It’s Monday, January 24th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Pray for persecuted Chinese Christians during Beijing Olympics
Communist China is hosting the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games between February 4th and February 20th.
In recent years, led by President Xi Jinping, hundreds of churches have been forced to close, pastors and church members have been arrested or detained, and the online sale of Bibles has been prohibited. A campaign to remove crosses from churches continues in one province.
Plus, the government has installed more than 170 million facial recognition cameras, many in or near churches, in an effort to identify those who attend worship services.
The Worldview spoke with Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs about their encouragement to remember to pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted for their faith.
NETTLETON: “Xi Jinping, at the national government level, is driving this persecution, driving these attacks against our Christian brothers and sisters. I have heard that the stated goal of the Chinese government is to be able to locate and identify anyone on Chinese soil within three seconds. So, that is the nature of the surveillance, that’s the nature of the spying on everybody, every place, every time, wherever they’re at.
“But the Christians are using that. I spoke with a pastor in China, and he said he challenges the men in his church. He says, ‘Listen, the government is watching you. Make sure that they’re seeing what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ.’”
Nettleton explained the motivation behind the persecution of Christians.
NETTLETON: “The Chinese government uses the surveillance footage, and all of the information that they collect, to control the hearts and minds of the people. They want you to understand that being a good Communist is your first priority in life. And if you say, ‘I love my country. I pray for the leaders of my country. But my first priority is to follow Jesus.’ They see that as a direct threat. And so they want to know, what are you doing? Where are you going? Who are you meeting with that would encourage you, in their minds, to be disloyal to the Communist Party.”
Add your name to join with those committed to pray for persecuted Christians in China during the first half of February throughout the Olympic Games. Go to PrayForChina2022.com. That’s PrayForChina2022.com.
No doubt the Chinese Christians echo the concerns of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3. “Brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
Remarkably, a Chinese government official has warned that foreign athletes participating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing next month could be “subject to punishment” if they speak out about rights issues, especially against Chinese laws and regulations.
British pastor fired over warning parents against LHBT parade
A British Evangelical pastor who was forced out of his job as a primary school caretaker after posting a tweet warning parents against exposing their children to nudity and sex at homosexual so-called “pride” events had his case heard this week at an employment tribunal in Cambridge, reports The Christian Post.
Pastor Keith Waters’ troubles began after he posted a tweet on June 1, 2019, that said: “A reminder that Christians should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride Month’ events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Christian faith and morals. They are especially harmful to children.”
Biden’s disastrous and misleading press conference
Last Wednesday, President Joe Biden marked his first year in office by giving a rare press conference — during which he made a series of false or misleading claims about his record to date, reported The Washington Examiner.
BIDEN: “In fact, my plan cuts the deficit and it boost the economy by getting more people into the workforce. And so, I don’t think I’ve over promised at all, and I’m going to stay on this track.”
Tucker Carlson of Fox News thought President Biden was divorced from reality.
CARLSON: “My plan cuts the deficit — by spending trillions more. That’ll work!”
BIDEN: “No matter how hard they make it for minorities to vote, I think you’re gonna see them willing to stand in line and defy the attempt to keep them from being able to vote.”
CARLSON: “No matter hard they make it to make it for minorities to vote. That’s the one that sticks out as being completely false, but also utterly divisive. Some percentage of people are going to believe that. To think that your government is making it harder for you to exercise your franchise [or right to vote] because of your skin color. If you wanted to increase hatred and division, that’s exactly what you’d say. And that’s what he said.”
Zeke Miller of the Associated Press asked this question.
MILLER: “Inflation is up. Your signature domestic legislation is stalled in Congress. And a few hours from now the Senate and effort in the Senate to deal with voting reform legislation is going to fail. COVID-19 is still taking the lives of 1,500 Americans every day. And the nation’s divisions are just as raw as they were a year ago. Did you over promise to the American public what you could achieve in your first year in office? And how do you plan to course correct going forward?”
BIDEN: “Why are you such an optimist? Look, I didn’t over promise. What I have probably outperformed what anybody thought would happen. Can you think of any other president who has done as much in one year? Name one for me.”
