(dramatic music)
- [George] This week onChristian World News.
US military might steams toward Iran
as the Islamic regime threatens attacks.
Inside the country, a rapidlygrowing church is at risk.
- [Wendy] Plus, Ramadan isa holy time for Muslims.
So why are so many havingdreams and visions of Jesus?
It's all about the power of prayer.
- And 25 years since the Rwandan genocide,
the horror is still freshin the minds of survivors.
See how the church is helping heal society
and making sure historydoes not repeat itself.
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to this week's editionof Christian World News.
I'm George Thomas.
- And I'm Wendy Griffith.
Rising tensions between the US
and the Islamic Republic of Iran
is raising fears of war.
The US sending a carrierbattle group to the region
in response to intelligencethat Iran is moving rockets
in range of US ships and land forces.
Iran's top leader sayshe doesn't want war,
but he's also threatening to begin making
weapons-grade uranium,used for nuclear weapons.
President Trump is alsoplaying down war talks,
saying he'd like one-on-one discussions
with Iran's leaders.
Mr. Trump and US Senator Marco Rubio,
who sits on the SenateForeign Relations Committee,
say the decision is up to Iran.
- If Iran attacks, there'll be a war.
If Iran does not attack,there will not be a war.
- Rubio also says a persistent
and clear stream of information indicates
Iran and its terroristpartners pose a serious,
potentially imminent threatto US forces in the region.
This escalation between the US and Iran
comes one year afterthe President pulled out
of the Iran nuclear deal andreinstated crippling sanctions
on the Islamic republic.
- Chris Mitchell is CBN'sMiddle East Bureau Chief.
He joins us now from Jerusalem.
So Chris, what's the sense in the region?
Is there a palpable fear of war?
- I think there is, George,
and certainly a lot of rumors of wars.
You listen to Saudi newspapers,listen to the Khomeini,
the supreme leader of Iran,listen to President Trump,
certainly the possibilityof war is in the region
with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group
heading into the PersianGulf, B-52s going to Qatar.
Certainly the build-up, thereis a possibility of a war.
Having said all that, I talkedto some people who think,
really, there may not be a war just yet.
There's a sense in the long term
that there's definitelygonna be some sort of a war
between Iran or its proxies, Hezbollah,
but right now, at leastquiet for the moment.
- Chris, how could Israelbe affected in all of this
and how are Israeli leaders reacting?
- Well George, Israeli leaders
actually have been kindof quiet about this,
but you know behind thescenes there's a great deal
of cooperation and communication
between the intelligence ofIsrael and the United States.
Certainly, Israel is watchingthis very, very closely.
They consider Iran their number one enemy.
They see Hezbollah the proxy army of Iran
up on their northernborder with 150,000 rockets
with great concern, sothey're quiet publicly,
but privately, you knowthere's lots going on.
- Chris, it's a little known story,
but you and I have been reporting on it
for a number of years.
The Islamic Republic of Iran
has one of the fastest growingchurches in the world, right?
Why is that?
- It's a great question.
It's a sovereign move of God.
And George, you've done some great stories
on some of the Iranian believers,
many of them coming tofaith in Jesus Christ
through a dream or a vision.
When I was in Kurdistanjust a few days ago,
we had the opportunity to meetwith an Iranian church leader
who talks about justphenomenal things happening
with this great spiritualhunger of Iranians
combined with this Holy Spirit work
just out of the book of Acts
where a man in white isappearing to many Iranians.
And it is the fastestgrowing church in the world,
if you can believe it.
Actually, George, it'salmost like two Irans.
We see an Iran, on the public surface,
death to Israel, deathto the United States,
and yet, that's a smallpercentage of Iranians.
Under the surface, there'sa majority of Iranians
who don't like Islam,don't like the regime,
and are open to the West, tothe United States, to Israel,
and especially to the gospel.
- And those who decide to say no to Islam
and no to the Prophet Muhammadand embrace Jesus Christ,
they are severely persecuted,right, for their faith?
- Exactly.
It's a great phenomenalmove of the Holy Spirit,
and yet, with great danger,many of these believers
worship in secret.
They worship in small groups.
They have code words.
It's a great danger to them.
They could be imprisoned.
They could be put to death.
They could be ostracized.
So they operate in great faith.
And yet, from what I can tell,
they have a great joy in themidst of this persecution.
- Last minute here that we have.
How should we pray for Iran,
not just what's going on politically,
but for the church as well?
- Yeah.
Well, you know, when you ask them to pray,
sometimes they say don't praythat the regime would fall.
Pray for us in the midstof this persecution
to have great faith and strength.
