(dramatic music)
- [George] This week onChristian World News,
inside the two Irans.
As the Islamic regime presentsa radical image to the world,
a spiritual revolution issweeping the Iranian society.
(logo whooshing)
- [Wendy] Plus escape to Taiwan.
This Chinese-Christian familyforced to flee the mainland
as China's governmentcracks down on religion.
- And migrants from Central America
are flooding the southern border.
As the government struggles to cope,
churches are steppingin to fill the needs.
(dramatic music)
Hello everyone.
Welcome to this week's editionof Christian World News.
I'm George Thomas.
- And I'm Wendy Griffith.
Well the fastest-growingchurch in the world
could very well be in theIslamic Republic of Iran.
CBN News has talked with thosewho've been first hand at,
seen first hand thelarge number of Iranians
turning from Shiite Islam to follow Jesus.
- We have hidden theidentities of the believers
in the story you're about to see,
some of whom are Iranian Christians
living in another country.
CBN Middle East Bureau ChiefChris Mitchell has the details.
(people chanting)
- [Chris] The image Iranpresents to the world
is large demonstrations withshouts of death to America
and death to Israel.
Those who have seen Iranfrom the inside however
paint a very different picture.
- You can't believe the imageson TV because, for example,
all the protests thatyou see on the streets,
those are mostly contrived.
There are young students in the streets,
and they told us if wedon't go to the streets,
we won't get our grades,
so we're forced to go and protest.
- [Chris] We've hidden the identity
of this Iranian church worker.
He says there are two Irans:
the one you see on the news,
and the other hidden from the world.
- Yes, I would say there'sa 10% Iran and a 90% Iran.
10% control the country ina more oppressive manner,
hardline religious manner,
and then the majority of the people,
90% of the people love America.
They don't hate Americans.
I think that's the messagethat Americans need to hear.
They tell us all the time,
we don't hate Americans, we love America.
- [Chris] He wants Americans to know
that 40 years afterIran's Islamic revolution,
there's another spiritualrevolution under way.
- Awaken to the truth that we live
in a time that's very special.
More people have come to faith in Iran
in the last 40 years thanthe previous 1,400 years.
So there's a once, not only in a lifetime,
but in history where wehave a moment where Iranians
are coming to faith at such a rapid rate.
(singing in foreign language)
- [Chris] Frontier AllianceInternational is producing
a documentary called "Sheep Among Wolves"
to introduce the Iranian Churchto Christians world wide.
- What's taking place in Iranright now is spectacular.
It's the fastest-growingchurch in the world
that owns no buildings, has no 501-c-3's,
that owns no property,that has no bank accounts,
that has no centralized leadership,
that has no denominational leanings,
and yet it's multiplying like crazy.
What the Lord is doingthere is staggering.
- [Chris] And that resultsin intense persecution
that Thomas says leads Iranianbelievers to seek prayer,
but not in a way you may think.
- Typically the way we pray is we expect
that they want us to prayfor the persecution to end,
and they say no no, don't do that.
Persecution is growing the church.
When the persecutionstops, the growth stops.
What we want is for the gospel to spread
far and wide and deep in Iran.
- [Chris] With Iran and theU.S. on the brink of war,
Thomas says it's important to see
what's happening behind the Iranian veil.
- When Muslims from Iran come in contact
with the man from Nazareth,something beautiful happens,
and when they realize that they've been
bought and saved andpurchased with Jewish blood
prophesied by Jewishprophets in a Jewish Bible,
something crazy happens.
Something beautiful happens,
and that's what we'reseeing take place in Iran.
- [Chris] Thomas believes one day,
the world may wake up tofind Iran's church growth
in the 21st century rivaling that
of China and Korea in the last century.
- Chris Mitchell joins us now with more.
Chris, what's behind the church growth?
How are Iranians hearing the gospel?
- Well they hear it wordof mouth, that's one thing.
They also hear it through the Internet,
and they hear it throughsatellite television.
Those two things in itselfhave really spread the gospel,
not only through Iran, butthroughout the Middle East.
Traditionally closedcountries for centuries,
but now they can hear it through Twitter,
through Instagram, those kindathings, but word of mouth.
I think that's what the primary tool
that the Holy Spirit is using
to get the gospel from person to person.
- And now these churches,they're not legal, right?
- No, not at all.
- So how are they meeting?
- Well they meetsurreptitiously, and they meet,
and I just heard form one
of these IranianChristians how they do it,
and I don't even wanna tellyou how they do it publicly
because they do it in very creative ways.
They meet together, small groups,
maybe less than 10 believers together,
and many times they have to do it
in a way that doesn't look like a church,
doesn't look like a Bible study,
but they do it in verycreative ways, I would say.
