Thursday, May 5th, in the year of our Lord, 2016.
By Kevin Swanson
Last week, human rights activists exposed more ISIS atrocities at the #WeAreN2016, an international congress on religious freedom. Horrible stories of torture and rape were recounted at the conference. For example, parents received their daughters’ body parts from the Islamic State with video recordings of their torture. In another story, ISIS militants burned down the house of a Christian woman while her daughter was inside. As she died in her mother’s arms, witnesses heard her say, “Forgive them.”
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head” (Romans 12:20).
A massive wildfire erupted in Northern Alberta on Sunday due to high temperatures and low humidity, engulfing the entire city of Fort McMurray. Authorities have evacuated about 88,000 people, including the whole city. Over 1,600 structures have been destroyed, but there have been no reports of death or injury.
Ted Cruz is out of the presidential race, and so is Ohio Governor John Kasich. That leaves Donald Trump as the last man standing in the Republican bid for the presidency. Trump told ABC News that he’s looking for a VP with political experience, and pundits are pointing to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie or Sarah Palin.
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes,” my friends! (Psalm 118:9)
While Donald Trump was collecting votes in Indiana on Tuesday, Franklin Graham was calling for national repentance in Nashville before a crowd of 6,800 people. Graham said, “Unless America turns back to God, repents of its sin, and experiences spiritual revival, we will fail as a nation.” Not a bad spiritual prescription for the country. Franklin Graham is visiting all 50 states in his Decision America Tour 2016. Today he will be in Charleston, West Virginia. Coming up on May 17th and 18th, he’ll be in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Lincoln, Nebraska, respectively. Learn more at www.DecisionAmericaTour.com.
Praise the Lord! Planned Parenthood closed another abortion mill in Dubuque, Iowa, last Friday due to little business. American Life League Vice President Jim Sedlak reported that Christians have been protesting outside that facility every hour it was open for the last eight years.
“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11).
Today is the 65th year that Americans have observed the National Day of Prayer, with an estimated 47,000 events taking place across the nation. The theme this year is “Wake Up America!” To find an event near you, go to www.NationalDayofPrayer.org.
Are evangelical churches ignoring the problems of a declining economy and higher unemployment in this country? Dr. Kevin Shrum, a professor of religious studies at Union University, told The World View that many churches are not ministering to their impoverished lower class neighbors: “First of all, speaking their language—down where they live on the street. I think some churches have become disconnected, and they have programs and they have ministries, but those programs and ministries really don’t reach people and their families.”
The Kentucky Department of Motor Vehicles denied an application by atheist Ben Hart for a specialty license plate with the words “I’m God.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation has contacted the Kentucky DMV on behalf of Ben Hart, requesting that they overturn their decision. Keith Buckout, a public affairs official at the Kentucky Transportation Department, told The World View that the request was not in good taste: “In this case, as it relates to the Ben Hart decision, the committee determined that this plate didn’t meet those requirements and also that it was considered potentially unsafe.”
According to a study released on Tuesday by the British Medical Journal, medical error could account for nearly 10% of deaths in America. Such preventable mistakes by medical professionals could have caused about 251,000 deaths, based on research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The American biotech company Bioquark Inc. has received permission to recruit 20 patients who have been declared clinically dead from a brain injury. Their goal is to test if parts of the patient’s central nervous system can be brought back to life through medical intervention. Company CEO Dr. Ira Pastor described the project as a first of its kind in the reversal of death.
Final victory over death can only come from one place: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
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Tom Uzhunnalil, a priest from Bangalore in India, was kidnapped by ISIS militants back on March 4. By God’s providence, Uzhunnalil remains alive but still in captivity. Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, reported that he was told Uzhunnalil’s “return to freedom is imminent,” but since then the priest has not been released. With Bishop Hinder, we can “hope and pray for him.”
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.