United Nations Preparing to Create List of ‘LGBT Hate Groups’

A conservative group is warning that the United Nations is preparing to compile a list of “LGBT hate groups” that could be used as a “blacklist” to punish groups and organizations that subscribe to traditional beliefs about gender and sexuality.

 According to the Center for Family and Human Rights, “the UN rights office is collecting the names of anyone who opposes the LGBT agenda in any way.” The report addresses the contents of a “call for input to a thematic report” on the topic of “gender, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

 Issued by Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations’ independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, the call for input requests information on individual nation-states’ actions regarding issues of sexual orientation and gender identity in addition to asking for information about groups that oppose the idea that “the meanings attached to sex (and other) differences are socially created.” In other words, Madrigal-Borloz is seeking information about which organizations within a particular country subscribe to the idea that there are only two genders. He begins the call for input by noting that “many States have adopted gender as a key concept in laws and policies aimed at protecting women and LGBT persons against violence and discrimination.”

 He laments the fact that “within multilateral and regional organizations, among other fora, there are currently narratives that, under different lines of characterization (including the accusation of so-called ‘gender ideology’), seek to eliminate the gender framework from international human rights law instruments and processes, and national legislative and policy documents.”

 The stated purpose of the impending report is to “document how these narratives are being used to fuel violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and their particular impact on sexual and reproductive rights.” Madrigal-Borloz seeks responses from “States, regional and national human rights institutions, non-governmental organization, UN agencies, academic institutions, local governments and other relevant stakeholders.”

 The first four questions he seeks answers to deal with actions taken by individual states to establish definitions of gender, establish policies “aiming to address violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” establish databases detailing forms of violence and discrimination against LGBT people, and teach comprehensive sexuality education. The remaining questions ask about narratives that exist surrounding gender and sexuality within specific countries. These questions cause the Center for Family and Human Rights particular concern: “Are there examples where the concept of gender has been used in religious narratives or narratives of tradition, traditional values or protection of the family to hinder the adoption of legislative policy measures aimed at addressing or eradicating violence and discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity?” they ask.

 Additional questions ask about whether “‘gender ideology,’ ‘genderism’ or other gender-related concepts have been used to introduce retrogressive measures, in particular but not limited to LGBT communities,” and if there have been “initiatives taken by States in connection with the right to freedom of religion, belief or conscience (including the figure of conscientious objection) that have had the practical impact of limiting the enjoyment of human rights (including sexual and reproductive rights) of LGBT persons.”

 The Center for Family and Human Rights warns that “the UN LGBT czar appears to be adopting the approach of the Southern Poverty Law Center, of creating a list of ‘hate groups.’” The group noted that Madrigal-Borloz had previously urged states to “take decisive action” against “representatives of churches and faith-based groups” that “infringe on the rights of LGBT persons” using “hate speech.”

This is yet another example of officials targeting people of faith for their religious beliefs.

 PRAY: Pray for officials to allow people of faith to continue to hold traditional religious beliefs on sexuality without fear of repercussions.

American Church Membership Drops Below 50% for First Time in 80 Years

While America remains a highly religious nation with seven in 10 claiming affiliation with some kind of organized religion, for the first time in nearly 80 years, fewer than half of them now say they have formal membership, a new Gallup analysis. In 1937, says Gallup, when they first measured formal membership in houses of worship, some 70% of Americans had formal church membership and that measure remained steady for the next 60 years until it began a steady decline in 1998. In 2020, formal membership in houses of worship stood at 49%.

The Washington, D.C.-based analytics and advisory company was able to highlight several factors for the decline through responses from more than 6,000 U.S. adults each time across three-year aggregates from 1998 to 2000, 2008 to 2010, and 2018 to 2020 when formal membership in houses of worship first dipped below 50%.

One of the biggest factors Gallup found strongly correlates with church membership is age. Some 66% of traditionalists — U.S. adults born before 1946 — have formal membership in a church, compared with 58% of Baby Boomers, 50% of those in Generation X and 36% of millennials. Current but limited data on members of Gen Zers who've already reached adulthood suggest their church membership rate is similar to millennials.

The analysis also pointed to the growing number of Americans who express no religious preference. In the last 20 years, the share of Americans who do not identify with any religion has grown from 8% in 1998 to 2000 to 21% in the last three years. Only 4% of people from this group said they held formal membership in a church, synagogue or mosque. Between 1998 and 2000 that figure was 10%.

“While it is possible that part of the decline seen in 2020 was temporary and related to the coronavirus pandemic, continued decline in future decades seems inevitable, given the much lower levels of religiosity and church membership among younger versus older generations of adults,” wrote Gallup Senior Editor Jeffrey M. Jones. “Churches are only as strong as their membership and are dependent on their members for financial support and service to keep operating. Because it is unlikely that people who do not have a religious preference will become church members, the challenge for church leaders is to encourage those who do affiliate with a specific faith to become formal, and active, church members,” he added.

Among religious groups, Catholics suffered the steepest decline over the periods measured dropping from 76% to 58%. Protestants fell 9% from 73% to 64%. The data also showed that declining church membership in the last two decades was greater among Eastern residents and Democrats.

Political conservatives, Republicans, married adults and college graduates experienced lower declines and tended to have higher rates of church membership, along with Southern residents and non-Hispanic black adults, Gallup said.

In his analysis of data from the General Social Survey of five-year windows in which individuals were born spanning from 1965 to 1984 and published by the Barna Group in 2019, Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and pastor of First Baptist Church of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, showed that younger generations raised in the church weren’t typically returning to church when compared with members of the “Baby boomer” generation born between 1945 and 1964. For anyone concerned with church growth, Burge says, “this should sound an alarm.”

“Many pastors are standing at the pulpit on Sunday morning and seeing fewer and fewer of their former youth group members returning to the pews when they move into their late-20s and early-30s. No church should assume that this crucial part of the population is going to return to active membership as their parents once did,” he explained. “The data is speaking a clear message: the assumptions that undergirded church growth from two decades ago no longer apply. If churches are sitting back and just waiting for all their young people to flood back in as they move into their 30s, they are likely in for a rude awakening. Inaction now could be creating a church that does not have a strong future,” he added. While this falling away from the faith should not surprise anyone who has been paying attention to American culture, the numerical data does show that Christianity is on a significant downward slope in America.

Pray- Pray that God will send revival to America and that the nation will turn back to God.

No Place for God in American Politics?

The Declaration of Independence specifically cites “the Creator” as the source of human rights. However, many politicians are now claiming the there is no place for God in American politics. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York chastised one of his colleagues for mentioning God and the Bible during the House debate over the Equality Act, saying: “God’s will is no concern of this Congress.”

 Rep. Greg Stuebe, R-Fla., said in his remarks on the House floor that the Equality Act is in opposition to Scripture. “The gender confusion that exists in our culture today is a clear rejection of God’s good design. Whenever a nation’s laws no longer reflect the standards of God, that nation is in rebellion against Him and will inevitably bear the consequences,” Stuebe said. “And I think we are seeing the consequences of rejecting God in our country today. And this bill speaks directly against what is laid out in Scripture,” he declared.

 The Equality Act passed in the House by a vote of 224-206 with only three Republicans joining Democrats in voting for the measure. Among the most contested aspects of the bill is the enshrinement of sexual orientation and gender identity as categories in civil rights law.