- Yeah, how great a riskare we talking about
that they face?
- Well we're talking about imprisonment.
We're talking about death.
We're talking about losing jobs.
Their whole life couldbe changed dramatically.
So we're talking about people
that are really putting their lives
on the line for the gospel,and one thing George.
When you ask them, and you know that.
You've met many of theseIranian Christians.
When you ask them howdo you pray for them,
many times they don't say don'teliminate the persecution.
Don't eliminate the dangeror the potential of death,
but pray that we would be strong
in the midst of the persecution
because they see many timesthe persecution as fuel
for the church to spread the gospel.
- What is it about this Islamic regime
that they fear Christians?
I mean, this is anoverwhelmingly Muslim country.
The percentage ofChristians is very small.
What are they do afraid of?
- Well they're afraidthat it would undermine
the regime for one.
I think they fear thatit could make the regime
less valuable in the eyes of the people,
and what we had heardGeorge was maybe if you
can take a look at Iran,
maybe 90% of the people aredissatisfied with the regime
and with Shiite Islam as well.
There's 10% that are reallythe core behind the regime,
but really, people need to know,
and that's what I was hearing.
America needs to know,and American Christians
and Christians around the world
need to know what's happening there,
that many people, they loveIsrael, they love America,
and many are turning to the gospel.
- And obviously in this sortof economic and political
environment where thepressure is so intense
from the United Statesand outside influences,
there's probably more angst, so to speak,
Exactly, sure.- Against the regime.
- And people are looking for answers,
and the regime certainly seesboth the economic pressure,
the political pressure, andalso this internal pressure
is something that couldundermine the regime.
- We have about a minute left.
Talk about is there anelement of Biblical prophesy
at work here?
- Well I think one of thethings that Jesus said
that this good news of the gospel
shall be preached in allthe world for witness,
and then the end shall come,
and I think we're seeing this gospel
going around the world in places
that we didn't think could penetrate,
and what we see in Iranis just supernatural.
It's stunning, it's staggering,
and many people thinkthat what's gonna happen
maybe in several years,
we'll see the growth of the church in Iran
just like we've seen itin places like Korea,
South Korea, and China.
- Yeah, real quickly, howcan we pray the church in--
- Pray that they be strong,pray that they be protected.
Pray that the church herein America will see them
and really see them as an inspiration,
but pray that they wouldbe strong in the midst
of such danger, persecution,and potential death.
- Chris, thank you so much forgoing and telling the story.
It's an important one, andit brings encouragement
to the body of Christ around the world.
- Amen, thanks George.
- Thanks for coming on theshow; you're most welcome.
- Well a car bomb explodedin front of a church
in Qamishli, Syria this week.
Officials report theblast wounded 11 people.
No terrorist group has claimed
responsibility for the bombing,
but the city has been thevictim of several ISIS attacks
and violence from the civil war.
One Christian toldInternational Christian Concern
we hope this evil endsas soon as possible.
- A government commissionin Egypt recently legalized
127 churches there.
They had been operatingwithout official permission.
The government move bringsthe total number of churches
that have been granted legalstatus to more than 1,000.
The process had been verydifficult for decades,
but in 2016, law sped up the process
of legalizing and granting permits.
However, many churches are still waiting,
they're still awaiting a legal status,
and Christians do facepersecution by the government
and radical Islamic groups, Wendy.
- [Wendy} Coming up, TheMarriage Market In China.
How Christian girls from Pakistan
are sold as brides to Chinese men.
(dramatic music)
- [Pat] People wanna know is there a plan,
and how do you find it?
- [Narrator] CBN presents The Plan,
eight keys for understandingGod's will for your life.
- We're going to talk aboutGod's plan for your life.
- Is there a plan for everyone's life?
- [Narrator] In PatRobertson's latest teaching,
you'll discover the secret to knowing
and living out God'sunique purpose for you.
- The plan of God willbe unfolded in your life
in ways you couldn't believe possible.
- [Narrator] In The Plan,Pat reveals the principles
to understanding God's willso that you'll be filled
with peace, provision,joy, and satisfaction.
Plus, see amazing storiesof how others are living out
their individual purpose intended by God.
- God is faithful, and wedid what he told us to do.
- [Narrator] Live the lifeGod has designed for you.
- I hope that God works out a plan in you
that will bring blessing,joy, peace, and happiness.
- [Narrator] Get The Plan.
Call 1-800-700-7000 or visit cbn.com.
(triumphant music)
- [Narrator] 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 on the 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?
