Trump Orders Airstrike Against ISIS Militants in Nigeria, Christmas Celebrations Return to Bethlehem and Nazareth, Barna Releases List of Top Trends in 2025,

It’s Monday, December 29th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by yours truly and heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. Filling in for Adam McManus, I’m Ean Leppin. ([e-mail]) Trump Orders Airstrike Against ISIS Militants in Nigeria President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike against ISIS-affiliated militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day! Persecution.org reports that Christians in Nigeria have faced ongoing attacks with minimal support from the international community until recently. In the first 7 months of this year alone, more than 7000 Christians have been killed, an average of 35 per day. President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the ISIS militants have been, ‘viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.’ Christmas Celebrations Return to Bethlehem and Nazareth FOX News reports that Christmas celebrations returned this year to both Bethlehem and Nazareth. In Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, festivities were rooted in a growing Christian presence. In Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, celebrations took place after more than two years of disruption. Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reports that over 184,000 Christians live in Israel as of Christmas Eve of 2024 a growth of 0.7%. This makes Israel one of the few countries in the Middle East where the Christian community continues to grow. This is good news! However, Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of the US Israel Education Association said, ‘At Christmas, the contrast between Nazareth and Bethlehem tells a larger story. Christians are flourishing in Nazareth under Israeli rule, while in Bethlehem, under Palestinian Authority, the Christian population has been shrinking for years.’ In fact there were reports for multiple incidents targeting Christians in the week leading up to Christmas for those living under Palestinian Authority areas, like Bethlehem. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by warning of, ‘growing hostility toward Christians’. Continue to pray for believers in Israel. James 1:2-4 says Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Massive Financial Waste in the US News of massive financial waste has surfaced from The Office of Audit Services. The watchdog report was released last week. It showed that over $207.5 million was issued in managed care payments on behalf of deceased enrollees between July 2021 to July 2022. American Family News reports that a new provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill will require states to audit their Medicaid beneficiary lists to help reduce these payments in the future. In fact by 2027 it will be required that Medicaid agencies practice quarterly audits of their beneficiary lists. Barna Releases List of Top Trends in 2025 Barna Research released their list of the top 10 trends, or most read, reports of 2025. Here are the top 3. 3) Women and Men Experience Church Attendance Differently. A report released in October. The conclusion of the report shows that of 2025, 43 percent of men and 36 percent of women report attending church regularly, based on reported weekly attendance. In 5 of the last 6 years, men have outpaced women in this key measure of religious engagement and the 2025 gap is the largest measured. 2) Young Adults Are Leading a Resurgence in Church Attendance. A report released in September. This report shows that Millennial and Gen Z Christians are attending church more frequently than before and more often than older generations. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends 1.9 weekends per month, while Millennial churchgoers average 1.8 times, representing the highest attendance levels among young Christians since Barna began tracking them. 1) Belief in Jesus Is Rising - Especially Among Younger Adults A report released back in April. The study reveals that 66 percent of all US adults say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12 percentage point increase since 2021. We celebrate a growing number of people following the Lord with Psalm 100:1-3: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." YouVersion Bible App Reaches One Billion Downloads And finally, CBN.com reports that it has been a big year for the YouVersion Bible App in 2025. The app hit a huge milestone of having one billion downloads! YouVersion has seen a 27 percent increase in daily use in Sub-Saharan Africa and a 33 percent increase in daily Bible engagement in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It also reported a 14 ...