Tuesday, December 26th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Kevin Swanson
President Trump Explicitly References Christ in Christmas Message
This Christmas, the president of the United States took the opportunity to send a message to the world through his twitter account that included explicit reference to Christ and Isaiah 9:6.
“For Christians, we remember the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that began more than 2000 years ago. As the book of Isaiah tells us, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on His shoulders and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Since his campaign last year, President Trump has announced his intention to bring back the greeting “Merry Christmas” since it has fallen into disrepute with American retailers.
Former President George W. Bush offered a similar Christmas greeting to Trump’s back in 2008, quoting from Luke 2:10-12.
Last year, President Obama spoke of values that guide Christians, Muslims, unbelievers, and “Americans of all backgrounds.”
Queen Elizabeth Mentions Jesus’ “Generous Love and Example”
Queen Elizabeth also took a moment to greet England on Christmas. Toward the end of her message, she noted that “We remember the birth of Jesus Christ whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection, hardship and persecution; and yet it is Jesus Christ’s generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad.”
But, as Christians let us remember the real reason He came. . .to “save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
And Israel’s president, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a Merry Christmas greeting on his twitter account yesterday as well. He invited Christian tourists to Israel, and offered to serve as a tour guide in Christmas 2018. He spoke of our “Judeo-Christian” heritage, and promised he would take tourists in the “footsteps of Jesus.”
Cult in Redding, California Uses Christianized Tarot Cards
A Christian cult in Redding, California has taken up using tarot cards, or what they call “destiny cards”, as part of their ministry. The Bethel ministry noted in a blogpost that they use the cards for members who want “a prophetic word about their destiny.”
According to the Christ Alignment Company that produces the new Christianized tarot cards, they are drawing “from the same divine energy of the Christ spirit, as ancient followers did and operate only out of the third heaven realm to gain insight and revelation.”
That’s what I call spiritual mumbo jumbo.
Franklin Graham Reports His 99-Year-Old Father is Still Healthy in Mind
Evangelist Franklin Graham gave an update on his father, Billy Graham, on “Fox and Friends” over the weekend.
The 99-year-old evangelist is still healthy in mind, although slowing down physically.
When asked about the legacy of his father’s life, Franklin Graham said his life was about telling the world “about a God that loves them and that is willing to forgive their sin if they’re willing to repent, turn from their sin and by faith to believe on the name of Jesus Christ that God would save them and heal their heart and that they would have that hope for eternity of being with Him in Heaven.”
Harvard Scientist Says He Was Blinded by His Belief When Interpreting RNA Experiment
A secular evolutionist admitted that he was wrong about the possibilities of life developing by natural process.
Professor Jack Szostak of Harvard University published a paper last year theorizing on how RNA might reproduce without the availability of essential enzymes.
Darwinian evolutionists believe that RNA, a nucleic acid present in all living cells, were some of the first molecules to form on the Earth and gave rise to living things. But for that to happen, the RNA would have had to somehow reproduce on its own without requisite enzymes that would not have evolved yet.
The professor told Retraction Watch, “In retrospect, we were totally blinded by our belief [in our findings] … We were not as careful or rigorous as we should have been (and as Tivoli was) in interpreting these experiments.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 explains that “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Christians in Mosul Celebrate Christmas After Three Years
Christians in Mosul, Iraq celebrated Christmas for the first time in three years.
The one remaining church was guarded by armed vehicles while the service took place, according to the BBC.
Special Report on Celebrating Christ’s Birth All Year Long After the Newscast
Want to discover why it’s important to celebrate the birth of Christ all year long? Stay tuned for a World View Special Report by Emily Swanson featuring Bill Heid, who produced the audio adventures based on several popular G.A. Henty novels. That’s immediately following today’s newscast.
Store Santa Prays for Boy’s Sick Father
And finally, a little 12-year-old boy in Garland, Texas stopped by to see the Santa at Bass Pro Shops and told him all he wanted for Christmas was his father’s health and help for his father’s medical bills.
