It’s Monday, April 25th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Syrian Christians begging for Bibles
Even though the public threat of ISIS has largely subsided in Syria, Christians still grapple with daily persecution that may become violent, reports International Christian Concern.
Every Christian in Syria lives with the constant realization that Islamic extremists have not necessarily left Syria—they’ve just retreated into the shadows.
As the Christian population of Syria has diminished due to the civil war, more and more Syrian Christians come from a Muslim background. This makes them additional targets because the government wants to ensure there is no social upheaval caused by religious conversion, and families and communities may reject, punish or even attack Christians who convert from Islam.
Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern, explained how they helped.
KING: “ISIS was in there. And that means they were attacking Christian areas, and so many churches, so many homes were destroyed, homes of Christians.
“So, because of that, there was a call. They came to us and said, ‘We need Bibles.’ And so we sent in a shipment of a couple hundred Bibles to the Christians there. That is a wonderful thing. There’s elderly that have lost their Bibles. And you can imagine what it means to get the word of God back. And then there’s the new people, the new people who have never read the Bible, when they get a Bible.
“What do you think happened? They’ve heard Jesus taught about, but then what happens? They see the real Jesus, and He will always draw people. Once people see who He is, He draws people. That’s the amazing thing about the Scriptures. And that’s why I say it’s spiritual fertilizer.
“Anywhere you spread the scriptures, two things are going to happen. First of all, Christians are going to spring up and the Christians that are there are going to go deeper. That’s why the scriptures are desperately needed, and why we send them out into the toughest places in the world as well as the Gospel.”
You can help provide Bibles through International Christian Concern by using a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com.
Syria is the 15th worst nation in the world for the persecution of Christians.
Macron wins re-election in France
Emmanuel Macron, age 44, was elected to a second term as French president on Sunday evening with 58.8% of the vote, reports France24.com.
His conservative challenger, Marion Anne Le Pen, age 53, won 41.2% of the vote in the election.
Mass grave with 9,000 bodies discovered outside Mariupol, Ukraine
Satellite imagery has revealed what looks like a mass grave outside the port city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, reports the Christian Post.
It is 20 times larger than another mass grave that was discovered earlier this month in Bucha and could contain as many as 9,000 bodies.
The Mariupol City Council has posted satellite images on Telegram that point to the mass gravesite located just 12 miles west of Mariupol, which is now largely controlled by Russian troops, reports National Public Radio.
Amos 5:24 says, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Mask mandates make comeback to U.S. college campuses
Two months after the federal government eased mask recommendations for most Americans, some colleges have reinstated mask mandates, citing surges in COVID-19 cases on their campuses, reports The Epoch Times.
Several prominent institutions—including American University and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; Columbia University in New York; Johns Hopkins University in Maryland; and Rice University in Texas, to name a few—have brought back indoor mask requirements that were phased out not too long ago.
Many of these schools already have vaccine and booster mandates. For example, Columbia required all students and employees to submit proof of their booster vaccination before March, boasting an overall 99.9 percent compliance rate for the campus community. Yet it now demands that students wear surgical masks in classrooms because of an uptick of COVID-19 cases on campus and elsewhere in New York City.
Viral airplane worship video amasses 35 million views
And finally, a 20-second April 9th video of a worship leader, Jonathan Neo, leading people aboard a commercial flight out of Poland has amassed over 35 million views online, reports the Christian Post. Neo said his group, Kingdom Realm Ministries, received permission from the EasyJet pilot to perform. They sang “How Great is Our God.”
Listen.
(audio of singing on plane)
Pastor Jack Jensz, Jr, who filmed the video, said, “We were on a flight with our team coming back from helping the Ukrainian refugees at the Ukrainian border. Over the last month, we have been giving humanitarian aid, food and praying with the beautiful people of Ukraine.
“We were filled with thanksgiving of what God did in our time there. Our heart was to bring joy and hope as there is so much pain with what’s going on in this world.”
1 Chronicles 16:9 says, “Sing to God; sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!”
But not everybody was happy that the Christian group praised God.
The video really went viral when Muslim Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota posted the clip on her Twitter page on Saturday. She included the caption, “I think my family and I should have a prayer session next time I am on a plane.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, April 25th, in the year of our Lord 2022. 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.