Monday, March 5th, in the year of our Lord 2018

By Adam McManus

Iraqi Christians Forgive Violent Muslim Iraqis

Iraqi security forces have discovered mass graves near Mosul, which include bodies of 40 Christians who had small crosses with them when they were killed by Islamic State terrorists and then buried together, according to the Syriac Orthodox Church, reports The Christian Post.

Iraqi Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil said Iraqi Christians are reaching out to Islamic radicals — with forgiveness, saying, “We forgive those who murdered us, who tortured us, who raped us.”  

Matthew 5:44 says, “But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.”

“Tortured for Christ” Movie Tonight

Speaking of the persecuted, in 1948, a Lutheran pastor named Richard Wurmbrand was arrested in Communist-occupied Romania for preaching the gospel of Christ. He was imprisoned and tortured for 14 years, reports The Holland-Sentinel.

Hired by Voice of the Martyrs to write and direct the film about his life entitled “Tortured for Christ,” John Grooters said, “I’ve never encountered anyone who modeled love the sinner even while hating the sin better than Richard Wurmbrand. He was repeatedly tortured for his devotion to Christ – but he never abandoned his love for others – even his torturers. It’s remarkable!”

It will be shown in theaters tonight, Monday, March 5. Find a theater near you at TorturedforChrist.com.

Man Kills Himself Outside White House

The White House was put in lockdown on Saturday afternoon after a man shot himself dead at the North Lawn, sparking panic inside as staff were told to shelter in place, reports The Daily Mail.

The president, the First Lady and Barron were at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida at the time.

Trump did not mention the shooting, tweeting about the ‘mainstream media’ and the US trade deficit.

Planned Parenthood Desperate to Keep Half Billion Tax Dollars

Planned Parenthood, the baby murder giant, will spend $20 million on their 2018 midterm campaign, its largest ever, as it goes on the offensive.   

The money will target competitive races in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Planned Parenthood, which is in a desperate bid to retain the $543 million in taxpayer funding which they received last year, murdered 321,384 precious babies in 2017, according to their latest annual report.

Special Report on Children with Down Syndrome After the Newscast

Children with Down Syndrome are not a burden, but a blessing. Stay tuned for our World View Special report immediately following the newscast.

George P. Bush Might Lose Texas Race

Tomorrow might be the doom of George P. Bush’s political career in Texas, which would bring to a close his family’s 70-year political dynasty, reports The Guardian.

The young, half-Hispanic grandson of the 41st president, nephew of the 43rd president, and son of a former Florida governor is in a tough GOP primary battle with Jerry Patterson, and a virtual no-show on the campaign trail.

Patterson described Bush this way in the Houston Chronicle. “The guy is cloistered. He’s kind of like Kim Jong-un – he doesn’t get out much unless it’s in a real secure environment.”

Special Report on children with Down Syndrome

Children with Down Syndrome are not a burden, but a blessing. Stay tuned for our World View Special Report immediately following the newscast.

Televangelist Jim Bakker Honors the Late Billy Graham

And finally, controversial televangelist Jim Bakker traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina last Tuesday to pay his respects to the late Billy Graham, who died at the age of 99, reports The Christian Post.

Bakker’s ministry came to a grinding halt in 1987 after he was accused of paying hush money to his secretary Jessica Hahn for an alleged rape, and later served five years in prison for various fraud charges.

The televangelist, who hosts “The Jim Bakker Show” today in Missouri, told WBTV that Graham showed him remarkable kindness while he was in prison.

“One of the most important appointments in my life — Billy Graham came into my prison when I was there. He wrapped his arms around me when I was a mess. I was cleaning toilets at that moment and I was at a very low moment in my life. And Billy Graham walked in and threw his arms around me and said, ‘Jim, I love you.’”

Billy and Ruth Graham even invited Bakker to their North Carolina home after he was released from prison.

“They represented Jesus Christ to somebody the world said was fallen and would never preach again.”

The Grahams exemplified Colossians 3:12 which says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Closing Line

And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Monday, March 5th 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.

Time now for a World View Special Report by Emily Swanson. I’m Adam McManus.

Special Report: Children with Down Syndrome are a Blessing, Not a Burden

By Emily Swanson

The world looks on babies with Down Syndrome as a curse or an extra burden to bear, but The World View talked to Savannah Fine, the older sister of Charlie Fine, a little boy with Down Syndrome, who lived 1.5 fruitful years on this earth before Jesus called him home.  

