There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
You have dealt well with your servants, O LORD, according to your word, Psalm 119:65(ESV) and you have been ever mindful of your covenant, the word that you commanded, for a thousand generations. Psalm 105:8(ESV)
Not one word has failed of all your good promise, 1 Kings 8:56(ESV) which you have promised to David your servant and to Israel your people. 1 Kings 8:66(ESV)
And now, what shall we render to the LORD for all his benefits to us? Psalm 116:12(ESV) Let our souls return to him and repose in him as their rest, for he has dealt bountifully with us: Psalm 116:7(ESV) We will lift up the cup of our salvation and call upon the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:13(ESV) For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5(ESV)
We will bless the LORD at all times; yes, his praise shall continually be in our mouths; Psalm 34:1(ESV) we will sing to the LORD as long as we live; Psalm 104:33(ESV) and we hope to be shortly with those blessed ones who dwell in his house above and are still praising him and who day and night never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” Revelation 4:8(ESV)
Luke 1:26-38 This week’s lessons help us to prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ by focusing on three miracles seen in the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary.
Theme
“Be Born in Us Today”
At this point I have spoken of three great miracles of Christmas: that God should become man, that He should do so by means of a virgin birth, and that Mary should have believed the angel’s announcement. But now I want to say that the last of these miracles needs to have its counterpart in us. We too need to believe the good news concerning this child, that He is the Savior sent by the Father to deliver us from sin, and that we need to commit ourselves to Him in wholehearted trust and obedience.
Moreover, I want to say also that if we do—and believing God requires no less a miracle in us than in the case of Mary—then there is a sense in which the other two miracles happen also: God is born in us, and that it is accomplished by God alone, apart from any human contribution.
I think the apostle Peter must have been thinking along these lines when he wrote of Christians, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). That means we do not become Christians by anything we do or any other human being does or can do, but by the miracle of a divine birth. And if we ask, how this can be since we are sinners, the answer is: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Jesus taught this truth to Nicodemus when He told that teacher of Israel, “Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Martin Luther does not say it quite this way, but he was thinking along these same lines when he wrote of Mary, “She held fast to the word of the angel because she had become a new creature [that is, she had been born again]. Even so must we be transformed and renewed in heart from day to day. Otherwise Christ is born in vain. [For] this is the word of the prophet: ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given’” (Isa. 9:6). Luther then adds, “This is for us the hardest point, not so much to believe that [Jesus] is the son of the Virgin and God himself, as to believe that this Son of God is ours.1
I do not understand miracles. I do not think anyone does, otherwise the miracles would not be miracles by definition. But I believe in miracles, and I know that there would be no Christianity—no Christmas, no Savior, no hope, no Gospel, no salvation at all—unless these miracles truly happened. Moreover, I know that the miracles need to continue in us if Christianity is to continue as true Christianity and sinners are to be saved. What needs to happen?
Well, what needs to happen is what we sing about in that simple little carol written by Phillips Brooks after a visit to the Holy Land in 1866. In “O Little Town of Bethlehem” the carol describes the sleeping town in stanza one, the miraculous birth in stanza two, and the quiet of the moment in stanza three. Then comes stanza four, the most important of all:
O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.
The hymn begins with Christmas in Bethlehem, but it ends with Christmas in our hearts. And so it must be for each of us, if Christ is not to be “born in vain” where we are concerned, to use Luther’s terminology. The mystical seventeenth-century poet, Angelus Silesius, wrote: “Should Christ be born a thousand times anew, despair, O man, unless he’s born in you.”2
That is what Christmas is about, and it is what I urge on you this Christmas. Do not stop with the story of the birth of Christ itself. Do not stop even with the miracles of that first Christmas, great as they are. Press on in the matter until you can say, as Christians have always said, “The miracles of Christmas have happened in my heart. I have been born again, and therefore I now place my entire trust for this life and for eternity in Him who came to earth on that long ago day and far away land to be my Savior.”
Miracles happen quietly. I do not expect any loud noise if that greatest of all miracles takes place in your heart. But I know that if it is happening or has happened, the angels are singing about it—if not where you can hear them, at least in heaven. Jesus Himself said that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and believes the Good News than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not think they need it.
1Martin Luther, The Martin Luther Christmas Book, trans. and arranged by Roland H. Bainton (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1948), 23.
2Quoted in Frank Colquhoun, Hymns That Live: Their Meaning & Message (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980), 59.
Study Questions
From the lesson, how do the three miracles find their counterpart or expression in us?
What can cause people to stop with a knowledge and even love for the Christmas story, and yet not have it lead to their salvation?
Application
Key Point: We too need to believe the good news concerning this child, that He is the Savior sent by the Father to deliver us from sin, and that we need to commit ourselves to Him in wholehearted trust and obedience.
For Further Study: Download for free and listen to James Boice’s message, “Wise Men Come to Jesus.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:13,14
The practical effect of Christ’s ministry to us is given in these words, to cleanse your conscience from dead works. The problem that is faced in this passage, therefore, is how to handle a nagging conscience.
