All posts tagged: Christmas

Have a ‘Merry Winter Closure Period’

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Maybe it is jut me, but our schools of higher learning seem to be getting dumber every day. According to an article in the Daily Mail, the University of Brighton, based in Brighton England, recently sent out a nine-page memo to its staff telling them what words they can and cannot use. It was referred to as an inclusive language document. Top of the list was their instruction not to say Christmas this season, because it is too ‘Christian-centric, instead, they were told to use the phrase ‘Winter closure period.’ So instead of saying Merry Christmas, the staff are apparently urged to say have a “Merry Winter Closure Period”. Brighton insists this is just guidance for its employees, as it hasn’t officially banned the word Christmas on its campuses Well, I have news for the University of Brighton, Christmas is a Christian celebration, and unless it’s also planning to change the name of Ramadam because it is too Muslim-centric, then this is just another example of anti-Christian bigotry and exclusion. READ: Brighton University urges staff …

The real Saint Nicholas

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While our modern Santa Claus has taken on god-like qualities in our modern culture, the story of jolly ole Saint Nick finds its roots in a real man, Saint Nicholas, who served as the Bishop of Myra located in modern Turkey. The city of Myra, located on the Mediterranean, is briefly mentioned in Acts 27:5, as Paul, now a prisoner, was being transported to Rome by a centurion According to ancient tradition, Nicholas (270 AD – Dec 6, 343 AD) was born in the city of Patara, also located on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a city, that the Apostle Paul visited while on his journey to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-2). Nicholas came from a very wealthy Christian family and for the first half of his life, he lived during some of the most horrific times of Roman persecution, under the emperor Diocletian (284 – 305). During this period, Roman soldiers were going door to door searching for copies of scripture. It was this persecution that spurred the early believers to canonize the Bible, as they …

Tim Allen says his new Santa series will emphasize a religious aspect of Christmas

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In a recent interview with The Wrap, Hollywood actor Tim Allen, 69, who will be starring in Disney Plus’s The Santa Clauses, says the six-part series will be focusing on the religious aspects of Christmas. Allen stated the original script was emphasizing otherworldly things such as ghosts and goblins, but after Allen’s insistence has since decided it will focus on the real St. Nicholas, who was the historic figure on which modern Santa Claus is based. “I said no, this is Christ-mas. It’s Christ-mas. It literally is a religious holiday,” Allen said in the interview. “We don’t have to blow trumpets, but I do want you to acknowledge it. That’s what this is about. If you want to get into Santa Claus, you’re gonna have to go back to history, and it’s all about religion.” That part of the story will not be developed until the final two shows of the series. St Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra (270 AD to 340 AD), who became famous for the miracles attributed to his prayers and …

Ukrainians urged to celebrate Christmas on Dec 25

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We are living in interesting times, and it may even impact when members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine celebrate Christmas, Premier Christian News reports. During a church synod held in October, the leaders of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church encouraged its members to celebrate Christmas on December 25 this year, instead of January 7th as it has traditionally done. The group has approximately 7,000 churches in Ukraine. For centuries, Ukraine’s orthodox church was under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, in 2019 it broke free from the Russian Orthodox Church due largely to Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014. The differences between the two groups have only grown since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. In September, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, likened Russia’s invasion to a Holy War and said any Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine would be absolved of their sin. In an interview with Premier Christian News, Christian historian Martyn Whittock explained the decision to move the celebration of Christ’s birth to Dec 25: “Orthodox believers …

Have researchers discovered the tomb of St. Nicholas?

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According to a Turkish news site, Demirören News Agency, researchers may have discovered the tomb of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra while excavating the ruins of a third and fourth century church in Demure, Turkey, Breitbart reports. St. Nicholas, as his name suggests, is the man who inspired our modern Santa Claus. He was the Bishop of Myra prior to his death on December 6, 343 AD. The tomb is probably empty as the bones of St Nicholas were apparently transported to Bari, Italy in 1087 AD, and are now on display at the Basilica di San Nicola. Other bone fragments may have also ended up San Nicolò al Lido in Venice. Nevertheless, researchers believe the newly discovered basilica may still contain other relics associated with the infamous Bishop. Though little is known about St. Nickolas’ life, historical documents reveal that 250 years after his death people were making pilgrimages to his tomb in Bari revealing his growing fame. So how did his life pave the way for our modern Santa Claus? Breitbart provides …

Hundreds lift their cellphones, signifying they received Christ during church’s Christmas programs

