(lively music)
- This week on Christian World News,
a new wave of persecutionsweeps through China.
We'll show you what's behind
this latest crack down on believers.
Plus, insider informationon American Pastor,
Andrew Brunson's legal proceedings
and how they're designed to make him fail.
And, Christians on the frontlines of volunteer efforts
in fire-ravaged California,
tell stories of peoplefinding beauty from the ashes.
(lively music)
Welcome to Christian World News everyone.
I'm Wendy Griffith.
George Thomas is on assignment.
For years, Christians in China have prayed
that President Xi wouldprovide the country
with more religious freedom.
But now, a new wave ofpersecution is taking place.
Christians are being jailedand churches demolished.
Gary Lane brings us thelatest on the crack down.
- [Gary] Scenes like theseare becoming more frequent
under China's Presidentfor life, Xi Jinping.
Shattered concrete and a fewchairs are all that remain
of this house church in Henan Province.
- This church was totallydestroyed, you can tell.
- [Gary] For years, thiswas the place of worship
for 100 Chinese Christians.
Last January,
government officials with buzzsaws demolished the church.
They seized Bibles andcomputers and arrested some
of the worshipers, includinga 14-year old girl.
Chinese authorities saythis church was illegal,
unregistered, and not partof the State-controlled
Three-Self Patriotic Church.
China Aid documents persecutionand helps the victims.
Bob Fu says President Xiis launching a new wave
of Christian oppression.
- We have seen churchesbeing forcefully demolished
and Christians were sentencedto 10 years, 13 years,
for simply organized peaceful house
of worship at their homes.
(lively music)
- [Gary] 63-year old SeventhDay Adventist, Xu Shijuan,
used to lead a housechurch with 30 Christians
in her living room, singing,praying and worshiping God.
Last March she shut it down,
after local officials orderedthe house church closed.
The persecution is causingmore church growth.
About one of every 10Chinese are now Christian.
Columbia UniversityPolitical Science Professor,
Andrew Nathan, explainscommunist party officials
feel threatened by the rapid growth.
- I think that the leadership is viewing
all these Christian congregationsas a kind of dry tinder
that could spark up in a certain scenario.
They think that foreign forces,
the United States,missionaries and so forth,
would like to spark up this tinder.
- [Gary] Authoritieshave also removed crosses
from the roofs of at least 1700 churches.
Human rights lawyers andChristians have simply disappeared.
Some have died frommistreatment in prison.
Others have escaped to the West.
This woman ended up in Texas
after police arrested her Pastor husband.
Authorities warned their children
would be denied an education in China
because of their Christians beliefs.
She said the governmentbarred church members
from baptism and police even interrupted
their Christmas service.
Christians say officials in many towns
are now pressuring people toremove posters of the cross
and Jesus, and replace themwith images of President Xi.
Fu suggests it's just another attempt
at communist thought control.
- I think it has to do with the really
the President Xi Jinping's ideology.
He's again, he is reallywanting to take China
to the (mumbles) old kind of path
by exercising
more political control and mind control.
- [Gary] Former housechurch leader Shijuan
says the government should notview Christians as a threat.
We pray for the country, shesays, and for the people,
hoping our country will become better,
prosperous and strong.
Despite the government crack down,
within the next 20 years,
China is expected to become the world's
biggest Christian nation.
Gary Lane, CBN News.- Gary, you're with us now.
- Yes.
- What's behind this dangerous crack down?
It seemed like thingswere going well in China.
- Well, as best as--
- Yeah, or better.- You think they would go,
right?
But the problem isPresident Xi, last March,
the communist party,
said he can be Presidentas long as he wants to be.
There are no longer term limitson the Chinese President.
So if he wants to be President for life,
he can be President for life.
And like any good emperor, youcrack down on your opponents.
The communist party, Wendy,
has long felt that Christiansthreaten their existence.
- Right.
- Because as long asChristians are worshiping God
and looking to the after life,
they're not looking to the State
for their rights and their benefits.
They look to God.
- As you said in your piece,
China is on track to become
the largest Christian nation in the world.
- Yes.- How can that be
with all this crack down?
- Persecution's good for church.
I was told that manyyears ago by Samuel Lamb,
who's now deceased.
But Samuel Lamb told me,when I asked him that,
he said, "look, before I went to prison,"
he was in prison for 20 years, Wendy.
- [Wendy] Wow.
- Before I went to prison the first time,
church was only 200 members.
