- [George] This week onChristian World News.
Aftermath of a massacre.
As Sri Lanka's Christiansgrieve their losses,
hear what this Christian leader has to say
about the attacks on their churches
and how to pray for that community.
- [Wendy] Plus, in the midstof despair, a message of hope.
See how some Venezuelarefugees in Colombia
are struggling to survive
and how they respond tothe promise of new life.
- And second act.
This businessman could have retired at 65.
Instead, he dedicated his retirement years
to building up the global church.
Today, that ministry hasblessed more than 80 countries,
people in 80 countries.
(dramatic music)
Hello everyone.
Welcome to this week's editionof Christian World News.
I'm George Thomas.
- Good to be with you.
I'm Wendy Griffith.
Well, it's been a week of mourning
for the island nation of Sri Lanka.
(bomb explodes)
Bombings on Easter Sundaykilled at least 250 people
and injured more than 500.
As loved ones buried their dead,
Sri Lankan officials are warning
there are still terroristson the run with explosives.
This week's church services are canceled.
On Easter morning, around 8:45 local time,
seven Islamic suicide bombers,in a coordinated attack,
struck three churchesand three luxury hotels
in and around the capital city, Colombo.
One of the largest explosions
ripped through St.Anthony's Catholic Church
just as congregants were filling the pews
for Easter service.
39 foreigners were also killed,
including at least four Americans
and eight British nationals.
- In this week's edition of Worldbeat,
I spoke with one of SriLanka's top Christian leaders
from Colombo.
The right Reverend Daniel Thiagarajah
talked about the impactthis attack is having
on the Christian community.
- Christians, on thefirst hand, they are sad,
they are grieved.
They really don't know what they can do
except to weep, to weep for the lost ones
because they neverexpected this to happen,
and now that it has happened,they don't know what to do.
We have been to the hospitals
where the injured are being treated.
It's a horrific scene there.
Very difficult even to lookat the injured persons,
so how can we look at those who are died,
those who are dead now.
Very difficult, very difficult.
- ISIS has claimedresponsibility for the attacks
and Sri Lankan governmentofficials believe
it was in retaliation for the massacre
of Muslims at a mosque in New Zealand.
What's your feeling about this?
- Yes, I have also heard about this,
but that is a secondary thing,
secondary question for mebecause this has happened now.
Let us not say this is inretaliation of this and that.
That is not the thing.
Now that the thing has happened,
this horrendous act has happened,
what are we going to do next?
That should be in our minds now.
- Is there concern right now
that there could be moreincidents against Christians?
- Definitely.
That is our fear becausethey say, the reports say
that there were plans toattack 27 places simultaneously
on Easter Sunday.
Only six and two othersmall places were targeted.
Therefore, what are the other places?
We don't know whether they are still,
the bombs are being carried
by some vehicles or some people.
We don't know.
Therefore, we are on the alert.
Anything may happen at anytime.
Definitely Sri Lankan Christian community,
they are frightened.
They are frightenedbecause this has happened
in their lives for the first time
which they never expected to happen.
We are a peace loving community.
We have been always maintaining
the peace and harmony in the country,
which has undergone threedecades of civil war.
In respect of who we have been,
we always cooperated with one another
in maintaining peace andharmony in the country.
Now we are worried.
- Are you worried at all
that Christians might retaliate
and launch attacks against Muslims?
- I doubt because Ibelieve that the Christians
will never resort to that kind of an act,
act of retaliation.
- Bishop Daniel, how canwe pray for the church
today in Sri Lanka?
- It is a very important question
and you have to pray thatwe are definitely sustained
by God's grace, thatour faith is enhanced,
it is not diminished, but enhanced
because we always hoped against hope
in the past experience in the country,
whether it was an actualcalamity or human made calamity.
We underwent suchcalamities and all the times
we were hoping againsthope, and now once again,
we are bound for that.
Therefore, we pray that allour brothers and sisters
around the globe willpray with us and for us
that our faith is enhanced.
- For many parts of the global church,
violence and oppressionis part of daily life.
But here in America, there's a sense
Christians don't understandthe level of persecution
that the body of Christendures in other nations.
Doug Bandow, an analyst atthe Cato Institute, wrote:
Christianity's dominant role
in American culture has obscured the fact
that it is the mostpersecuted faith globally.
And Emma Green, anAtlantic writer says that
Easter has become a, quote,anniversary of death,
noting Easter attacks onChristians in Egypt and Nigeria
in the last several years.
On CBN Newswatch,religious freedom advocate
Dr. Daniel Mark says theattacks should remind believers
to stand up for theirsuffering brothers and sisters.
- I think Christians should,
Christians who of courseare extremely charitable
and extremely caring to people worldwide,
could maybe, even so,take a lesson in this
and make sure that on the topof their mind at all times
is the persecuted church around the world,
which would help themappreciate what we have here.
- The bombings also serving
to bring the church in Sri Lanka together.
Evangelical and Pentecostal leaders
are expressing solidaritywith the Catholic community
after the attacks on their churches.
- As Sri Lanka continues to mourn,
stories of the heroeswho risked their lives
to save others are coming to light.
One of those heroes is Ramesh Ramu.
Ramu spotted a suicide bomber
lurking outside Zion Church in Batikola.
More than 450 worshiperswere packed inside.
Ramu prevented him fromapproaching a courtyard
full of Sunday school children.
The bomber detonatedhimself outside the church
killing Ramu instantly.
29 people died in the attack,including the pastor's son.
It's impossible to know how many lives
Ramu saved by that very simple act.
- [Wendy] God bless him and his family.
Coming up, refugees fleeing poverty
and political repression,and a message of hope
from the Reverend Franklin Graham.
(dramatic music)
- [Announcer] CBN presentsThe I Wills of God:
Your Path to Overcoming Fear and Anxiety.
- We're going to talk aboutsome of the incredible promises
God has made to his children.
- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,
you'll discover The I Wills of God.
I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,
be with him in trouble,deliver him, honor him,
satisfy him with long life,show him my salvation.
And see amazing stories ofGod's promises in action.
- What I felt was loved and treasured.
- God spared my life twice in three days.
- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.
- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.
- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,
but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.
- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.
The I Wills of God:
Your Path to Overcoming Fear and Anxiety.
- [Terry] Remember for a moment
what it was like to be a child.
You believed every story you were told.
You saw a world full ofendless possibilities.
What stories will the world's orphaned
and at risk children believe?
We believe the Bible tells the only story
truly worth believing.
We believe that every child
should have the opportunity to dream,
the chance to take challenges
and turn them into possibilities,
the chance to stand onthe promises of God,
to recognize their place inthe greatest story ever told.
They have their whole lives ahead of them.
Theirs is a world ofendless possibilities.
They are looking for a story to believe.
We will tell them that story.
Will you join us?
(soft music)
(child giggles)
- And welcome back toChristian World News.
The arrest of a Baptistpastor in southern Russia
is raising concerns of anew wave of persecution
against evangelicals andother minority faiths.
Radio Free Europe reportsthat authorities raided
72-year-old Pastor YuryKornikov's church this past month
and charged him with illegal evangelism.
If convicted, the pastorwill face heavy fines.
Back in 2016, Russiaoutlawed all missionary work
outside officiallyrecognized church buildings.
Many view it as acrackdown on congregations
outside the Russian Orthodox Church.
- Sudan's Christians arecalling for equal rights
under the law.
Baptist, Presbyterian,and other church leaders
joined protesters in Khartoum recently,
calling for a new governmentthat guarantees democracy
and human rights.
This after the military forced out
dictator Omar Bashir earlier this month.
The Christian leaders joined with Muslims
to call for reform, evensinging hymns together.
Kiri Kankhwende of ChristianSolidarity Worldwide
described the scene forthe Global News Alliance.
- We saw a wonderful moment
where Christians were actually invited
to join in the protests.
Until this time, the churchhad been a bit hesitant
because they'd suffered somany years of repression
under the Sudanese regime.
They were hesitant tocome out and be visible.
However, the SudaneseProfessionals Association,
which is organizing the protests,
explicitly invited them to join in,
acknowledge the repressionthat they've experienced,
and we saw a wonderful moment on Sunday
where Christians were able to join in
and they held a mass, an ecumenical mass.
They had church leadersgiving presentations.
There was worship.
And Christians and Muslimssang songs together.
- The Sudanese military remains
in control of the government.