Savannah told The World View how Charlie transformed their lives.

“When Charlie came into our lives, he came into the world with some complications, and he was in the hospital for a while, but I think through everything he went through.  He just bore it all with such joy. He just had a deep love for all the people that cared for him. It’s hard to explain, but Charlie brought a new level of joy to our lives that is just unexplainable. He was very forgiving. He just had a constant joy in the Lord that was just amazing. He was just a gift from the Lord.” 

Savannah went on to say that our culture misreads people with Down Syndrome.

“I think a lot of people in our culture misread Down Syndrome from a far off and immediately judge them as disabled and immediately label them as Down Syndrome. But when you get to know these precious people, you get to know them – more than just their label or how the world sees them. You get to see them for who God made them to be, and I think that He made these very special people in such a unique and amazing way. They bring a lot into our lives that I think a lot of people miss.” 

Savannah remarked that these children bring SO many valuable things into the world that we often miss.

“These kiddoes bring so much joy and care and compassion and love to people’s lives, and I think we all need to see more of that. They are really neat example to us of unconditional love and being sensitive to others.” 

Savannah said that many of us miss the importance of what these children can teach us.

“A lot of the times, it’s just our own selfishness. We’re so consumed with ourselves, our own agendas, our plans for a ‘perfect world’ or a ‘perfect life’ that we miss slowing down and really taking the time to learn about these special people and to build relationships with these special people.” 

Savannah told a story of encountering a child who had Down Syndrome at an ice cream shop and how he blessed her in a special way.

“I remember it was about a year before Charlie was born, and we were at Coldstone. Our family had just enjoyed ice cream together. As I was headed out the door, I glanced over and there was this little Down Syndrome boy in line for ice cream. He looked at me, he wasn’t afraid or shy; he just looked at me with a sincere smile and got really excited and waved. It just brought so much joy, and I felt so loved by that.” 

Savannah said she came home and asked the Lord for a baby with Down Syndrome when she became a mom, but little did she know what the Lord had in store.  

“I remember coming home and just saying, ‘Lord if it be your will, I would love to have a Down Syndrome child some day.’ I was specifically thinking as a mother one day having one of those. And so when Charlie came into our lives, I just was so amazed by the power of the Lord and that He had heard my prayer and that He had granted the special gift of a Down Syndrome baby into our family.”   

Savannah said that Charlie’s life is a powerful testament to the fact that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made.

“Just the fact that each and every one of us are fearfully and wonderfully made by an awesome Creator, and I don’t think that leaves out children with special needs or Down Syndrome children. I think that includes every single person that enters this world. I just want people to know how special Down Syndrome children are and just what a beautiful gift they are from our Heavenly Father. My prayer is that people would open their eyes and get outside of themselves and really invest in these relationships.”

Savannah concluded with the heartfelt plea that we need these children in our lives.

“I think it’s wrong to just want to abort or to institutionalize these kids. I think they’re precious, and I think we need them in our lives.” 

Psalm 139:14-17, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”  

To read the story of Charlie and the life that God gave him here, go to www.LionHeartedCharlie.org

This has been a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.

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Vietnamese Pastor Suffers in Prison in Pain from Previous Beating

A Vietnamese pastor named Nguyen Trung Ton was abducted by unknown assailants in February 2017, taken to a forest in a mountainous area of Ha Tinh province, where he was beaten in an hours-long ordeal leaving him with a torn ligament and crushed leg muscles, reports Radio Free Asia.

Four months later on July 30, 2018, Ton was arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow the government and charged under Article 79 for his online advocacy of democracy in the one-party communist state.  

According to his wife, Ton is in constant pain from his injuries, coping with blurry vision and a right leg that never healed after previous surgery, saying, “All of this is so unjust.”

Colosseum Lit Up in Red in Support of Persecuted Christians

On Saturday, Rome’s Colosseum was lit in red in support of persecuted Christians, including Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, reports CNN.

Bibi, an illiterate Christian berry picker from a lower caste, was convicted of defiling the name of the false prophet Mohammed because she drank water from the same glass as her Muslim colleagues.

At the Rome gathering, Pope Francis described Bibi, alongside a Nigerian woman who was captured by Boko Haram, as “martyrs.”