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There were shocking responses to invitations to receive Christ during Champion Forest Baptist Church’s Christmas services this year. The Baptist Press reports that for five days, Dec 8 – Dec 12, 2021, the Houston church held its Christmas program, with one nightly from Wednesday through Friday and two on Saturday and also Sunday. It’s estimated that 30,000 people attended services during the five-day event. At the end of each program, the church’s senior pastor, Jarrett Stephens, gave a Gospel presentation, after which he invited those who believed in Jesus for their salvation to turn on their cell phones’ flashlight in the darkened auditorium. Everyone, including the congregation, was stunned by the responses as dozens of people held their cellphones high in the air at the end of each service, flooding the auditorium with light. Photographs taken over the five-day event revealed that 1,114 people had made a decision to believe in Jesus. Calling the response unprecedented, Stephens told the Baptist Press: “God is moving, and to Him be the glory. It is all about Him. …

Find someone who thinks differently than you, and demand an explanation!

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We can’t blame a virus for our behaviour, but my impression is that our global health crisis has generated a lot of arrogance. COVID taught us some things that are not good. We are getting skilled at dividing and rejecting. Have you noticed that some people are correct and approved, and others rejected because they don’t think like the official majority? I have read news articles about ‘those people’ who are usually on the wrong side of an argument, like vaccination or some political division. The official position seems to be, if we find someone who thinks differently, we demand an explanation. We want to know how they could be so wrong when we told them how to think. Division and rejection seem to be our new path to the truth. If you don’t agree with me, don’t lose your temper. That would just prove my point. We should all know, that a disagreement about an idea can easily become a rejection of people. READ: Mass protests and mayhem continue into a sixth night; thousands …

Was Jesus born in a cave?

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Many might be surprised by the notion that Jesus was born in a cave, but essentially that is the claim being made by the Church of the Nativity, located in Bethlehem, that is built over the site of where it believes Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Lord’s actual birthplace was in a cave located below the church’s main altar, that can be accessed by two staircases on either side. In fact, the grotto where it claims Jesus was born is part of a larger network of caves that can be accessed from neighbouring buildings, but is now blocked by gates. But not everyone agrees that Christ was born in a cave. One common argument against it, is that Luke, who provided the most extensive narrative of the events surrounding Christ’s birth (Luke 2:1-21), does not mention a cave. Why didn’t he do this? It’s argued that Luke would have mentioned the cave if it was unusual. What was unusual to Luke, is that because there was no room in the inn, Joseph and Mary …

Low Temperature Religion: Is a Muslim Christmas possible?

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There are stories this Christmas of Muslims putting up Christmas trees and putting gifts under them. I have read at least two of these stories in the news. The Muslims, in the stories, are immigrants living in places where most people celebrate Christmas. This seems strange; the holiday is Christ-mass, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Until now, Muslims never celebrated Christmas; they had their own special events on the calendar. From the descriptions, it looks like some Muslims chose to celebrate a cultural Christmas, with a decorated tree and presents, and maybe some thoughts about a jolly fat man coming down the chimney. There were probably no herald angels on the tops of the trees, and probably no manger scene with a baby Jesus. They were having fun, and enjoying the season. It’s easy for me to understand, and smile, and I am sure some strict conservative Muslims do not approve. These events happened in places where Muslims were immigrants, and a minority in the population. READ: I’m Muslim and didn’t celebrate Christmas …

Seven modern misconceptions about the original Christmas story

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When we listen to Christmas carols and read our Christmas cards, we sometimes get the wrong impression about what really took place on the day Jesus was born. The following are seven modern misconceptions about the events surrounding the birth of Christ. None of these take away from the miracle that took place that day. 1. Jesus was not born on December 25th Look there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25. As we read the Biblical account, the Lord’s birth was obviously a significant event and was very much celebrated. But it did not take place on December 25th. The fact that shepherds were in their fields when Jesus was born, suggests that Christ was probably born during spring lambing. So how did we end up with Dec. 25? Well, that was the result of the compounding of an earlier mistake. One of the first festivals initiated by the Roman Catholic Church was the Assumption of Mary, that celebrated her conception by the Holy Spirit. They set that date …

Did Balaam prophesy about the Star of Bethlehem?