The protesters are callingfor them to step aside
in favor of a democracy.
- From Sudan we turn to Paris
where investigators thereare narrowing possible causes
of the blaze that devastatedhistoric Notre Dame Cathedral
during Holy Week.
Folks are specifically paying attention
to a possible short circuit inthe electrical wiring system,
but they also discoveredcigarette butts on the scaffolds,
raising the possibility that a workman
might have accidentally started the fire
even though smoking was forbidden.
Meanwhile, on Easter Sunday,a special mass was held
to honor the firemenwho put out the blaze.
- Hope they discover what happened there.
- That's right.
- Well the United Nationshas called the exodus
of refugees from Venezuela unparalleled
in the modern history of South America.
More than a million of thenation's four million refugees
have fled to the neighboringnation of Colombia.
- Well there, many had anencounter with Jesus Christ
over Easter weekend.
Charlene Aaron has the story.
- [Charlene] A broken economy
magnified by a politicalcrisis and power outages
is forcing millions ofVenezuelans to flee their country.
CBN correspondent Chuck Holton
has described the desperate situation
for those crossing into theborder town of Cucuta, Colombia.
- So this is the illegal way to get across
from Venezuela into Colombia.
It's called La Trocha.
These guys are bringing products
either into Colombia to sell
or back into Venezuela, thingsthat aren't available there,
things like tires, things like medicines.
Coming across from Venezuela,
we're seeing a lot of scrap metal
that they sell over in the Colombian side.
We see things like copper wire
because people are rippingthe wires out of the walls
and wrapping them up andbringing them over here to sell
just to get enough money to eat.
- [Charlene] Prostitution byVenezuelan girls is rampant.
Leonel Castillo and his wife
work with their church to help them.
(speaking foreign language)
- [Translator] The wealthiest Venezuelans
have already escaped to Spain or Miami.
The middle class is goingto Ecuador or Chile.
But the poorest and most vulnerable
are coming to Cucuta.
- Venezuelans have been suffering
under one of the worsthumanitarian disasters
in modern times.
But this week, tens ofthousands of refugees
received the ultimate gift of hope.
- Tonight, if you're here andyou don't know Jesus Christ
as your Savior, tonight you can be sure.
- [Charlene] It was calledthe Festival of Hope,
and the Graham team chosethe strategic location
of Cucuta to share thegospel to Colombians
and Venezuelan refugees as well.
- The physical needs,I think, of the people,
God sometimes uses that toopen up the hearts spiritually.
- [Charlene] Christian ministries
like Graham's Samaritan's Purse
and CBN's OperationBlessing have sent teams
to provide food, hygienekits, and medical care
to the refugees.
As the humanitarian crisis worsens,
the US and other nationsare increasing pressure
on the Maduro government andits allies, Russia and Cuba.
Graham considers the Cubanofficials and military personnel
who are propping up leader Nicolas Maduro
a big obstacle to change.
- It's really the Cubans.
The Cubans have takencontrol of the country
and they have takencontrol of this government,
they've taken control of the military.
It's almost like Cubahas annexed the country.
- [Charlene] As theVenezuela crisis deepens,
the US and other nations aren'truling out military force.
Graham says he hopesand prays for a solution
that does not involve military force
and more suffering forthe Venezuelan people.
Charlene Aaron, CBN News.
- [Wendy] Thanks, Charlene.
Coming up, when others were retiring,
he was just getting started.
As a result, thousands of churches
are building God'skingdom around the world.
(dramatic music)
- [Shawn] It's about the competition.
- I kind of put that pressure on myself
and I think people had expectations.
- [Shawn] It's about overcoming.
- We use this phrase allthe time, keep chopping.
Keep practicing hard.
- [Shawn] It's about going the distance.
- You know, I think as afather, it's my job to lead.
Just be the best husbandand father I can be.
- [Shawn] Watch Going theDistance with Shawn Brown
Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.
(rhythmic music)
- Woo-hoo!
Hi Superbook fans.
Here's something else you'll love.
Whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
It's the new Superbook Bible App.
(grunts)
It's packed with games, activities,
and Superbook episodes thatyou can watch for free.
Oh no!
There's trivia, a fun daily devotional,
and answers to your Bible questions.
Plus, an easy to understand Bible
the whole family will enjoy.
You can even create yourown Superbook character.
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Whoa-ho-ho!
- A Millsbrook Falls man com--- Sorry, sorry, pardon me,
sorry, excuse me, ouch.
- [Reporter] Are you getting this?
- Earn SuperPoints to win daily prizes too
and so much more.
(sighs)
Time to get back to my adventures.
See you soon.
It's the new Superbook Bible App.
Free downloads on iTunes,Google Play, and Amazon.
- [Announcer] Discover the I Wills of God.
I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,
be with him in trouble,deliver him, honor him,
satisfy him with long life,show him my salvation.
- What I felt was loved and treasured.
- God spared my life twice in three days.
- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.
- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.
The I Wills of God, the latestteaching from Pat Robertson.
- Welcome back.
Businessman Dois Rossercould've retired in luxury
at age 65.
Instead, he chose to use his talents
for spreading God's kingdom.
The result, thousands of churchesplanted across the globe.
- Well, some 30 years later,
daughter Janice Allen heads the ministry,
but her father, now well into his 90s,
still keeps his hand in the work.
Take a look.
- [Andrew] Janice Allen is the CEO
of International Cooperating Ministries,
an organization workingto change the world
one church building at a time.
- We, I think, always feltthat the church of Jesus Christ
is God's own plan fordistributing the gospel.
- [Andrew] ICM's missionis to help congregations
around the world learn God's Word
and build their own churches.
- We are partnering with indigenous groups
that are already doingthis type of ministry,
but they lack thefacilities and the resources
to really be able to do it adequately.
- [Andrew] Janice's father, Dois Rosser,
is the founder of ICM.
He first got the idea ata time when most people
are thinking about retiring.
- [Janice] At the age of 65,
my father had been very, very successful
in the business world.
- In the business world,you look to maximize.
We ran, I think, 27 differentfranchises at one time.
But what you do is lookfor way to get it done.
Well if we do that in the business world,
why shouldn't they do it in the kingdom?
- [Andrew] With that,Rosser started working
to make a radio broadcastseries called Mini Bible College
available to people around the world.
The in-depth study, writtenby Pastor Dick Woodward,
had revived Rosser's own faith
and he wanted to share his message.
Later, when he visitedsome of those countries,
he saw another very basicneed, church buildings.
- And the best example of that is,
that there's 600,000 villagesin India, 650 million people.
That's twice the populationof the United States
who live in those villages.
You can't send enough missionaries.
You can't afford to send them
from all the various denominations.
You've got to equip the nationals.
So what happened, when webuilt the church in a village,
we could change a whole village.
- [Andrew] Then, using hisown money, Rosser founded ICM.
For the next 30 years,
the organization wouldprovide local congregations
the needed funds to build a church
in some of the world's darkest areas.
- For example, when youthink of Central America,
50% of the population maybe under the age of 21,
where you have some ofthe highest murder rates
on the entire planet.
The drugs and the violenceand the teen pregnancy
and the prostitution, thatcycle is going to be perpetuated
until the gospel of Jesus Christ steps in
and changes people's hearts
and gives them a different future,
gives them a different hope.
- [Andrew] Janice says that the church
is often the only properbuilding in the community.
- When these villagers inthese rural congregations
have a building, they're usingthe buildings for schools,
they're using the buildingsfor medical clinics.
Many times, they will putthe only clean water well
at the place of the church.
- [Andrew] Some of the churches
serve people in desperate need of refuge.
- We began hearing stories
of how the churches werebecoming the safe havens
for these people escaping the atrocities
that were going on as they werefleeing their own countries.
- [Andrew] Building the body of Christ
hasn't come withoutpersecution and violence.
- This photo was brought into my office.
I saw two railroad tracks.
And on one side was a human head
and the other side was the body.
And it was a 13-year-old boy
who was the son of apastor of an ICM church.
And the extremists kidnappedhim and beheaded him
as a way to force his fatherto stop preaching the gospel.
And he said, "We will notstop being Christ's presence
"here in this village no matter what."
- [Andrew] To date, ICM and its donors
have funded nearly 6,500 churchesin more than 80 countries,
and had the Mini Bible College translated
into over 40 languages,
and there's still more work to be done.
