Thursday, January 4th, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Jonathan Clark
Christians Suffer Severe Persecution in Iran
The Islamic country of Iran ranks eighth on the Open Doors 2017 World Watch List for worst persecution against Christians. Believers there are regularly mistreated, detained, imprisoned, and tortured for their faith. A court in the nation’s capital of Tehran sentenced at least 11 Christians last year to long prison terms up to 10 years.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a message last week, speaking up for persecuted Iranian Christians.
“A few days ago Iran’s foreign minister tweeted: ‘A very happy and peaceful Christmas to all’. I wonder what the Christians jailed this month in Iran would think about that tweet. . . Imagine praying quietly in your home, surrounded by your family – and all of the sudden, armed thugs burst in and drag you away to prison. They torture you merely for practicing your Christian faith. Welcome to Iran. Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ while jailing Christians in your own country is the height of hypocrisy. . . Say a quiet prayer for our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering at the hands of this cruel Iranian regime. We stand with you brothers and sisters. The world stands with you.”
Despite persecution, Christianity in Iran has been growing at an incredible rate, with tens of thousands of Muslims leaving Islam to serve Jesus Christ. Estimates indicate Christians may reach 10 percent of the nation’s population or 7 million people by 2020.
More Anti-Government Protests Break Out in Iran
Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Islamic extremists in the country have suppressed religious freedom and opposed Western influences. Now, a new wave of unrest swept across the country starting last Thursday in the city of Mashhad. Demonstrators marched in protest against rising prices and government corruption. 21 people have died so far, reports the BBC.
Iran’s Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced the defeat of this “sedition” amid pro-government counter-rallies. However, new anti-government protests arose on Wednesday in the city of Malayer with protesters chanting, “People are begging, the supreme leader is acting like god!”
President Donald Trump tweeted support for the Iranian protesters yesterday, promising “great support from the United States at the appropriate time!”
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
North Korea Opens Communications with South Korea
North Korea reopened a hotline with South Korea yesterday that has been closed for nearly two years, reports Reuters. This diplomatic breakthrough comes after North Korea’s Kim Jong Un expressed interest during a New Year’s address in having a delegation from his country participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea.
In the New Year’s speech, Kim Jong Un also stated all of the U.S. is in range of his country’s nuclear weapons, and “a nuclear button is always on my desk.” In response on Twitter, Trump boasted he had a much bigger and more powerful button that works.
Germany Allows Homosexual Couples to Adopt Children
In June of last year, Germany’s parliament voted to introduce homosexual faux marriage, allowing such couples to adopt children.
Two months ago, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ordered lawmakers to introduce a “third gender” category or drop all gender references from public documents, in direct violation of God’s created order. Germany joins Australia, India, New Zealand and Nepal in recognizing an “intersex” identity on documents and is the first to do so in Europe.
Mark 10:6 says, “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’”
FEMA Says Religious Institutions May Apply for Disaster Relief
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday that religious institutions may indeed seek federal natural disaster assistance after several churches filed lawsuits following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
The Trump administration clarified its position on a policy that had prohibited houses of worship from applying for disaster relief. The FEMA policy guide states it will not “exclude houses of worship from eligibility for FEMA aid on the basis of the religious character or primarily religious use of the facility.”
Planned Parenthood Reports Lowest Abortion Rate Since 2007
Abortion giant Planned Parenthood murdered 321,384 babies during its 2016-2017 fiscal year. This is the lowest self-reported annual abortion number since 2007, reports Life Site News.
Taxpayer funding of the murder giant was also reduced from $554.6 million to $543.7 million. However, the company had a record annual income of $1.46 billion, attracting 721,000 new donors.
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has fallen under criminal investigation for the illegal sale of baby body parts.
Proverbs 11:21 says, “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.”
Thomas Fire in California Is Biggest in the State’s History
California’s Thomas Fire is the biggest in the history of the state, burning around 282,000 acres since the beginning of last month. The fire was 92 percent contained though as of Monday, reports CNN.
The charred landscape poses another problem of mudslides in the case of rain. Officials fear with the massive amount of burning, rain could cause destructive slides.
In a related story, California became the first state at the end of last year to approve textbooks in favor of sexually perverted lifestyles in keeping with the state’s FAIR Education Act, informally known as the LGBT History Bill.
German and British Troops Have Been Celebrating Christmas Together Since WWI
And finally, the horrors of World War I came to a halt briefly during the Christmas season in 1914. An incredible, spontaneous truce broke out on the Western front between the warring parties on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Leaving their weapons behind, the British and French soldiers met the Germans in the no man’s land between the trenches, singing carols, exchanging gifts, and even playing games of soccer together. Soldiers on both sides buried their dead and held Christmas services.
One British soldier wrote this on January 5, 1915, “It is a great hope for future peace when two great nations hating each other as foes have seldom hated. . . should on Christmas day and for all that the word implies, lay down their arms. . . and wish each other happiness.”
A century later, German and British troops still gather to play soccer and celebrate Christmas.
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, January 4th 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. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.