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Balaam was an interesting Old Testament character. He was some type of diviner, perhaps soothsayer or sorcerer, whom King Balak of Moab hired to curse Israel before an upcoming battle. During the several prophecies that Balaam delivered, there was one that many believe referred to the star that showed up announcing Christ’s birth. Now obviously Balaam had a reputation as a seer, for Balak to be willing to purchase his services. And Balaam’s international fame was confirmed by Dutch archaeologists who found a text written about Balaam on a plastered wall dated to around 1200 BC in the ancient town of Deir Alla located in Jordan. The text was actually written by the Canaanites and spoke Balaam, son of Beor three times in the first four lines, exactly as the Bible describes him (Numbers 22:5). In this inscription, Balaam is referred to as a seer of the gods indicating he was well known and revered among the gentiles. The text also provides several of Balaam’s curses that suggests this was his specialty and apparently, these …

Have a Glutton Free Christmas

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What if Christmas wasn’t just an excuse for gluttony? In Canada and the United States, we celebrate through over-indulgence. Anniversaries, weddings, holidays, and birthdays are celebrated with cakes, suppers, alcohol, gifts, and parties. I love to celebrate so this is not an attack on celebrations. But I wonder what it would be like if we celebrated differently. What if instead of feasting and self-absorption we lowered our party expectations and dimmed the noise just enough to hear and see something different this Christmas? This year, many of us are forced to celebrate at a different pace than in previous years. There are few office or work parties. Personally, we are not allowed to have our wonderfully large North Central Lighthouse Christmas lunch and giveaway this year. Things are very different. For many, this is depressing and has dampened their Christmas spirit. I understand this. I miss our Lighthouse Christmas gathering and the Christmas teas and other events of the season. But they are not the cake of Christmas. They are just the icing on the …

Modern Shepherds

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Christmas is that bizarre time of the year when people who don’t have anything to do with Jesus suddenly start praising His name. Celebrity singers whose lifestyle and beliefs do not include any room for Jesus have wonderfully sincere sounding songs about the birth of Christ. I am not going to name who these are, but think about how they are, and the irony becomes clear. Singers who support things opposed to the word of God are calling us to come and worship baby Jesus. Maybe they find the baby less threatening than the grown-up Jesus, who confronted evil and certainly condemned much of what modern culture calls good.  No room in their hearts for Jesus, they relegate him to the back rooms of their lives, setting him up in the stables around back. Maybe someone needs to tell them that Jesus never stayed in the stable for long. That sweet baby in the feeding trough is God in the flesh with a purpose to bring peace and salvation through an intimate relationship with Him. …

The Vatican’s nightmare before Christmas

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Roman Catholics around the world are outraged by the Nativity scene set up at the Vatican this year with people describing it as hideous, cold, satanic, disgusting, disturbing, demonic, repulsive, gross, creepy, sickening, disgraceful, a scene from Alien, ugly, nightmarish, an abomination and others suggested the Vatican’s choice perfectly sums up 2020 (I don’t think that was a complement.) LifeSiteNews, a Catholic news agency, provides the details of Pope Francis’ choice for this year: VATICAN CITY, December 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican nativity scene, unveiled during an evening ceremony today in St. Peter’s Square, has been roundly ridiculed and scorned as a modernist insult to the Incarnation and the Holy Family. “This year, more than ever, the staging of the traditional space dedicated to Christmas in St. Peter’s Square is meant to be a sign of hope and trust for the whole world,” a Vatican statement about the scene had promised earlier. […] “So the Vatican presepe has been unveiled….turns out 2020 could get worse,” tweeted art historian Elizabeth Lev. “It has nothing uplifting …

A Christmas letter from the perpetually offended

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I love how they pretend their concern is that someone else will be offended, when we know it is them who is offended. Kim Hunt, a front line nurse in St. Anthony, Minnesota, received an anonymous letter from a neighbour complaining about Hunt’s very modest set of Christmas lights on her home. And, according to reports, three other people in the neighbourhood received a similar letter.

Will the ‘star’ of Bethlehem appear on Dec. 21, 2020?

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According to Matthew, a star appeared telling the Magi of the East that a new King of the Jews had been born (Matthew 2:1-2). After they arrived in Jerusalem, a star then led the group to Bethlehem where they were able to bring gifts and worship the newly born Jesus (Matthew 2:9-11). Some suggest, we may be witnessing the same celestial phenomena that the magi saw on Dec. 20-21, 2020, when the planet Jupiter will align in front of Saturn producing a significantly brighter light in the night sky.

