It’s Friday, February 7th, A.D. 2020. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Boko Haram’s violence created 59,311 Nigerian orphans
Nigeria’s Governor of the Borno state, Babagana Umara Zulum, has spoken out against the Nigerian federal government for refusing to hear the truth about Boko Haram, the Muslim extremist group. Zulum said Boko Haram has created 59,311 orphans and 59,123 widows in their violent rampages.
On Sunday, an estimated five million people participated in a prayer walk across 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states in response to a call from the Christian Association of Nigeria. The march protested the beheading of Pastor Lawan Andimi, chairman of a regional Christian Association of Nigeria chapter. Boko Haram and other Muslim extremists killed over 1,000 Christians in Nigeria last year alone.
Psalm 14:4 asks, “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?”
Trump’s expanded travel ban
Last Friday, President Donald Trump issued an expanded travel ban, targeting immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries. The list includes three Muslim-majority nations.
The other countries are Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine promoted homosexuality
Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed this week that she has retired from the State Department. This comes after the Trump administration recalled her from her post in Ukraine back in May, 2019.
In November, Yovanovitch testified before the House Intelligence Committee in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
It has also come out recently that an American evangelical pastor and dozens of Ukrainian Christian groups sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2018, reports BuzzFeed.
In the letter, Pastor Dale Armstrong and 39 conservative Christian groups called for Yovanovitch to be fired for supporting sexually perverted lifestyles and leading 60 U.S. Embassy Kyiv officials in Ukraine’s annual Homosexual Pride march.
Pompeo launches Int’l Religious Freedom Alliance
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched the first-ever International Religious Freedom Alliance.
Joined by 27 countries, Pompeo said the Alliance would “push the issue of religious freedom forward around the world.”
Pompeo also stated, “Egregious perpetrators of religious persecution have long operated with impunity. The Alliance will unify powerful nations and leverage their resources to stop bad actors and advocate for the persecuted, the defenseless, and the vulnerable.”
Trump at Prayer Breakfast: “God alone is the author of life”
Yesterday, President Trump addressed 3,500 people from 140 countries during the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., commending Pompeo’s Religious Freedom Alliance and the importance of faith and prayer.
TRUMP: “All of us here today reaffirm these timeless truths: Faith keeps us free. Prayer makes us strong. And God alone is the author of life and the giver of grace.”
Trump acknowledged attacks on Christianity and committed to protecting Christians.
TRUMP: “Religion in this country and religion all over the world — certain religions in particular — are under siege. We won’t let that happen. We are going to protect our religions. We are going to protect Christianity.”
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”
California State University ordered to pay Students for Life $243,000
A Students for Life chapter won a major victory against California State University campus of San Marcos on Tuesday.
The university agreed that they would no longer discriminate against pro-life groups and pay the Students for Life $240,000 in legal fees and $3,000 in damages.
During the 2016-2017 academic year, the pro-lifers found that $296,498 of the mandatory student fees went to the Gender Equity Center and the LGBQTA Pride Center while only $6,000 went to the other 100 other student groups, including the Students for Life.
Protestant pastors worry about lack of evangelism, spiritual maturity
And finally, Barna released a new study of the challenges that pastors see facing their churches today.
Half of Protestant pastors said “reaching a younger audience” and “declining or inconsistent outreach and evangelism” are major issues for their ministry. Another concern that has grown significantly for pastors is “low spiritual maturity among churchgoers.”
The study also asked pastors what their greatest concerns for the church at large were. Seventy-two percent said “watered down gospel teachings” and 66 percent said “culture’s shift to a secular age” were major concerns.
2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, February 7th in the year of our Lord 2020. 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.