Monday, January 9th, 2017 in the year of our Lord 2017.
By Adam McManus
Chinese Christian Pastor Receives 2.5 Year Sentence
A Chinese Christian pastor has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on charges of “divulging state secrets.”
Pastor Yang Hua of the Huoshi Church was initially detained in December 2015 after he attempted to stop Chinese government officials from confiscating computer hard drives from his church. Hua reportedly suffered torture while in prison and human rights groups such as China Aid have condemned his imprisonment.
Despite the trials he is under, Hua remains committed to his Christian faith. In a letter to his wife last June, he wrote: “Our wonderful God, our Lord forever. Who can guess His wisdom and mystery…’
Some rely on chariots, some on horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.”
Open Doors Reaching Out to Sex Trafficked Korean Women
Christian ministry and persecution watchdog group Open Doors is reaching out to sex-trafficked North Korean women. According to Christian Today, the ministry helps
200 abused women every year. Many North Korean women are reportedly sold into marriages or sex slavery across the border in northeast China. And some have been forced to witness executions of family members by North Korea’s totalitarian authorities. North Korea remains at the top of the list on Open Doors’ 2017 “World Watch” for Christian persecution for the 15th time in a row.
Israeli Soldiers Attacked in Jerusalem
A Palestinian rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers visiting a popular tourist spot in Jerusalem yesterday. Four killed and at least 15 wounded in a what appears to be a copycat of the Berlin and Nice terror massacres reports the Daily Mail.
Suspected Killer in Ft. Lauderdale Shooting Facing Possible Death Penalty
The suspected killer in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida rampage could face the death penalty, reports CNN. 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was charged Saturday in a federal court with performing an act of violence at an airport.The FBI announced that Santiago apparently traveled to the airport on a one-way ticket for the purpose of carrying out the bloody rampage which left five dead and six injured.
Paula White Asserts Her Belief in the Divinity of Christ
Televangelist Paula White is one of six religious leaders participating in Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. Now she has responded to critics who claim that she is a “Trinity-denying heretic,” reports the Christian Post.
It was Erick Erickson, a major player in the “Never Trump” movement, who called White a “prosperity gospel charlatan,” and that she has rejected “Christianity itself” by denying “the orthodoxy of the Nicene Creed.” In a new statement, White affirmed the divinity of Christ and the Trinity. And she says she does not believe in the ‘prosperity Gospel.’”
However a sermon on the ministry’s website is entitled, “Why God Wants You Wealthy.”
Planned Parenthood CEO says American Women ‘Need Abortion.’
Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards has been making her rounds in the mainstream media again this week to claim that her abortion business needs $500 million of our tax money each year.
Richards framed her defense of taxpayer-funded abortion on CNN with Erin Burnett over the weekend.
BURNETT: “Do you agree that Planned Parenthood, Cecile, is core to abortion in America?”
RICHARDS: ”Yes, we provide abortion. We think it’s important. It’s a legal service that women need access to in this country.”
An analysis of Planned Parenthood’s reports from the past 10 years found that its client numbers have dropped 14 percent, birth control dispensing is down 14 percent as well.
At the same time, its taxpayer funding went up 103 percent, and the number of abortions performed rose 27 percent. Also, Richards’ salary nearly doubled to $1 million over the last five years, according to IRS forms.
“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil. . .” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
Reverend Al Sharpton Reacts to Nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions
Rev. Al Sharpton, the leftist activist, has promised a “season of civil disobedience” in reaction to the nomination of Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama for attorney general in the Trump administration.
U.S. Navy Builds 300+ Ships To Meet Possible Threats
With President-elect Donald Trump calling for more ships, the Navy is also asking to build 355 ships to meet threats from a resurgent Russia and saber-rattling China, reports the Associated Press.
US Drops a Record Amount of Bombs in Obama’s Last Year
Despite President Barack Obama’s attempt to draw down America’s military presence abroad and resistance to committing ground troops to Syria, an analysis of Defense Department data reveals that the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs last year, which is 3,027 more than in 2015.
Homosexual Movie That Encourages Perversion Wins ‘Golden Globe Award’
A homosexual movie that encourages sodomy for young boys, received top honors at the 74th Golden Globe Awards ceremony last night. “Moonlight,” received the award for Best Drama Film of the year. Jimmy Fallon, Meryl Streep, and others of
Hollywood’s elite took up considerable time at the Awards Ceremony bemoaning the election of Donald Trump.
Here’s a message for Hollywood: — “He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Proverbs 22:8)
Iowa Church is Enlivened by Serving Refugees
An Iowa church has been transformed and revitalized after they heeded God’s call to reach out to refugees within their community based on Luke 14 to bless people who couldn’t bless us back, reports CBN News.
Today, Zion Lutheran holds services in Burmese, Arabic, and Swahili.
Pastor John Kline said, “It’s a place where if you’re thirsty, you’ll get something to drink, if you’re hungry, you’ll get fed, if you don’t have a place you’ll find a place, and if you don’t have a family, you’ll join ours.”
Another Chibok Girl Released
Almost 1,000 days since she was kidnapped with 275 other schoolgirls from school dormitories in Chibok, northeast Nigeria, the 24th girl to be released from captivity has been found, reports World Watch Monitor. Rakiya Abubakar Gali was discovered on January 5th by the Army, who were questioning captured Boko Haram militants. She has a six-month-old baby. The mass abduction in April 2014 eventually generated headlines around the world and fueled a social-media storm, with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls. 195 are still missing.
Chip and Joanna Gaines Respond to Buzz Feed Controversy
HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, the married Christian co-hosts of Fixer Upper based in Waco, Texas, were targeted by homosexual activists because they attend a church whose pastor described homosexual behavior as sinful.
In a new blog post on Magnolia Market, Chip wrote, “We care about you for the simple fact that you are a person, our neighbor on planet Earth. It’s not about what color your skin is, how much money you have in the bank, your political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or faith.”
Gaines said that 2017 was the year to “change the conversation” and build bridges, along with seeking healing and compassion. Yet, he reiterated his point that the world must learn how to “lovingly disagree.”
In Mark 10:6-7. Jesus cites the law of Moses, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.”
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes.