Christian World News: September 2, 2011

Today on Christian World News – Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes – why the world has seen a string of natural disasters in 2011. Plus – The Islamic assault against Christians in Sudan's Nuba Mountains. How CBN's Operation Blessing has launched an emergency relief mission. And – "Seven Days in Utopia." We go behind the scenes of a new movie about finding true success in Jesus Christ. And welcome to Christian World News, everyone. I'm Wendy Griffith. And I'm George Thomas. Well, in just the first half of 2011, CBN News has covered hurricanes, earthquakes and droughts. The world experienced so many natural disasters that it was the most expensive year for property damages ever. Dale Hurd has this look at the incredible string of disasters so far this year. The year 2011 began with a flood in Australia so vast it turned an area larger than Texas into a disaster zone. Little did we know then there was much worse to come. In January, earthquakes hit Argentina, Chile, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Tonga. In February, they hit Burma, the Pacific Islands, and the big one in Christchurch, New Zealand. Buildings were toppled, scores buried; 181 died. Survivors who crawled from collapsed office buildings were stunned. It just came down. Like, right down. But the monster earthquake of 2011 was something out of a science fiction movie. The Great Japan Earthquake was one of the strongest in recorded history. From 20 miles under water, it created a tsunami 130 feet high that traveled six miles inland, causing cars and boats to bob like toys. It was a quake so powerful it moved the island of Honshu eight feet. More than 15,000 people died and almost 5,000 are missing. Then in a terrible twist, after the quake knocked out power at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the tsunami washed out its backup generators, the last line of defense against overheating. It would be the world's first triple meltdown, spreading radiation over a wide area. It was the worst disaster to afflict Japan since World War II. The world was still in shock when the southern and eastern United States experienced the worst rash of tornadoes in recorded weather history. The 2011 Super Outbreak, as it was called, included four monster EF5 tornadoes, and led to almost 350 deaths and more than six billion dollars in insured losses. Then just weeks later, on a Sunday afternoon in May, a mile-wide multiple vortex EF5 tornado plowed through Joplin, Missouri, obliterating whole sections of the town, killing 159 people and causing an estimated two billion dollars in insured losses. The insurance industry was reeling. Americans were in shock. I think God is trying to tell us something. The Bible clearly says in the very last days there will be more and more natural disasters, earthquakes in many places. Dr. Vinson Synan, author of 19 books and Dean Emeritus at Regent University, says the unprecedented string of calamities has forced many Americans to ask "why?" It's a sobering thing for even modern man to face up to natural disasters that don't make any sense at all. And to hit randomly in the world, and may hit you. And the question, in the back of their minds: "What does this mean?" And, unfortunately, the world's worst disasters could still be ahead, like a category five hurricane making a direct hit on a large American city. But experts also study other scenarios many of us have never heard of. Geologists have warned that heavy rains on Mount Rainer in Washington State could cause a huge, deadly, 40-mile mudslide, moving at 60 miles per hour, and filled with rocks and trees. Some fear the collapse of the giant volcanic mountain Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands could send an 80-foot-high tsunami into the east coast of the United States at 600 miles per hour. And along the Mississippi, a catastrophic quake at the giant New Madrid Fault would cause utter devastation to America's heartland. Christians have to have faith that whatever comes, that we are more than conquerors. And Paul said none of these things move me. So you can be steadfast in your faith, whatever comes. Many Americans might think they live in one of the safest periods in world history. But do they? Why have so many natural disasters struck the planet this year? It brings people to question the ultimate end of everything. Even the natural man who doesn't even know God, is saying "Something bad is happening; it's getting worse and worse. What are the ultimate reasons for this? What are the ultimate answers from God, or from somewhere?" Dale Hurd, CBN News. Hurricane Irene, which hit the east coast of the United States last week, is now one of the country's top ten costliest disasters. Flood waters devastated the tiny community of Stumpy Point in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. About 80 percent of the homes received some sort of water damage from Irene's tidal surge. This couple living there was no exception. They got about 18 inches of water in their house, but thanks to numerous volunteers, they say their home will be livable again. God has sent us angels, and I am serious. And yesterday, here come these kids, they've taken it and gone with it. My Bible did not get wet. And today, in the pantry, there was a box, wet, everything in it was wet, but look, dry, that cotton's dry, look at that. As the cleanup from Hurricane Irene continues, more dangerous storms are headed toward the U.S. Gulf coast. And some overseas news: A Dutch-Iranian pastor is back home after serving a year in prison. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Iranian authorities arrested Pastor Vahik Abrahamian last September. They also arrested his wife and seven other members of his house church. Authorities accused them of using Christian propaganda to try to destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran. The group was put on trial several months later. An Iranian judge acquitted everyone except the pastor. But this past Monday Iranian authorities finally released him and he has since been reunited with his family. Modern technology is bringing more opportunities to take God's Word to the ends of the earth. One Christian organization is now offering free Bible apps in more than 500 languages and making a huge impact for the gospel. Efrem Graham spoke with one of the ministries' directors about this exciting project. Not only is the Bible now available in hundreds of languages around the world, it can be downloaded in most of these languages on phones and computers. Troy Carl with Faith Comes by Hearing joins us now to talk about this part of their ministry. Troy, Faith Comes By Hearing is known for bringing audio versions of God's Word to people in their native languages. What you have now is part of a digital project with the written Word of God. Can you tell us more? Well, about a year ago we created a platform that actually allows the Bible to be distributed digitally across multiple types of devices. As you know, technology is constantly advancing and so we wanted to create a way to get the Bible in all the languages to any device that's created today or in the future. I understand this project has gone from its initial phase of being available in less than a dozen languages to more than 200 a year ago, and now more than 500. How has this happened? Well, you know, it happens because of partnerships. We work with all the major Bible translation organizations and because of their commitment to fulfill the Great Commission, to get the gospel in every language, tribe and tongue available, that has accelerated our access to those translations. And then through technological advancements what used to take years for us to do an audio Bible recording now we can do literally in weeks. And, so, it's technology and partnership that make it all possible. How have you seen God work through all of this? Well, the most amazing thing is engagement. People who have never really understood what Jesus has said now have an opportunity to hear the gospel in their own language, in the convenience of their own home, or on their cell phone. And I think the biggest impact is when you see people come to faith as a result of hearing the gospel in their own language. What's been the response from people in different parts of the world who may have not had their own copy of the Bible before now? Well, they respond to us. Literally, every week, we receive messages from people all over the world and they're amazed. They're amazed that somebody cared enough to put the Bible in their own language, especially those who are poor and in rural areas. They'll tell us: "You know, the poor people are usually abused by those who have." And they said, "We're so excited that not only you've made it available and did this labor of love for us but that you give it to us free" because Bible.is apps are free to anyone, anywhere in all the languages. Beautiful. What other digital services are now available on your website? Well, of course we have podcasting and streaming web widgets and we also offer church programs where we can help a local church engage in the Bible by providing audio Bible CDs. So, even podcasting can be a significant way to get the Word of God to a group of people that may not have a particular device. We've had over nine million subscriptions just to our podcasts in the last year and a half. And what do you offer to parts of the world where the Internet, I-phones, Android phone services may not be available? Wow, I'd like to know where that is. There are very few places left that don't have access. But, you know, there are groups like O3B, which stands for Other Three Billion, that are funding initiatives to make worldwide broadband access available. I can tell you there are five billion active cell phone users today, and with initiatives through the International Telecommunications Union, which is out of the United Nations, we will see five billion smart phone users probably by 2015. So, the