 The bill is an update of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that is considered by many to be the legislative legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 Steube previously introduced legislation to protect women’s sports and amendments to similar legislation that was being considered by the House, but all were voted down by Democrats. He reintroduced an amendment to ensure Title IX protections for women’s sports earlier this year.

 In his response to Steube on the House floor, Nadler said: “Mr. Steube, what any religious tradition ascribes as God’s will is no concern of this Congress.” This is a far cry from the type of language used by the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, or even Ronald Reagan.

 The 500-plus page Equality Act adds gender identity as a protected category in nondiscrimination law. That term, which is frequently used by media and transgender activists, refers to an “internal sense” of one’s gender.

 Opposition to the bill has manifested from across the political spectrum. Both conservative-leaning women and left-wing radical feminists have maintained that simultaneously protecting sex and gender identity within the law is impossible because gender identity has, unlike sex, no material meaning.

 Enshrining the concept into federal law would destroy women’s sports and other sex-segregated spaces such as shelters for women escaping domestic violence, rape crisis centers, and any other entity that receives federal dollars, opponents have warned.

 The Equality Act also forbids use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a 1993 law that was passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton to provide religious exemptions. Now, Bill Clinton’s own party is trying to take away these very protections.

 CJV Vice President Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld added that Nadler had “unmasked” the true nature of the proposed law. “Far from valuing diverse opinions and beliefs, it tramples free exercise of religion and even demonizes free speech. Reading the Bible in public, per the Equality Act, could be called an exercise in bigotry and grounds for a ‘discrimination’ complaint. Without question, the true bigots here are those who support deliberate attacks upon the cherished beliefs of others,” Schonfeld said.

 The political left wants to eliminate all traditional held beliefs, including anyone who holds to the beliefs of traditional Christianity as outlined in the Bible. We must stand firm on our beliefs and trust God’s Word.

 PRAY: Pray this push by the left will be defeated and America will again care about God’s input in our lives.

Current News Update

Christian Adoption Agency Changes Policy

 Based in Michigan, Bethany Christian Services is the largest Christian adoption agency in the United States with operations in 32 states. They recently expanded their services to include “Christians with diverse beliefs,” now placing children with LGBT couples for foster care and adoption.

 Many evangelical and Christian leaders are disappointed in what is perceived as Bethany’s capitulation to the government rather than traditional Christian beliefs.

 Jim Daly, head of Focus on the Family, tweeted that “Bethany Christian Services should not have to choose between holding to their deeply held religious convictions and serving children and families. No government should tell any ministry how to run their ministry, let alone violate deeply held biblical principles.” 

Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote “Children need a dad and a mom in a healthy, biblical home. God’s Word is clear.”

Xavier Becerra Confirmed by Senate as Health Secretary

 In a 50-49 vote, last week the U.S. Senate voted to confirm California’s attorney general Xavier Becerra, head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). One Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, joined Democrats in support of his confirmation (Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii did not vote).

 Becerra is radically pro-abortion. He sued Little Sisters of the Poor -- Catholic nuns – to force their health care plan to pay for contraception which goes against their deeply held religious beliefs. Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, Becerra prosecuted David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for their investigation of Planned Parenthood and the sale of aborted babies’ body parts. He attacked pro-life pregnancy centers attempting to force them to promote government-mandated messaging on abortion inside their facilities and in their advertising. Becerra also “successfully” led the fight through appeals to reinstate California’s law legalizing assisted suicide.

 Last year, along with 15 other attorneys general, Becerra called on the Trump administration and the HHS to end its research ban on fetal tissue to aid the US’s medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not a stretch to believe that now he is head of the HHS, this will be reinstated as well. He is hardly the moderate nominee put forward by President Joe Biden.

Abortion and the Equality Act

 While it is noted that the Equality Act will expand LGBTQ+ protections at the expense of religious freedom, there are provisions in the act to boost the abortion industry. Refusing to participate in an abortion could qualify as sex discrimination because of the way the Equality Act has drafted a new definition to include abortion as a medical condition.

 The Equality Act would also eliminate protections for pro-life individuals and entities from participating in practices that violate their sincere moral, ethical, or religious convictions. This act considers disagreements about fundamental moral and religious beliefs to be discrimination. Health care providers, hospitals and health insurance plans could be discriminating on the basis of sex if they refused to perform, allow or cover abortions.

Catholic Clergy May Not Bless Same-Sex Unions

 Earlier this month, the Vatican responded to a question about whether Catholic clergy have the authority to bless same-sex unions by releasing a formal document stating God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

 Approved by Pope Francis, a written answer clarifies that any sexual activity outside of marriage – an indissoluble union of a man and a woman – goes against God’s design. Since gay unions are not intended to be a part of that plan, they cannot be blessed by the church.

 The article reinforced that the church would welcome and bless gay people, treating them with respect, compassion, sensitivity and without discrimination.

Israeli Elections

 At the time of this writing, Benjamin [Bibi] Netanyahu does not have enough support to form a right-wing majority government. The Israeli election consisted of 13 different parties passing a threshold to hold seats in the Knesset. Each party will join with others in forming coalitions.  

The pro-Netanyahu coalition needs 61 seats to form a government, but it looks like they will only have 52 solid seats. The anti-Netanyahu coalition has only 50 seats.  

Joel Rosenburg writes in the All Israel News that “all eyes are on an obscure Arab-Israeli political leader named Mansour Abbas and his Ra’am party.” Ra’am, an Islamist political party, is Israel’s equivalent of the Muslim Brotherhood. “Now Netanyahu has a huge decision to make – will he try to persuade Abbas to join his team? If he does, and is successful, that could, in theory, give Bibi 64 seats,” said Rosenburg.   

Continue to pray for the uncertain leadership and continued political gridlock in Israel.

Return to 2015 Iran Deal a Mistake

There is strong concern in Israel that President Joe Biden will return to the Iranian Nuclear Deal that he helped to create while he was Vice President in 2015. Iran has long declared that President Trumps’ abandonment of the deal was illegal and only increased tension in the region. Iran is now pushing for President Biden to return to the deal and remove sanctions against their nation.

However, a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, or a “slightly improved” one, would be an operational and strategic mistake for the world, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said recently. “If Iran’s progress in developing advanced centrifuges and enriching uranium is not stopped, it could eventually be “only weeks” away from a nuclear bomb.

The Iran deal would still allow the Islamic Republic to break out to a nuclear weapon in 2030 when the agreement expires”, he said at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) annual conference. “The US and others must maintain all sanctions and pressure because Tehran is at its weakest and closest to making real concessions,” he added.

Kochavi said he had ordered operational plans to strike Iran’s nuclear program to be ready if necessary, but whether to use those plans and under what circumstances was a decision for the political echelon. Israel’s strikes in Syria and other undefined parts of the Middle East had created the greatest deterrence Israel has ever known against its enemies. The IDF had tremendous success in blocking or slowing Iran from transporting advanced weapons into Syria, but it could never let its guard down. Moreover, the normalization trend is isolating Iran in ways that it never expected and was not prepared for, declared Kochavi.