MILLER: “I’m asking you.”
BIDEN: “I’m serious.”
Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity said that President Trump was dramatically more successful in his first year in office.
HANNITY: “Alright, since you asked Joe, let’s take a look at Donald Trump’s first year in office, shall we? In 2017, President Trump, he signed 117 bills into law that included dozens of major legislative achievements. He repealed the individual mandate in Obamacare. He signed what was the biggest tax cut in American history. He eliminated more regulations than the last eight presidents combined. He opened up oil exploration in Anwar and Alaska. He oversaw massive economic growth. He nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He set a record for first year judicial appointments to federal appellate courts. He oversaw an historic reduction in illegal immigration. He destroyed the [Islamic] caliphate. He also forced NATO members to up their contributions to the military alliance.”
Former Trump advisor Kelly Ann Conway thought his press conference was a disaster.
CONWAY: “Now you know why they don’t let Biden do these press conferences. He didn’t do well. He’s arguing with reporters. For two hours, Joe Biden reinforced why he’s an unpopular president. Why his polling numbers, according to the Gallup poll — 40% approve, 56% disapprove after one year — is the lowest on record. Yes, lower than Donald Trump’s who did not have the mainstream media, pushing for him, covering for him and, of course, voting for him.”
Even leftist CNN political commentator Van Jones thought Biden’s press conference was problematic.
JONES: “I think I’ve got to be honest. You can be a foggy, meandering president, say like Reagan near the end, if you’re winning. But if you’re foggy and meandering on key questions, and you’re also not winning, then you’ve got a real problem.”
And James Rosen of NewsMax asked a question about President Biden’s cognitive ability.
ROSEN: “I’d like to raise a delicate subject, but with utmost respect for your life accomplishments and the high office you hold. A poll released this morning by Politico/Morning Consult found 49% of registered voters disagreeing with the statement, ‘Joe Biden is mentally fit.’ Not even a majority of Democrats who responded, strongly affirmed that statement.”
BIDEN: “Well, I’ll let you all make the judgment whether they are correct.”
ROSEN: “The question I have for you, sir, if you’d let me finish, is why do you suppose such large segments of the American electorate have come to harbor such profound concerns about your cognitive fitness? Thank you.”
BIDEN: “I have no idea.”
That’s when President Biden immediately called on a different reporter with a different question.
Kirk Cameron: “Those who hate God, love death.”
And finally, pro-life Christian actor Kirk Cameron spoke at the March for Life in Washington D.C. last Friday.
After his 4-minute speech, he marched with tens of thousands and recorded this comment.
CAMERON: “The Bible says that those who hate God love death. But we’re the family of faith. We love God and, therefore, we love life. We love children and we love moms and dads and families. And our hope is not in Washington DC. In fact, it’s not in the people who govern us or the laws that we make as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working in the hearts of His people.”
Indeed, God says, in Proverbs 8:36, “All who hate Me love death.”
Cameron explained why his opposition to abortion is so personal to his family.
CAMERON: “This is a super personal issue for me and for my family. My wife, and our first four children, are adopted. Our children could, very easily, have been aborted. We are so grateful to those who have worked so hard in the pro-life movement. Our children are not mistakes. They’re miracles.”
Working with the Kendrick Brothers, Cameron has a new movie project titled “Lifemark,” based on a true story of an adoption that positively influenced many lives.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, January 24th, in the year of our Lord 2022. 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.
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Oscars diversity rules: Progress or patronizing?
The Oscars will require films seeking to qualify for Best Picture to meet new diversity standards in order to be considered, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, reports YahooNews.
The new rules are aimed at increasing representation for underrepresented groups in the film industry.
Starting in 2024, Best Picture nominees must feature women, racial minorities, the sexually deviant, or people with physical disabilities in prominent roles both in front of and behind the camera.
The Academy created four representation categories that will gauge the level of diversity in a film’s cast, its production crew, its marketing team and the opportunities it provides young filmmakers. To qualify, a movie must satisfy two of the four categories.