It’s Wednesday, July 28th, 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

Two Cuban Evangelical pastors freed from prison

Praise God! The two Cuban Evangelical pastors who were imprisoned recently for joining protests against Communism are now free. Yéremi Blanco and Yarián Sierra still face charges and a trial though.

The director of the seminary, where both pastors work, said, “God has given us His answer. Only God can open the doors of prison.”

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, 32 Christian students are now free who were kidnapped from Bethel Baptist High School earlier this month. Please pray for thousands more who remain in captivity.

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles did not compete with U.S. team

(audio of Olympic theme song)

The Tokyo Olympics are in full swing now. Medal events have taken place in 15 out of 46 sports.

As of yesterday, the U.S. had raked in the most number of medals at 25, followed by Japan and China. Japan has taken the most gold medals so far at 10, followed by the U.S. and China, which are tied at nine.

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, age 24, withdrew from the team competition following one rotation, opening the door for the team of Russian athletes to win gold for the first time in nearly three decades, reports The Associated Press.  Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum guided the U.S. to silver while Biles cheered from the sideline in a white sweatsuit, at peace with a decision that revealed a shift not only in Biles but perhaps the sport she’s redefined.

She said, “We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day we’re human, too. So, we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”

Open Doors reminder: Pray for Christians in 49 hostile countries

As people across the world watch the Olympics, persecution watchdog group Open Doors is asking Christians to remember their persecuted brothers and sisters. Of the 206 competing countries at the Olympics, 49 of them are on the Open Doors World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

And with eyes turned on Japan, Japanese Christians are calling on the global church to pray for a spiritual awakening in their country. Less than one percent of people in Japan attend church. The Japan1Million event is calling for a million hours of prayer. You can join the event through a link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com.

Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

Ireland rejects bill to legalize assisted suicide

Ireland’s Oireachtas Justice Committee recently rejected a bill to legalize assisted suicide.

Most professional medical bodies strongly opposed the measure, deceptively called the “Dying with Dignity Bill.”

However, the committee left the option open for reintroducing the bill. Pro-life advocates expect more battles over the killing bill disguised as compassion.

Proverbs 12:10 says, “The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

Former Senator Barbara Boxer assaulted and robbed

Former California Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer, age 80, was assaulted and robbed by a teenage boy near Oakland’s Jack London Square Monday, reports CBS 5.

A post on Boxer’s Twitter page said, “The assailant pushed her in the back, stole her cell phone and jumped into a waiting car. She is thankful that she was not seriously injured.”

The strong-armed robbery happened near her home around 1:15 p.m. Monday afternoon. She was out walking and talking on her new iPhone that she just bought on Saturday. She said she did not see a weapon on the teenage boy.

Boxer walked a couple of blocks to a Verizon store after the robbery to call police. A Verizon worker, Joseph Hauken, said she “was shaking, very scared, traumatized. Just in distress, emotional distress.”

Christian football coach takes prayer case to Supreme Court

A high school football coach, who lost his job for praying after a game, is taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Bremerton School District in Washington State suspended Coach Joe Kennedy in 2015 for praying silently on the field after a game.

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to rehear arguments in the case.  Represented by First Liberty Institute, Kennedy now takes his case to the Supreme Court for a second time since 2019.

Ainseley Earhardt, a Christian reporter at Fox News, asked Kennedy what impact the legal battle has had on his faith in God.

EARHARDT:  “The Bible talks about we will be persecuted if we stand for Him. Has this tested your faith or has it made you stronger?”

KENNEDY: “It’s absolutely made me stronger. Not just mine, but also my wife’s and all of our kids and everybody around us because we really can see the battle that’s going on today over something so simple, like your First Amendment rights. So, yes, I’ve had to dig in and trust God to get us through.”

2 Timothy 3:12 says, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Michigan Senate and House strip Gov. Whitmer of COVID Tyranny

Michigan’s Republican-controlled House voted last week to repeal the state’s Emergency Powers Act of 1945. Michigan’s Senate voted similarly the week before.

The measure came to the state as a citizen petition drive which means Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot veto it.

Whitmer used the Emergency Powers Act to institute controversial lockdown measures and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican House member Jason Wentworth stated, “Hundreds of thousands of our families, friends and neighbors changed Michigan forever when they decided they had enough and stood up to make a difference. They deserve a state government that is willing to do the same.  … That’s why we had their back today and put this petition into law.”

U.S. homeschooling has tripled since 2019

And finally, the Washington Post reports the number of children being homeschooled in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 2019.

This increase of homeschoolers was especially evident among Black, Asian, and Latino students.

Since 2019, homeschooling rates have jumped from 1% to 8% for Black students and from 2% to 9% for Hispanic students. For White families, homeschooling doubled from 4% to 8%. And among Asian students, homeschooling increased from 1% to 5% since 2016.

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, July 28th, 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.