Regarding other challenges, Kochavi warned Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, saying in the event of a war, Israel would strike every house that holds weapons “with a deluge of strikes. “These “terrorist armies” have decided to conceal their weapons in civilian areas on purpose and in every fifth house in Lebanon”, he said, adding that all civilians in those areas must immediately evacuate as soon as a war starts because Israel will not give the terrorists immunity just because that is where they are hiding.

“We will follow international law,” he said. “We will warn them in Lebanon and Gaza to let them leave. I already warned you in Lebanon and Gaza: Once war starts, we will let you leave the places you are in, the places you are in have missiles, and you know this.”

New cutting-edge intelligence and technological capabilities that help the IDF uncover hidden weapons with unprecedented accuracy would help destroy enemy rockets and avoid civilian deaths, Kochavi said.

“The pace for gathering targets is much faster than ever,” he said, adding that more than 200 officers are dedicated to the sole purpose of vetting selected targets “to help get to a much more decisive point” in battling our enemies. Kochavi cited the IDF’s targeted killing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander Baha Abu al-Ata and responding to every rocket by hitting targets of significant value to Hamas and PIJ.

On a related note, Israel is under constant cyber threat from a range of radical Islamists, Kochavi said. To meet this challenge, the IDF “significantly increased its cyberattack capabilities and operations” this past year. Recently, Israel has also signed normalization agreements with four Arab countries, agreements that strengthen Israel within the region.

PRAY: Pray for wisdom for both Israel and the United States as to how they move forward in dealing with Iran’s desire to become a nuclear power.

Rise in Christians Killed Worldwide in 2020

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Romans 8:35

In their annual report, Open Doors USA, a Christian persecution watchdog group, noted that in 2020 there continued a global rise in persecution and repression of the Church. The report revealed a 60% increase in believers killed due to Islamic violence against Nigerian Christians as well as anti-Christian governments around the world using COVID-19 restrictions to persecute Christians.

“This past year 2020 has been a year of uncertainty and fear. We’ve been all fighting a virus that we cannot see with the naked eye. Less known but equally as viral has been the discrimination, isolation and violence against Christians by using COVID-19 as a leverage and as justification,” Open Doors President and CEO David Curry stated.

In Nigeria, over 2,200 Christians were murdered by radical Islamists. This number makes up slightly less than half of the 4,761 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, according to Open Doors statistics. Most of the Christians killed in 2020 gave up their lives to extremist groups, not governments, Curry said. “Extremists […] are emboldened by government weakened by COVID-19 restrictions, knowing that they can steal food and medical supplies from already embattled Christian communities around the world,” he continued.

Violence by Islamists in Nigeria amounts to genocide, Curry said. Attacks have spilled over into neighboring countries. Across Africa, even countries with sizable Christian majorities like Mozambique and Burkina Faso have suffered from Islamic persecution. It only takes a few extremists to commit violence against Christians.

Other persecution hotspots around the globe include China and India, Open Doors announced. In China, the Communist Party has cracked down on Christians by using surveillance technology. In the last year, it has integrated its social credit and video security system, enabling it to track its people and punish them for attending church.

In India, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has encouraged persecution of Christians by sanctioning Hindu extremism, Open Doors research found. The party has told its nation that only Hindus are truly Indian. Political leaders have discouraged police from responding to attacks on Christians.

“I put the responsibility at the feet of the ruling party, the BJP, which is very nationalistic. Their message to the population has been, ‘we want India to be a Hindu nation,’” said Curry. “I have a strong belief that if most Indian citizens knew what was happening in these Christian communities they would vote for different people.”

In many countries, Christians lose their jobs because of COVID-19. Then, governments refuse to provide aid to believers and employers don’t hire them back. It looks like more suffering caused by COVID-19, but it’s a quiet persecution. “In the northeast of Nigeria, Christians have been reporting only 15% of the emergency rations that others have gotten. COVID has clearly affected all of us around the world, yet for some their faith has made them more vulnerable,” Curry noted.

For the first time, every country in Open Doors’ list of the top 50 persecutors has very high or extreme levels of persecution. And, it seems that this trend will likely continue.

“The embedded forces that are driving these scores up, religious extremists, Hindu extremism in Nepal, Hindu extremism in India, the Islamic extremist groups which we most recognize as ISIS or al Qaeda, that’s an ideology that does not need a territory. When ISIS was conquered, that cancer has metastasized around the world. That trend is growing in strength. You also have governments now who have the ability to use surveillance to watch private behavior,” said Curry. “Christians face the most persecution worldwide because they are the largest minority faith in many countries.”

PRAY: Pray for the persecuted church throughout the world as many put their lives on the line every day for the cause of Christ.

Danish Christian Leaders Fear Proposed Sermon Law Will Harm All Faiths

Christian leaders in Denmark fear that a draft law aimed at monitoring the growth of Islamic extremism would restrict their religious freedom because it would require all sermons to be translated and submitted to the government. The Danish government says the proposed law, which is scheduled to be reviewed this month in parliament, is required to curb Islamic extremism because imams in mosques deliver their sermons in Arabic, not Danish, according to La Croix International.

CBN News quoted sources as saying that churches had been included in the measure because Europe likes to be politically correct and cannot put restrictions only on mosques. There are about 270,000 Muslims in Denmark. The law would seek to “enlarge the transparency of religious events and sermons in Denmark when these are given in a language other than Danish,” according to The Guardian, which also reported that the Church of England’s bishop in Europe, Robert Innes, has expressed his concerns in a letter to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who’s from the Social Democratic Party.

“I am sure it comes from a genuine concern about the security of the estate and the monitoring of all religious minorities who might be perceived as a security risk,” Innes told the British newspaper. “I share the ambition of the Danish government to ensure safety and security and the desire that all religious organizations in Denmark conduct their act peacefully but to require translation of sermons into the national language goes too far. It goes in a concerning anti-liberal direction.”

Innes further explained that not all Christian clergy prepare the full text of their sermons and may prefer to write just some notes. “They might preach extempore as the archbishop of Canterbury sometimes does and there are questions of idiom and nuance which requires a high level of skill in translation of course. It is a high bar. It is a skilled art and it is an expensive skill as well.”

Thomas B. Mikkelsen, chairman of Evangelical Alliance Denmark, argued that “radical groups tend to establish themselves on the margins, in a parallel society, and never apply for official recognition. I do not think a new law will affect them in any way,” according to Evangelical Focus Europe. “The law will have negative consequences for many religious groups, such as evangelicals, moderate Muslims, and other officially recognized communities who now have to spend time and money on translations,” Mikkelsen added. “I do not consider the law a direct breach of international standards on freedom of religion or belief, but it is still a significant step in the wrong direction.”

German-speaking churches, which have been using their language in churches for eight centuries in Denmark, are also concerned. “There is much concern,” Rajah Scheepers, the main pastor of German-speaking St. Petri church in Copenhagen, was quoted as saying. “We do not only hold services on Sundays, but also baptisms, weddings and funerals, throughout the week. It is not realistic to expect that we simultaneously translate all these gatherings or that we translate them in advance.”

Roman Catholics are also opposed to the proposal. “All church congregations, free church congregations, Jewish congregations, everything we have here in Denmark — 40 different religious communities — will be placed under general suspicion by this law... Something is happening here which is undermining democracy,” General Secretary of the Nordic Bishops Conference, Anna Mirijam Kaschne, was quoted as saying.