"I got out of prison, it was 900,
"and then they confiscated thechurch and the church grew,
"and it grew to 2000."
Then he looked at meand smiled, and he said,
"persecution good for church."
(laughing)
So through the persecution,the church grows,
because what happens,
the Chinese governmentthinks if they shut the doors
of a church, then that's the end of it.
But everybody scatters andthen they start house churches,
those grow and before you know it,
China, by 2030, Wendy--
- Okay.
- Will likely have, predicted,as many as 240, maybe 250--
- Wow.- million Christians.
- That's incredible.
- The largest in the world.
- What can the global church do, Gary,
to help China right now?
- Well, I asked Chinese believers there,
when I meet with them.
They say, look, first we need Bibles.
Don't think we can getthem from the government
because it's only whatthe government gives us.
We need additional Biblesand smuggle in Bibles.
Also, pray for us.
- Yeah.- So pray for them
and support them in that way.
- All right, prayer and Bibles.
- Yes.
- Thanks Gary, we appreciate it.
Well despite high levelnegotiations between Turkish
and US officials in Washington,
American Pastor, Andrew Brunson,
remains under house arrest in Turkey.
And many of his supporters wonder why.
CBN's Jennifer Wishon bringsus the first-hand account
from inside the courtroom.
- A courtroom designed to makePastor Brunson feel defeated,
bogus witnesses bribed by the prosection,
and the power of forgiveness.
An eye-witness takes us
inside Pastor Brunson'spersecution in Turkey.
- The court used to belike a basketball court
or some sort of sportscourt that has been turned
into a courtroom right nextto a very large prison.
And way up front, three arethree judges on a raised stair
and very low is Pastor Andrew Brunson.
Witnesses for the prosecutionand Pastor Brunson's lawyer,
they are over 500 chairsbetween him and the area
where observers like me andhis wife are allowed to sit.
- [Jennifer] KristinaArriaga of the US Commission
on International Religious Liberty
attended Pastor Brunson'smost recent hearing.
Seated beside his wife Noreen,she watched in disbelief.
- Because Pastor Brunsoncannot see very well
from far away, any time helooks back towards his wife,
she stands up and putsher hand over her heart
so he knows he's not alone.
Pastor Brunson sat there while
he heard former church members,
people probably that he baptized,
people that he had teawith, testify against him.
And the judge, at one point,turned to him around noon time
and asked Andrew Brunsonto speak for himself,
and he said, "my faithteaches me to forgive."
"So I forgive those whojust testified against me."
There was a chill in the room.
And there his wife who wasgraceful and extremely strong,
proudly found it to be a natural answer,
but I was stunned and movedto tears when he said that.
- Why would his church members,
people that he was intimatewith, testify against him?
- I imagine these people wereunder tremendous pressure
to keep their jobs or feed their families.
We don't know what kind ofthreats they were under.
- [Jennifer] Brunson has been transferred
from prison to house arrest,
but Arriaga fears that puts him at risk.
- He's in a terribly dangerous situation,
because the Brunsons areportrayed, in the Turkish press,
as people who are againstthe state of Turkey,
and I have great fearsthere's gonna be an increase
of incitement to violence against him,
and no one will be able to stop someone,
a mob that tries to go and kill him.
- [Jennifer] Armed withsanctions and the power
to withhold F35 fighter jetsTurkey wants to purchase,
US officials from the WhiteHouse to Congress continue
to pressure Turkey'sPresident Recep Erdogan,
to release Brunson.
His next hearing is October 12th.
Jennifer Wishon, CBN News.
- [Wendy] Thanks, Jennifer.
Coming up, how God is still moving,
despite the massive devastation
at the California wild fires.
(lively music)
- [Pat] Angels were created to serve God.
These magnificent beingshave awesome power
beyond our comprehension.
- [Announcer] CBN Presents Angels,
Their Power, Purpose and Presence.
In Pat's latest DVD, you'llget the Biblical insight
into these mysterious,spiritual creatures,
and discover the important rolethey play in God's Kingdom,
and in your life.
- We're also going to meetreal people who have come face
to face with these divine creatures,
in an experience thatcon only be described
as miraculous, life-changing encounters.
- [Female] As he startedpulling me through,
it was just a burst of white light.
- [Male] My thought is the angels
were there to hold me together.
- I knew that this wassomething that was happening
and it was supernatural.
- Angels, Their Power,Purpose and Presence.
- [Announcer] Call now or go to CBN.com
to get your copy of Angels.
