls, Olivia and Ellie.
Vujicic announced their joyous birth on his wife’s birthday through his Facebook page, which is followed by over 9 million people.
The twins have two older brothers – 4-year-old Kiyoshi, and 2-year-old Dejan.
Blizzard Dumps 34 Inches of Snow in Pennsylvania
While many listeners in the Northeast and Midwest enjoyed a white Christmas, a blizzard swept into parts of New England, dumping a record 34 inches of snow on Erie, Pennsylvania, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Christian Post Lists Five Notable Christians Who Passed Away This Year
The Christian Post cites the deaths of five Christians which stand out this past year.
- Norma McCorvey, the Roe of the pro-abortion Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case in 1973 who turned to Christ and became a staunch pro-life activist, died at age 69. Learn more and listen to my interview about her life with Pastor Flip Benham. He witnessed to her outside an abortion mill where she worked and ultimately baptized Norma.
- Anna Hayford, wife of former senior pastor Jack Hayford of 10,000-member Church on the Way, died from pancreatic cancer at age 83.
- Psychologist Joseph Nicolosi, who practiced sexual orientation change efforts therapy, also called reparative therapy, died at age 70. In particular, he helped men tempted by homosexual sin to reduce unwanted same-sex attraction within them and helped them lead heterosexual lives.
- Apologist and author Nabeel Qureshi, who authored the popular non-fiction work Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, died at age 34 following a battle with stomach cancer. Born to Pakistani Muslim parents in California, Qureshi converted to Christianity and became a member of the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
- And Robert Charles “RC” Sproul, the American theologian, author of 90 books, Presbyterian Church in America teaching elder, and founder of Ligonier Ministries, died at age 78 several days after being rushed to a hospital due to breathing problems. Sproul was involved in the crafting of the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, a declaration of faith signed by about 300 evangelical scholars.
They echo the words of Paul found in 2 Timothy 4:7-8. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”
Please Consider Prayerfully Supporting The World View
As you know, The World View and Generations ministries are committed to bringing a Biblical worldview back to the news, to family life, and to the education of our children. We are grateful for your trust in the work we do.
As the Lord has blessed you this year, please consider blessing this ministry with a much-needed, year-end donation right now as we continue to declare Jesus as Lord over all. Go to www.TheWorldView.com/give. That’s www.TheWorldView.com/give.
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, December 27th in the year of our Lord 2017. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
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President Trump Makes Frequent Visits to His Company’s Properties
President Donald Trump, who is currently spending a 10-day Christmas vacation at the Florida luxury resort he owns, has visited one of his company’s properties on nearly one-third of the days he has been in office, according to a Wall Street Journal review of the president’s travel.
Of the more than 100 days Mr. Trump has visited one of his properties, he spent nearly 40 at his golf course in Bedminster, N.J., which he visited for much of his two-week August vacation. And he spent 40 days at Mar-a-Lago, his luxury resort in Palm Beach, Fla., where he arrived Friday.
Other presidents have traveled frequently to spend time at their own homes, such as President George W. Bush to his Texas ranch, or his father to Kennebunk, Maine.
Federal Employees Expected to Get a Raise in Salary Next Year
The top paychecks of federal workers are set to grow again next year to a six-figure number that rivals the $174,000 salaries of America’s 535 House and Senate members, reports the Washington Examiner.
Under a new federal order, salaries for most bureaucrats in the General Service will rise next year when the cap on top pay hits $164,000. And senior executive service employees will be allowed to earn a maximum of $189,600.
The average federal worker in 2016 earned $86,365. With benefits, the total compensation was $123,160. The average nonfederal pay in the nation was $58,726, with total compensation at $69,901.
Retail Sales During the Holidays Rise at Best Pace Since 2011
Retailers are enjoying some extra Christmas cheer.
Fueled by high consumer confidence and a robust job market, U.S. retail sales in the holiday period rose at their best pace since 2011, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks both online and in-store spending, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Excluding automobiles, sales rose 4.9% from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve, compared with a 3.7% gain in the same period last year, according to the Mastercard Inc. E-commerce continued to drive the gains, rising 18.1%.