However, “there appears little likelihood of a Danish backlash, if this bill becomes law, because it affects so few citizens,” wrote the Rev. Ben Johnson, on Action Institute Powerblog. “Nearly three out of every four Danes (72%) say religion is ‘not too’ or ‘not at all’ important in their lives,” Johnson, executive editor of the Acton Institute’s Religion & Liberty journal, pointed out. “Only 68% of Danes who call themselves Christians believe in God, according to the Pew Research Center. Regular church attendance plummets to the single digits.” If this becomes the norm in Denmark, it could easily spread to other European countries. It also creates a slippery slope in which the state could require all pastors to submit their sermons for “government approval”.

Pray- Pray that safeguards will be in place for religious liberty to continue to exist in Denmark and Western Europe.

Pro-Life News

During his first few weeks in office, President Joe Biden reversed key pro-life victories of the Trump administration. With the stroke of his pen, he pulled the United States from the Geneva Consensus, reversed the Mexico City policy, and nominated pro-abortion California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The U.S., under former HHS Secretary Alex Azar, led a total of 35 countries in opposing the United Nations’ stance that abortion is a human right. The Geneva Consensus Declaration states there is no international right to abortion and aimed to “achieve better health for women, preserve human life, strengthen the family, and defend countries’ right to set their own policies to protect babies.”

The Mexico City policy was enacted back in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan to prevent U.S. government funds from supporting foreign family planning organizations that provide abortions. Former President Trump expanded this policy to block funds from all global health organizations that offer abortions. Since Reagan, every Republican administration had implemented the policy and every Democratic administration has reversed it.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is radically pro-abortion. He sued Little Sisters of the Poor -- Catholic nuns – to force their health care plan to pay for contraception which goes against their deeply held religious beliefs. Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, Becerra led the prosecution of David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for their investigation of Planned Parenthood and the sale of aborted babies’ body parts. He also attempted to force pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortion as part of the services they discussed.

State Abortion Legislation:

Last week, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed the Fetal Heartbeat Bill into law banning the abortion of a baby with a detectable and audible heartbeat. Planned Parenthood has already filed a lawsuit and a federal court has granted a two-week temporary restraining order to stop enforcement of the bill. A hearing over the lawsuit is scheduled for March 9.

Almost a dozen other states have similar bills and have also faced court battles preventing all of them from taking effect. Pro-life advocates believe one of these laws will make its way before the Supreme Court and will force a challenge to Roe v. Wade. South Carolina State Attorney General Alan Wilson said, “we believe the Heartbeat Law is constitutional and deserves a vigorous defense to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.”

Many pray that by going before the Supreme Court, the justices would reconsider the standard for legal abortion which is usually viability outside of the womb and make it the development of a heartbeat. The human heart begins to beat between 16 to 22 days post-fertilization. At this age, the baby already has eyes, a brain and lungs beginning to form.

Legislatures in New Mexico have voted to approve Senate Bill 10 which would ensure abortion is legal up until birth in the state, even if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she will sign it immediately when it comes before her.

And finally, both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have passed a bill overturning a state ban on taxpayer-funded abortions in the plans offered on the state’s health care exchange. It is expected to be signed into law by Governor Ralph Northam immediately. Northam is a pediatric neurologist and is extremely pro-abortion. Previously he has made statements suggesting support of infanticide. He has already removed restrictions which allow nurses and physician assistants to commit abortions, many safety regulations, as well as the 24-hour waiting period.

Pray: Continue to pray against the evil of abortion. Pray for a change of heart for our president and his administration. Investigate and stay up to date with what is going on in your state with regards to abortion restrictions or de-regulation efforts. Pray for and support your local pregnancy centers as they give aid to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Israeli Government Dissolves, New Elections on the Way

Israel’s divided government collapsed last year on December 23, thus triggering a need for the country’s fourth election in under two years. The next election will be held on March 23 and brings an unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lengthy stay as prime minister.

Netanyahu finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled former aides who share his hard-line ideology, led by a popular lawmaker who recently broke away from the prime minister’s Likud party. Whether Netanyahu can fend off these challengers or not, the country is almost certain to be led by a right-wing politician opposed to concessions to the Palestinians, complicating hopes of the Biden administration to restart peace talks.

The prospects of Israel’s center-left bloc appear worse than in previous contests because its leader, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, entered the ill-fated alliance with Netanyahu. Gantz has lost the support of much of his disappointed base and the bloc has been left leaderless.

Netanyahu and Gantz formed their coalition last May after battling to a stalemate in three consecutive elections. They said they were putting aside their personal rivalry to form an “emergency” government focused on guiding the country through the health and economic crises caused by the pandemic. Under the deal, Gantz assumed the new role of “alternate prime minister” and was assured he would trade places with Netanyahu next November in a rotation agreement halfway through their term.

The immediate cause of the collapse was their failure to pass a budget. That caused the parliament to automatically dissolve and set new elections for late March. In the previous three elections, Netanyahu was unable to put together a majority coalition with his traditional religious and nationalist allies. Yet he controlled enough seats to prevent his opponents from cobbling together an alternate coalition.

According to recent opinion polls, that equation may be changing, with several rivals poised to control a parliamentary majority without him. Those rivals are led by Gideon Saar, a stalwart in Netanyahu’s Likud party who announced this month that he was breaking away and forming a new party. Saar, who once served as Netanyahu’s Cabinet secretary, has accused the prime minister of turning the Likud into a “personality cult” focused on ensuring its leader’s political survival.

If elections were held today, Saar’s party would finish second behind the Likud, appearing to give him a veto over a Netanyahu-led government, according to polls. Saar has vowed he will not serve under Netanyahu.

Naftali Bennett, another former aide who had a falling out with Netanyahu, leads a religious right-wing party that also has surged in the polls. And Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff and a longtime Cabinet minister who now leads his own party, also says the prime minister is unfit to lead.

These rivalries are more personal than ideological, meaning Israel’s next government — led by Netanyahu or not — almost certainly will have a right-wing ideology that opposes Palestinian independence and supports continued Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The recent polls indicate that Gantz, who appealed to left-wing voters in previous elections, may not receive enough votes to even enter the next Knesset.

Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, appears to be gaining some of those voters, but not enough to lead the next government, according to the polls. The left-wing Labor Party -- which established Israel and led the country for its first 30 years -- is not expected to cross the threshold of votes needed. The far-left Meretz party is expected to barely cross the threshold.

PRAY: Pray this election will not lead to greater instability in the region and for ultimately God’s will to be accomplished through the election.

China's Communist Leaders Fear Christian Population May Reach 300 Million by 2030

The prospect that China’s Christian community might reach a staggering 300 million people by 2030 has unnerved communist leaders who fear “they'll have to share power” as the Church increases in size and influence, according to Open Doors’ Ron Boyd-MacMillan. Boyd-MacMillan, director of Strategic Research, told the Express UK that the Chinese Communist Party, led by President Xi Jinping, is becoming increasingly concerned about the Christian population’s growth and is cracking down on religion as a result.

