It’s Christmas, Wednesday, December 25th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by Jonathan Clark and heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. Filling in for Adam McManus I’m Ean Leppin.
Christians Face Persecution During Christmas
Around the world, Christians face increased persecution during Christmas season.
Armed men killed 14 Christians in Nigeria on Sunday. The believers had just celebrated a Christmas carol service at the Evangelical Church Winning All.
In Vietnam, officials arrested Christian villagers over the weekend for getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Authorities had told Christians they would face arrest if they celebrated Christmas or attended non-sanctioned churches.
And yesterday, officials in Nepal arrested a pastor just for giving gifts. Pastor Janmajya Bhattarai had given educational materials, clothes, and gifts to underprivileged children in the area.
During this festive season, Hebrews 13:3 reminds us, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”
Honda and Nissan Consider Merging
Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan announced Monday they are in talks to merge by 2026.
If completed, the merger would create the world’s third largest car manufacturer by sales after Toyota and Volkswagen.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said, “The rise of Chinese automakers and new players has changed the car industry quite a lot. We have to build up capabilities to fight with them by 2030, otherwise we’ll be beaten.”
Ohio School District to Settle with a Christian Teacher Over Unlawful Termination
In the United States, an Ohio school district agreed to a $450,000 settlement with a Christian teacher last Wednesday.
The Jackson Local School District forced Vivian Geraghty to resign a couple years ago. The teacher refused to use biologically incorrect pronouns for transgender students based on her Christian beliefs.
Logan Spena with Alliance Defending Freedom responded to the favorable settlement for Geraghty. He said, “No school official can force a teacher to set her religious beliefs aside in order to keep her job. . . . The First Amendment prohibits that abuse of power, and Jackson Local School District officials have learned that comes at a steep cost.”
Trump Promises to End “Transgender Lunacy”
President-elect Donald Trump promised to end “transgender lunacy” on day one of his second term.
Listen to his comments from a speech he gave Sunday at Turning Point USA’s America Fest conference.
TRUMP: “With the stroke of my pen, on day one, we are going to stop the transgender lunacy.” [Crowd cheers] “And I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation. Get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools.”
Trump also said he would keep men out of women’s sports, stating, “It will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Most Popular Bible Verses During Christmas
Lifeway Research released data from the Bible app YouVersion on the most popular Bible verses during Christmas.
Popular verses include the narrative of Christ’s birth post also verses from the Psalms and Old Testament prophecies.
The most popular Bible verses during the Christmas season are Luke 2:11-14 and Matthew 1:21.
Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
The Christmas Truce of World War I
And finally, on this day in history, the Christmas Truce took place between the Germans and the Allies in World War I.
On December 25, 1914, Captain Robert Hamilton, a lieutenant with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, made this entry into his diary: “A day unique in the world’s history. I met the [German] officer and we arranged a local armistice for 48 hours. As far as I can gather, this effort of ours extended itself throughout the whole line. Soldiers on both sides met [by the] hundreds and exchanged greetings and gifts.”
It all started when the Germans heard the Allied troops singing Christmas Carols on the other side of the line. A German Lieutenant, Johannes Niemann, reported that “We started trading everything we had: tobacco, chocolate, schnapps, ribbons. At one point, a Scottish bloke came outside with a football. It was the start of a real football match, with caps as goals.”
The temporary truce took place at Ploegsteert Wood on the Western Front, near Flanders.
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Christmas, Wednesday, December 25th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.