Tuesday, May 30th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Kevin Swanson
14 People Arrested in Connection to Manchester Terror Attack
Further investigations into the terrorist attack in Manchester, England last week have resulted in 14 arrests thus far. The police have identified the suicide bomber as Salman Abedi who had recently re-entered the country from Libya a week before the attack. It was presumed that he made his bomb at the apartment in Manchester.
When The World View spoke to Pastor Paul Hallam from Manchester about the attack last week, he said that some of the arrests of suspects happened very close to his home.
“I was on my way home just on Tuesday evening when I heard the radio station say that a second man had been arrested. The brother of the suicide bomber. He was being arrested where I live. When that happens it’s just unreal.”
Northern Ireland Stands Alone in Opposition to Homosexual Marriage
The Belfast Telegraph reports that Northern Ireland is the only nation left in the United Kingdom which opposes homosexual marriage.
And the recent Assembly election will make it difficult for the nation to continue its stand against the practice. The conservatives require 30 seats, and the March election left them with only 28.
1 John 2:17 says, “The world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.”
Church of Scotland Approves Homosexual Marriage and Apologizes for “Discrimination”
Through a series of votes, the Church of Scotland approved a report which recommended adoption of homosexual marriage and apologized for previous so-called “discrimination” against the sin of homosexuality.
The final vote which adopted the report of the committee was 361 to 94. Sadly, there was no opposition to the apology.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. . . will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Presbyterian Church USA Membership Down 20 Percent Since Approving Homosexual Marriage
The Presbyterian Church USA has lost another 20% of its members in the last three years since the General Assembly voted to allow the officiation of homosexual marriage.
The liberal denomination’s membership is half of what it was in 1984. The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly said the denomination is not dying; it’s reforming.
Cyclone Mora Heads for Bangladesh
Bangladesh is preparing to evacuate one million people in preparation for Cyclone Mora.
In God’s providence, the storm has already killed 130 people in Sri Lanka, and is expected to hit landfall in Bangladesh this morning.
Prime Minister Theresa May Works Out Trade Bill as Britain Exits the EU
British Prime Minister Theresa May is playing hardball on a trade deal with the European Union as Britain takes its exit.
She told Sky News, “No deal” is better than a “bad deal” for the Brits.
In addition, the prime minister has called for another national election in two weeks — in hopes the nation will provide a strong endorsement for her exit strategy.
Remembering Those Who Fought for Our Nation’s Independence
As England exits the European Union, we remember the United States’ exit from England.
Yesterday, on Memorial Day, we remembered the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 in which the American troops lost 49 men.
The American War for Independence came about as Americans opposed the quartering of British troops in their homes and taxation without representation.
Filipino President Declares Martial Law in Wake of Islamist Attacks
Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law on Mindanao Island after radical Islamists conducted military assaults in some of the cities, and kidnapped a Catholic priest.
103 people have died in the violent clashes over the last week.
Protesters Oppose New Texas Immigration Law
Hundreds of protesters crowded into the Texas legislative chambers yesterday in opposition to Senate Bill 4, a law that bans sanctuary city policies in the Lone Star state which was recently signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
It would allow Texas law enforcement officers to request immigration status of any person during traffic stops.
Tiger Woods Arrested for DUI
Golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested in Florida on DUI charges early Monday morning.
After news of his affairs emerged in 2009, the professional golfer has been divorced, has undergone three major surgeries, and has not won a single tournament. Between 1997 and 2008, Woods had won 14 major tournaments.
Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
How Have You Been Blessed by The World View?
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Dr. Steve Hereford, Pastor of Eastport Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, wrote me this email.
“Adam, I love the topics you cover and the Scripture you cite which is relevant to the news. We put a link on our website for others to hear. Thank you for your conservative Christian bias. Keep up the good work. It’s hard to find news presented like The World View.”
Stay tuned for a Special Report by Emily Swanson on Christian missions in South Sudan, Africa immediately following the newscast today.
South Sudan Christian Missions Special Report
By Emily Swanson
Civil war may be raging in Sudan, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is going forward with power. The World View reached out to William Levi, Director of Operation Nehemiah Missions, a Sudanese himself. . . and a man with a heart for ministry in South Sudan.
Levi testifies on their website, www.operationsnehemiah.org, that he received a death sentence at the age of 16 from Islamic radicals for his Christian faith. The Lord provided a way of escape for him in 1985, and he came to America by 1988.
Because of the persecution he endured in Sudan, the Lord placed it on William’s heart to put his engineering career to the side and start Operation Nehemiah missions.
William told The World View that the persecution Sudanese Christians undergo is not surprising.
