Wednesday, November 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2016
By Adam McManus.
Persecution of Christians in Nigeria Increasing
Nigeria’s middle belt region is a growing hotbed of Islamic terrorism where thousands of Christians are at risk. The Nigerian Conflict and Security Analysis Network has documented that more than 800 Christians were killed in the span of three years. Some 800 others were injured and 100 churches were destroyed in the relentless Muslim attacks.
The World View spoke with Anieken Ekpo, a Nigerian pastor, who says the faith is growing despite the persecutions.
“Of course like in any church, it has been demonstrated that the blood of the Christian is the seed of the church. These trials make the Christian to be bold and courageous. And it’s even had many Muslims to see the courage in Christianity and become Christians. In fact one Boko Haram repented remarkedly. And when he became a Christian, his family wanted to poison him. In fact they poisoned his food; he ate and did not die. Today he is preaching Christ whom he persecuted. And of course, he has no right to go back to them, so he now runs to the south, and everywhere he gives his testimony.”
Pastor Ekpo offered his counsel for American Christians who are mocked for their faith.
“They should stand with the word of God. They should not shift their ground. Therefore, they should not give in to this in the court of America, declare homosexual, and lesbian, and bisexual, and transgender to be legal. They should not shift their ground. It is not the State or the courts who decide for us what to believe. It is the word of God. So they should stand firm and not shift their ground. We shall see our Lord one day.”
Iraqi Man Describes How ISIS Tortured and Killed His Brother-in-Law
After ISIS seized control of Iraqi territory in 2014 and Iraqi resistance collapsed, Christians were told they should leave, convert to Islam, or pay a special tax. Most fled, but those left behind were subjected to torture, forced conversion, sexual slavery, and even crucifixion.
Christian Today reports on Esam, a father of three, who described the atrocities perpetrated upon his brother-in-law. After torturing his relative for five hours, they cut his stomach open and shot him before hanging him on a cross. Esam said, “He was crucified and tortured in front of his wife and children, who were forced to watch. The Muslims told him that if he loved Jesus that much, he would die like Jesus.”
Pro-Life Petition in Ireland Gets Over Six Times as Many Signatures as Pro-Abortion Petition
It’s the battle of the petitions over the lives of the unborn babies in Northern Ireland. On the side of death, the leftist group Amnesty International has presented 45,000 petitions in support its campaign calling for legalized abortion in Northern Ireland, reports LifeNews. On the side of life, members of Precious Life, a homegrown Northern Irish pro-life group, were in Stormont yesterday morning with over 300,000 petitions on behalf of the pro-life majority in Northern Ireland.
Majority of Millennials Oppose Abortion After 20 Weeks
According to a new poll released last Thursday, nearly 8 in 10 millennials support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, reports the Christian Post. Plus, seven in 10 blacks also support a ban on abortions at that moment in the baby’s life as well. The poll was authorized by the pro-life lobbying group the Susan B. Anthony List and was conducted by The Polling Company, the firm run by Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway.
Franklin Graham Proclaims the Gospel in Myanmar
More than 50,000 people heard the gospel of Christ in Myanmar this weekend as evangelist Franklin Graham preached, reports Christian Today.
“Tonight in a few moments I’m going to invite you to come to Jesus Christ. Tonight your sins can be forgiven. Tonight you can be set free from your sins. And you can go home tonight with assurance that your soul is secure in the hands of God.”
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a southeast Asian country, located below China and between India and Thailand. This heavily Buddhist country has been embroiled in the world’s longest running civil war since 1949.
Trump Now Says He Will Not Pursue Charges Against Hillary Clinton
Despite promises to prosecute Hillary Clinton for breaking the law, President-elect Donald Trump is now saying he will not pursue charges against Clinton, reports Fox News.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former campaign manager, said, “Look, I think he’s thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the President of the United States, and things that sound like the campaign aren’t among them.”
Fastest-Growing Churches Hold to Authority of the Word of God
The fastest growing churches, the churches that are bringing in the millennials, are NOT liberal, they’re not flashy, and they offer a strong critique of popular culture. That’s the scoop on the most recent surveys of the fastest growing churches in Canada and America. Pastors of faster growing churches believe in the authority of the Word of God, they are strongly evangelistic, they hold more firmly to the traditional beliefs of Christianity, and they are more diligent in prayer and Bible reading.