We each have a conscience. We may not be able to analyze it, and we certainly cannot control it, but we know we all possess one. Conscience has been defined as that still, small voice that makes you feel smaller still, or, as one little boy put it, It is that which feels bad when everything else feels good. Conscience is that internal voice that sits in judgment over our will. There is a very common myth abroad that says that conscience is the means by which we tell what is right and what is wrong. But conscience is never that. It is training that tells us what is right or wrong. But when we know what is right or wrong, it is our conscience that insists that we do what we think is right and avoid what we think is wrong.
Conscience can be very mistaken; it is not a safe guide by itself. It accuses us when we violate whatever moral standard we may have, but that moral standard may be quite wrong when viewed in light of God’s revelation. But conscience also gives approval whenever we fulfill whatever standard we have, whether that standard is right or wrong. And conscience, we have all discovered, acts both before and after the fact — it can either prod or punish.
In the case of these Hebrews the problem is not a conscience troubled over evil deeds, but dead works. We must remember that the readers of this letter are Christians who already know how to handle the problem of sins. When they become aware that they have deliberately disobeyed what they knew to be right, they know the only way they can quiet an avenging conscience is to confess the sin before God, and deal with the problem immediately. That aspect of a troubled conscience can easily be taken care of by Christians as they accept the forgiving grace of God. But the problem here may be a conscience plagued with guilt over good left undone — not sins of commission, but sins of omission.
They tried to put their conscience to rest by religious activity; they are goaded by an uneasy conscience into a high gear program to please God. Here are people who are intent on doing what is right, and thus pleasing God, and they have therefore launched upon an intensive program of religious activity. What perceptible difference in motive is there between a poor, blinded pagan who, in his misconception of truth, crawls endlessly down a road to placate God, and an American Christian who busies himself in a continual round of activity to try to win a sense of acceptance before God? None!
A woman said to me, I don’t know what is the matter with me. I do all I can to serve the Lord but I still feel guilty, and then I feel guilty about feeling guilty! Precisely! It is rather discouraging, is it not, to see that all this laudable effort on our part is dismissed here as dead works. It is disconcerting to see that such effort is not acceptably serving God. God is not impressed by our feverish effort.
Thank you, Father, that I can have a clear conscience before you, not because of anything I have done, but because of what you have done for me through your Son.
Life Application
Do our guilty feelings launch us into religious fervor? Why is it never enough to clear our accusing conscience? Are we learning to live and serve out of gratitude for the amazing grace of God’s forgiveness?
9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
The Blood of Christ
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
For so many, myself included, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. The lovely smells and sights, the many feasts with family and friends—these provide us a hopeful transition from the heat of summer, lend a joyful anticipation even amidst the bitter cold, and forge deeper bonds between loved ones that extend forward into unbreakable memories. Regardless of one’s religious convictions and practices around this time, there is an obvious sharing in God’s common grace—he gives us joy amidst our toil in this life under the sun (Eccl 9:7–10). And for those who express their faith in Christ during this time of year through formal Christmas celebration, their joy abounds all the more. So many themes overlap and highlight one another, such as Christ being the sweet aroma that has ascended to his Father through the Spirit, or his being the glorious Light come to shine in this dark world, or his having secured our adoption into the family of God through the Spirit who sits us down each week to feast with our Father at the family table. Truly, the long-awaited promise of Immanuel has finally come in the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God born of Mary, come to save his people from their sins. Indeed, let us celebrate this good news! But does this Christmas coalescence come from Scripture? How should the incarnation be celebrated? What influence should the calendars of our given culture have upon the weekly liturgy of God’s heavenly worship? What ought a pastor to do when he leads the saints in worship at this time of year? But before we dive into that, let us consider how we arrived at Christmas as we know it in the first place.
The story is complicated, but let us begin by tracing its history in Scripture. As most Christmas-celebrating-Christians would state as being all too obvious, Christmas is essentially the birthday celebration of Jesus. My Roman Catholic grandmother even used to bake a delicious chocolate cake for Jesus each year. Scripture, however, records very few birthdays at all (e.g., Gen 40:20, Matt 14:6). And when we come to the birth of Jesus, although we do receive a record of this glorious event, we are not given a prescription on celebrating it thereafter, especially not in the ways we might think of a yearly birthday celebration today. Such an act of God certainly demands our praise (Luke 2:14). Scripture does not give us the command to celebrate Jesus’ birthday annually, however, nor the date to do so, let alone the precise date of December 25 (scholars continue to debate whether it even occurred in winter at all). Thus, there is no command or record of the church celebrating Jesus’ birthday in Scripture. So where did Christmas come from then, if not Scripture?
Along with the absent record in Scripture, there is no record of Christmas in the first three hundred or so years during the post-apostolic period. The first recorded observance of Christmas on December 25 is extra-biblical, coming from the Depositio Martirum in the early-to-mid-fourth century.1 It continued to be celebrated after the fourth century into medieval Europe,2 only to be overrun by debauchery and folly and therefore canceled in mid-seventeenth-century England and America.3 It then underwent a softening charm during the Victorian era as exemplified in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843), and has transformed into our present mixture of expressions—Santa Claus magically traveling the world in a night while sipping a Coca-Cola, nativity scenes violating the second commandment,4 along with well-meaning Protestants gathering for Christmas services, giving particular attention to the glories of his incarnation.
