2020 may have been miserable. But for God, it was another incredible year

 

The year of COVID-19 – as 2020 is sure to be known – is a year most people will be glad to forget. But God turned it into one of His most incredible years ever!

Nations locked down and closed their borders – but God opened the floodgates for the Gospel in the most inaccessible and hostile places on earth.

The pandemic shuttered churches and forced people into isolation, but God simply made Himself at home – sending the message of His love into living rooms, even in unexpected places like the Middle East and North Africa.

The Gospel of John records that the resurrected Jesus entered the Upper Room through locked doors and reassured the disciples, saying: “Peace be with you.” Likewise in 2020, the doors were shut, but God used other channels of entry – satellite television, online video streaming and social media platforms – to spread His peace and love as a viral antidote to despair and fear.

Yes, oppressive governments, dark spiritual forces and a global pandemic were unleashed to thwart the love of Christ – but God turbo-charged the advance of the unstoppable Gospel via smartphones, tablets, computers and smart TVs.

At SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org), 2020 brought a huge surge in social media engagement, video downloads and program viewership – including 160 million views on YouTube, as people across the Middle East and North Africa hungered to see real hope.

Pandemic, war, disaster, financial ruin and chaos hammered this ancient region. But God sent His love in boundless waves amid the trauma and turmoil, using visual technology as a channel to heal broken hearts and transform lives.

In Iran, Christ-followers met secretly in homes behind closed doors, facing imprisonment, beatings and even death if discovered. But God moved beyond borders and into Iran – speaking directly to people’s hearts through satellite broadcasts and social media interactions in Farsi, the local language – to propel the fastest-growing church in the world. “Closed countries” are not closed to the Sovereign Lord.

“I don’t go outside often, yet on the rare occasions when I do, I hear: ‘My daughter has become a Christian,’ and another says, ‘I know some person who has become a believer’,” said Mona, a viewer in Iran. “So I see a day coming when Iran will be free, and all the believers will come out and worship the Lord together.”

Making God’s Love Visible

In August, Lebanon suffered a catastrophe which some called “Beirut’s 9/11.” A massive explosion in the capital city killed more than 200 and injured 6,000. Several hundred thousand became homeless, adding to the country’s already serious humanitarian challenges among two million refugees. Some believed it was God’s judgment on the nation. But God turned national grief into an opportunity for His love to become visible to everyone.

“Thousands are turning to our channel for reassurance and hope,” said SAT-7’s Lebanon director Maroun Bou Rached in the days after the explosion. “With the grieving, we weep; with those on the edge of suicide, we pray and share the hope of the world – Jesus.”

In Algeria, all churches were forced to close in 2020, fueling fears they may never be allowed to re-open. But God used broadcasts, featuring local Arabic-speaking presenters, to encourage believers and non-believers alike.

“I’m fascinated by your integrity as Christians, your faithfulness to your God, and also your sincerity to your traditions,” Rany, a viewer in Algeria told SAT-7’s Arabic channel. “You’re going to make a difference. Go ahead, Christians, you’re an example.”

In Syria, war left tens of thousands utterly desperate. But God was on the move in people’s hearts. “Jesus turned my life upside down,” said Soha, a viewer in Syria. “When I saw the love and forgiveness in the Christian community, how you love each other, pray for each other… this was a door of light to me.”

During 2020, governments wary of Christianity tried to censor our broadcasts and online outreach, including one-on-one social media conversations with seekers like Soha. But God has frustrated their efforts. Smartphone users in countries like Syria, Turkey and Iran have installed apps that bypass firewalls and protect their identity – giving them freedom to watch Gospel broadcasts, stream Christian videos and talk online with our counselors.

For many in America, 2020 is a year that can’t end soon enough, a year we’re eager to put behind us. But God has made 2020 an unforgettable year for many in the region of the world known as “the cradle of Christianity.” With “2020 vision,” millions have seen the love of God in Christ Jesus through visual technology – many of them for the first time.

“In June one of my sisters came to faith, then in July my daughter, and now my second sister,” shared SAT-7 viewer Sarah. “I’m sure my other sister will come to faith and my mother will follow. I’m sure of it!”