“We think the evidence as to why the Chinese Church is so targeted, is that the leaders are scared of the size of the Church and the growth of the Church,” Boyd-MacMillan said. “And if it grows at the rate that it has done since 1980, and that’s about between 7 [percent] and 8 percent a year, then you’re looking at a group of people that will be 300 million strong, nearly by 2030. And, you know, the Chinese leadership, they really do long term planning, I mean, their economic plan goes to 2049, so this bothers them. Because I think if the Church continues to grow like that, then they’ll have to share power.”

Open Doors ranks China at No. 17 on its World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted. The organization notes that while the Church is enjoying “strong growth,” life for Christians is anything but straightforward. The policy of “Sinicizing” the Church — or merging it with Chinese identity — is being implemented across the country as the CCP relies strongly on Chinese cultural identity to stay in power by limiting whatever it perceives as a threat to its control on society.

Churches are being monitored and closed across the country, whether they are underground or part of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the officially sanctioned Protestant church in China. The government has also imposed a ban on the online sale of Bibles.

China also uses high-tech surveillance to oppress and monitor believers. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens have been forced to hand over their personal details to the CCP, allowing government officials to increase their surveillance campaign.

The crackdown on religion isn’t isolated to Christians, however, as Uyghur Muslims, a community that resides mostly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, have been subject to mass internment, forced labor, and forced sterilization at the hands of the CCP. In response, the former Trump administration accused the Chinese government of human rights violations and issued sanctions on CCP members.

“After careful examination of the available facts, I have determined that since at least March 2017, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), under the direction and control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has committed crimes against humanity against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other members of ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement released on Jan. 19, which the Biden administration has since removed. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not answer whether the Biden administration would maintain the Trump administration’s declaration that China is committing genocide against its Uyghur population. Psaki told reporters at a press briefing that Biden has “spoken before to the horrific treatment” of Uyghurs, but she will “check” what the Biden administration's policy will be, RCP reported.

In efforts to strengthen adherence to the CCP and stifle dissent, China’s government imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in June. Since then, multiple pro-democracy activists have been arrested, and some sentenced to jail, accused of violating the national security law and subverting state power.

Pray- Pray for the continued growth of the Christian movement in China and for protection from persecution for our fellow believers.

Covid-19 Leads to Increase in Bible Reading and Online Sermon Viewing

While 2020 was an extremely difficult year with the coronavirus, on positive outcome to come from the increase strain and pandemic is that bible reading and online sermon viewing increased through the pandemic. Bible sales increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to LifeWay Christian Resources, one of the world’s largest providers of Christian books and educational material. Carol Pipes of LifeWay told CBN News that Bible sales have “remained strong since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the U.S.” in April and increased through June.

The company’s CEO, Ben Mandrell, added that the increase in Bible sales is no accident, as people often go to the Bible as a source of hope in times of crisis and uncertainty. People draw hope from Scripture because in it they see a God who is with us during our suffering. The Bible, as God’s words to us, is a reminder that He doesn’t leave us to walk through difficult times alone,” he said.

Fellow faith-based publisher Tyndale House Publishers said they also saw an increase in Bible sales amid the pandemic. This includes their Life Application Study Bible sales going up 44% and sales of the Immerse Bible going up 60%, according to Jim Jewell, an executive at Tyndale. Jewell said he believed concerns over the pandemic “has upended almost everyone’s lives in some way. It’s not surprising that people turn to the comfort and clarity of the Bible in times of trouble and uncertainty,” he said, adding that social media engagement for Tyndale was also growing. “On [our Facebook page for the] New Living Translation, where we post Bible verse memes, engagement was triple what it was last March and up 72% from just last month.”

In April, book sales data provider Nielsen BookScan revealed that biblical and liturgical texts had been rapidly climbing the charts. The group said the increase in purchases was an “unusual pattern in comparison to the same period in recent years.” Nielsen cited the closure of churches as a factor, adding that “perhaps people are turning to scripture for comfort in these abnormal and melancholy times ... or perhaps people are curious as to whether the coronavirus is prophesied in Revelations.”

David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, and host of the radio program “Turning Point,” said that ever since the shutdown began, viewership of his online services has dramatically skyrocketed. “The church is alive and well and maybe more responsive now that I can ever remember except for the possible exception of 9/11,” he said.

“What we’ve learned from all of this is God doesn’t need a building for there to be a church. I’m preaching right now to more people than I have ever preached to my life,” he said, adding that a sermon he delivered in which he addressed whether COVID-19 is mentioned in biblical prophecy received over 1 million views on YouTube. We’ve never had anything on YouTube get that kind of traction,’ When everything in which we have trusted is taken away and we are left with ourselves, we have to ask the hard questions. ‘If this is it, what happens to me now?’ There’s a renewed interest in the Gospel and a desire to know what the Bible has to say. Is this the beginning of a revival? This may not be a revival in the truest sense of the Great Awakening, but I believe we are seeing an online revival” said Jeremiah.

While the pandemic is “frightening” and “frustrating” for many people, Jeremiah stressed that God is clearly in the midst of it all, adding: “He is with us wherever we are. You don’t have to be in a crowd to have God. You just need a quiet moment.”

PRAY: Pray this renewed emphasis on the Bible and on the things of God will continue this year, even after the effects of the pandemic have subsided.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

Days before leaving office, President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation recognizing today as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. This directive began by declaring: “Every human life is a gift to the world. Whether born or unborn, young or old, healthy or sick, every person is made in the holy image of God. The Almighty Creator gives unique talents, beautiful dreams, and a great purpose to every person.”

This year marks the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade which made abortion a national right. Due to rising political tensions and Covid-19 concerns, the annual March for Life held in Washington D.C. has moved to a virtual event on January 29. We encourage everyone to take time over the next week to intercede for our country and to pray for the protection of the unborn.

NBC News is reporting that newly sworn-in President Joe Biden plans to do a sweeping rollback of the Trump-era abortion policies. “We have a ton of work to do to undo the harm over the last four years, but knowing we have champions there who understand what needs to happen in the first 100 days is tremendously exciting,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood.

Biden has indicated he will rescind the Mexico City Policy which bars foreign organizations that receive U.S. family planning assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for abortions. He also plans to restore Title X money to clinics such as Planned Parenthood that provide abortions or refer people to abortion providers.

Also in discussion is the revival of the contraceptive coverage mandate which forced employers to cover birth control and emergency contraceptives -- abortifacients that kill a newly formed embryo. The Hyde Amendment will be revisited as well. This amendment bars federal taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions, except in the case of incest, rape, or medical necessity.

In 2020 during Covid-19 lockdowns, we saw a debate rage whether state governments could classify abortion procedures as elective or essential. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia deemed abortion an essential medical procedure and made exceptions for abortion facilities to continue. Eleven other states instituted restrictions, calling abortion elective. Judges ultimately blocked those orders, resulting in most states lifting restrictions.

 However, Operation Rescue, a pro-life group, proclaims Missouri as the first “abortion-free state” in the U.S. Their report, The Status of American Abortion Facilities in 2020, out last week confirms, “a total of 45 abortion facilities closed or halted abortions nationwide in 2020, leaving one state without an active abortion facility.”

“Reproductive Health Services Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was the last abortion facility in Missouri. It remains open, but Operation Rescue has confirmed that no abortion appointments have been available there for months, and none are available anytime in the foreseeable future.”