answer is that we're seeing it accessible more and more rapidly than you would think. It's actually widely available. Troy Carl, thank you so much. We really appreciate your time. God's blessings to you for what you're doing. Thank you. God bless you. Coming up on the broadcast – The Islamic regime in North Sudan launches an attack against Christians. Hear how CBN's Operation Blessing is responding with a relief mission. The Islamic regime of North Sudan is launching brutal assaults against Christians in the Nuba Mountains, including air strikes and attacks on house churches. And even schools. Gary Lane has the story of this growing tragedy and what Operation Blessing is doing to help. It's a new humanitarian crisis. Ethnic cleansing of the Nuba people has left thousands dead, and many others fighting for their lives. The Nuba Mountains are home to one of Sudan's largest Christian communities. They are being tormented by daily air strikes and house-to-house raids from President Omar Bashir's armed forces. When he heard about extreme shortages of medicine in the Nubas, Operation Blessing's Bill Horan put together an emergency relief mission. It was dangerous, but it was life saving. We found a pilot willing to fly us into the Nuba Mountains. We talk off and flew most of the way under the cover of the clouds to avoid being spotted by the Northern war planes. We landed on this tiny dirt strip and then the scramble was on to unload the plane as fast as we could because we were told that literally any minute the Antonov bombers could show up and start bombing the air strip. Soldiers from the SPLA, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, drove the team several hours to the hideout of Lt. General Abdel Aziz. Aziz directs the liberation movement in the Nuba Mountains. The National Congress Party of Khartoum have declared jihad, Islamic jihad on all the Nuba whether you are Muslim, whether you are Christian. Nuba did not go and attack Khartoum. Nuba did not go and take anything from Khartoum. Instead, Khartoum is the one exploiting the area. They are taking the oil. This is the only oil-producing state in the north, in the remaining part of the country. The people of the Nuba Mountains enjoyed a six-year period of relative peace after the signing of the North-South peace agreement in 2005. That ended last June when the northern government attacked the Nuba capital city of Kadugli. Operation Blessing's Bill Horan was shown some of the destruction. A school was actually targeted, a school that was filled with children in school, in session. Two huge bombs. Thank God they missed but not by much. Two giant craters in the soil but it was close enough to the school that some shrapnel fell and penetrated the walls of some of the school buildings. One child was killed and a whole group of children were injured. Who in the world would target, on purpose, children? What relief was delivered by Operation Blessing? An emergency health kit containing enough medicine and medical supplies to establish a much-needed health clinic that will serve 10,000 Nubian people for 90 days. We purchased two of those complete emergency kits in the Netherlands and flew them in. Those medicines are now at this moment being used to treat the sick, the injured, the wounded in the clinics in the Nuba Mountains. The people of the Nuba Mountains, no one can hear their voice. They're suffering in silence. We need to be their voice. The United States and all the nations of the free world, the United Nations, they have to quit ignoring this and then they have to quit talking about it. They have to take decisive action. There needs to be action by the United Nations. If the United Nations stands for people, please defend the people of Nuba! Gary Lane, CBN News. Coming up – We take you to Sierra Leone for a story about hope and forgiveness. How God is using one man who lost both his hands to help those in need. This is his fascinating story. He was a teenage farmer's son in Sierra Leone, Africa, when rebels attacked and left him for dead. But a decade later he has put aside revenge. Yeah, amazing. And in spite of a serious—I'm talking serious—handicap, he is equipping himself to help others in need. Stan Jeter has that story. Bambay Sawaneh comes from a family of farmers. But Sierra Leone's bloody civil war nearly ended his plans to follow the family tradition. I was 15 years of age when they did this to me. Really I cannot explain. It's painful. When rebels cut off Bambay's hands, Catholic nuns rushed him to a hospital and nursed him to health. They heard about this operation which is hook and bock. And they divided bone. They separated two bone there so I can able to grab something. Today Bambay leads an almost normal life. He's married, with a young daughter. But he's unhappy with traditional farming methods. We are wasting our time, wasting money, wasting the energy, and at end of time we have just little, all the work. So is like I can say we were working like elephant and eat like