The year is almost over. But God – the Instigator of the incredible – has amazing things planned in 2021.

I’m sure of it!

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US VP Mike Pence receives COVID-19 vaccine on Live TV and calls it a 'Medical Miracle'

 

Telling Americans “hope is on the way,” Vice President Mike Pence received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on national television Friday as a way to demonstrate it is effective but also safe.

“Make no mistake about it. It's a medical miracle,” Pence said moments after he, Second Lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adam each sat in chairs in front of cameras and received a shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

“Hope is on the way,” Pence said.

The Pfizer vaccine began shipping to states in recent days, and the Moderna vaccine is expected to be shipped soon, too. Cells from abortions were not used during the development of either vaccine, according to the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged Catholics to get vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, calling such an action “an act of charity toward the other members of our community.”

Pence applauded the scientific community for their quick action on developing vaccines against COVID-19.

“Building confidence in the vaccine is what brings us here this morning,” Pence said. “... Karen and I wanted to step forward and take this vaccine to assure the American people that while we cut red tape, we cut no corners.”

The average vaccine, Pence said, “usually takes between eight and 12 years to develop and then manufacture and distribute.”

“We're on track here in the United States to administer millions of doses to the American people in less than one year,” he said. “… I also believe that history will record that this week was the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Pence touted Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s public-private partnership that had a goal of releasing a vaccine by year’s end.

“Under Operation Warp Speed, we are poised to have vaccine for 20 million Americans before the end of December,” Pence said. “It is truly a medical miracle, and an inspiration to people across this country. … We have a safe and effective vaccine.”

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Christian Wife in Uganda Forced to Drink Pesticide by Muslim Husband

 

A 38-year-old mother of three in eastern Uganda had secretly put her faith in Christ for three months before her Muslim husband found two Bibles in her suitcase.

On that day, Nov. 21, in Bugiri District’s Matovu village, Zubeda Nabirye’s husband asked her why she had the two Bibles, one in English and the other in their tribal language. Her husband, Umar Kyakulaga, also asked if she had converted to Christianity, she said.

“I replied to him that a friend had given me the Bibles, and that I was using it to compare it with what is written in the Koran, and after all religion is a matter of personal choice,” Nabirye told a Morning Star News contact. She also told her husband, “I was convicted and decided to embrace Christianity.”

Kyakulaga grew angry and picked up a copy of the Koran, she said.

“My husband began reading verses in the Koran that allowed men to beat their wives if they disobey them, and after that he started beating me with slaps and sticks,” she said. “As if this was not enough, he forced me to take Dithane M-45,” a toxic pesticide.

She tried not to swallow the pesticide he had forced into her mouth but ingested some while he was trying to strangle her and hitting her leg with sticks, she said. He also injured her chest, neck and thigh, Nabirye said.

When the couple moved to Matovu from Kaliro district earlier this year, they had left their three children with Nabirye’s mother-in-law due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus no one else was home when Nabirye lost consciousness.

“It was around 10 p.m. when I regained consciousness and found myself surrounded by neighbors,” she said.

Neighbors told Morning Star News that they heard crying and wailing at Nabirye’s home, but that by the time they made it there, the place was empty.

“While we were going back, we heard groaning from a nearby banana plant, and there we found Zubeda Nabirye, who had just regained her consciousness but with vomit and blood all over her body,” one of the neighbors told the Morning Star News contact. “We then arranged for her transportation to the hospital near her home in Kaliro.”

Nabirye said she suspects her husband took her to the banana plants expecting she would die there.

A relative said Nabirye would not file charges with police over the assault as it could provoke further violence.

Nabirye, who put her faith in Christ on Aug. 21 after learning about Him over several months from a pastor, was discharged from the medical clinic on Dec. 2. At this writing she was staying with a Christian family at an undisclosed location.

“She still looks very weak and asks about the wellbeing of her three children,” the Morning Star News contact said.

Her children are ages 16, 13 and 9.