What can we do today? We do not know the challenges we will face in the coming year, but we can support mothers and fathers. We can speak for the unborn through our votes, in our churches, in our communities and with our families.

 PRAY: Pray for God to bend the hearts of judges and elected officials to protect the unborn. Pray for other states to follow Missouri’s lead. Pray and work for ways in your community to create a culture of life!

Israel Tests New Defense System as United States Moves Sub into Region

Israel’s defense ministry reported that it has successfully tested for the first time a wide range of sea-based aerial defense systems. The tests took place in the past few weeks, with targets fired from sea-borne launchers, imitating various range missiles and drones. All were intercepted successfully by Israel’s multi-tier defense systems – Iron dome, Arrow, and David’s Sling, at times simultaneously.

 Head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization in the Ministry of Defense, Moshe Patel said “through these tests, we demonstrated that the State of Israel has a robust, multilayered capability to face various threats – cruise missiles, UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] and ballistic threats.”

 The tests were led by Rafael Advanced Systems from a testing site in central Israel, with the Israel Air Force and Navy's participation. According to the Israeli defense ministry, this successful series is a critical milestone in the augmentation of Israel's operational capabilities in defending itself against current and future threats.

 “Israel is safer now, after the accomplishment of the recent test,” said Executive Vice President and Head of Rafael's Air and Missile Defense Division, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Pini Yungman. “The capability that was demonstrated in this series of tests ensures the security of the State of Israel and its ability to contend with current and future threats." This indicates that the systems will be capable of intercepting threats simultaneously during conflict.

 Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz commended the successful test. “This is one of the most advanced air defense mechanisms in the world and it protects the state from threats near and far. The systems in this multilayered mechanism provide Israel with a top tier strategic capability, enabling us to operate effectively in every scenario,” he said, in a statement. “I would also like to thank our partners in the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. government, and U.S. Congress, which support the State of Israel in the development of these systems and aid us in ensuring Israel's security and operational superiority.”

 Meanwhile, the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia entered the Persian Gulf in America’s latest deterrence mission against Iran. The submarine – which is armed with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and a dry deck shelter for Navy SEALs – was escorted by cruisers Port Royal and Philippine Sea. It is the first time in eight years the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet has publicly announced that one of its guided-missile submarines has transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf – and the maneuver follows recent flights of nuclear-capable Air Force bombers to the region.

 The show of force by the U.S. military also comes after the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was attacked by a barrage of rockets that caused "minor damage" to the sprawling diplomatic compound, but no was left injured. It was the first rocket attack on the embassy in over a month and comes as the one-year anniversary of the U.S. killing of Iran’s most powerful general, Qasem Soleimani, looms. The rocket attacks are blamed on Iranian-backed proxy fighters inside Iraq. 

 Soleimani was killed minutes after arriving in Baghdad by an American drone orbiting over the airport on Jan. 3. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles against U.S. forces inside Iraq days later.

 Officials say the latest submarine and warship movements into the Persian Gulf were "long planned" as the anniversary of the killing of Soleimani approaches and not in response to the embassy attack. The aircraft carrier Nimitz remains on station outside the Persian Gulf in the Arabian Sea nearby.

 Israel’s new defense network, which will help to protect the nation both from east and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west as well as the continued and now heightened presence of US military in the region will continue to put pressure on those in Iran who want to see the destruction of Israel and the elimination of all US military presence in the region.  

Pray- Pray that the new administration in the United States will continue to provide support for Israel in the region and that Israel will continue to be blessed with technology that enables them to defend against their enemies in the region.

Troubling Days Ahead?

The battle for America is being waged in our public life. The Bible warns us that: 

“…in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” Timothy 3:1-4.

We are about to face an onslaught as never before against the beliefs and values of Christianity in America. What kind of nation does God really expect us to be? What is He calling us to do in these crucial days in the battle for America? I remind you of the words of the Prophet Micah, who said:

 “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8.

America is doing anything and everything but that these days. It is a far cry from September 6, 1774, when the Continental Congress opened with the reading of Psalm 35 and three hours of prayer, as they met to discuss the fate of the thirteen colonies that would become the United States of America.

 We’ve come so far that just a few days ago, Congress opened with a prayer led by Representative Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, in which he prayed to a monotheistic god. Cleaver ended his prayer to “god known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and a-woman.” Amen is a Latin word meaning “so be it” and does not refer to gender. A-woman does not mean anything!

 The very basis for the colonists to rebel and to establish their own independent nation was expressed as the authority of God Himself. The Constitution, ratified in 1789, mentions God. It affirms the Deity of Jesus Christ. And it is signed “in the year of our Lord.” By modern definition, the Constitution would be unconstitutional! 

The whole emphasis of the structure of the United States is based on an awareness of the reality of the Person of God. We need to come back to moral and spiritual sanity, and to the Biblical foundation of what America is all about and recognize that this indeed is one nation under God, to the glory of God.

We realize that ultimately, the promise of blessing is to be the saved. But God will bless a nation that is willing to acknowledge Him. The Bible says very clearly: 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…,” Psalm 33:12.  

As America gets further and further away from God, the heart and soul of America becomes more and more decadent than ever before. We are living in days of anarchy, chaos, and confusion. Now is not the time to give up, to throw in the towel. No, we must pray for our country and allow the light and love of Christ to shine through us to a very dark world. Let us do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with our Lord.

2021: Where Do We Go from Here?

The New Year often brings new hopes, dreams and aspirations. We celebrate on New Year’s with fireworks, make new resolutions on how the new year will be different and spend time with our loved ones. 2020 is certainly a year most Christians would like to put behind them. Pandemic fears, political divides, and social unrest have left many exhausted and exasperated. Many have been isolated in their homes for months and even when we can leave, we have to do so in fear and behind a mask. The New Year seems anything but hopeful. It has definitely not been a normal year or a normal New Year.

America is more divided than it has ever been. Columnist Cal Thomas has called us a “bipolar nation.” Divisive labels abound everywhere-conservative/liberals, right wing/left wing, extremist/ socialists. Basic issues like the sanctity of life, dignity of marriage and freedom of religion are hotly contested. Many of the ideas and values that were once viewed as common practices in our culture are now being assaulted and many of the vices of our culture are now being praised and promoted. Many Americans feel like Lot “sitting in the gate of Sodom waiting for judgment to fall” (Genesis 19:1-14)!

The Psalmist asked: “if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (11:3). Then, he responded: “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven” (11:4). At the end of a difficult year and facing the uncertain challenges of the year ahead, we need to remember God is still on the throne of the universe.

It was at an uncertain time when King Uzziah died, that the prophet Isaiah said: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (6:1). All too often believers lose their focus on the sovereign power of God. We put our focus on who is in the White House, the state house or the court house, but forget about who is sitting on the Heavenly throne. The prophet Daniel said: “the most High rules over the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will” (4:17). No matter who is in charge of the earthly kingdoms of men, God is still in charge. He allows for man to rule in a limited sense, but also holds man accountable for that rule as the sovereign Lord of the universe.

When Jesus commissioned His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), they were living in a hostile environment of pagan unbelief and religious prejudice. Despite these obstacles, Jesus boldly predicted: “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). God the Father is still on the throne and God the Son is seated at His right hand and God the Holy Spirit is still actively convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).