The battle for the true meaning of Christmas continues

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The American Nativity Scene (ANS) is an organization in the U.S. dedicated to having a nativity scene set up in every state legislature in America. The goal of ANS is to help keep Christ at the center of the Christmas season and it believes this is ultimately a fight for religious freedom. This year ANS announced that another four more states have agreed to displaying Nativity scenes on their legislative grounds bringing the total to 31. The new additions include: Idaho; Oklahoma; Nevada; West Virginia; and Possibly more will be added. Contrary, to what many people believe, it is not unconstitutional for a privately funded nativity scene to be set up on public property for the Christmas season. The Thomas More Society that provides free legal representation for ANS states that it is a first amendment religious freedom right and fundamentally an issue of Free Speech. In 2019, ANS reported that an additional eight capitols agreed to allow a Nativity scene bringing the total to 27, with 21 of the Nativity Scenes being provided by …

Will police be raiding homes over Christmas?

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This is disturbing, but according to reports, police in Britain are warning that they will be invading people’s homes over Christmas if they are suspected of breaking the COVID rules. There are different rules across Britain depending on what lockdown tier is in place. Some areas, like the Midlands, don’t allow visits from people outside the immediate family. Other areas allow mixed groups to a maximum of six. The Daily Mail explains: Police chiefs have warned that Christmas family celebrations will be broken up by officers if they flout lockdown rules. David Jamieson, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, said officers will investigate reports of rule-breaking over the festive period. The West Midlands are currently under Tier 2 restrictions, meaning people cannot mix with any other households or bubbles inside. READ: Police will enter homes and break up Christmas dinners if families break lockdown rules – and there will be riots, predicts police commissioner However, senior British police officers are also warning if governments force the police to do this, it could result in massive riots. The Blaze …

Jesus cleansing the Temple by El Greco (1541-1614)/Wikipedia

What is the division of Abijah and what does it have to do with Christ’s birth?

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In the first chapter of Luke, before the story of Jesus’s conception by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the record of John the Baptist’s miraculous birth. He was the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. Zacharias was a priest and he and  is wife were unable to conceive. But that all changed when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias, who was working in the temple, saying his wife would have a child in their old age (Luke 1:12-13). And we know Elizabeth’s pregnancy is connected to Mary’s, because we are told around the six month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy that Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:24-27). But the passage provides a bit of information about Zachariah’s priestly service that may hint at what month Jesus was born: 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth ….. 8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service …

Fireworks in Spain Credit: Ryan/Flickr/Creative Commons

“Now That’s Worth Celebrating!”

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Now that’s worth celebrating! I remember those words being said on the very rare occasion I actually did something worth celebrating. I think one time was when I was managed to convince my wife to actually say I do and not run screaming back up the aisle! Of course the ten pounds of concrete I put in her shoes helped as well but I digress. Back in the day, whatever day you pick, let’s say Saturday. Saturday December 12, 1986, the day Stella married me. I married her too but I wasn’t the pretty one! That day we celebrated! There was food, music, dancing, and fun. We celebrated other life’s milestones and achievements. Whatever the reason, we always knew why we celebrated. Now I think the art of celebration is gone. We celebrate for the sake of celebration. We even celebrate Fridays! Or cheap wing nights! We don’t save it for significant milestones or events. Like the two greatest events of all time. Christmas and Easter are the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. …

Nativity Scene, New York City Credit: Gary Wong/Flickr/Creative Commons

Christmas Without Jesus

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When I was in high school, we had a Christian club called BASIC. That meant “Bothers And Sisters In Christ.” Looking back, our weekly huddle in a classroom, with our dry sandwiches, was the first time I got to be a Christian without supervision. My older generation liked to control the kids, and religion was pushed on me constantly, at home and in church. We knew how to behave, to avoid criticism and discipline, but I think most of my friends dropped out of church as soon as they grew up, and they don’t identify as Christian now. In BASIC, we made our own choices. Maturity had to start somewhere, and I learned about Christianity that was just Jesus. The members of BASIC came from different churches, and some had no family church. I remember two girls from a Plymouth Brethren group, and they seemed to detest Christmas. To them, the season was filled with pagan symbols and idols and shrines, especially those decorated trees. I struggled with their ideas, but I learned that the …

The Magi visiting Jesus by Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678)

The promise of a ‘King’ born to a virgin?

