Friday, December 7th, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Jonathan Clark
Are Christians in Middle East Nearing Extinction?
Are Christians in the Middle East nearing extinction as Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, warned in a recent article for The Telegraph?
The World View spoke to Claire Evans, the Middle East International Christian Concern correspondent, and she said that she’s not convinced the Christian church there is smaller.
“Actually, I’m not completely convinced that it is smaller. In the Middle East, your religion is assigned to you at birth. So we know that Christians that are born into a Christian family; we know that that number is smaller. We have no idea what the number is when it comes to Muslims who have converted to Christianity. There are many people who are working in the field who are doing outreach and ministry work who have seen or reported that there are explosions of Muslims who have converted, but of course, those numbers can’t be reported.”
Evans said to pray for Christians in the Middle East as Christmas time is one of the most difficult.
“The situation for Christians in the Middle East is incredibly challenging, especially this time of the year. It’s Christmas, and this is the birthplace of Christianity. As it gets closer to Christmas, it’s common for us to see an increase of attacks. And we actually have over 100 Iranian Christians who were arrested specifically because it’s Christmas, coming up on Christmas.”
Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
Canadian Pro-Aborts Concede to and Exclude Pro-Lifers
Canadian pro-abortion leaders have amended a program to no longer require organizations seeking summer job grants to support abortion after backlash from faith-based and pro-life groups, reports the Canadian Press.
However, changes to the program also include new language to exclude pro-life groups from receiving the grants.
Eastern/Central Europe Loves God; Western Europe Does Not
A recent survey by Pew Research evaluated 34 countries across Europe for their level of religious commitment including attending religious services, praying daily, saying religion is very important, and believing in God with absolute certainty.
Central and Eastern European countries like Romania, Armenia, Greece, and Poland ranked near the top of the list for religious commitment while Western European countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.K. ranked near the bottom.
Trump and Chinese President on Verge of Trade Deal
In the midst of a trade war between the U.S. and China, China announced on Wednesday that they are confident on reaching a trade deal with the US, reports Reuters.
President Donald Trump echoed the sentiment, following a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Argentina on Saturday.
Gov’t Schools in Michigan, Nebraska, Virginia Censor Christmas
As Christmas approaches, towns and schools face the removal of references to Christ in the name of diversity.
Newaygo Public School District in Newaygo County, Michigan is facing a lawsuit if they don’t take down three wise men and a star that are part of the town’s Christmas display.
Robious Middle School in Virginia is prohibiting Christmas songs “of a sacred nature” that reference Jesus Christ.
And the Manchester Elementary School in Nebraska has banned all Christmas and other religious holiday symbols.
Despite what school administrators may say, Isaiah 9 declares, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. . . . Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”
65-95% of Transgender Kids Change Their Mind Later
Gender researchers are observing a phenomenon they are calling “desistance” where a substantial majority, 65 to 95 percent, of children who pretend to be the opposite gender change their mind later, reports San Francisco public radio station KQED.
Amsterdam researcher Thomas Steensma released a study in 2013, finding 63 percent of the gender-confused teens in the study had changed their minds by the ages of 15-16.
Virginia Tries to Block Homeschooling
Homeschoolers in Virginia are protesting a move by Loudoun County Public Schools to ask the state’s legislature to remove the religious exemption from public education that currently allows thousands of families to homeschool.
Scott Woodruff, the Senior Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association, stated, “This action is very disturbing because it means that the school district wants new ways to control religiously-exempt families.”
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
U.S. Murder Rate Down Dramatically
And finally, in God’s providence, the murder rate in the U.S. this year is on track to see the largest decrease in five years, reports the Washington Post.
Murder rose 23 percent nationally between 2014 and 2016 before leveling off in 2017 and then dropping about 7 percent this year based on data from 66 large American cities.
Close
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Friday, December 7th in the year of our Lord 2018. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldView.com) Seize the day for Jesus Christ.