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there are morethan 148 million orphans
in the world today?
148 million.
But it was three littlegirls that taught me
about the plight of orphans.
My husband and I spentnearly a month immersed
in the daily activitiesof a Ukrainian orphanage
as we waited to adopt three sisters.
I saw first-hand the utter loneliness,
the pain of rejection
and the overwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changed me forever.
And out of it grew aministry from my heart
called Orphan's Promise.
Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries world wide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes,
they're being educated andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to join with me
and become family to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now?
Because every child deservesa chance to be happy.
- Here in America,
wildfires are consumingthe State of California.
The good news is, forthe first time this week,
firefighters say they'remaking some progress.
However, they say it may be September
before all the fires are under control.
More than 14,000 firefighters
are battling 18 differentblazes across the state.
One is the largest inCalifornia's history,
spanning 443 square miles
and roughly the size of Los Angeles.
One fire alone destroyedmore than 1,000 homes,
forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.
CBN's Heather Sellsreports from California
that in the middle of the chaos,
churches and volunteers brave the danger
to give victims help and hope.
- The devastation herein Redding is historic.
But the tragedy is also uniting
the local community and the church.
(lively music)
At Bethel Church Sundaymorning, thousands lifted
their hands and sang aboutGod's love in the flames.
You can still see the smokehere from the nearby Carr fire,
which destroyed entireneighborhoods and seemed
to cherry pick homes in others,leaving some to rejoice,
others to mourn and everyoneto question their safety.
Pastor Elizabeth Woningspent the last week
as a volunteer counselor at Bethel.
- Whether you're in theevacuation area or you've lost
a home or whether yourhome was completely safe,
the whole community is on edge.
- [Heather] The air qualityhere is poor and churches
are handing out breathing masks.
One of the many needs localchurches are working together
to meet in what they believeis a new chapter of unity.
- We've had over 30churches meeting together,
praying together, trying to problem solve.
- [Heather] Five churchesare supporting a Red Cross
shelter at Cross Point Community Church
and Bethel is hosting a SalvationArmy distribution center.
Mercy Chefs offers mealsand the center offers food
and clothing for thosewho've lost everything,
including at least 25 on Bethel's staff.
- We have people on ourteams, they lost their homes.
Most of us, lots of us were displaced.
Our own family was displaced.
- [Heather] Bethel member,Tony Stoltzfus lost his home,
which doubled as his office.
Three days after the fire started,
he woke up to evacuation orders.
- We threw our suitcases in the car,
we got the pets, we got our computers.
- [Heather] Mary Lu Konkellost her home as well.
- Didn't even know what I was doing,
just throwing clothes in.
Then I began to grab my Bibles.
- [Heather] For these twoand thousands of others,
housing is the urgent need.
- They're piled up intheir friend's homes.
Every available couch, everyavailable place of floor space,
people are moving into those spaces.
- [Heather] The governmentshould allow victims
to start sifting through the wreckage
of their properties this week.
Many churches are sponsoringchaplains who will escort
and help families duringthe painful process.
- That's very important.
The first time they see a home burned,
they just fall on their knees and cry
and you have to be there to support them.
- [Heather] For Tony, thetears have already come,
but he's grateful for a handfull of mementos he still has
and his work as a personal coach,
which uniquely prepared him.
- A lot of what I do inmy work is teach people
to detach their desiresfrom the things in the world
that they think will fill them,
and find the desire of their heart
in their relationship with Jesus.
- [Heather] Mary Lu is holdingfast to her faith and a word
she received from the Lord.
- Being an intercessor, I justwas praying in the spirit.
I had no words,
I had nothing other thanjust praying in the spirit,
and even before we leftthe house, I kept hearing,
new beginnings, newbeginnings, new beginnings.
- [Heather] Expertswarn it will take years
for Redding to rebuild
but this city is hoping to set an example.
Pastor Chris is teachingfrom his life first in Isiah.
- It's only God who could take ashes
and make beauty out of it.
It's only God that could take a disaster
and create hope in the midst of it.
(lively music)
- [Heather] Reporting inRedding, Heather Sells, CBN News.
(lively music)
- [Wendy] Thank you, Heather.
A group of black pastors speakout after facing backlash
for meeting with the President.
What they said, next.
(lively music)
- [Narrator] Parents, theSuperbook Bible app is a great way
to get your child reading the Bible,
because in today's busyworld, we can use some help.
The free Superbook Bible App has fun stuff
your kids will love.
They'll have a blast learning the Bible,
playing great games.