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In the Christmas story recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the Apostle does a very odd thing. He connects the virgin birth of Jesus with a prophecy given by Isaiah to Ahaz, the king of Judah, 700 years earlier: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23 NASV based on Isaiah 7:14) For many it has been a controversial connection. But it makes sense when we understand what was happening when Isaiah gave this prophecy with what Matthew emphasized in his account of the birth of Christ. In Isaiah 7, the prophet was dealing with a situation that was taking place in Judah. By this time, Israel and Judah had been ripped apart. Israel had fallen into abject idolatry, and Judah was the last remnant of God’s kingdom. In the first two verses, we read that back-slidden Israel and Syria had joined to rage war against Judah intending to remove Ahaz and set up a new …

Notice the star as part of street Christmas decorations in Lillehammer, Norway. Credit: Peta Chow/Flickr/Creative Commons

Islamization of Christmas in Norway?

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A strange story posted by Norwegian blogger, Hanne Tolg, which she describes as “pretty bizarre” is that a Christmas program being performed by an elementary school in Skien, Norway, will now include verses from the Koran, Islam’s main religious text. Though Europe is very liberal in its beliefs and traditions, and most do not attend church, Christmas is still a huge celebration and acknowledged as a Christian holiday. Homes and streets are typically decorated with Christmas themes and it is traditionally one of the big celebrations of the year. According to Bruce Bawer of Gatestone Institute who helped break this story in the English-speaking world, other national holidays in Norway also coincide with Christian celebrations such as Pentecost and Ascension Day. But it appears that efforts are now underway to add an Islamic element to the Christian, Christmas celebration in Norway. According to Tolg, this year’s program at Stigeråsen School will include two verses from the Koran. Christmas is certainly not a holy day for Islam, so why would any school, as Tolg explains, want …

Feast of Saint Nicholas being celebrated in Firbourg, Switzerland on December 6, 2009 Credit: Chlempi/Wikipedia

Have archaeologists found the grave of Santa Claus?

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A recent statement by Turkish archaeologists may throw a damper on this year’s Christmas celebration. They are claiming to have found the last remains of Santa Claus. While working on an old church in Demre located in Southern Turkey, an electronic survey revealed an opening in the ground beneath the church that probably holds the remains of Saint Nicholas. He is a fourth century bishop on which our modern Santa Claus is based. An initial look beneath the church floor revealed an undamaged shrine. Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Mrya. The name of the city was later changed to Demre. According to tradition, he would secretly give gifts to children often by putting money in their shoes. Bishop Nicholas was imprisoned and tortured during the reign of Diocletian but lived long enough to see the Christian emperor Constantine come to power and was then released. When Saint Nicholas died on December 6, 343 AD (December 19 on the Julian calendar) he was buried at his church. Demre even has a museum dedicated to this saint. …

Church of Nativity, Bethlehem Credit: Jordan Pickett/Flickr/Creative Commons

A 360 virtual tour of the birth place of Jesus

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For those who have never visited Israel, in the video above film director Pearry Teo provides a 360 degree virtual tour of what is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. Just move your mouse over the video for a full panoramic view. Our tour guide is Danny Herman. Located in Bethlehem which today is part of Palestine, the Church of the Nativity covers the opening to a cave or Grotto, where you walk down stair to view where it is traditionally believed Jesus was born. On the floor, you can see the spot where Mary gave birth to Jesus. A ‘silver star’ marks where the manger sat — installed in 1717, for good reason some question if this is the exact spot. They even note where the Magi stood when they came to worship the Christ. We can’t be absolutely sure the cave is the location where Jesus was born. The original version of the chapel claiming this as the place was built by Constantine in 333 AD — at the insistence of his …

Credit: Scott Fiddelke/Flickr/Creative Commons

What should we tell our kids about Santa?

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My son was about five or six years old when he motioned for me to come to our front window. It was December and our front yard was blanketed with a fresh layer of snow. We lived on the edge of the city and wild life made regular forays into our front yard. As I went to the window I saw a trail of rabbit tracks wandering through the snow. My son then explained those were the tracks of Santa’s reindeer. He must have been in our yard the night before. My wife and I had decided to tell our children that Santa was not real, with the proviso that they were not to say anything about it to the other kids. But my son saw Santa in the malls and on TV. At his Christian pre-school, many of the kids were talking about Santa and my son wanted to believe in Santa as well and now he was trying to convince me those tracks were evidence Santa existed. I told him that those were …