“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.” It is profitable to remember our creation, it is pleasant to see that the divine hand has had much to do with us, for it never moves apart from the divine thought. It excites reverence, gratitude, and affection towards God when we view him as our Maker, putting forth the careful skill and power of his hands in our forming and fashioning. He took a personal interest in us, making us with his own hands; he was doubly thoughtful, for he is represented both as making and moulding us. In both giving existence and arranging existence he manifested love and wisdom; and therefore we find reasons for praise, confidence, and expectation in our being and well-being. “Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.” As thou hast made me, teach me. Here is the vessel which thou hast fashioned; Lord, fill it. Thou hast given me both soul and body; grant me now thy grace that my soul may know thy will, and my body may join in the performance of it. The plea is very forcible; it is an enlargement of the cry, “Forsake not the work of thine own hands.” Without understanding the divine law and rendering obedience to it we are imperfect and useless; but we may reasonably hope that the great Potter will complete his work and give the finishing touch to it by imparting to it sacred knowledge and holy practice. If God had roughly made us, and had not also elaborately fashioned us, this argument would lose much of its force; but surely from the delicate art and marvellous skill which the Lord has shown in the formation of the human body, we may infer that he is prepared to take equal pains with the soul till it shall perfectly bear his image. A man without a mind is an idiot, the mere mockery of a man; and a mind without grace is wicked, the sad perversion of a mind. We pray that we may not be left without a spiritual judgment: for this the Psalmist prayed in verse 66, and he here pleads for it again; there is no true knowing and keeping of the commandments without it. Fools can sin; but only those who are taught of God can be holy. We often speak of gifted men; but he has the best gifts to whom God has given a sanctified understanding wherewith to know and prize the ways of the Lord. Note well that David’s prayer for understanding is not for the sake of speculative knowledge, and the gratification of his curiosity; he desires an enlightened judgment that he may learn God’s commandments, and so become obedient and holy. This is the best of learning. A man may abide in the College where this science is taught all his days, and yet cry out for ability to learn more. The commandment of God is exceeding broad, and so it affords scope for the most vigorous and instructed mind: in fact, no man has by nature an understanding capable of compassing so wide a field, and hence the prayer, “give me understanding”;—as much as to say—I can learn other things with the mind I have, but thy law is so pure, so perfect, spiritual and sublime, that I need to have my mind enlarged before I can become proficient in it. He appeals to his maker to do this, as if he felt that no power short of that which made him could make him wise unto holiness. We need a new creation, and who can grant us that but the Creator himself? He who made us to live must make us to learn; he who gave us power to stand must give us grace to understand. Let us each one breathe to heaven the prayer of this verse ere we advance a step further, for we shall be lost even in these petitions unless we pray our way through them, and cry to God for understanding.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, pp. 287–288). Marshall Brothers.
Ver. 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding.—The right attitude of man in relation to God:— I. RECOGNIZING GOD AS THE AUTHOR OF HIS EXISTENCE. “Thy hands.” I am not the creature of chance or of necessity, the product of the blind forces of nature. I recognize Thy hands, the hands of infinite skill and goodness. He made us.
Then, to study our constitutions is to study Him.
Then His claims upon our activities are absolute. No one has a right to us but Himself. We are His. II. LOOKING TO GOD AS THE EDUCATOR OF HIS SPIRIT. Thou hast commandments concerning us—laws that should rule all the powers with which Thou hast endowed us. I am ignorant of them, enlighten me, I beseech Thee. “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Thou hast given me a capacity for moral knowledge; but that knowledge I have not. I am in the dark. Kindle within me that light that will enable me to go the way Thou wouldst have me go. I have a wonderful nature that I know not how to use. “Give me understanding.” III. IMPLORING GOD AS THE PERFECTER OF HIS BEING. He knew that God made him for the purpose, and that that purpose could only be realized by correct moral information, a practical obedience to His will. And hence he prays, “Give me understanding.”
This plea is rational. It is from the less to the greater. Thou hast made me for Thyself. I want to be Thine by my own willing and devoted service. Thou madest me without my choice or consent. I entreat Thee to give me that, to make my being a blessing to myself and an honour to Thee.
It is a powerful plea. It is the cry of a child in distress to a tender parent. It is more than this—it is the cry of a frail, ignorant, dying creature to the loving and almighty Author of its being. I should not have been, had it not been for Thee. Oh, grant me what I ask, and make my being blessed.