“I am worried about my children, who are under the care of my mother-in-law,” Nabirye said. “I know it will be very difficult for me to see them and reunite with them.”

The assault was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

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Government Restrictions on Religion is Highest in 13 Years

 

Faith leaders are addressing the recent Pew Research study that shows record-high levels of restrictions on religious freedom.

According to CBN News, Religious Freedom Ambassador Sam Brownback says that in order for other human rights to flourish, the right of religious freedom must also be protected.

"We look at this religious freedom foundational right that if you can get it right as a nation other human rights will flourish. If you get it wrong other human rights will diminish," Brownback asserted.

Last month, Pew Research revealed that in 2018, government restrictions on religion hit an all-time high since 2007. The study also showed that high or very high government restrictions peaked in 56 countries, with the highest restrictions being in Africa and the Middle East.

We've never been more institutionalized, but we've never seen more persecution. The new Pew reports are out and there has never been more persecution, so we are getting our act together on how this gets institutionalized but obviously, we have to go to another level here as a civil society, as a government,” Chris Seiple of Templeton Religion Trust said.

In 2018, the White House intervened to free pastor Andrew Brunson, a missionary who was arrested in Turkey after he was falsely arrested for partaking in an alleged coup with Kurdish terrorists against Turkish president Erdogan.

Last week, Christian Headlines reported that Brunson predicted increasing persecution against U.S Christians in the future.

Brunson, who shared his remarks at the "Global Prayer for US Election Integrity" event on Facebook earlier this month, explained how Christians across the nation are unprepared for the forthcoming hostility that will be made against them.

“I believe the pressures that we're seeing in our country now are going to increase, and one of these pressures is going to be hostility toward people who embrace Jesus Christ and his teaching, who are not ashamed to stand for him," he warned. "My concern is that we're not ready for this pressure. And not being prepared is very, very dangerous on a number of levels."

In June, President Trump signed an executive order that makes international religious freedom a priority in U.S foreign policy. Faith leaders hope that the same the Biden administration will also make religious freedom a priority.

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4 Evangelism Lessons We Can Learn From Bruce Lee's Life

I've always been a huge Bruce Lee fan. When his movie, Enter the Dragon, came out to theaters in the 70's, I was hooked. Soon after watching Bruce Lee's epic and, sadly, last film before his premature death, I signed up for Kung Fu lessons at the nearest and cheapest dojo I could find.

Bruce Lee was a game changer when it came to martial arts, not just for me, but for millions around the world. His movies inspired a generation to take up martial arts. Bruce Lee was not just a one-of-a-kind action star, he was a brilliant trail blazer.

It's hard to believe that on November 27, 2020, Bruce Lee would have turned 80 years old! It seems like yesterday he was beating up Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon or playing the high-flying, hard-kicking Kato on Green Hornet or showing the world how to do a one-inch punch and a two finger push up.

Although Bruce Lee, as far as I know, was not a Christian, I believe there are 4 lessons his life can teach us about evangelism:

1.  Practice. Practice. Practice.

As a young teenager in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee started learning martial arts after getting into some street fights. He wanted to know not just how to fight, but how to win every fight. He went on to master his craft and become a world class martial artist.

To achieve his level of excellence he practiced relentlessly. To this day, the intense training regiment he developed over the years is legendary among members of the martial arts community. 

In the same way, if we as Christians want to become effective at evangelism, we must practice sharing our faith to the point of mastery. We must learn how to ask good questions (like Jesus in John 4), share our stories (like Paul in Acts 26) and articulate the message of Jesus in a clear and compelling way (like John in John 3.)

Getting your "black belt" in evangelism takes precision, persistence and power - divine power (Acts 1:8.) It also takes a Bruce Lee level of practice.

For all you white belts out there, here's a 4 minute video we filmed a few years back called "A Crash Course in Evangelism." It will give you some basic evangelism "moves" to start practicing.

2.  Share the beauty of your message to a world hungry for it.

Because of Bruce Lee's frequent street fights and gang affiliations as a young man, his parents sent him to America soon after he turned 18. Within a few years he settled in, went to college and started teaching the beauty of Chinese culture, as demonstrated through martial arts, to Americans who were hungry to learn.