Credit: rpphotos/Flickr/Creative Commons

Liberty Counsel’s ‘Naughty’ or ‘Nice’ list

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We are all readying ourselves for the hectic Christmas season. One of things we do is buy gifts for family and friends — a tradition handed down through the centuries from the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh the magi gave Jesus shortly after the Lord’s birth (Matthew 2:11-12). Christmas is retailers biggest sales quarter with many selling as much merchandise in this period as they did the rest of the year. Just before Christmas, US-based Liberty Counsel publishes its ‘Naughty or Nice List”, that they have put out annually since 2002. The list is in response to the politically-correct climate that in recent years has tried to pressure companies and governments to remove any religious references in their Christmas messaging. Though Christmas Day is undoubtedly not Jesus’ true birthday, nevertheless the fact December 25 rose to prominence as a Christian religious holiday is undisputed. To determine a company’s response to Christmas, Liberty analyses how many times they use the word ‘Christmas’ on their advertising, merchandise descriptions and website compared to the politically-correct term ‘holiday.’  …

Christmas is illegal in Brunei Photo Brunei water village/jkuba

Christmas is Cancelled, and Illegal

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Did you know Christmas is illegal in Saudi Arabia? Celebrating Christmas there can get you ten years in jail. The country is the home of Mecca, the holy city at the center of Islam. It is also one of the wealthiest nations in the world, with massive oil and gas deposits. Many foreigners work there, including thousands of committed Christians, and the economy needs them. During the first gulf war, American troops defended the Saudis against Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi army, and Christian chaplains led worship services. I think that was the first time that Christians worshiped legally and openly in Saudi Arabia. There are no reports of Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu services. And now Christmas is illegal, and severely punished. The tiny country of Brunei on the island of Borneo is more lenient. Celebrating Christmas will only get you five years. Brunei has a population of less than half a million, and more than 30% of them are non-Muslim, but Muslim Sharia law has been imposed on everyone and it’s now illegal to wear a …

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Phillip Photo: Ben Murray/Flickr/Creative Commons

This year’s Christmas message will be Queen Elizabeth’s clearest expression of faith

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For nearly every year since 1932, England’s Royalty has broadcast a Christmas message across Britain on BBC, the government-run TV station. The only year it didn’t happen was in 1969 when BBC instead aired a documentary on England’s royalty This year, Queen Elizabeth, 89, will be making her annual broadcast which according to an article in The Express will be the clearest expression of her Christian faith since she became Queen in 1952. In recent years, the Queen has become increasingly vocal about her faith. The broadcast to be aired on Christmas day is expected to attract millions of viewers. Last year 7.8 million people watched the Queen’s message. The Queen will backdrop her faith declaration with the “unprecedented” rising persecution of Christians around the world particularly by Muslim extremists in the Middle East where ISIS has targeted believers. According to The Express, a source within Buckingham Palace said “she [the Queen] is driven by a deep and spirited faith.” Though to a lesser degree, the Queen has also felt first-hand the threat of Muslim Jihad. In September, the British …

“I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." Jesus (Luke 10:18) Photo: Matt/Flickr/Creative Commons

The real story behind the first Christmas

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Español: La verdadera historia detrás de la primera Navidad Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright… When Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr of Austria penned the famous Christmas carol Silent Night in 1818, they painted a calm, idyllic image of Christmas. It along with many Christmas carols portrayed the birth of Jesus as we see it in Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 1:18-2:23 — Shepherds in the field, Angels singing, a baby in swaddling clothes,  a manger, bleating sheep and lowing oxen. Peaceful, serene… yet is this what really happened at the birth of Jesus? There is a third version of the Christmas story, found in the Book of Revelation, that isn’t often read this time of year: The Woman, Israel 12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. The Red Dragon, Satan 3 Then another sign …

Peter Hollens amazing A cappella rendition of ‘Mary, Did You Know’

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This rendition of the Christmas favorite,  Mary, Did You Know, has received nearly 2 million views on YouTube since it was posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Based in Eugene, Oregon, Peter Hollens is an American singer and producer. He has produced a number of songs on YouTube where he sings A cappella, however as you will see in this unique video he sings all the parts himself. Hope you enjoy this amazing rendition of Mary, Did you know.    

Was this the Star of Bethlehem?

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On June 30, 2015, those familiar with astronomy saw the rare conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter — basically these two planets cross paths and for a few days align together giving the appearance of a new brilliant star. The Venus-Jupiter convergence is the most spectacular of the planetary conjunctions. The one at the end of June was 0.33 degrees apart. Some have referred to it as the “Star of Bethlehem” because astronomers have calculated this same conjunction took place in 2 AD and may have been the star that marked the birth of Jesus recorded in Matthew 2:2, 9. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. “After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.” (Matthew 2:2, 9 NASV) Perhaps as mysterious as the star itself is the Old Testament …