- Did you win?
- [Narrator] Watching cool videos.
- Right, follow me!
- [Narrator] Discoveringheroes in the Bible.
They'll have fun whilethey learn God's word.
The Superbook Kid'sBible App, available now.
- [Narrator] Life, it'smeant to be lived fully.
Jesus said, I came to give you life.
Life to the fullest.
Life in your family.
Life in your finances.
Life in your body, mind and spirit.
Life in your every day.
(lively music)
At CBN.com, we're takingwhat Jesus said seriously.
We're here to help you discover life.
(lively music)
Life.
Live it fully.
CBN.com.
- 911, what's your emergency?
- [Caller] We have a vehicle that
is upside down and on fire.
These people are trapped andwe need the jaws of life.
- [Female] My feet were on fire.
The car was filling up with smoke.
- [Male] There was fire comingin through my left door.
The steering wheel was stuck in my chest.
I couldn't move.
- [Female] The seatbelt, Ikept trying to release it,
but it wouldn't release.
And I just screamed God,send your angels now.
I saw a set of white hands,
it was just a burst of white light.
- Welcome back.
A sign of the times inSouthern California,
where a real estate companyforced Evangelist, Greg Laurie,
to remove billboardsadvertising his crusade.
Pictures of Laurieholding a Bible reportedly
created the backlash.
The company decided to take the action.
The company says that religious imagery
provoked multiple complaints,
including what it called a serious threat.
So Harvest Evangelismsubmitted a new version,
but the company just decidedto take them down completely
after the complaints.
A Harvest spokesman says,"they don't blame the company,
"they blame the culture."
- [John] It's sad that our culture is,
we're at this degree of intolerance.
There's such intolerance againstthe message of Christianity
that we aren't allowed to state that
or to publicly advertise this event
that it's going to encourage.
- The Harvest Crusade willtake place August 17th
through the 19th atAngel Stadium in Anaheim.
A group of black pastorscame under intense fire
for meeting President DonaldTrump at the White House
to discuss prison reform.
Hundreds of African American Christians
took to social media,
accusing the black leaders of selling
their soul to the President.
Now some of those who were atthe meeting have responded.
George Thomas brings usmore on this controversy.
- God, I wanna thankyou for an opportunity
to speak about the hearts of those
who sometimes cannot fight for themselves.
- [George] The reactionwas fast and furious,
and it erupted on socialmedia moments after John Gray,
Pastor of a mega church inGreenville, South Carolina,
was asked by the Presidentto open a meeting
at the White House in prayer.
- Dr. King said, "wecannot influence a table
"that we are not seated at."
- [George] Gray, along witha small group of other black
and Hispanic pastorswas invited by Mr. Trump
to discuss efforts to reformAmerica's prison system
and other issues.
But their meeting got a visceral reaction
from many quarters,
including from fellowAfrican American Christians,
who called the pastors andother participants shameless
and contemptible, fortaking part in the event.
Hundreds of people took toGray's social media accounts,
venting their anger.
"I'm so disappointed withyou," wrote one person
on Gray's Instagram account.
Another said, "I havelost all respect for him
"as a pastor."
Gray, who says he has been critical
of the administration'simmigration and other policies,
posted a video on social media,
after his meeting with the President,
defending his decision to go.
- I did not go as a politician,
nor did I go under partisan rhetoric.
I'm not a Democrat nor aRepublican, nor an Independent.
I'm a Christians
If there's anybody whothinks they're above praying
for people who sometimesthey may not agree with,
then you don't have the heart of Christ.
(congregation applauding)
- [George] Still, some of Gray's fellow
African Americanpreachers are accusing him
and other participants ofselling out and tap dancing
for the President at theexpense of the black community.
But it was perhaps this commentfrom Pastor Darrell Scott
of Ohio, who was at themeeting with Mr. Trump,
that got the most negative reaction.
- To be honest, this isprobably going to be,
and I'm gonna say this at this table,
the most pro-black Presidentthat we've had in our lifetime,
because, and I try to analyzethe people that I encounter.
This President actually wants
to prove something to our community,
our faith-based community,and our ethnic community.
The last President didn'tfeel like he had to.
He felt like he didn't haveto prove. He got a pass.
- [George] Bishop Harry Jacksonalso attended the event.
He told CBN's Charlene Aaron
that despite the intense blow back,
he believes it was the right thing to do.
- You can't be a prophet to the culture
while you're standing outside of the room.