And ironically, andmaybe counterintuitively
for those in the West,they don't pray necessarily
that the persecution stops,
but that they would be faithful to Jesus
throughout this persecution.
It's a great inspirationto those in the West,
the church in the West,that we can take and learn
from those Iranian believersin the Islamic republic.
- Always a pleasure to haveyou on the show, brother.
- Great to be with you, George.
- [Wendy] Coming up, sheescaped a death sentence
in Pakistan, but is AsiaBibi safe in the West?
The latest report onthreats against her life.
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- [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,
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- 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,
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- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.
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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?
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(child giggles)
- And welcome back toChristian World News.
Taiwan's legislature is the first in Asia
to legalize same sex marriage
despite a national referendum opposing it,
and over the opposition, bythe way, of church groups.
Back in 2017, Taiwan's high court
ruled the constitution allows gay marriage
and ordered parliament to change the laws.
But in 2018, a majority of voters
rejected same sex marriage.
Lawmakers made the changes anyway.
Wendy.
- Christians in North Korea
are taking enormous riskto hear the gospel message.
The Far East Broadcasting Company reports
they're gathering together
to listen to Christian radio programs
broadcast into the country.
That is actually extremely dangerous
in the isolated and repressive nation
where Christians are jailed
and even executed for their faith.
FEBC President Ed Cannon told us that
the Christians are praying for strength
to endure and overcome.
- What they tell us, therefugees themselves say
pray for courage, pray for perseverance,
because the Christiansare reaching out in ways
to gather together in the name of Christ,
to pray together, to listento the radio together,
and they're willing toendure severe persecution.
But they pray for courage, for boldness,
for people not to be afraid,
but rather, to join togetherwith other Christians,
and they pray that wewill continue to lengthen
the time during the daythat our signal comes out
and improve the strength and quality
so they can hear clearly.
- Cannon says the ministryis building a station
that will reach all of North Korea.
- It has been more than a week now
since Asia Bibi, thePakistani Christian mother,
arrived in Canada.
And apparently, she'snow facing a death threat
in her new home country.
According to the BritishPakistani Christian Association,
a Muslim man who claims to live in Canada
has released a video on theinternet threatening to kill her
for blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad.
CBN News was unable to verify the video.
Bibi spent almost 10 years on death row
for allegedly dishonoring Islam.
She was acquitted byPakistan's Supreme Court,
but it took the governmentthere seven months
to let her leave the country.
Canada granted Bibi asylum.
- Muslims around the worldare observing Ramadan.
(muezzin chanting)
Afghanistan to Zanzibar,Muslims will use this holy month
to fast and pray with hopesof getting closer to God.
Followers of Islam areexpected to increase
their spiritual devotionas they spend time
reading the Koran and reciting prayers.
For 30 days, Muslims mustabstain from drinking, eating,
smoking, immoral acts, and anger.
The ritual begins atdawn and ends at dusk.
- Earlier on our Worldbeat program,
I spoke with Paul Filidisof WorldChristian.com.
For 25 years, his grouphas annually distributed
tens of thousands of prayer guide booklets
to help Christians learn about, pray for,
and reach out to Muslims during Ramadan.
We talked about this Islamic holiday
and how it can be a timeof ministry to Muslims.
How do Muslims observe Ramadanand what's its significance?
- Well, it unites Muslimsfrom many cultures,
from many geographicalregions in a common devotion
to what they understandGod expects of them.
And so it's a very significant time.
Our call to Christians worldwide,
to be aware of thathappening in the Muslim world
and to ask the Father to blessMuslims during this time,
to actually reveal Himselfto them during this time.
- How do you want Christiansto use the prayer guides
that you've been putting out for 25 years?
- Well George, my biggestpassion in all of this
has always been to callChristians to learn about Muslims.
See, when we only know about Muslims
from what we see in thenews headlines or on TV,
many people are afraidof Muslims, hate Muslims,
want to kill them all.
And even among Christians,
I believe that attitude can emerge.
So by praying for Muslims,
by reading through these prayer guides,
which are quite informative and colorful,
they learn about Muslimsand realize that Muslims
are normal people who haveaspirations, who have families,
who have hopes, who have dreams,
who have tragedies in their life.
And by praying for them,
you cannot help but getGod's heart for them.
- How can Christians prayspecifically for Muslims
during this holy month of Ramadan?
- Well, you know, youmay have heard too about,
there are so many stories circulating
about Muslims having dreams from God.
I believe that God issovereignly revealing Himself
through dreams and callingMuslims to Himself.
The greatest movementamong Muslims toward Jesus
is happening in the last few decades,
and I think Christiansought to pray with hope
during Ramadan for Muslims
that God will reveal Himself to them.