So, the Santa agreed to pray for his father. He told KXAS-TV, “I asked that the Lord would help him with the pain and that he would have enough joy in his heart to get through the pain.”
After the pic of the prayer with Santa went viral, the family’s GoFundMe page has raised $10,230 so far toward the $15,000 goal.
Please Prayerfully Consider Supporting The World View
As you know, The World View and Generations ministries are committed to bringing a Biblical worldview back to the news, to family life, and to the education of our children. We are grateful for your trust in the work we do.
As the Lord has blessed you this year, please consider blessing this ministry with a much-needed, year-end donation right now as we continue to declare Jesus as Lord over all. Go to www.TheWorldView.com/give. That’s www.TheWorldView.com/give.
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Tuesday, December 26th in the year of our Lord 2017. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Special Report: Why We Should Celebrate Christ’s Incarnation All Year Long
Time now for a World View Special Report by Emily Swanson.
The 12 Days of Christmas have just begun, culminating on January 6th as we celebrate the arrival of the three wise men who followed a star.
The World View wants to exhort you to courageously share the joy of Christmas throughout the year.
Bill Heid of Heirloom Audio Productions explained to The World View that he produced a short film called “The Lost Secrets of Christmas” because he wanted to remind people of the depth of Christmas.
“I thought I would do something that maybe had some depth to it, instead of just a secular spin on our Lord’s incarnation. The reason is there are so many rival philosophies and theologies in the world today, and I see our guys missing it. We don’t who our rivals are; that’s the issue. What is Christmas? What’s the historicity? We’ve lost that, and we’ve also lost the nature of the implications of it.”
Heid said that he wanted Christians to remember that Jesus’ incarnation affects every part of our lives.
“The incarnation has implications for all areas of life, every sphere of influence, and I think that’s where we’re all trying to get to, a better understanding of that. For folks that get that, it’s just another little bit of a clarion call. And for folks that don’t get that, it’s a great time to pay attention to what’s going on here.”
Heid said that he wants this to be a wake-up call for Christians to behold the wonder of Christmas.
“When you see the contrast of that, it’s easy to see what a wonderful thing we have. But when over time, the rough edges of our life get smoothed out we just kind of go for traditions and things like that. I think we’re in that place. That’s what breeds post Christianity. It’s not the culture. It’s us, slowing down, falling asleep, not caring.”
Heid said that Christians need to think about why Jesus’ birth is so important to us in a culture that is increasingly against acknowledging God.
“How far is the curse found? What do these blessings look like? And if you start to really dig there. If you know that you’re a sinner, if you read your Bible every day, you know where you fall short. It’s not just, ‘Did I murder somebody?’ But this is a holy God. And He requires a lot of things from us. I think Americans tend to just ignore Him. You can’t do that for long. He’s been pretty patient with us, but we know from history that He doesn’t let it go on forever.”
Heid said that materialism dims the true meaning of Christmas.
“When Jesus was born, you had basically the two worldviews that sort of displace the robust Christianity that we really need to get back. The first would be materialism. The materialist says, ‘Well look the world is just made up of the physical universe. There is nothing beyond that.’”
He also warned that the other opposing worldview to the Christ-centered Christmas is mysticism or irrationalism.
The World View asked Heid how Christ followers can rediscover the true joy of Christ’s birth if they’ve lost it.
“Someone’s got to find the law, get it out, dust it off and read it. And I guarantee you, people will weep. And folks like Josiah will shudder. And that’s the same thing we need to do with our Bible too.”
Heid concluded by joyfully reminding other brothers and sisters that it is a joy to talk about our God and what great things He has done, including the wondrous, miraculous incarnation of His Son Jesus Christ on this earth.
“It is fun talking about our God. It is fun talking about the fact that our worldview makes sense.”
Matthew 2:1-2 says, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.’”
To watch the short film, go to http://www.thelostsecretsofchristmas.com.
This has been a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.