Thursday, March 14th, in the year of our Lord 2019.
By Jonathan Clark
Chinese Leader: “One More Christian, One Less Chinese”
On Monday, a senior Chinese official in charge of state-sanctioned churches in the country promised to wipe out any “Western” influence on the Protestant church in China, reports Inkstone.
Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, said, “Some believers lack national consciousness, and that’s why we have the saying: ‘one more Christian, one less Chinese’.”
This comes in the wake of severe crackdowns on house churches by Chinese officials leading to the arrests of hundreds of Christians as the government implements a five-year plan to “sinicize” Protestant churches.
The push to “Sinicize religion” – introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2015 – is an attempt by the officially atheist party to bring religions under its absolute control and into line with Chinese culture.
However, Christians in China have stood strong for their faith.
Sam Brownback: Chinese Communists Must Hear Cry of People
In a related story, Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, visited Hong Kong last Friday, calling out China for its abuses of Christians and other religious minorities.
Brownback said, “It seems that the Chinese government is at war with faith. It’s a war they will not win. The Chinese Communist Party must hear the cry of its people for religious freedom.”
Psalm 2:1-2 says, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed.”
London Suburb Bans Prayer, Pro-Life Counseling Outside Abortion Mill
The south-west London borough of Richmond voted last week to ban prayer and pro-life counseling outside of the BPAS abortion center on Rosslyn Road, Twickenham. It is the second London council to do so after Ealing.
Pro-lifers have been active outside the abortion mill for ten years, and present nearly every day since September 2013. Claire McCullough, director of the Good Counsel Network, said this vote violates their free speech rights.
Austria’s Lutheran Evangelical Church Shakes Fist at God
The Synod of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Austria voted 45 to 18 to allow for homosexual couples to be blessed in a public service, reports Evangelical Focus.
Many expect a split in the Protestant church in Austria over the issue.
Nigerian 4-Story School Collapses, 100 Kids Trapped
A four-story school in the Nigerian city of Lagos collapsed on Wednesday, killing 10 people and leaving over 100 children trapped in the debris.
A rescue official told the BBC that about 40 children have been rescued as of yesterday.
U.S. Diplomats Pulled Out of Venezuela
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday the U.S. is pulling their last diplomats out of the embassy in Caracas, Venezuela after four days of electrical blackouts in the country, reports the Associated Press.
This comes as the Trump administration leads an international effort to replace socialist President Nicolas Maduro with opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Maduro’s socialist dictatorship has led to social unrest, huge food shortages, and economic devastation.
Generation Z, Millennials warm to socialism
Meanwhile, Generation Z, along with Millennials, are more accepting of socialism than previous generations, reports Axios based on a new Harris Poll.
Seventy-three percent of Gen Z’ers support government-funded universal health care, 67 percent support government-funded tuition-free college, and 49 percent would prefer living in a socialist country.
Psalm 146:3-4 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.”
Ohio Law Banning Taxpayer Money to Planned Parenthood Upheld
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to uphold an Ohio law banning public funding for abortion giant Planned Parenthood, reversing a lower Cincinnati court ruling, reports CBN News.
The ruling could result in a U.S. Supreme court case.
In response, Ohio Right to Life took to Twitter to call on Ohio’s Department of Health to cease any funding of facilities where babies are murdered in the womb.
121-Year Anniversary of Death of Christian Leader George Mueller
And finally, this week marks 121 years since the death of George Mueller, a German preacher who founded an orphanage that cared for about 10,000 children in his life, a ministry founded in faith and prayer.
Mueller was born in the Kingdom of Prussia and moved to England where he founded the Scripture Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad to distribute Bibles and support missionaries.
Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, March 14th in the year of our Lord 2019. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldView.com) Seize the day for Jesus Christ.