It is a loyal plea. What I ask for is, not the gratification of my own selfish wishes, but that; “I may learn Thy commandments”—learn them—practically learn them. (Homilist.) The Creator-Guide:— Long ago a laconic moralist gave this summary of wisdom, “Live as you were meant to live.” This sentence recognizes the fact that there is a purpose the discovery of which is man’s first anxiety and the accomplishment of which is man’s supreme aim. Now, our Bible tells us that we have to do God’s will, to serve God, to glorify God, to do good, to do right, to find and to keep in the truth. I think the significance of these phrases will appear if we consider some workmanship of man in relation to its maker’s purpose. At South Kensington there is a clock made above 500 years ago under the hammer of a Glastonbury monk. It has measured out the moments of fifteen generations of men That piece of mechanism has done and is still doing its maker’s will. It has served its maker’s purpose. It fulfils his praiseworthy intention and so praises him. Every stroke of its pendulum is to the glory of the Glastonbury smith. It keeps (so to say) its maker’s commandments. What he meant it to do it has done well and truly. Think of this clockwork of the brain, this delicate mechanism of thought and feeling. Year in, year out, the restless wheels of desire and feeling, of thought and passion, play into one another and mark results on the solemn dial of life. Matters may be so mismanaged as to put the machinery into a whirl of wild confusion. It is, on the other hand, possible to secure such inward adjustment, such balance, such regulative control, such true impulse, as to make the soul a splendid harmony and the life a utility which men acknowledge with reverence and benediction. With God’s work, as with man’s, the essential thing is to be true to the Maker’s purpose. There is a commandment—a Divine intention to which every one must be true. “Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me; give me understanding of Thy will and commandment.” Somewhere, at the outset of human story, God did give this knowledge to His creatures. Along the line of the Jewish people that knowledge came in a pure stream—pure compared with its deep pollution as it ran through other histories. Man’s necessary life-knowledge has two branches. If for the general understanding of religion it is essential to throw the soul directly upon God, much more is that necessary for particular understanding of our individual perplexities. Take the case of the captain of a ship. Education and experience have given him general knowledge of the capabilities of ships, of the ways of sailors, of navigation, of coast-lines, storms and signals. These are the mariner’s alphabet, and correspond to the Christian’s general knowledge of God and life of the Saviour and the soul. But imagine the ship’s captain on a voyage to a new port, in a new ship, with a fresh sort of cargo and a strange crew. His ship gets into storms, or among icebergs. There are break-downs and accidents to ship and tackling. Besides his general sailor lore the captain obviously requires presence of mind, tact, resource, the gift to see what needs to be done, and what can be done in every new emergency. Such readiness for the event corresponds to the Christian’s application of religious truth to the perplexities of his personal career. About the generalities of religion we are fairly informed. We know what is right and what is wrong. We understand the perils of temptation and we know the grace of God. We know the ways of the world, and we know the truths of Holy Scripture. All this is our miscellaneous sailing-lore. But every day we make a new voyage and venture, in which sudden accidents may happen. Storm or collision may come. We may find ourselves confronted by new circumstances, and we want the quickly-acting instinct of Christian temper so as to be able to say “none of these things move me.” Can we meet difficulty with patience? Can we take failure with hopefulness? Can we be meek and yet strong, pleasant and yet good, gentle and yet firm? Can we so pass through things temporal as to fail not of things that are eternal? For all this we need more than general knowledge of Divine truth; we require that the power of Christ shall rest upon us. Give me understanding, that for each act and for each step I may know Thy commandment. Nor is this the end of the matter. There are emergencies and perplexities which form a class by themselves. We come to places when it is hard to know which is right—the way on the right hand or the way on the left hand. Infallibility does not belong even to the man whose soul is nearest to God. Insurance against ever making a wrong decision, or taking a wrong step is not gained by the most Christian sincerity and faith. Through all his campaigns the Duke of Wellington never made a serious mistake. Sometimes good men show similar wisdom in the conduct of life’s stern warfare, but there is no guarantee for this clear and precise practical judgment. Often you must “Do the sum to prove it.” Do it carefully. Do it honestly. Do it for the most part on your knees. The rest is with God. “They cry unto the Lord in their trouble and He delivereth them out of all their distresses.” “If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God.” Keep near to the source of light and direction, not merely in the acts and offices of devotion but in all the sincere aims of daily conduct. (S. Gregory.) God our Maker:— Thomas Carlyle was once present when a conversation was started between some friends on the subject of evolution. Having quietly listened for a time, the Chelsea sage seized the opportunity of a pause to remark, with considerable solemnity and emphasis, “Gentlemen, you seem well pleased to trace your descent from a tadpole, and an ape, but I would say with David, ‘Lord, Thou hast made me a little lower than the angels.’ ” (J. H. Hitchens, D.D.)
Exell, J. S. (1909). The Biblical Illustrator: The Psalms (Vol. 5, pp. 77–79). Fleming H. Revell Company; Francis Griffiths.
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down. (Psalm l46:8)
Am I bowed down? Then let me urge this word of grace before the Lord. It is His way, His custom, His promise, His delight, to raise up them that are bowed down. Is it a sense of sin and a consequent depression of spirit which distresses me? Then the work of Jesus is, in this case, made and provided to raise me up into rest. O Lord, raise me, for Thy mercy’s sake!
Is it a sad bereavement or a great fall in circumstances? Here again the Comforter has undertaken to console. What a mercy for us that one Person of the sacred Trinity should become the Comforter! This work will be well done since such a glorious One has made it His peculiar care.
Some are so bowed down that only Jesus can loose them from their infirmity, but He can, and He will, do it. He can raise us up to health, to hope, to happiness. He has often done so under former trials, and He is the same Savior and will repeat His deeds of lovingkindness. We who are today bowed down and sorrowful shalt yet be set on high, and those who now mock at us shall be greatly ashamed. What an honor to be raised up by the Lord! It is worthwhile to be bowed down that we may experience His upraising power.