(gentle music)
(chimes tinkling)(child laughing)
- Welcome back.
Two movie theaters in Canadahad to cancel showings
of the pro-life movie "Unplanned"
after receiving death threats.
LifeSite News reports thecinema owners contacted police
after receiving the threats telling them
they feared for their families.
"Unplanned" chronicles AbbyJohnson's eight-year career
as a director at Planned Parenthood
and her conversion tothe pro-life movement
after seeing an abortion on ultrasound.
The film met opposition in Hollywood
and across America forits pro-life message,
but it was a box officehit, opening at number four
and making more than $18 million overall.
It faced a huge battle toeven be shown in Canada
and will still play in10 to 20 theaters there.
- An alarming increase inattacks on churches in France
is leaving many concerned about the future
of Christianity in that country.
The number of attackson churches quadrupled
between 2008 and 2018.
These include vandalism,robbery, and other crimes.
According to the FrenchMinistry of Interior,
there were 875 anti-Christianincidents in 2018.
As Real Clear Investigations reports,
many attribute this trend to a rise
in Christian phobia and hatred
for France's rich Christian history.
- A Chinese pastor and hisfamily are speaking out
about persecution they enduredfrom the Chinese government.
The pastor and five family members escaped
to Taiwan this month.
His prominent Early Rain Covenant Church
is not sanctioned by the government.
In December, authoritiesdetained the pastor
and more than 100 church members,
continuing withsurveillance and harassment
for months afterwards.
Finally, the threats became too much.
(Liao speaking foreign language)
- [Male Interpreter] They toldus if you give me trouble,
I will make it harder foryou, and he threatened me,
saying the governmentcannot guarantee my safety,
especially my daughter's safety.
This means they willhave people harassing us.
Since that moment, wefelt that the situation
is very unsafe because ourchildren mean the world to us.
(Ren speaking foreign language)
- [Female Interpreter] Iheard a few testimonies.
It's horrible.
Some females have their clothes ripped off
and were given a very dirty prison suit.
Some also said they were kept
in a prison within a prison.
They were individually kept in a cell,
and prison staff took turns watching them.
- The ruling CommunistParty is cracking down
on religious institutions,
including Christianchurches, Muslim mosques,
and Buddhist learning centers.
It has ordered all religionsto demonstrate loyalty
to the atheistic organization.
The Early Rain CovenantChurch had long been a thorn
in the party's side.
Among other activities, itheld an annual day of prayer
on the anniversary of the 1989Tiananmen Square crack-down
on democracy protesters.
The family is seekingasylum in the United States.
- Hundreds of women andgirls from Pakistan's
Christian minority havebeen trafficked to China
as brides in recent months.
As Dale Heard reports,
their country becomes a newmarriage market for Chinese men.
- [Dale] Muqadas Ashraf wasjust 16 when her parents
married her off to a Chineseman who had come to Pakistan
looking for a bride.
Less than five months later,
Muqadas is back home pregnantand seeking a divorce
from a husband she says was abusive.
- [Interpreter] LastChristmas, I was in China.
My husband had beaten me once that evening
when I said I wanted to go to church.
He was tired, but I was insisting,
and he slapped me and steppedon my phone, breaking it.
- [Dale] Mahek Liaqat wasalso pressured by her parents
into marrying a Chinese man.
- [Interpreter] No, Ididn't want to go to China,
but it was up to my parents.
They said I would have a good life.
- [Dale] These are just twoof an estimated hundreds
of Pakistani Christian girlswho have been trafficked
to China in an explodingmarket for brides.
Brokers aggressively seekout girls for Chinese men,
sometimes even showing up outside churches
to ask about potential brides.
They're helped by pastors whoare paid to convince parents
into giving up their daughters for cash.
Parents are told theirpotential son-in-law
is a wealthy Christian.
This Pakistani governmentofficial says they are not.
- [Interpreter] These Chinese men
have nothing to do with Christianity.
These marriages are bogusand have no legal status.
The boys are portrayed as Christians,
but they have notconverted to Christianity.
- [Dale] In China,demand for foreign brides
has grown rapidly because ofthe Chinese Communist Party's
disastrous one child only policy
that led to widespreadkilling of female babies
because of a preference for a male child.
Christian activist andjournalist Saleem Iqbal
says Chinese grooms pay asmuch as $5,000 for brides,
including payments to theparents, pastors, and a broker.
Muqadas' family was promised about $5,000
but has never seen the money.
Dale Heard, CBN News.
(logo whooshing)- [Wendy] Up next,
they're tired, hungry,and in need of shelter,
and the government is struggling
to keep up with their needs.
How churches are stepping into address the migrant crisis.
