Thursday, April 12th, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Jonathan Clark
South Korean Missionaries Risk Their Lives
Rev. Kim Kyou Ho with the South Korean-based Chosen People Network has said 10 frontline missionaries have died in recent years. Dozens of missionaries are engaged in such dangerous ministry efforts along the border from China and South Korea into North Korea.
One Korean-Chinese woman has carried on 20 years of ministry to North Korean women despite being monitored by authorities. She told The Durango Herald, “I always pray and I’m with God, so I’m not worried.”
Please pray for these bold brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3, “Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful.”
French President Gives Surprise Message to Bishops
France is proud of its so-called “laïcité” or secularism in state affairs.
But French President Emmanuel Macron drew criticism after telling a meeting of French bishops on Monday, “the link between church and state has been damaged . . . the time has come for us, both you and me, to mend it.”
First Came Gun Control. Now, Knife Control?
Apparently, the human heart is the problem.
With some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, the UK is now seeing a majority of murder incidents involving knives. Fifty people were killed in London this year, mostly from knife attacks. And in the last couple of months, London homicides overtook New York City for the first time.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is calling for knife control now!
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
Daleiden’s Attorney: Planned Parenthood and Nazi Party Similar
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to retract the gag order placed on David Daleiden, preventing him from releasing any further undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of baby body parts.
The World View spoke to Tom Brejcha, (pronounced BREKK-uh) President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society, that is handling Daleiden’s case.
“The way matters go in the courts these days especially complicated cases in the federal courts, this is early in the case. The Supreme Court didn’t take our appeal now, but we think they’ll take it if we need to appeal if we don’t win in the lower courts, when we get to a final judgment.”
Brejcha also on why the trafficking of baby body parts is often ignored.
“The truth is ugly, gruesome. I grew up in the shadow of the second World War and the Holocaust and the awful tragic terrible things people found out that were going on in Nazi Germany. And I know some people get angry when you compare the abortion slaughter of the innocents to the terrible crimes the Nazis committed against Jews, but what is the same is the fact that the society, a civilized society, at least we thought it was, Germany, how is it they said they didn’t know what was going on in the death camps? Here we have this awful gruesome reality going on where infants; their body parts being used for gruesome research.”
Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
Anchorage, Alaska Welcomes Transgendered Bathrooms
Voters in Anchorage, Alaska opened the doors for forced transgender bathrooms in their city.
In a first for the nation, Alaskans narrowly voted down the Proposal 1 measure last week that would have required people to use the bathroom corresponding with their biological gender and allowing private businesses to make their own policies.
U.S. Catholic Church Attendance Dropped Dramatically
U.S. Protestants are now more likely to attend weekly services than Catholics, according to a new Gallup poll.
Catholic weekly attendance is at 39 percent, down from 75 percent in 1955, while Protestant weekly church attendance is at 45 percent, slightly up from 42 percent in 1955.
Sneak Peek: What Motivated Paul Ryan to Announce Retirement
House Speaker Paul Ryan announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election. For him, it’s all about a major shift in priorities. Stay tuned for my World View Special Report immediately following today’s newscast.
A College Football Team’s Prayers for President Trump
And finally, on Tuesday, the University of Alabama football team visited the White House after their national championship last year.
Player J.K. Scott asked if he could pray for President Donald Trump and his staff. WBRC’s Christina Chamber captured the moment of players surrounding the president and praying together which we have linked in our transcript today at www.TheWorldView.com.
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, April 12th 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.
Special Report: Paul Ryan Doesn’t Like Being “Weekend Dad”
Time now for a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus
By Adam McManus (adam@TheWorldView.com)
US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan announced yesterday that he will not be running for re-election in November, but he will serve out the remainder of his term through January, 2019.
The World View was struck by Speaker Ryan’s reason. It wasn’t some generic reference to spending time with family.
Roy Cohen, author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, said, “This is a tactic often used by politicians and executives to cover up an awkward exit.”
Cohen told Moneyish.com, “Usually when people are getting fired, and their companies are trying to offer them a soft landing, they’re limited in how much they can say. So they’ll fall back on leaving for ‘personal reasons’ or ‘family reasons’. But we hear this so often that no one believes it anymore.”
However, in Speaker Paul’s case, I don’t believe that he’s covering up an awkward exit.
Two things struck me.
First, he took the job of Speak of the House reluctantly. And second, he made a compelling case about his desire to be a more present father to his three teenagers — Samuel, Elizabeth, and Charles. Right now, they only know him as a weekend father when he flies home to Wisconsin every weekend from Washington, DC.
Practically speaking, it’s almost as though he’s living life as if he were divorced and only gets to see his kids on the weekends.
As UrbanMilwaukee.com reports, Ryan is one of 40 members of the House of Representatives — mostly Republicans — who sleep on cots in their offices during the work week. He is the highest ranking member of the Couch Caucus, choosing to sleep in his modest Longworth Office Building space rather than in the tobacco-stained palatial Capitol building office left to him by departing Speaker and chain smoker John Boehner.
Listen to Speaker Ryan explain.
“This has been one of the two greatest honors of my life. The job provides incredible opportunities, but the truth is it’s easy for it to take over everything in your life. And you can’t just let that happen. Because there are other things in life that can be fleeting as well: namely your time as a husband and a dad, which is the other great honor of my life.
“That’s why today I’m announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House.
“I have been a member of Congress for almost two decades. This is my twentieth year in Congress. My kids weren’t even born when I was first elected. Our oldest was 13 years old when I became speaker. Now all three of our kids are teenagers. One thing I have learned about teenagers is their idea of an ideal weekend is not necessarily to spend all of their time with their parents. What I realize is if I am here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as a weekend dad. I just can’t let that happen.
“So I will be setting new priorities in my life. … Some of you know my story—my dad died when I was 16, the age my daughter is. And I just don’t want to be one of those people looking back on my life thinking, ‘I should’ve spent more time with my kids.’ When I know if I spend another term, they will only know me as a weekend father.”
Frankly, Ryan’s reference to his own father dying when he was just 16, the same age as Ryan’s daughter Elizabeth today, struck a truthful and poignant chord.
And, truth be known, Ryan’s fear and possible regret if he doesn’t re-prioritize his life is one shared by a majority of fathers. According to Pew Research, 63% of fathers say they spend too little time with their children, and 62% blame work obligations for missing this family time.
I’m reminded of the powerful truth articulated in Malachi 4:6. “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” Ryan’s heart is clearly being turned toward his children.
If you’re a father, maybe it’s time to take a self-inventory about the time you invest in your job, your hobbies, your marriage, your children, and your relationship with God. Is it time for a major overhaul? How can you build more margin into your life?
Job 14:5 says “A man’s days are numbered.” Are you living your life as though your days on Planet Earth are eternal?
When you take your last breath before God calls you home, will you regret that you didn’t spend more time at the office? Or will you regret that you didn’t spend more time with your children?
If God has convicted you, and you plan to make any changes, large or small, email me at Adam@TheWorldView.com so that I can share a sampling of feedback to encourage other fathers. Please include your city and state.
This has been a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.