Every December, even those who doubt the claims of Christianity often find themselves celebrating Christmas. But beneath the cultural festivities lies one extraordinary assertion: God entered human history in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. For years I dismissed that claim as mythology, until I examined it the way I would a cold case: by asking whether the evidence holds up under scrutiny.
When I first examined the Gospels, my goal wasn’t spiritual—it was investigative. Could these accounts survive an investigation? Like other true eyewitness accounts, they should display both independence and areas of unintentional eyewitness support: small, interlocking details that make sense only when read together. To my surprise, that’s exactly what I found. The Gospels don’t read like carefully coordinated fabrications; they read like the kind of truthful recollections I’ve encountered for decades while solving unsolved murders.
Challenging Naturalistic Assumptions
The first barrier for any modern investigator is philosophical, not evidential. I was a convinced philosophical naturalist. I rejected the notion that nothing beyond space, time, and matter existed. My atheistic worldview disqualified miracles before the investigation even began. But that approach is an investigation killer. As I wrote about in the first chapter of Cold-Case Christianity, we can’t allow our presuppositions to infiltrate our investigation.
The claim that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit often triggers skepticism because it presumes a miracle. But if God exists, miracles are not only possible but expected. Share on X
In fact, the historical setting itself argues for authenticity. In first-century Jewish culture, an unwed teenage mother faced potential shame and even death. No one invents a miraculous conception story that immediately invites public scorn—unless it’s true.
Why the Incarnation Was Necessary
Only by becoming fully human could God bridge the infinite gap between our sin and His holiness. The same God who could not be seen face-to-face in the Old Testament made Himself visible, tangible, and knowable in Jesus. Christmas marks the beginning of that rescue mission, a path that leads directly to the cross.
As I investigated the Christmas accounts, I discovered that belief in the supernatural was not blind or wishful; it was evidentially grounded. Once the evidence pointed to the reality of the incarnation, the larger implications became undeniable: a personal, moral Creator had entered His creation, offering redemption to those willing to receive it.
Traveling a thousand miles to Bethlehem, the Magi came to worship the King. But the king and the scribes they encountered had a completely different goal. In this message from Matthew 2, Pastor Lutzer illustrates three different responses to Jesus. What is the condition of our hearts this Christmas?
Jesse Bradley, a preacher at Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington, breaks down the Old Testament prophecies Jesus’ birth fulfilled — and explains why this proof truly matters and can help build up people’s faith. At a time when the world prepares to celebrate the nativity, Bradley tells CBN’s Billy Hallowell why people can have faith in the authenticity of the Gospel narrative.
For more on this topic, listen to CBN’s “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas” podcast: https://cbn.com/podcasts/jesus-and-prophecies-christmas
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.
Legacy Standard Bible (Is 9:6–7). (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.
9:6–7. The joys described in vv. 1–5 are grounded in the birth of a child within the Davidic line. The child’s birth will bring deliverance, and the titles bestowed upon him are impressive. The first given is that of Wonderful Counselor. The word Wonderful (extraordinary to the point of being miraculous) is not meant in the colloquial usage of contemporary society. Rather it refers to the supernatural work of God. A good example is its usage in Jdg 13:15–21, wherein the angel of the Lord does a “wonderful” thing (v. 18) and ascends to heaven in the flame of Manoah’s sacrifice (v. 20). The title of Counselor does not carry the same sense as the modern English word, which is often associated with a therapist or social worker. Instead, the word means “one who advises, who serves as a consultant to help and lead others.” The title here must be construed as denoting this child’s capacity to guide the people of the nation, particularly with reference to military endeavors. Though the child’s guidance of the nation would not be limited to warfare, it does suggest that his skill in making decisions for the nation exhibits a divine or miraculous character that would not be possible through simply human devices (Smith, Isaiah 1–39, 240). The word “wonderful” stands in epexegetical construct to “counselor,” and could be translated “a wonder of a counselor” or “a wonder-counselor.” The second title, Mighty God, is repeated in Is 10:21 and applied to God Himself. Although the Hebrew word for Mighty can refer to a valiant warrior, this close usage to 10:21 seems to indicate a reference to deity. The word means “valiant military hero” or “champion.” Similar phrases are also used in Dt 10:17 and Jr 32:18 with reference to God. Oswalt notes, “This king will have God’s true might about him,” being so powerful so as to be able to absorb all evil and defeat it (Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39, 247). The child is also called Eternal Father. Filial relationships, such as father and son, were emphasized in the ancient Near East. The king was generally the son in such relationships and the deity the father (John H. Walton, et al., IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000], 518). Kings, however, also claimed to be the “father” of those they ruled (Oswalt, Isaiah 1–39, 247). The notion of a human king as father of his people is not foreign to the OT. Note, for instance, 1Sm 24:12 in which David calls Saul his father. But this one is not merely the royal father of His people. The adjective Eternal speaks to the idea of one who is forever or eternal. He is the “Father of eternity,” indicating that He is the author or creator of time. The child born here is not to be confused with the Father in the triune Godhead. Rather, the Son of God is the creator of time, the author