(dramatic music)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] It's about the competition.
- I kinda put that pressure on myself
when I think people have expectations.
- [Narrator] It's about overcoming.
- We use this phrase all the time.
Keep chopping, keep practicing hard.
- [Narrator] It's aboutgoing the distance.
- You know I think as afather, it's my job to lead.
Just be the best husbandand father I can be.
- [Narrator] Watch Going theDistance with Shawn Brown
Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News channel.
- Woo hoo!
Hi Superbook fans!
Here's something else you'll love.
Whoa oh ho ho!
It's the new Superbook Bible app.
It's packed with games,activities, and Superbook episodes
that you can watch for free.
Oh no!
There's trivia, a fun daily devotional,
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Plus an easy-to-understand Bible
the whole family will enjoy.
You can even create your ownSuperbook character, ta da!
Whoa ho ho!
- A Gillsburg Falls man coming--
- Sorry, sorry, pardonme, sorry, excuse me.
Ouch!- Are you getting this?
- Earn super points towin daily prizes, too,
and so much more!
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.
- [Pat] How can you findGod's plan for your life?
- [Narrator] CBN presents The Plan,
eight keys to understandingGod's will for your life.
In Pat Robertson's latest teaching,
you'll discover the steps totake in following God's plan.
How to know for certainwhen God is leading you.
How to get rid of spiritualblindness and see God work.
- God said I've got a plan togive you a future and a hope.
- [Narrator] Get The Plan.
Call 1-800-700-7000 or visit cbn.com.
- Pope Francis held a specialmass to pray for migrants.
The mass celebrated inSaint Peter's Basilica
marked the sixth anniversaryof the Pope's visit
to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The island is one of themain European points of entry
for migrants and refugees trying to cross
the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
During the mass, the Pope saidit's important to remember
the migrants are people andnot just a social issue.
Francis has advocated for migrants
as a centerpiece of his papacy.
- The U.S. is dealing withits own immigration issues,
and American evangelicals are,
well they are caught in the middle.
Many support President Trump,
but not all support hisimmigration policies.
This week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
called on Hispanic evangelicals
to plead with President Trump to hold off
on planned raids to deport thousands
living in the U.S. illegally.
She said in the past,
these evangelicals haveresponded to her pleas.
Take a listen.
- When you announced this before,
I called, God bless you, somepeople of faith about this.
Evangelicals who support thepresident for other reasons,
but who have been good onimmigration issues not usually,
and basically they were very concerned
that this goes too far
because these raids werenot what they signed up for
with President Trump,
and I think their calls to thepresident made a difference.
- [Reporter] Will you appealto the president though
to put off these raids?
- I would appeal to people of faith,
the faith-based organizationsto appeal to the president.
I think that they put him in office,
and they had a better voice for this.
- Speaker Pelosi saidevangelical leaders told her
many of the families facingdeportation on Sunday
will be in church, Wendy.
- Evangelical leadersrecently traveled to El Paso
to find out more about the plight
of immigrants at the border.
They saw a big decline in the number
of migrants coming over and an increase
in the number being kept in Mexico.
Here's our Heather Sells.
- For months, churches in El Paso
have received hundredsof immigrants daily,
but now all that is changing,
and their numbers havedropped drastically.
Since October, Border Patrol officers here
have apprehended more than120,000 adults and children,
a more than 1,000% increaseover the past year.
Upon their release,
churches here have tried to fill the gap.
Tiny El Elyon, aneighborhood congregation,
has cared for 70 people a night.
We used to do this everysingle day, seven days a week.
- [Heather] PastorMaribel showed us pictures
of families as theyarrived, received food,
clothing, shelter, and prayer.
Most usually stayed just one night,
then caught a bus or flew out of the city
to connect with family elsewhere.
- I never realized how far this would go,
but I was always depending on the Lord
and saying Lord, whatdo you want me to do?
It's a multitude of people that need us.
- [Heather] Church leaders in El Paso
believe President Trump'snew remain in Mexico policy
is behind the drop in numbers.
Not only do asylum seekers goback to wait on court dates,
Mexican police also deter immigrants
from crossing into Mexicoor seeking to enter the U.S.
- It's uncertain yet exactly why that is.
Maybe they're beingreleased somewhere else.
Certainly more are beingreleased into, back into Mexico,
which is really gonnabe probably a lot more
of a challenge.
- [Heather] This past week,
leaders from the EvangelicalImmigration Table
came to hear from Border Patrol officers
and tour one of the last church shelters
still open in El Paso.
- What we know about thissituation is that it's fluid.
It is changing all the time.
Could shift back, we'll see what happens.