As the year 2021 begins, I am more convinced than ever that God is at work! I am celebrating my twentieth year as the Bible teacher on The King is Coming telecast. Thanks to friends and prophetic partners like you, we have been able to spread the Gospel to the world with over 1,000 telecasts in these 20 years.

I am committed to keep on preaching until the trumpet sounds and the Lord calls us home to be with Him. Please stand with me. The world needs our message now more than ever before. Time may be running out for America and the world. The time to act is now! Let me hear from you today.

Jupiter and Saturn: The Christmas “Kiss”

During this year’s winter solstice, on December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will look like one brilliant star. Called a conjunction by astronomers, the two largest planets in our solar system will align just in time for Christmas. It has been since the Middle Ages when these planets were so close. Dr. Brad Tucker, an astronomer from the Australian National University, called it the Christmas “kiss.”

 Patrick Hartigan, Rice University astronomer and professor of physics and astronomy, wrote: “Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another. You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”

 On a clear night, you can already see the planets inching closer to one another. Between December 16 and 25, look to the western sky about an hour after sunset. However, on December 21, Tucker says to look for “a thin crescent moon and two bright objects right next to it.”

 How does this relate to the Star of Bethlehem?

 When the Wise Men came to Jerusalem, they asked:

 “… Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him,” Matthew 2:2.

 The appearance of this star is the fulfillment of a prophecy in the Old Testament made by Balaam, an apostate prophet who was forced to speak as the Lord commanded him. He said:

 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel…,” Numbers 24:17.

 In other words, in the distant future (from the prophet’s standpoint), a ruler will come from Israel, and His arrival will be signaled by the appearance of a star. Jesus’ birth fulfilled this prophecy. 

When the Wise Men indicated they had seen this star “in the east,” this phrase came from a Greek word meaning “in the rising.” This word refers to the visibility of a star or a planet on the horizon just before the sun rises or after it sets. 

Over the years, many have speculated about the identity of this star. Some have suggested it could have been a comet (a moving body with a long, luminous tail) or a nova or super nova (a flaring or exploding star). There is no evidence that anyone, but these Wise Men, had noticed it or given it any consideration, so these possibilities are somewhat lacking in credibility. 

What is more possible is a planetary conjunction – the alignment of two or more planets, or of a planet and a star. This would have produced the appearance of a body somewhat brighter than normal, but not as intense as a comet or nova. Only those skilled in astronomy, as the Wise Men probably were, would have noticed it. 

We know Jesus must have been born no later than 4 BC, because that is the year in which King Herod died. Herod obviously had his interaction with the Wise Men before then and responded by the slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem, also a fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 2:16-18). 

Although the dates cannot be verified precisely, it is interesting that astronomers have determined there were three conjunctions of the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus in the first few years BC, and a conjunction of the planets Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Venus in the same time frame. It is possible it is one of these phenomena the Wise Men observed. 

We cannot dispute the miraculous. It is quite possible God made a special star visible for a time, prompting the Wise Men’s interest and response. They were obviously familiar with the Hebrew Scripture foretelling of this star, and, though their journey was long, they responded by being among the first Gentile worshippers of the King of the Jews. 

There is just one week until Christmas. During this time, may we pause and reflect on the prophecies foretold and the prophecies fulfilled by Christ’s birth. If the sky is clear where you live, try to view the Christmas “kiss”, the planetary alignment of Jupitar and Saturn on December 21.

Is the Coronavirus a plague of the Tribulation? Is a Vaccine the Mark of the Beast?

While the coronavirus has ravaged much of the planet, causing widespread death and disease and crippling economic shutdowns, some have asked the question, “Is the virus a plague of the Tribulation?” Some have even tried to tie it to the 3rd and 4th horseman of the apocalypse.  While the pandemic certainly has had horrific effects, it is not unique to this generation.

 The world has survived numerous plagues including the Plague of Justinian of 541-542 (killing 30-50 million people); the Black Death of 1347-1351 (killing as many as 200 million people); the New World smallpox outbreak of 1520 (killing 56 million); the Third Plague of 1885 through the 1950s (killing 12-15 million); the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920 (killing 40-50 million); and the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the late 1970s (killing 25-35 million).  

 While it is common to reference plagues as proof of prophetic fulfillment in present times, the truth is, pandemics have been occurring throughout the course of human history. None can deny the devastation of the plagues and pandemics throughout history; however, they pale in comparison to those of the Tribulation period. No plague throughout history has any comparison to the type of magnitude of devastation that will occur in the future. The Tribulation plagues will be somewhat similar to the plagues that God rained down on Egypt during the Exodus event, but with a much stronger impact and a global emphasis instead of a limited national focus.

 Nevertheless, some might wonder if the Mark of the Beast will arise from a coronavirus vaccine. Several reasons can be given as to why a coronavirus vaccine is not the Mark of the Beast. First, the Antichrist is not on the scene. The Mark of the Beast is a demonstration of allegiance to the Antichrist. However, the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture of the church (2 Thess. 2). Thus, the vaccine cannot be a mark of allegiance to a figure who has yet to be revealed and church age believers do not have to worry about taking the Mark of the Beast. 

 Second, receiving the Mark of the Beast during the Tribulation period will be the deliberate rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and cannot be received accidentally (Rev. 13:12). It is a seal that ultimately aligns the person with the worship of the Antichrist and Satan himself. God would not allow someone to align themselves with Satan in some type of accidentally occurrence. Instead, receiving the Mark of the Beast will be clearly seen as aligning one’s self with satanic forces. Receiving the coronavirus vaccine is not choosing to identify with or worship the beast, but is intended to save lives. Finally, many people, especially in the Western World, have already received other vaccines in their lifetime. For example, the smallpox vaccine, the polio vaccine, the chickenpox vaccine or even the common flu shot are commonly distributed. In a study published by AIMS Public Health, researchers estimate that more than 450,000 lives have been saved by virus vaccines, and 200 million people have been prevented from contracting possibly deadly diseases.  

 The coronavirus, while significant in our time, is but a glimpse of the type of world devastation that will occur in the Tribulation period. While we as Christians can take comfort in knowing that we will not have to endure this type of devastation, it should also motivate us to witness to others so that they too can avoid this time of Tribulation if Christ chooses to return soon.

 PRAY: Now is the time for salvation! Pray for the Gospel to be spread far and wide and for unbelievers to have ears to hear and receive God’s saving grace.

New Zealand to Legalize Euthanasia

New Zealand will be the latest country to legalize the practice of euthanasia as a result of a nationwide referendum. The decision about whether to allow those who are terminally ill with six months or less to live to end their lives was put before voters in a general election ballot, alongside a question about whether cannabis use ought to also be legalized. The cannabis question was not approved.

 The referendum passed easily, as preliminary figures released show that 65.2% approve the measure and 33.8% voted "no" on the End of Life Choice Act, which the New Zealand parliament passed last year. The new policy will go into effect in one year. Under the measure, those suffering will need two doctors to sign off on the decision to end their lives.

 Polling in the South Pacific island nation has indicated broad support, reportedly hovering around 60% to 70% across the spectrum. Those who support the measure include the country's current prime minister, Jacinda Ardern of the Labour Party, and opposition leader, Judith Collins of the New Zealand National Party.