of eternity. The final title given to the child is Prince of Peace. This child will have a reign characterized by peace. There will be no more war under this king. Instead, the child will usher in an era of rest from conflict that is noted in 2Sm 7:10–11. Some have suggested that these titles are merely a theophoric name, a name that embeds God’s name in a human name. Hence, “Isaiah” (“The Lord saves”) is theophoric, but does not indicate that Isaiah is deity. If this is so here, then the child is not necessarily deity, but rather a royal human figure with a long name, similar to Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“Swift is the booty, fast is the prey,” Is 8:1), containing names of deity. They translate this as “A wonderful counselor is the Mighty God, the eternal Father is the Prince of Peace.” This explanation is unlikely for three reasons. (1) The name in 8:3 is dependent on 8:1 and is not parallel syntactically to 9:6. All the words in 9:6 are substantives that do not have subjects and predicates. (2) Titles such as this one frequently reflect the nature of the person (cf. 2Sm 12:24–25; Is 1:26; Hs 1:10). (3) Frequently, the verb “call” with a name indicates the nature of the one named, either by a play on words (cf. Gn 5:29) or direct meaning (cf. Is 1:26). Hence, this usage in v. 6 indicates that the names are related to the nature of the child born. Robert Reymond is correct in stating that there is no reason, “except dogmatic prejudice,” to prohibit the conclusion that Isaiah meant nothing other than unabridged deity here (Robert L. Reymond, Jesus, Divine Messiah: The OT Witness [Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications. 1990], 51). The child will fulfill the promise of the Davidic covenant (cf. 2Sm 7:12–16), and establish the messianic kingdom through justice and righteousness. This kingdom will not be the outworking of a king with human wisdom and power. The child will rule with the wisdom, power, and peace of God. The final statement in v. 7 notes that the Lord will accomplish all that has been described. Isaiah again underscores that trust in the Lord is the key to receiving the promised blessing.
Rydelnik, M. A., & Spencer, J. (2014). Isaiah. In M. A. Rydelnik & M. Vanlaningham (Eds.), The moody bible commentary (pp. 1024–1025). Moody Publishers.
9:6–7. Here Isaiah recorded five things about the coming Messiah.
He was to be born a Child. The implication, given in parallel style, is that this Child, a Son, was to be born into the nation of Israel (to us) as one of the covenant people.
He will rule over God’s people (cf. Micah 5:2) and the world (Zech. 14:9). The government will be on His shoulders figuratively refers to the kingly robe to be worn by the Messiah. As King, He will be responsible to govern the nation. In Isaiah’s day Judah’s leaders were incompetent in governing the people. But the Messiah will govern properly.
He will have four descriptive names that will reveal His character. He will be the nation’s Wonderful (this could be trans. “exceptional” or “distinguished”) Counselor, and the people will gladly listen to Him as the authoritative One. In the kingdom many people will be anxious to hear the Messiah teach God’s ways (2:3). He is also the Mighty God (cf. 10:21). Some have suggested that this simply means “a godlike person” or hero. But Isaiah meant more than that, for he had already spoken of the Messiah doing what no other person had been able to do (e.g., 9:2–5). Isaiah understood that the Messiah was to be God in some sense of the term. This Deliverer will also be called the Everlasting Father. Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? Several things must be noted in this regard. First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called “the Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9). The Messiah will be a “fatherly” Ruler. Third, perhaps Isaiah had in mind the promise to David (2 Sam. 7:16) about the “foreverness” of the kingdom which God promised would come through David’s line. The Messiah, a Descendant of David, will fulfill this promise for which the nation had been waiting. The Messiah is also called the Prince of Peace, the One who will bring in and maintain the time of millennial peace when the nation will be properly related to the Lord. Together, these four titles give a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah’s character (Isa. 9:6 includes the first of Isaiah’s 25 references to peace.)
The Messiah, seated on David’s throne (Luke 1:32–33), will have an eternal rule of peace and justice. His rule will have no end; it will go on forever (cf. Dan. 7:14, 27; Micah 4:7; Luke 1:33; Rev. 11:15). Following the kingdom on earth, He will rule for eternity. He will maintain righteousness (cf. Jer. 23:5), as His rule will conform to God’s holy character and demands.
This will all be accomplished by the zeal of the LORD Almighty. The coming of the millennial kingdom depends on God, not Israel. The Messiah will rule because God promised it and will zealously see that the kingdom comes. Without His sovereign intervention there would be no kingdom for Israel. Apparently Isaiah assumed that the messianic Child, Jesus Christ, would establish His reign in one Advent, that when the Child grew up He would rule in triumph. Like the other prophets, Isaiah was not aware of the great time gap between Messiah’s two Advents (cf. 1 Peter 1:10–12; and see comments on Isa. 61:1–2).
Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1053–1054). Victor Books.
9:6 The First Advent is described in verse 6a: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” The first clause speaks of His humanity, the second of His deity. The next part of the verse points forward to the Second Advent:
the government will be upon His shoulder—He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. The rest of the verse describes His personal glories:
His name will be called Wonderful—this name is a noun, not an adjective, and speaks of His Person and work.
Counselor—His wisdom in government.
Mighty God—the omnipotent, supreme Ruler.
Everlasting Father—or better, the Father (or “Source”) of eternity. Eternal Himself, He confers eternal life on those who believe in Him. Vine comments: “There is a twofold revelation in this: (1) He inhabits and possesses eternity (57:15); (2) He is loving, tender, compassionate, an all wise Instructor, Trainer, and Provider.”