Although some of the old school Chinese didn't like him teaching their secrets to "outsiders", Bruce Lee persisted and began to successfully train many Americans in the secrets of all things Kung Fu.

The secrets of martial arts are hardly a secret anymore. Drive through any town and you will see martial arts schools that range from Kung Fu to Karate to Jiu-Jitsu. Bruce Lee helped to popularize martial arts across America and around the world. His blockbuster hit, Enter the Dragon, mainstreamed martial arts globally.

Christianity had its own "Bruce Lee" of sorts that took ancient secrets and made them known to the world. His name was the Apostle Paul.

In Ephesians 3:8,9 Paul wrote, "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things."

The ancient secret hidden away in the Old Testament scrolls was Jesus and his Good News message! And, just like Bruce Lee made the secrets of Chinese martial arts known to the world, Paul made the secrets of the gospel of Jesus Christ known to both Jews and Gentiles.

We are to follow Paul's example. We are to let the world see the beauty of the Christian message and hear the good news of Jesus. It is our sacred duty to make these secrets known (Matthew 28:18-20.)

The world is your dojo! Start recruiting students!

3.  Keep what works and throw away the rest.

Eventually, Bruce Lee created his own style of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do. He felt that many of the martial arts styles were filled with wasted motions and moves. He borrowed what worked best in every style of fighting and mixed them together to form his own. This is where we get the modern term "Mixed Martial Arts." The UFC and Bellator are huge global fighting businesses that owe their existence, in large part, to the pioneering fighting style of Bruce Lee. 

In the same way, when it comes to evangelism, we need to adapt from various methodologies to find out what works best. Then we need to build it into our own personal evangelism style.

4.  Master your "weapon."

Bruce Lee was well known for his mastery of nunchucks. It was his use of this fighting weapon that got me practicing nunchucks for countless hours when I was a teenager.

By God's grace, and, after a lot of bruises, I got semi-decent at using them. 

May Bruce Lee's legendary legacy and the four lessons we can learn about evangelism from his life, inspire you to be a more effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ...and deliver a knock out blow to Satan in the process!

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Christian groups want Biden to change US policy in Israel and fund the Palestinian authority

 

A coalition of 17 Christian groups and denominations have asked President-elect Joe Biden to roll back the Trump administration's policies pertaining to Palestinian territories and Israel.

In an open letter sent to Biden last Friday, the church groups stated that “the Christian community in Israel/Palestine continues to suffer as a result of the ongoing [Israeli] occupation.”

“As Palestinian Christians continue to emigrate, we face the real prospect that the survival of the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land may soon be in danger,” they stated.

“By ensuring the U.S. government stands firmly in support of peace and justice for all in the region, your administration can help ensure the Christian community, along with all in the Holy Land, can flourish.”

The groups, which include the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA), argued that actions taken under the Trump administration, such as ending funding for the Palestinian Authority and the recognition of disputed territory like the Golan Heights as belonging to Israel, hindered the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“Over the last four years, U.S. policy has moved in directions that have alienated the U.S. from many of its international partners and supported the deepening of Israel’s occupation while undermining long term efforts to realize a just and lasting peace,” claimed the letter.

“If the U.S. remains committed to realizing peace with justice in Israel and Palestine there is a need for an immediate change in policy and approach when your administration enters office.”

The letter listed six proposals to help advance peace, which included respecting all parties, reiterating that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, resuming funding for the Palestinian Authority, greater accountability regarding how U.S. military aid to Israel is used, rejecting Israeli claims to certain disputed territories, and protecting the rights of advocates of divesting from Israel.

“Over the last four years there has been a coordinated effort to prohibit speech critical of Israel and to make it illegal to support boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) actions,” stated the letter.  

“We ask that your administration make it clear that Americans’ rights to engage in speech and actions critical of the government of Israel are constitutionally protected.”

Entities that signed on to the letter included: the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, the Disciples of Christ, the Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy of the Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Churches for Middle East Peace, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church.