“To many people this may seem like something new, the persecution of the Sudanese pastors, but to us who are raised there and live through this persecution. Since we got our independence, (the Old Sudan), from Britain in 1955 the Islamic regime had always tried to eradicate the church. Between 55-72, they displaced the people, someone like me who was born in exile, and then we came back in the 80s. Again they attempted to invade the South, destroy the families, burn down the churches, and of course driving the community out into exile. Too many people died for their faith, and of course 4.5 million were displaced.”
However William said that God has miraculously rescued a remnant in Sudan to continue the work of building the church.
“In God’s providence, God was able to rescue or restore a people from the jaws of the Islamic grip. You will never hear of a country that broke free from Islamic oppression especially in the 20th century or in the 21st century. South Sudan did that. South Sudan is now a free country, and our work is going forward.”
One of the most complicating issues for Sudanese Christians is that Sudan is still in the midst of a civil war. And William asserted that the Islamic state has a hand in trying to divide Sudanese against each other.
“We are involved in a civil war. South Sudan is perpetually in a civil war, and the Islamic regime that is holding these pastors have their hand in it. It’s like a house divided. South Sudan is broken up along political interest. But some of the people in the positions are being supported by Islamic governments. So unstable South Sudan is good for the Islamic regime in the north. A stable South Sudan is a threat for them.”
Levi said that the civil war puts the Christian church in a hard place.
“The church herself is in a really difficult situation. Our work has been going on there since 2004. We built a small village and put a pastor in place. God is doing His work among His people there. All these people did return from exile to build their country, but now they are back in exile again. So our work is basically in jeopardy because of the displacement and the war. When you trace the root back, who is behind this, it is the Islamic regime in the North.”
He said that they are not discouraged, but they are praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 for the nation of Sudan.
“I pray that we, the people of South Sudan, who are Christians, the churches, the families, will come to their senses and repent before God like we read in the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 7, and verse 14.
“‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
“So South Sudan right now needs a healing, a healing of a nation. Our ministry, Operation Nehemiah, is there to be a beacon of spreading the gospel, and to bring the good news, and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
William said that the mainstream media thinks that South Sudan is a dangerous place that should be avoided. But he and his family see that as an opportunity to take the good news of Jesus Christ.
“At times you read the mainstream media, and they say, ‘You can not go to South Sudan, because when you go there you go to die and that people have fled the area. You can not just go there. They are trying to make us afraid like those in Nehemiah. They were trying to cause Nehemiah to be afraid as he was rebuilding the wall. But we say, ‘No. Our life is in the hands of God. And He is the One guiding us. He has opened the door for us to minister to the people.’ So we have all the time, in the midst of crisis, when other people are turning away and running away, we went into it.”
William said that their mission is to encourage the church to not escape the spiritual battle field in Sudan.
“So we encourage the indigenous leadership on the ground, the church leadership, not to flee because the church can not run away. Our Christian testimony can only be verified and justified when we stand through the time of trials and testing.”
Ephesians 6:12 says, ‘’For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’
Levi also said that they wanted to introduce family discipleship as a primary focus in this missions trip.
“We do a lot of a family discipleship, restoring the family, and rebuilding one church, one family, one village at a time. Our work there is going forward. When you look around people talk about crisis, but we are there. We are ministering to families and raising up indigenous pastors and asking the young men and young women and young families to work with their own families to manage their own business.”
The Operation Nehemiah ministry has also introduced Christian radio to Southern Sudan.
“In the midst of that we have a radio station, Nehemiah Trumpet Call, 97.3 FM. It is going out to millions of people every day. The gospel is going forward. We spend our time discipling young people to embrace the Lord, and we know that we are called here to be Christ’s ambassadors.”
One of the other hindrances to the work is the United Nations. . . Levi says, they act on the mistaken assumption that they can bring peace without the gospel of Christ.
“They pretend that they are the solution. But more or less they are the root of the problem. They ratchet the tension along tribal lines.”
He said that the U.N. encourages fear among the people, but Levi and his family want to prompt the people to more faith in God.
“So we are saying to the people, ‘No!’ We can not be perpetually on the run and that if we have suffered persecution as Christians, now as Romans Chapter 5, verse one to seven says, all of these things that happen, tribulations, trials and difficulties will come, but that is all the more to test our faith and to give us hope.”
William concluded by encouraging Christians that God can do wondrous things when others tell you to be afraid.
“Even though they tell us not to get in there or else we would get killed; believe me Emily, believe me Miss Emily, it was amazing what God has done there. We met military commanders. We met young soldiers. We meet police officers. Instead they look at us and say, ‘Pastor William Levi, please we want you to be a voice here. Bring the gospel message of reconciliation. You are the leaders of the church. You need to really intercede for the country.”
William shared that many soldiers who are feeling great oppression had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ from the Operation Nehemiah team. He said that the need of the hour is the Word of God.
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.