It’s Thursday, October 21st, A.D. 2021. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Nigerian Christian teen Leah Sharibu still in captivity
Leah Sharibu, the Nigerian Christian teenage girl who was abducted four years ago at the age of 15 by Boko Haram, is reportedly still alive. However, she remains captive by Muslim militants in Nigeria because she refuses to renounce her faith in Christ.
Pastor Gideon Para-Mallam, who is supporting Leah’s family, told Open Doors, “One of my sources who was recently released from Boko Haram captivity, confirmed that Leah was still alive. She was able to see her.”
An estimated 1,000 children have been abducted so far this year in Nigeria, causing 600 schools to close. Open Doors ranks the country as the 9th worst in the world for the persecution of Christians.
Please keep Leah and her family in your prayers.
Hebrews 13:6 says, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Fast and pray today for safe release of 17 missionaries in Haiti
In light of the recent kidnapping of 17 missionaries in Haiti, Christian Aid Ministries, based in Ohio, is calling for believers worldwide to fast and pray today for their safe release.
Pray that the kidnappers in the “400 Mawozo” gang would experience the love of Jesus and turn to Him. And finally, pray that God would work through the government leaders and law enforcement officials on the ground to locate the missionaries.
350 Church of England buildings to be closed or demolished
Analysis by Friends of Friendless Churches found up to 350 Church of England buildings could be closed or demolished in the next five years.
Churches face closures after a year of COVID-19 lockdowns and the loss of tithes and donations. This closure rate would be eight times faster than before the pandemic.
Studies in recent years show fewer and fewer Britons are identifying as Anglicans while more and more are identifying as religiously unaffiliated.
Navy SEALs sue Pentagon over COVID-shot mandate
Forty Navy SEALs are preparing legal action against the Pentagon over its COVID-shot mandate.
These SEALs applied for a religious exemption, but their careers and livelihoods are being threatened for not getting the shot.
Attorney Michael Berry of the First Liberty Institute, which is representing the SEALs, went on Fox News with Tucker Carlson. Berry said the Navy will not recognize religious exemption requests and will punish service members who do not get the shot.
BERRY: “You would think that in this country, the Department of Defense would respect religious beliefs. But, instead, the Navy is using religious beliefs as some sort of ideological litmus test to purge anybody who opposes the vaccine from our military and that’s unAmerican. And it actually really endangers our national security and our military readiness.”
Proverbs 17:15 says, “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.”
Church compensated for COVID restrictions
But here’s some good news.
Jackson County, Missouri agreed to pay Abundant Life Baptist Church $146,750 in a settlement over the county’s restrictive COVID-19 orders.
The church challenged the restrictions in court, saying they discriminated against freedom of religion. The previous COVID orders of Jackson County, Missouri allowed stores, restaurants, and bars to remain open without a numerical limit, but capped church attendance at 10 people.
The county no longer restricts gatherings. And federal court decisions handed down over the past year in similar cases made it unlikely Jackson County would win in court.
Arkansas and Michigan have introduced Heartbeat Bills
Republican Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert plans to introduce a Heartbeat Bill to the state legislature that bans abortions on unborn babies with detectable heartbeats.
The Arkansas Heartbeat Protection Act mirrors the recent Texas Heartbeat Act that has saved thousands of unborn babies from abortion.
And in Michigan, Republican State Rep. Steve Carra introduced yet another Heartbeat Bill. Under that bill, abortionists who violate the law would face felony charges and jail time.
Protestant churches least likely to have COVID restrictions
Pew Research reports 26% of U.S. adults attended religious services in person in the last month. That number increased to 64% among those who typically attend services at least monthly.
At 49%, evangelical Protestants are the most likely group to say their churches are open without any coronavirus-related restrictions.
The survey found most people were more likely to trust their religious leaders as a source of information on COVID shots than they were to trust the CDC, elected officials, or the news media.
Psalm 63:1-3 says, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So, I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.”
Proof that Vikings were in Canada 1,000 years ago
An finally, researchers from the Netherlands and Canada published evidence for a European presence in the Americas exactly 1,000 years ago.
Scientists analyzed wooden artifacts from an ancient homestead in Newfoundland, Canada and concluded Vikings were present in the area in A.D. 1021.
Researchers believe there was a burst of cosmic radiation in the year 993 which is detectable in trees. They used that to pinpoint the time of the Viking settlement in the Americas about 500 years before Christopher Columbus made his famous voyage.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, October 21st, in the year of our Lord 2021. 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.