- Well, the first thing you realize
is that man can't handle it.
But what do you expect?
If you read the history books,
man has not been able to solvethe problems of the world.
God is the answer.
- My father's obedience when God just said
Dois, just bring to mewhat your time and talents
and abilities are, and Iwill do something with it.
And he says that to eachand every one of us.
That's our opportunity we haveto serve the King of Kings.
(gentle music)
- And for more stories likethis, go to our website.
It's CBNNews.com.
- [Announcer] As the worldwatches from the outside.
- It's a big diplomatic tug-of-warhere in the Middle East.
- [Announcer] Go inside thestory with Jerusalem Dateline.
- Israeli archaeologists aretalking about a discovery
that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.
- [Announcer] Join CBN JerusalemBureau Chief Chris Mitchell
and get the biblical perspective
on the events shaping the world.
- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.
- [Announcer] Watch Jerusalem Dateline
Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.
- Orphan's Promise iscommitted to loving and serving
at risk children, to helpingkeep families together,
and to creating opportunities for strong
and sustainable communitiesaround the world.
We're working in over 60countries around the world,
and with your help, we can do even more.
There's an old Africanproverb I love that says:
If you want to run fast, run alone,
but if you want to run far, run together.
At Orphan's Promise, we want to run far
so we can touch thelives of as many orphaned
and vulnerable children as possible.
But we don't want to go alone.
We're out to change theworld one child, one family,
one community at a time.
Will you join us?
(uplifting music)
(child giggles)
(upbeat music)
Meet the pastors whoare preaching the gospel
in a fresh, fearless way.
I'm Roberto Torres-Cedillo.
Join me each week for Next Gen Voices
and watch God transform a generation.
(upbeat music)
- Welcome back to the broadcast.
In February, Israel andthe world lost a champion
with the sudden death ofRabbi Yechiel Eckstein,
founder of the International Fellowship
of Christians and Jews.
- As CBN's Chris Mitchell explains,
Eckstein's daughter, Yael, iscarrying on the family legacy.
- [Chris] Many knew him asthe ultimate bridge builder.
Rabbi Eckstein started theInternational Fellowship
of Christians and Jews in 1983.
Since then, it's generated more than
one and a half billion dollars
to help Jews in Israel,the former Soviet Union,
and more than 58 other countries.
In a video message tapedshortly before his death,
Eckstein charged his daughter, Yael,
with the mantle of his ministry.
- Watch over this ministry.
Feed it.
Cultivate it.
Don't let anyone say it's not of God.
- I miss my father.
I still can't comprehend
and internalize I'mnever gonna see him again
or get a hug from him.
But I also feel a lot of light.
I feel a lot of peace.
I see a lot of God'shand within the tragedy.
- [Chris] Yael says her dad left a rich
and prophetic work for her to lead.
- Everything we do is prophetic.
Suddenly, we have Christians
bringing from thebiblical land of the north
Jewish people on wingsof eagles home to Israel.
That's prophecy.
That's what Isaiah and Jeremiah,
this is what they saw 2,000 years ago.
- [Chris] She also talkedabout key Christian leaders
who influenced her father's life.
- From the very, very beginning,
Pat Robertson, along with many others
like Pat Boone and Jack Hayford.
But the way that Pat Robertson
was just passionate about it,
it seemed like he was praying for this
and God sent my fatheras the answer to prayers
because he got it before my father
even developed the whole idea.
- [Chris] Eckstein pursued three goals:
build bridges between Christians and Jews,
deepen Christian understanding
of the Jewish roots of their faith,
and develop a practical way
to help the Jewish people and Israel.
Yael believes that effortis more important than ever
with the alarming rise in anti-Semitism.
- It's in the American government.
It's no longer a fringe.
It's very clear that we are fighting a war
of light versus darkness, good versus bad,
and everyone's at risk of falling,
that we need to stand together.
- [Chris] Yael says she'sgrateful for the many prayers
helping her make the transition from grief
to building on her father's legacy.
Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem.
- Wow, he'll be missed.- Terrific, yes, absolutely.
She's doing a terrificjob with the ministry.
Well folks, that is itfor this week's edition
of Christian World News.
- Until next week, from all of us here,
goodbye and God bless you.
(dramatic music)