Prince of Peace (Sar-Shālôm)—the One who will at last bring peace to this troubled world.
9:7 His government will be far-flung, peaceful, and endless. Sitting upon the throne of David, He will rule with judgment and justice. How will all this be brought about? The Lord’s jealous care for His people will perform this.
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 947). Thomas Nelson.
9:6 Born speaks of the Child’s humanity and given of His deity. Wonderful, Counselor is one name, meaning “wonderful divine Counselor” (11:1–5). Mighty God indicates that the Lord is a powerful Warrior (10:21). Everlasting Father describes a King and Father who provides for and protects His people forever (40:9–11; Matt. 11:27–30). Thus the word Father is used here of the Savior’s role as an ideal king. Prince of Peace is the climactic title (2:4; 11:6–9; 53:5; Luke 2:14; Rom. 5:1). The Child is the true Prince—the One who has the right to reign and who will usher in peace. The four double names combine aspects of Jesus’ deity and His humanity. Together, these four double names assert the dual nature of the Savior: He is God become man.
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (pp. 818–819). T. Nelson Publishers.
9:6 child … son. The reason for joy. This was the child prophesied in 7:14, the sign scorned by Ahaz but fulfilled by Christ. a son is given. Signifies the accession of a new king (cf Ps 2:7). upon His shoulder. His strength upholds the nation. His name … Prince of Peace. Throne names describe the power and authority of the new king. Ps 72 defines what these characteristics mean for the Davidic king. Jesus, from David’s kingly line (Lk 2:4), fulfills all of these promises and with the Kingdom brings all of these gifts for people (cf Mk 1:15). While these titles might apply, in part, to an earthly king, in their fullness they belong only to God. Luth: “In the kingdom of Christ there is grace, comfort, forgiveness of sins, joy, peace. He does not deal with the transgressor in sternness, but as a father. The forgiveness of sins is justification, and peace follows justification. This peace is not only peace of mind but also plenty and soundness of mind and good health of the body. Such is the reign of Christ: It is extended by killing; it is fertilized by the blood of the believers; and the more distress there is, the more peace grows in the heart” (AE 16:101). Ath: “His Only-begotten Son might … be called ‘Father’ by His Father.… [He] is at once Father of the coming age, and mighty God, and Ruler. And it is shown clearly all things whatsoever the Father has are His” (NPNF 2 4:89).
9:7 no end. The Messiah alone can have an eternal Kingdom. throne of David. The Messiah must come from David’s line, yet Scripture teaches that He is also David’s Lord (Mt 22:42–45). zeal of the LORD. No opposition can thwart His ardent desire to establish and to uphold His kingdom forevermore (63:15). See pp 1565–66.
Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible (p. 1105). Concordia Publishing House.
9:6 child … son. These terms elaborate further on Immanuel, the child to be born to the virgin (7:14). The virgin’s child will also be the royal Son of David, with rights to the Davidic throne (9:7; cf. Mt 1:21; Lk 1:31–33; 2:7, 11). government. In fulfillment of this verse and Ps 2:9, the Son will rule the nations of the world (Rev 2:27; 19:15). Wonderful Counselor. In contrast to Ahaz, this King will implement supernatural wisdom in discharging His office (cf. 2Sa 16:23; 1Ki 3:28). Mighty God. As a powerful warrior, the Messiah will accomplish the military exploits mentioned in 9:3–5 (cf. 10:21; Dt 10:17; Ne 9:32). Eternal Father. The Messiah will be a Father to His people eternally. As Davidic King, He will compassionately care for and discipline them (40:11; 63:16; 64:8; Pss 68:5, 6; 103:13; Pr 3:12). Prince of Peace. The government of Immanuel will procure and perpetuate peace among the nations of the world (2:4; 11:6–9; Mic 4:3). 9:7 throne of David. The virgin’s Son will be the rightful heir to David’s throne and will inherit the promises of the Davidic Covenant (2Sa 7:12–16; cf. Ps 89:1–37; Mt 1:1).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Is 9:6–7). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
9:6 to us. A gift of divine grace to sinners. a child … a son. This is the invincible figure striding across the world stage, taking gracious command, according to vv. 4–5 (cf. Ps. 2:7–9; Luke 1:32). Isaiah presents the events as if it were the time of the child’s arrival, with an expectation of what he will achieve (Isa. 9:7). Wonderful Counselor. A “counselor” is one who is able to make wise plans (cf. 11:2). He is a ruler whose wisdom is beyond merely human capabilities, unlike intelligent but foolish Ahaz (cf. 28:29). Mighty God. A title of the Lord himself (10:20–21; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32; Jer. 32:18). Everlasting Father. A “father” here is a benevolent protector (cf. Isa. 22:21; Job 29:16), which is the task of the ideal king and is also the way God himself cares for his people (cf. Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Ps. 103:13). (That is, this is not using the Trinitarian title “Father” for the Messiah; rather, it is portraying him as a king.) Prince of Peace. He is the ruler whose reign will bring about peace because the nations will rely on his just decisions in their disputes (cf. Isa. 2:4; 11:6–9; 42:4; 49:7; 52:15). This kind of king contrasts with even the best of the Davidic line that Judah has experienced so far, because these titles show that this king will be divine. Thus this cannot refer to, say, Hezekiah (whose father Ahaz was king at the time), who for all his piety was nevertheless flawed (cf. 39:5–8) and only human.