Kentucky Judge Found Guilty of Misconduct After Refusing to Hear Homosexual Adoption Cases
A Kentucky Family Court judge named W. Mitchell Nance who earlier this year said he cannot hear adoption cases involving gay or lesbian couples, arguing that he is looking after the best interests of children, has been found guilty of misconduct, reports the Louisville Courier Journal.
The reprimand, passed by a 4–1 vote, says that the Kentucky code of judicial conduct requires judges to “fairly and impartially decide cases according to the law.”
Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Leaders Warn Against Gender Ideology
A coalition of faith leaders from diverse backgrounds have come together to warn parents not to push gender transition on children, asserting that “gender ideology” is a “false idea” that’s harmful to society because it is “sowing confusion and self-doubt,” reports The Christian Post.
Entitled “Created Male and Female,” Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox leaders wrote, “Children especially are harmed when they are told that they can ‘change’ their sex or, further, given hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile as adults.”
The letter comes months after a coalition of Protestants, mostly evangelicals, released the Nashville Statement which declared, “By and large the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life. We did not make ourselves. We are not our own. Our true identity, as male and female persons, is given by God. It is not only foolish, but hopeless, to try to make ourselves what God did not create us to be.”
Conservative Student Organization Denied Recognition by University of Virginia
A conservative student organization is claiming victory in their effort to reverse a decision from the University of Virginia denying them official recognition, reports The Christian Post.
The Young Americans for Freedom made headlines when the Charlottesville, Virginia-based school denied a renewal of their official recognition due to the group’s policy of limiting members to political conservatives.
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, May Consider Running for President
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to be flirting with a presidential run, traveling to Iowa earlier this month, reports The Week.
According to Politico, many Democrats have no interest in seeing him run. “They think he’s smug. The rap on de Blasio is that he likes to make a lot of noise but doesn’t like to do a lot of work, that he has an oversize sense of his own importance.”
Confronted with his bold failure of a liberal agenda that he initially announced in 2014, the mayor said, “Give me a break. So every time someone tries something and it doesn’t work, it invalidates anything else they might do going forward? Tell Thomas Edison that, and Henry Ford, tell Mahatma Gandhi. How many people fell on their faces along the way trying things, experimenting with things, had setbacks?”
Woman Gives Birth to Baby Girl Who Was Frozen as an Embryo for 24 Years
A 26-year-old Tennessee woman named Tina, who was unable to conceive a child with her husband, is thanking God for an early Christmas gift after she gave birth to a baby girl who spent 24 years as a frozen embryo, reports CNN. Her 33-year-old husband Benjamin is infertile due to cystic fibrosis.
The young couple’s journey into embryo adoption was made possible by a Christian organization founded in 2003 called the National Embryo Donation Center located in Knoxville, Tennessee. An estimated 700,000 to over 1,000,000 human embryos are stored in the U.S. right now.
Actor James Woods Says Barack Obama Is a Muslim
Actor James Woods tweeted the once unmentionable over the weekend about Barack Obama, reports WorldNetDaily.com.
“He is a Muslim. He can deny it, his apologists in the media can refute it, and his enablers can promote a narrative that he is a Christian. It’s a pack of lies. Obama is a Muslim and that is where his allegiance lies. Always has. Always will.”
The statement came in response to this tweet:
“Obama targeted Christian Churches and Conservative Charities with the IRS, but ordered investigations into Hezbollah to be stopped. Let that sink in.”
Chip Gaines Says “Fixer Upper” Show Was Hindering Service to Their Customers
After much speculation, we finally know what prompted Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of the HGTV series “Fixer Upper”, to pull the plug on their popular home improvement show.
According to HelloChristian.com, Chip shared in his book Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff, that one day he received a tweet from a customer which said, “Hey @chippergaines it’s been 3 weeks, and I still haven’t gotten my wreath. What’s up?!”
That tweet truly made him realize that “Fixer Upper” was taking away time from their business and the service they wanted to provide to their customers.
The final season of “Fixer Upper” began on November 21, 2017.