The pagan prayer at the GOP Convention, Secret Service knew BEFORE Trump took the stage there was a threat, The evangelistic outreach during the Paris Summer Olympics

It’s Thursday, July 18th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus

Persecution of Christians in Turkey

Protestant churches in Turkey are facing increasing hostility from the government.

In a recent example, officials prohibited the Diyarbakir Protestant Church Foundation from acquiring land already zoned for religious buildings. 

Alliance Defending Freedom International is defending the church. 

Kelsey Zorzi with ADF International said, “What we are seeing in Türkiye is a troubling display of blatant, faith-based discrimination against Christians. … Authorities keep finding ways to deny their request since they are Christians. … The discrimination must stop.”

According to Open Doors, Turkey is the 50th most difficult nation worldwide in which to be a Christian.

The evangelistic outreach during the Paris Summer Olympics

(audio of Olympic theme song)

The 2024 Summer Olympics begin later this month in Paris, France.

A network of Evangelical churches are working to share Christ during the international event. Ensemble 2024 is a “coalition of churches, ministries and individuals all seeking to make Christ known in word and deed during the Olympics.”

Matthew Glock is the group’s national coordinator. He told Evangelical Focus people can pray for prepared hearts: “May God be pleased to use our efforts to bring the truth [of the] Gospel to those He has prepared. May many come to faith.” 

Secret Service knew BEFORE Trump took the stage there was a threat

In the United States, another brutal development in the Trump assassination attempt investigation.

Fox News reports that federal agents knew there was a threat to the former president’s life ten minutes before he took the stage. But they still allowed him to proceed with the rally. Plus, they had identified the shooter a full hour before the assassination attempt because he was spotted with a rangefinder by authorities.

Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee tweeted, “I just got off a briefing with the Secret Service and FBI. I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage. I have no confidence in the leadership of Director [Kimberly] Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our nation if she steps down from her position.”

The pagan prayer at the GOP Convention

Bible-believing Christians were understandably irate that a pagan prayer was part of the opening night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week.

Republican attorney Harmeet Dhillon of San Francisco, California chanted a prayer to Waheguru, the god of Sikhism, an Indian religion founded in the 15th century.

Listen to how she explained the prayer.

DHILLON: “I come from a family of Sikh immigrants. I am honored to share with you, my fellow Republicans and guests tonight, a prayer from my faith tradition, practiced by over 25 million worldwide.

“We recite the Ardās prayer before any new endeavor, giving thanks to god and asking for his protection and help to uphold the values of humility, truth, courage, service, and justice for all.”

Ironically, Sikhism claims to be both monotheistic and pantheistic. Sikhs believe that their false god is simultaneously within everything and is all-encompassing. 

Before Dhillon translated her pagan prayer into English, she sang it. Here is how the first nine seconds sounded.

(audio of a portion of the sung prayer)

Harmeet Dhillon then translated the whole prayer, the first four sentences of which follow.

DHILLON: “Dear Waheguru, our one true god. We thank you for creating America as a unique haven on this Earth, where all people are free to worship according to their faith. We seek your blessings and guidance for our beloved country. Please bless our people with wisdom as they vote in the upcoming election.”

Truth be told, Waheguru is absolutely not the one true God!

Ben Zeisloft, editor of the Republic Sentinel, declared, “America must turn to the Triune God. Not to Allah. Not to Vishnu. Not to ‘Waheguru.’ Jesus Christ alone is Lord, King, and Judge of all the Earth. We must repent and trust in Him or else expect His righteous judgments.”

1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 

According to the Christian Research Institute, Sikhs teach that the nature of humanity is essentially good. By contrast, Christians teach that the nature of humanity is sinful.

Sikhism emphasizes good works as the way to attain liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. By contrast, Christians emphasize that we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, as explained in Ephesians 2:8-9. Salvation is the free gift of God for the undeserving sinner because of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross.

California teachers allowed to hide student’s transgenderism from parents

This week, California became the first state to allow teachers to keep a students’ so-called gender identity or sexually perverted preference hidden from parents.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk called it the last straw. He said, “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its Headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.” 

Musk also plans to relocate X, formerly known as Twitter, from San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Senator Bob Menendez guilty of taking gold and cash bribes

On Tuesday, a Manhattan jury convicted U.S. Democrat Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey in a corruption trial.

Menendez faced accusations of receiving bribes in the form of gold and cash from New Jersey businessmen as well as being an agent for the Egyptian government. 

The Associated Press reports the jury found him guilty of bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. Menendez denied the charges and said he would appeal. 

Anniversary of beheadings of 12 bold North African Christian martyrs

And finally, this week is the anniversary of the deaths of the Scillitan Martyrs.

They were a group of 12 North African Christians who died for the faith in Christ on A.D. July 17, 180.

A Roman proconsul put them on trial in Carthage. They were carrying the books and letters of the Apostle Paul. When asked to swear by the name of the emperor, one of the Christians said, “I recognize not the empire of this world; but rather do I serve that God whom no man hath seen, nor with these eyes can see.” 

He was referencing 1 Timothy 6:16 which says of God: “Who alone has immortality, Who dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

The courageous seven men and five women were beheaded for refusing to deny their Savior. 

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, July 18th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Join me Adam McManus, and my two sons, Honor and Valor, at the Colorado Father-Son retreat Thursday, August 15th through Sunday, August 18th. Go to ColoradoFatherSon.com. 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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