The Trump administration has been known for its staunch support of Israel, which included officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving the U.S. embassy there in May 2018.

"Thank you, President Trump, for having the courage to keep your promises," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 2018 ceremony. “Thank you President Trump and thank you all, for making the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever.”

In September, the White House oversaw a diplomatic agreement being signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain known as the Abraham Accords.

Yael Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, referred to the Abraham Accords in a statement at the time as miraculous.

“Sometimes in history, God blesses his people with miracles, from the parting of the Red Sea to the reestablishment of the modern state of Israel. Today is also a miracle — a miracle of peace,” she stated.

“It’s been over two decades since the nation of Israel last entered into a peace agreement with another Middle Eastern country. Israel has often extended its hand for peace. Now that hand has been grasped twice in 29 days thanks to courageous leaders willing to take risks in order to realize a lasting peace.”

In October, a similar deal was reached between Israel and the Sudan, with the latter being taken off the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism as part of the agreement; in return, Sudan compensated victims of terrorism.

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Many think believing in God is no precondition for having good moral values, survey shows

 

The most common religious identity among young adults in the U.S. is "none," and the majority of Americans don’t believe it’s necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values, a new survey has found. 

Released Tuesday, AEI’s Survey Center on American Life investigating contemporary religion in the U.S. found that among young adults (age 18 to 29), the most common religious identity today is none. More than one in three (34%) young adults are religiously unaffiliated.

Nearly nine in 10 (87%) Americans report they believe in God, but just over half (53%) report they believe in God without any doubts at all. Of these, more than eight in 10 white evangelical Protestants (87%) and black Protestants (83%) say they are absolutely certain God exists. 

Overall, 42% of Americans have a close social connection with someone who is religiously unaffiliated — up from 18% in 2004.

Additionally, most Americans say it's not necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values. Close to six in 10 (59%) Americans say a belief in God is not a precondition to being moral and having good values, while 41% of the public say a belief in God is essential.

These statistics, the authors say, mark a “remarkable shift in recent years.”

The study also found that Americans are almost equally divided over whether it is better to discuss religious beliefs and ideas with those who do not share the same perspective, and most Americans have never been invited to church. A majority (54%) of Americans say they have not been asked to participate in a religious service in the past 12 months or have never been asked.

The survey corroborates a 2019 Pew Study survey that documented the decline of Christians and rise of religiously unaffiliated. Pew noted that the religiously unaffiliated group rose to 22.8% share of the population in 2014, eclipsing the number of Catholics in America, who fell to 20.8%.

Christians as a whole fell from 78.4 to 70% of the population between 2007 to 2014, with every major group experiencing a decline.

Similarly, the 2018 General Social Survey found that the number of religious “nones” in the U.S. are now statistically equal to the number of evangelicals.

Ryan Burge, a political science researcher at Eastern Illinois University who analyzed data from the survey, told The Christian Post that the religious “‘nones’ are not slowing down.”

“Their share of the population is continuing to climb 1% every two years and has done so for the past 15 years or so. If current trends keep up then they will be the largest group in the United States in the next five years, statistically.”

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, previously said the "increasing strangeness" of Christianity is actually "good news" for the church.

"Christianity isn't normal anymore. It never should have been. The increasing strangeness of Christianity might be bad news for America, but it's good news for the church. The major newspapers are telling us today that Christianity is dying, according to this new study, but what is clear from this study is exactly the opposite: while mainline traditions plummet, evangelical churches are remaining remarkably steady," Moore said in a statement.

He added that statistics indicate there are honest atheists in America today, and that they are rejecting what's called "almost-Christianity," or traditions that "jettison the historic teachings of the Church as soon as they become unfashionable."

"The churches that are thriving are the vibrant, countercultural congregations that aren't afraid to not be seen as normal to the surrounding culture. This report actually leaves me hopeful. The Bible Belt may fall. So be it," he continued.

"Christianity emerged from a Roman Empire hostile to the core to the idea of a crucified and resurrected Messiah. We've been on the wrong side of history since Rome, and it was enough to turn the world upside down."

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