- And that's probably oneof the most untold stories
of what is happening amongMuslims around the world,
that so many are comingto faith in Jesus Christ,
many times through dreams and visions,
and that's so encouraging, right?
- It is very encouraging.
It's unprecedented.
There are movements even,
in different parts of the Muslim world,
movements of Muslimsbecoming Jesus followers.
- Paul, thank you so much forjoining us on the broadcast.
- You're welcome.
- [Wendy] Thumbs up there.
Up next, 25 years afterthe horror of genocide.
How faith and forgivenessare helping rebuild Rwanda.
(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.
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You can even create yourown Superbook character.
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- A Millsbrook Falls man com--- Sorry, sorry, pardon me,
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- [Reporter] Are you getting this?
- Earn SuperPoints to win daily prizes too
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(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.
- Well this year marksthe 25th anniversary
of the genocide that took the lives
of nearly one million people in Rwanda.
- Efrem Graham traveledto the East African nation
to see how faith and forgiveness
have helped reshape andrebuild this beautiful country.
(gentle piano music)
- [Efrem] With thishorizon, it is easy to see
why Rwanda is calledThe Land of 1,000 Hills.
More than half of the population
makes a living farming these lush lands.
In 1994, however, this water-soaked soil
became a tribal killing ground,
an estimated 800,000 Rwandansmurdered in just 100 days,
mainly Tutsis at thehands of radical Hutus.
The tension between the tribes
stemmed from Belgian colonizers,
dividing Rwandans by ethnicity.
They felt Tutsis were superior,
and in the 1930s, mandatedall Rwandans carry ID
to indicate their ethnicity.
- We need to help one another.
That is the only thingthat is keeping us alive.
- It's hard to tellRwanda's genocide story
without a stop here atthe Hotel Mille Collines.
It served as a refugefor some 2,000 Rwandans
during those 100 dark and bloody days.
The hotel was also made famousin the film, Hotel Rwanda.
- [Broadcaster] Listen tome, good people of Rwanda.
- [Efrem] This scenerecalls April 6th, 1994,
the moment that ignited the genocide.
- [Broadcaster] Horrible news.
Our great president is murderedby the Tutsi cockroaches.
They tricked him to signtheir phony peace agreement,
then they shot his plane from the sky.
- [Efrem] The truth about who shot down
the president's plane is still not known,
but the violence that followedwill never be forgotten.
(speaking foreign language)
- [Translator] They took my child
and they cut her in two pieces.
- [Efrem] April 29th, 1994,
Alice Mukaruinda lost her arm, her child,
and nearly her life.
- [Translator] The Interahamwemilitia had operating hours.
There was a whistle thatwould go at 10:00 a.m.,
marking the start, and at3:00 p.m., marking the end,
and so we knew those hoursand we would go and hide.
On that day, we did the same.
We would either hide under the dead bodies
when we heard them come to start shooting
or dig a place to hide.
- [Efrem] Scars mark thebeating and mutilation
Alice endured after soldiers found her
and her baby in hiding.
They brutally beat her husband
before rescue workerspulled him to safety.
- [Translator] When he startedto come back to his senses,
he remembered that they had left me.
He asked the military and the police
to take him back to where I was.
- [Efrem] Genocide ended in July 1994.
Paul Kagame, now thepresident, led a rebel group
to seize control of the country.
Since then, he's worked toward unity.
There are no longer Hutusor Tutsis, only Rwandans.
President Kagame reaffirmed his commitment
to never see history repeated
at an event marking the 25thanniversary of genocide's end.
- Every day, we learn to forgive,
but we do not want to forget.
- [Efrem] Ananias Sentoziis operations manager
for the humanitarianorganization World Vision.
He says choosing to forgive
is what's moving the country forward.
After the genocide, WorldVision was on the ground
with first aid, food, and medicine.
It also played a majorrole in reconciliation.
- You cannot think oflong-term development
if people are disconnected, not united.
- [Efrem] The radical Hutumilitia pushed propaganda
and encouraged citizens to participate
in the killing of Tutsisand moderate Hutus.
After the genocide, manyof those responsible
flooded the criminal system,
but President Kagame refusedto kill as punishment
and abolished the death penalty.
Instead, he offered another solution,
a system of communitycourts called gacaca.
It allowed criminals toconfess and seek forgiveness.
- [Translator] I started forgiving myself
when I stood in front of the court.
- [Efrem] Emmanuel Nadayisabaconfessed his crimes
after prison, became acommunity building volunteer,
and while working, he realized
he was actually on a teamwith one of his victims,
though she had no idea who he was.