Many of the people whocame into that meeting
knew that they would bemisunderstood, disrespected,
lied on, talked about,but they came anyway.
- [George] PresidentTrump said his meeting
with the inner city pastorswas one of many steps
his administration was taking to address
the enormous challenges of reforming
the country's prison system.
George Thomas, CBN News.
- Important topic and you can see more
of the pastor's meetingwith the President,
including John Gray's fullprayer, on our website.
That's CBNNews.com.
We'll be right back.
(lively music)
- Hello, is this thing on?
Hey kids!
Do you like games?
And do you like to discover things?
Well, do ya?
- [Announcer] Then you're gonna love this.
It's the new freeSuperbook Kids' Bible App.
You can play games, watch videos,
find answers to your questionsand a whole lot more.
The new Superbook Kids' Bible App.
Free downloads available oniTunes and Google Play now.
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there are morethan 148 million orphans
in the world today?
148 million.
But it was three littlegirls that taught me
about the plight of orphans.
My husband and I spentnearly a month immersed
in the daily activitiesof a Ukrainian orphanage
as we waited to adopt three sisters.
I saw first-hand the utter loneliness,
the pain of rejection
and the overwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changed me forever.
And out of it grew aministry from my heart
called Orphan's Promise.
Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries world wide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes,
they're being educated andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to join with me
and become family to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now?
Because every child deservesa chance to be happy.
(lively music)
- [Narrator] When yougive, smiles grow bigger.
When you care,
homes are happier.
When you comfort,
the hurt goes away.
When we all come together to love,
miracles happen.
- A rare medieval Biblehas finally been returned
to England's iconic Canterbury Cathedral
after being missing for,get this, 500 years.
The Bible was found and purchased
at a manuscript auction in London.
The Antiques TradeGazette reports the Bible
was hand-written and illustratedby a 13th Century Monk.
It went missing during theProtestant Reformation.
The Bible is thebest-selling book of all time
and it's still going strong.
The latest version quicklyhit number one on Amazon
and as CBN's Chris Mitchell shows us,
it's designed to appeal toboth Christians and Jews.
- The Israel Bible is the only Bible
that's exclusively dedicatedto the land of Israel,
the people of Israel,
and the God of Israel.
- [Chris] Rabbi TulyWeisz of Israel 365 saw
the 70th anniversary ofIsrael as a great opportunity
for a special version of this kind.
- The Bible has had such agreat impact on civilization,
yet it's also been thegreatest source of friction
and division between Jews and Christians
who both claim to love the Bible.
And so now, the vision forthe Israel Bible is that
we're gonna have theopportunity to use the Bible
as a source of unitybetween Jews and Christians
and everybody who loves the Bible.
- So this is the Hebrew scripture.
It's not The New Testament,the Brit Hadasha.
So why would Christians wanna be able
to read the Israel Bible?
- Well, first of all,and I'm not Christian
but I know that forChristians who want the Bible
that Jesus read, so heread the Hebrew Bible,
the Tanakh.
That's something that myChristian friends have pointed
out to me that this isthe Bible that Jesus read.
I think that there'sanother aspect as well
that the prophets talkedabout how in the future,
Isaiah says, in thefuture, in the end of days,
the non-Jews are going tosay to the Jewish people,
tell us the Torah, teach us the Bible.
- [Chris] It comes with special features
in the 929 chapters.
- Number one is that it opens in the way,
in the format of a Hebrew book.
It opens backwards.
A lot of our customerssay, hey wait a minute,
my Bible opens backwards.
It's not a mistake.
We did it on purpose.
All of the versus about Israel
have been highlighted and transliterated,
so that anybody could actually read
the Hebrew for themselves.
And then, of course, on thebottom of every chapter,
we have study notes.
- [Chris] Wise feels this versioncomes at an important time
because of the innacuratecriticism directed at Israel.
- More than any other time in history,
the world's eyes are focused on Israel.
We have world leaders whoare saying that Israel
is occupying this land,and this Bible shows
that we're not occupying this land.
This is the land that God gave to us.
Everybody needs to be moreeducated in God's word
and especially if you're confused,
if you're not familiar which side to take
to be supportive ofIsrael, to be on the fence,
to be anti-Israel, just read the Bible.
- [Chris] Chris Mitchell,CBN News, Jerusalem.
- Just read the Bible.
It has all the answers you need.
Thanks for joining us this week.
Until next week,
from all of us here atChristian World News,
good bye and God bless you.
(lively music)
