It’s Friday, December 27th, A.D. 2019. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Jonathan Clark
50 Myanmar churches re-opened after 100 closed
Over 50 churches in eastern Myanmar are reopening after ethnic rebels shut down over 100 churches in the country’s Shan State last year.
Since September 2018, the rebel United Wa State Army, which has close ties to China, detained over 200 Christians and destroyed 10 church buildings and shut down even more in the Southeastern Asian nation.
Rev. Lazarus with the Lahu Baptist Convention said, “We are very happy, and we thank the Wa authorities for allowing us to reopen the churches. We hope that they will also reopen the rest of closed churches.”
60,000 Christians in Mongolia today vs. 50 at fall of Communism
CBN News recently joined nearly 50 Christians from Russia who are traveling to remote provinces of nearby Mongolia to share the Gospel with those who have never heard it before.
After the fall of communism nearly three decades ago, there were only 10 Christians in Mongolia; now there are about 60,000 believers spread throughout the country. It’s one of the world’s least densely populated countries with just over three million people, many of whom still live nomadic lifestyles.
Russian pastor and missionary Pavel Barsokov led the trip, which he has taken dozens of times, and seen many come to Christ.
Listen to these children recite the Lord’s prayer in Mongolian.
(audio of children reciting the Lord’s prayer in Mongolian)
Psalm 22:27 says, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.”
British parliament votes for Brexit
British lawmakers voted last week in favor of moving forward with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to leave the European Union by January 31 of next year.
The bill now heads to the House of Lords for final approval.
U.S. Zambian Ambassador pulled over homosexuality
The U.S. State Department has withdrawn Daniel Foote, the ambassador to Zambia, over tensions between Foote and the southern African nation on the issue of homosexuality, reports LifeSiteNews.com.
Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu said Foote was no longer welcome in the country after Foote criticized Zambia for sentencing two men convicted of sodomy.
Listen.
LUNGU: “We are saying no homosexuality. Why should you say we’re going to be civilized if we only allow it? Are you saying that we are very primitive now because we are frowning upon homosexuality? Even animals don’t do it.”
President Lungu also said his country was ready to forfeit U.S. aid if it was tied to acceptance of homosexuality.
LUNGU: “Why should we be forced to do it because we want to be seen to be smart, to be seen to be civilized and advanced and so forth. They require help, obviously. For me, I think they’re sick. That’s how I see it, but they need help.”
Supreme Court takes cases on religious classes in public schools
Among its final actions of the year, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases on whether church schools or the government decide who can teach religious classes.
The cases started in 2015 when teachers sued California Catholic schools for letting them go, claiming it was discrimination.
Initially, federal district court judges sided with the schools, saying religious groups cannot be sued for employment discrimination by people who are in ministerial positions.
However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the school’s decisions, saying the teachers’ roles were not religious enough to involve First Amendment protection.
The case now goes before the Supreme Court.
Good News! Michigan’s signatures put pro-life bill up for vote
How would you like some good news? On December 23, the Michigan Values Life coalition submitted 379,418 signatures to the Michigan Bureau of Elections in favor of a ban on killing unborn babies by dismemberment.
This well exceeds the required 340,047 signatures.
If the petition drive is successful, then Michigan’s Republican-controlled House and Senate must consider the dismemberment abortion bill, which would not be subject to a veto by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Last year, nearly 2,000 babies were killed by dismemberment in Michigan.
Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
Global stock markets add $17 trillion in value
Global stock markets added over $17 trillion in value this year, bringing global equities past $85 trillion.
This comes as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank cut interests rates even further as well as the culmination of historic trade deals between the U.S., China, Canada, and Mexico.
Hobby Lobby’s Christmas message: “It’s a boy!”
And finally, for Christmas, Hobby Lobby released an ad in newspapers across the country, pointing people to Christ.
The ad read, “It’s a boy!” with a scripture from Luke 2:11, “Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
The ad also provided people interested in Christianity a way to find out more and to download a free Bible.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, December 27th in the year of our Lord 2019. 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.