- [Translator] We bothjoined the Association
of Peace Building and Reconciliation
that World Vision was involved in.
- [Efrem] After her attack,Alice said a prayer.
- [Translator] I wanted to be close to God
and not just be on the surface.
- [Efrem] Asking God to bringher to those who wronged her
and to lead her to forgiveness.
She didn't think herprayer would be answered,
and then, Emmanuelasked to speak with her.
- [Translator] I was always sweaty.
I was always nervous.
Everything was hot everywhere.
I fell down on my kneesand raised my hands up
and told her that I am theperson who was responsible.
- [Translator] The next thing I remember,
I was at the hospital.
I didn't respond.
I guess I was in shock.
- [Translator] I was stillon my knees when she fainted
and they took her away.
- [Efrem] Days later, Aliceasked to meet with Emmanuel
and only asked he apologize to her family.
She then became anadvocate for him in court.
- [Translator] I was ablenot to go back to prison.
- [Translator] It's only God.
I can't explain it.
It's only God, nothing else, no one else.
- [Efrem] Efrem Graham, CBN News, Rwanda.
- Wow.- Yeah, the gacaca process
of these communities comingtogether and confessing
is really the way to do it,and it's been quite effective.
- They've been through
so much.- They have.
- Just God bless them.
- Good story.
- All righty, thank you.
We'll be right back after this.
(upbeat rhythmic music)
- [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?
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- 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.
- Love this next story.
A Virginia man is being hailed as a hero
for preventing a manfrom taking his own life.
Collin Dozier riskedhis life to get involved
as the man was poisedto jump from a bridge.
- As Charlene Aaron shows us,more lives are being saved
as a result of this powerful story.
- In late April, CollinDozier was driving home
around midnight when he noticed a car
on the Lesner Bridge,located right behind me.
He said he felt compelled by God
to investigate what washappening with its driver.
- I figured he wasn't evenreally near his car that much
so I just felt the Holy Spirit speak to me
and tell me to go up there.
- [Charlene] The man hadgotten out of his car
to jump from the bridge.
- At that point, I ended up,
I was just like, "Hey man, don't do it.
"Jesus loves you.
"He's got a plan for your life."
- [Charlene] Dozier, a devout Christian,
says while the man, whosename is Jacob, didn't respond,
that didn't stop him from talking
and at times sharing hisown personal testimony.
- I did what I, theonly thing I know to do
in a situation likethat and that's to pray,
and I was like, Lord Jesus,please speak to this man.
I pray right now you open up his eyes
and show him your love.
- [Charlene] Dozier says,when police arrived,
things escalated.
- And he said, "Leave me alone.
"I have a gun.
"I'm gonna kill you both."
- [Charlene] Still,Dozier, a former wrestler,
inched closer to the man, who by now,
was rocking back and forthon the bridge's railing.
Dozier then made his move.
- I went over the top of his arms
and I pinched my elbows in
so I knew that he couldn'treach for anything.
I stepped up on the railingand I sucked him back
and I picked him up and Ithrew him down on the pavement
and, at that point, the police officers
jumped over the roadside railing
and were able to apprehend him.
- May we present you.
- [Charlene] The City of Virginia Beach
recognized Dozier's heroic actions
by honoring him with its Lifesaving award.
- I really believe that thegood Lord puts His hands
on our shoulders at times todo great things like this.
This is an individual whoput his own life at risk
to save another.
- [Charlene] Dozier has sincestayed connected to the man,
who on the night of his attempted suicide,
had been high on meth,PCP, heroin and cocaine.
He has since become a Christian
and now attends Dozier's churchand plans to be baptized.
- He said the fact that thelove that you showed me,
it blew his mind and to thepoint that he said I want that.
He said I want that love.
So I just told him the scripture
and I said, you know,look, if you'd be willing,
I'd love to pray this prayer with you,
and he said absolutely, and heaccepted Jesus in his heart.
- [Charlene] Meanwhile, Doziersays other hurting people
have reached out to him, and at least one
has come to Christ.
While many are calling Dozier a hero,
he's quick to give the credit
to the one who saved asoul, in more ways than one.
- I absolutely give all the glory to God.
There's no doubt.
You can't make this stuff up.
This is all God incidents.
- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron, CBN News.
- Story.
- Incredible.- He was there
at the right time
and God intervened, used him.- Absolutely, he obeyed.
- Yep.
- Well.- Well, folks,
(Wendy laughs)that is it
for this week's edition
of Christian World News.- Yeah, when it says George,
that's when you read.- I know.
- (laughs) I'm just kidding.
Until next week, from all of us here,
goodbye and God bless you.