 With the approval of the referendum, New Zealand will join six other countries that have legally allowed euthanasia. Other nations that have legalized the practice include Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and Colombia. Euthanasia campaigners hailed the result as a human rights victory, arguing that it was compassionate to allow people in unbearable pain to end their lives.

 “People continue to suffer in ways that are traumatic. I don’t want to have to suffer on to adhere to the morality of someone else. They’ve got their own body if they want to have a ghastly death,” said David Seymour, a member of the New Zealand Parliament who sponsored the legislation. More common than euthanasia is doctor-assisted suicide, which is permitted in additional nations, including in several U.S. states and the Australian state of Victoria.

 Wesley J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, noted the state of secular progressivism that runs strong in New Zealand politics. One of New Zealand's rivers was declared a "rights-bearing entity" and the nation also adopted one of the most stringent coronavirus shutdowns in the world, he continued.

 "These are all symptoms of a civilizational disease. When human exceptionalism is discarded, the intrinsic value of human life becomes relativized and 'eliminating suffering' becomes the prime directive," Smith explained. "If that means letting doctors eliminate sufferers, so be it. If it means sacrificing freedom on the altar of security, so be it."

 According to the NZ Herald, Salvation Army territorial commander Mark Campbell expressed concern that many are not knowledgeable of the harms. "We believe many New Zealanders are unaware of the lack of safeguards contained within the End of Life Choice Act and that vulnerable people, such as the elderly and those struggling with mental illness, will be especially at risk from this law," he said.

 "The Salvation Army calls on the Government to increase funding to enable more people to access New Zealand's world-renowned palliative care system. We believe that, with adequate access to high-quality end-of-life care, vulnerable people can be supported through their illness and dying, and will not feel pressured into euthanasia."

 This is another example of the push by progressives to devalue human life throughout the world. Both the push for unlimited abortion and euthanasia are attempts to denigrate the value of human life that God clearly established in the early chapters of Genesis. As Christians, we need to fight against any political effort to take innocent life.

 Pray- Pray that this continued progressive push to devalue human life will be reversed and stopped throughout the world.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7

One of the main issues in discussing Thanksgiving is the One to whom thanks should be given, and that, of course, is God.

Looking back to the first American celebration of Thanksgiving, we know that the Plymouth colonists landed in the late fall of 1620, just before the dead of winter. Not able to plant, most of them stayed aboard their ship, the Mayflower, though the winter, where about half of them died from exposure or disease.

When the survivors emerged in the spring, a bilingual Native American by the name of Squanto aided the colonists by showing them how to cultivate crops, hunt, fish, and avoid danger in their new environment. The Pilgrims’ first harvest was a success, and the result was a three-day celebration of thanks in November 1621, in which they invited their new Native American friends who had helped them so graciously.

However, the Pilgrims knew that in spite of their hardships the previous year, it was ultimately God who had provided them a new home in the New World. Had they landed a few miles away either north or south, they may have missed their encounter with Squanto, had a disastrous first crop, and all perished. But God’s provision had sustained them.

From its inception as a nation, the United States recognized that its blessings come from God. George Washington called upon Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving in 1789, in gratitude for a successful conclusion of the Revolutionary War and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In the dark days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official American holiday, but asked that citizens request of God to “commend to His tender care of all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

With these thoughts in mind, it is clear the thanks should be given regardless of the outward circumstances in which we find ourselves. Many of us find ourselves facing difficulties, just as our American ancestors did. In these difficult social and economic times, many of us have scaled down the size and cost of our Thanksgiving celebrations. Sickness and death take their toll at all times and in all places, and there may be some empty places at the table that were filled last year. But we must look at what we do have, rather than what we lack, just as was done by those who have preceded us, and give thanks accordingly:

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20.

When we concentrate on the blessings of God, particularly His greatest gift of salvation through Jesus Christ for those who have placed their trust in Him, we will strengthen our relationship with Him and look at our circumstances with a new and more positive outlook. This in turn will give us more impetus to trust God to provide for all our needs and to direct our paths.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” James 1:17.

Thanksgiving is all about knowing the truth of who we really are in Christ, and what we have received from the hand of God. It is the understanding that we are not just here as an accident of chance or circumstance. We are not just the product of a biological mistake of evolution. But we are men and women created in the image and likeness of God Himself. We are designed to have a relationship with God and to have fellowship with Him.

If you will open your heart and life this Thanksgiving to the Savior who loves you and gave Himself for you, this could be the greatest Thanksgiving you have ever experienced!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dr. Ed Hindson and the World Prophetic Ministry team

Horrific Violence Against Christians Taking Place in Africa

Earlier this month, Islamic militants terrorized Muatide village in Mozambique for three days. Between November 6 and November 8, they corralled fleeing Christians to a local soccer field where more than 50 villagers were beheaded and chopped to pieces.

Barnabas Aid, a Christian organization that serves the persecuted Church throughout the world, has contacts in the area and reported that anyone who refused to support the jihadists and embrace their beliefs was attacked and their property set on fire. In one such attack, gunman shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great,” also known as an Islamic battle cry) stormed into Nanjaba village on November 6, firing weapons and setting homes on fire. Two villagers were beheaded, and several women abducted.

Scores of Christians are being asked to refuse Christ. They are fleeing to Christian mission stations throughout the area for protection. Since 2017, more than 2,000 people have been killed and about 430,000 have been left homeless in the region.

NIGERIA

In Nigeria, thousands of people have died at the hands of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Fulani militants. Nathan Johnson, the Africa regional manager for International Christian Concern, commented “Recently the violence has skyrocketed. It’s a definitely a different level of violence now. Entire villages are wiped out.”

Justine Patrick, 25, was killed in October walking home from work. Suspected Fulani extremists led the attack. Johnson said he doesn’t know why Patrick was murdered, but suspected it had to do with his faith.

“Farmers aren’t usually carrying anything of value, so they probably attacked him because he was a Christian,” Johnson told The Christian Post. “’Justine Patrick’ is clearly a Christian name. In Nigeria, if you’re a Christian, you have a Christian name. If you’re a Muslim, you have a Muslim name.”

International Christian Concern’s statistics count 600 murders by Fulani tribesmen so far this year. Human rights watch groups are warning that violence in Nigeria by radical herdsmen and Islamic extremists against Christians is reaching the level of genocide.

ETHIOPIA

Regional tension and an escalating humanitarian crisis have reignited conflict in Ethiopia. The federal government has declared a six-month state of emergency and has cut off internet and communication access in the region of Tigray.

The rise in unrest came after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a native of the Oromo ethnic group, postponed national elections that were to be held last August. This was after he had granted amnesty to thousands of political prisoners and legalized outlawed opposition groups.

Last week 56 people were killed in western Ethiopia by 60 suspected militants with the Oromo Liberation Army rebel group.

A bipartisan group of 20 members of the U.S. House of Representatives has called for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to confront the Ethiopian government about violence against ethnic and religious communities and the used of excessive force by security officials.

Even though Abiy has insisted his government has everything under control, the situation in Ethiopia must continue to be monitored.

PRAY: Continue to pray for our African brothers and sisters. Pray for their faith and courage in the face of persecution. And pray for the global persecuted Church.

PHOTO: Barnabas Aid