ant. Work big, and have few, because we are not doing the proper way, according to the way my eyes were opened through this Mercy Ships agricultural training. Mercy Ships is best known for its free medical help for needy people. Since the "Africa Mercy" arrived in Sierra Leone last February, its medical staff has provided more than 2,000 surgeries and 23,000 dental treatments. It has also provided much-needed training through programs like its "Food for Life" ministry. It gives people like Bambay and his neighbors ways to improve their health and meet basic needs long after the ship has sailed out for its next mission. The purpose of our Food for Life program is really to develop the people we are serving in West Africa. We are teaching them different techniques for raising food that are going to meet the nutritional needs of the people. The first challenge trainers face is how to replace harmful farming practices. In the whole of Sierra Leone, we burn the land to plant. And if you didn't burn, how are you going to plant? The answer pointed to God's purpose in creation. When you burn the land you destroy all those insects, all those bacteria, all those organic matters, you destroy them, which God has put on the ground for you. During the four-month course the students applied their training in practice fields. You can see we planted peanuts for the corn. The peanut is nitrogen-producing plant. We plant the peanuts so they can give nitrogen to the corn. You can see, six lines of corn and then three lines of peanuts. When they completed their course, students turned the graduation into an Africa-style celebration. Now Bambay has his sights fixed on helping other people in need. And now he is going to be working with those in City of Rest, which is a drug and alcohol rehab situation, and teaching them how to provide for themselves. And Bambay has more than farming to share with others. I never knew who was the first farmer. But through the training I came to know that God was the first farmer. And everything that God does is excellent. We are image of God, we have to follow God's step. So it means we have to do everything with excellence the way God does. Stan Jeter, CBN News. Thank you, Stan. And by the way, Bambay said he eventually found the rebel who had cut off his hands but the nuns had taught him well and he was able to forgive his enemy. To find out more information about Mercy Ships, please log on to our website, cwnews.org. Back in a moment. And finally on the broadcast this week – A new movie starring Robert Duvall and Lucas Black hits the theaters today. Yeah, it follows the story of a talented young golfer who loses his game only to find it again when he gets stranded in a small Texas town. I traveled to Utopia, Texas, during the filming and spoke with some of the stars. In his latest role, 80-year-old Robert Duvall plays an eccentric Texas rancher who takes a young professional golfer played by Lucas Black under his wing, and helps him see that there's much more to life than just golf. It's a good part, good part, got a lot of humanity in it. In the movie, based on the book, "Golf's Sacred Journey," Black's character suffers an embarrassing performance during a golf tournament and finds himself looking for answers. Tell us about the journey of faith that your character has. Yeah, well, it's a long and hard one for him. He has a huge meltdown before he comes to Utopia. Comes here and is greeted with great peace and love from all the people in this town, and when he leaves Utopia, he's a changed man. We're here on the set of Seven Days in Utopia, where they're setting up a river scene behind me where Johnny, played by Robert Duvall, will teach some "life lessons" to Luke, the pro-golfer, through the art of fly-fishing. We come out here to the river to learn about rhythm, balance and patience in the golf swing. Kind of tests him and shows him the correlation between pressure and how to deal with pressure and how to control your emotions. Although Johnny is a wise man, Duvall says his character is not perfect. We changed things because I said Johnny is a little too white bread. There's only one Jesus Christ, give him some demons. So they gave me some. Dr. David Cook who wrote the book and helped write the screenplay says this is much more than a movie about golf but about finding true success through Jesus Christ. It's about an invasion of God that changes a man's or a woman's life. That's really what it's about. And it also shows, at the end of the movie it shows what life looks like in the performance setting when you have the real answer. You play with peace, you play with confidence, you play in a different way, and in effect you play better. Seven Days in Utopia is now playing in theaters nationwide. I think that's going to be a big one. Yeah, sounds like a great story. Yes, go see it this weekend. You're a golfer. I am. But it's not just for golfers, so enjoy. Thanks for watching us. See you, everyone, next week. Good-bye and God bless you. God bless.