One researcher, Jeff Walton, told the Christian Post that, “Churches offering a strong critique of the prevailing culture are a stark contrast with the world around them . . .People flock to these congregations because they offer something that cannot be found elsewhere — in this case, a message of repentance, transformation and new life.”
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Kim Jong Un Demands End to Nuclear Threats
Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, has written a 9-page letter to President-elect Donald Trump, demanding an end to ‘hostile nuclear threats’.
Christians Plan “Bless Friday” in Contrast to Black Friday
Many Christians are set to participate in ‘Bless Friday,’ a God-centered alternative to Black Friday, reports ChristianHeadlines.com. It’s an effort to transform the materialistic day into an opportunity to serve the homeless and spread Christmas cheer to those in need.
Acts 20:35 says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Doctors in India Save Pregnant Woman and Her Child After She Was Shot Three Times
Doctors in India managed to save a pregnant woman, who was nine months pregnant, and her unborn child this week after she was shot three times in her home on Friday, according to the Daily Mail.
Susheela Kumar, 27, of Mahavir Colony, India, and her baby boy survived; but her husband and his parents both were killed in the same attack. Police are still searching for suspects, but they believe the gunmen could have been members of Susheela’s family who were unhappy with her marriage.
The gunmen, who attacked the family while they were sleeping last Friday, shot the pregnant woman three times with bullets piercing her arm, mouth and pancreas. Because they married outside of social norms, the alleged “honor killing” hoped to save their reputation and honor and to set an example for other children to not dare go against the social norms.
Imprisoned Christian Woman Brings Muslim Woman to Christ
But there are stories of hope in the midst of the Islamic oppression. Meriam Ibraheem was imprisoned for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, reports the Christian Post. Behind bars, she secretly read a Bible someone had smuggled in for her.
Her son Martin, just 20 months old at the time, was jailed with her and her daughter Maya was born while she was in prison. Whenever Ibraheem went to the bathroom, a Muslim woman watched over her son.
When that woman had asked her why she looked so peaceful when Ibraheem read the Bible, the Christian was matter of fact: “This is the Bible. This is why I am in prison, because I believe what is in this book.”
Thankfully, Ibraheem was eventually released as was her Muslim friend who came to Christ.
Ibraheem is now a human rights and religious freedom advocate in the US and has and launched her own charity which raises awareness of persecution and helps women.
Dozens of Farmers Gather to Help Bereaved Grandfather Harvest His Fields
A farming community in Connersville, Indiana stepped up for a grieving grandfather at a time when he needed it the most, reports WXIN-TV. Steve Wollyung’s granddaughter Ayla died this month after getting trapped in a grain wagon.
Time stops when a family faces such a tragedy. But Wollyung is a farmer, and the harvest season waits for no one.
On November 12th, their friend Tara Henry enlisted the help of dozens of fellow farmers to help the Wollyungs, harvesting their 100 acres for them in a record seven hours flat.
Wollyung said, “I couldn’t believe it. All of the support and the number of people wanting to help is just overwhelming. Whatever we needed, they brought.”
Sudanese Family That Got Separated in Refugee Camp Reunited After Four Years
In 2012, a Sudanese woman showed up in Fort Worth, Texas, pregnant and with her two small children, separated from her husband, Dyan, who was unable to leave the refugee camp because the couple had lost their marriage papers while fleeing war. FaithWire reports that Dyan feared he would never see his family again.
Four years later, Dyan was finally granted permission to fly to Dallas/Fort Worth. When he arrived, embracing the 3-year-old son whom he had never met along with his wife and other children, he fell to his knees in the Texas airport looking toward heaven, praising God for answered prayer.
Watch the emotional reunion video http://www.faithwire.com/2016/11/21/sudanese-man-falls-to-his-knees-in-middle-of-texas-airport-to-praise-god-after-emotional-reunion-with-family/
With Thanksgiving just a day away, have you counted God’s blessings in your life?
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.