- [Heather] Sami Dipasquale who leads
a Christian communitycenter here says churches
are pivoting to support their counterparts
in the city of Juarez, Mexico.
Evangelical leaders also visited
a Methodist shelter in Juarez.
While there's a growing coalition
of evangelical churches here,
it's not enough to care for the thousands
of asylum seekers waitingon a U.S. hearing.
- So they're waiting in Mexico.
The shelters are full.
They don't have authorization
to work while they're in Mexico.
- [Heather] World Relief'sMatt Soerens says legal help
like his organization provides
is also difficult to find in Mexico.
That could mean greaternumbers will face deportation.
- They have a well-foundedfear of persecution.
Under the Refugee Act of 1980,
they should be allowed to stay,
but the burden is on them to prove that,
and that can be adifficult thing to prove.
- [Heather] Pastor Maribel says El Elyon
is ready to receive migrantsagain, should it be needed,
and she won't forget the stories, courage,
and faith of those she helped.
- They're very humblepeople, hard-working people.
They're people, very loyal.
Once you have the chance to sit down
with one of 'em and listen,
it will break your heart.
It will break your heart.
It will change your mind, theway that we think of them.
- [Heather] Experts sayasylum courts in El Paso
reject most cases, but forthese desperate people,
living in the U.S. remainsa dream worth fighting for.
Reporting in El Paso,Heather Sells, CBN News.
- Thank you Heather
To see more stories of how the church
is at work around the world,
please go to our website, cbnnews.com.
We'll be back right after this.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] As the worldwatches from the outside.
- It's a big diplomatic tug ofwar here in the Middle East.
- [Narrator] Go inside thestory with Jerusalem Dateline.
- Israeli archeologists aretalking about a discovery
that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.
- [Narrator] Join CBN JerusalemBureau Chief Chris Mitchell
and get the Biblical perspective
on the events shaping the world.
- It's what starts in Israel,
then ends up going to other places.
- [Narrator] Watch Jerusalem Dateline,
Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.
- Orphan's Promise is committed
to loving and serving at-risk children,
to helping keep 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 wanna run fast, run alone,
but if you wanna run far, run together.
At Orphan's Promise, we want to run far
so we can touch the lives of as many
orphaned and vulnerablechildren as possible,
but we don't wanna go alone.
We're out to change the world,
one child, one family,one community at a time.
Will you join us?(upbeat music)
(chimes tinkling)(child laughing)
(upbeat music)
- Meet the pastors whoare preaching the gospel
in a fresh, fearless way.
(upbeat music)
I'm Roberto Torres-Cedillo.
Join me each week for Next Gen Voices
(upbeat music)
and watch God transform a generation.
(upbeat music)
- Finally this week,
a nine-year-old girlfrom a Buddhist family
was afraid of ghosts George!
- But after watching anepisode of Superbook,
she found freedom from her own fear.
Take a look.
- [Narrator] Nine-year-oldKanniquan started wearing
an amulet around her neck toprotect her from evil spirits.
- [Interpreter] I was afraid,
so I asked my dad to get me the necklace.
- [Narrator] Her fear beganafter she watched a movie
with her older brother.
- [Interpreter] There wasa spirit in the movie.
I thought she would comeand grab me and possess me.
- [Narrator] For the next two years,
she never removed the amulet.
She was too afraid.
- [Interpreter] WheneverI heard a dog howling,
I was scared that an evilspirit was coming to get me.
- [Narrator] Kanniquan grew up
in a Buddhist family in Thailand.
One day with her dad's permission,
she went with her brother
to a Christian church near her home.
There, they watched anepisode of CBN's Superbook
called The Miracles of Jesus.
- [Interpreter] I learnedthat Jesus is God.
He stopped the storm,and he cast out demons.
- [Narrator] At the end of that episode,
Kanniquan prayed to become a Christian.
- [Interpreter] I said thankyou Jesus that you are with me.
Thank you that you are my god.
- [Narrator] When she got home,
Kanniquan removed the amuletand never wore it again.
- [Interpreter] I'm not afraidof evil spirits any more
because I believe in Jesus.
- [Narrator] And she'slearning more about the Bible
every week and praying for herparents to know Jesus, too.
- [Interpreter] Thank youfor giving us Superbook.
- Superbook, making adifference all around the world.
It sure is.- And bringing hope to people.
- Well folks, that is itfor this week's edition
of Christian World News.
I hope you have beenblessed by all the stories
that we have brought youfrom around the world.
Amen, it went by fast.- It does.
- Well until next weekfrom all of us here,
goodbye, and as always, God bless you.
(dramatic music)