9:6 The Messiah is both human (from the line of David) and divine (see John 1:14; Col. 2:9).
9:7 God called Abraham to be the channel of blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3), and this was the purpose of Israel’s life in their land (Ex. 19:5–6). Isaiah focuses the messianic hope on an heir of David who would extend his rule from Israel to include all the Gentiles, and thus finally to bring to them the blessing of knowing the true God (Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:8–16). Of the increase … no end. The empire of grace will forever expand, and every moment will be better than the last. the throne of David. Cf. Luke 1:32. with justice and with righteousness. Unlike apostate Ahaz (cf. Jer. 33:15–16). zeal. The final victory is a miracle, accomplished with a passionate intensity of which only the LORD of hosts is capable (cf. Isa. 42:13; 59:15–19; 63:15).
9:7 The Messiah establishes his rule in justice (Rom. 3:26; Eph. 1:20–22) and peace (John 16:33).
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (pp. 1257–1258). Crossway Bibles.
9:6 a son has been given to us The promise of hope through a future Davidic king. Attempts to connect this promise to a ruler of Isaiah’s day usually focus on Hezekiah, son and successor of Ahaz, the king to whom Isaiah delivered his warnings and who rejected his offer to provide a sign in Isa 7:12.
The sign provided in 7:14 and the prediction of a future ideal Davidic ruler point ultimately to the Messiah, but immediate hopes for Judah’s future would have been directed at the Davidic line, continued through Hezekiah. However, Hezekiah was likely already born during the Syro-Ephraimite conflict that forms the historical backdrop of this part of Isaiah.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God This list of titles or attributes for the future king include divine titles that would be unusual if referring to a human Davidic king. For example, “Mighty God” clearly refers to Yahweh Himself in 10:21.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 9:6). Lexham Press.
9:6 child … son. The good news is the birth of Jesus Christ. The four royal names express His divine and human qualities, giving assurance that He is indeed “Immanuel” (7:14).
born … given. The verbs are consistent with His humanity and deity respectively.
Mighty God. As a warrior, God protects His people (10:21; Deut. 10:17; Jer. 32:18).
Everlasting Father. The Father and King cares for His subjects (40:9–11; 65:17–25; Matt. 18:12–14; 23:9–12; Rom. 8:15–17).
Prince of Peace. His government brings peace (2:4; 11:6–9; Ps. 72:7; Zech. 9:10; Luke 2:14).
9:7 throne of David. He is a descendant of David (11:1 note), who will establish the kingdom of God in “justice and with righteousness” (1:21 note).
zeal. God guarantees that this will be fulfilled (37:32; 42:13; Zech. 1:14).
Sproul, R. C., ed. (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 963). Ligonier Ministries.
9:6–7 Twice earlier in this section of Isaiah, the birth of children has been described as having prophetic significance (7:14; 8:1–4). For a third time, the reader learns of a future birth. Some commentators believe the text means that this future royal child will be a purely human descendant of David who will be proclaimed king and lead God’s people to a new level of freedom and prosperity. Both Hezekiah and Josiah have been identified as this child. However, the titles given to this child and the description of his kingdom far surpass anything applicable to Hezekiah or Josiah. The only feasible interpretation of this passage is messianic. This child will be given names that signify his character. He will be a sage characterized by extraordinary wisdom (Wonderful Counselor). He will have life that is never ending (Eternal Father). He will bring peace (Prince of Peace). But the most extraordinary thing of all that confirms he is simply not to be identified with a Hezekiah or a Josiah is his title, Mighty God (cp. 8:21). In the NT, Jesus is identified as the Davidic descendant who fulfilled this great promise (Mt 1:1, 22–23).
Longman, T., III. (2017). Isaiah. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1056). Holman Bible Publishers.
Trump administration imposes sanctions on two more ICC judges for investigating Israel The International Criminal Court slammed a “flagrant attack” on its independence on Thursday after the United States imposed sanctions on two more judges over their role in investigating Israeli officials for possible war crimes in Gaza. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant, praised Washington for its “strong action” against the court.
Trump goes nuclear: The president’s tech and media umbrella will merge with a fusion reactor developer in a deal valued north of $6 billion Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, announced Thursday that it will merge with TAE Technologies, a privately held nuclear fusion developer, in an all-stock transaction valued at more than $6 billion. The deal will create one of the first publicly traded nuclear fusion companies in the United States and marks President Donald Trump’s entry into the highly regulated nuclear energy sector.
Da’wa in Doha: Qatar’s 21st Century Muslim Brotherhood Strategy The inconsistency is plain. Despite Qatar’s glamorous public image, the state hosts and funds terrorists, serving as the Muslim Brotherhood’s de facto headquarters. In 2012-2013, Qatar provided $8-10 billion to Egypt’s MB government under Mohamed Morsi and hosted Imam Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who justified suicide bombing, until his 2022 death. Qatar maintains Hamas leadership in luxury Doha accommodations and has destabilized Libya, Syria, and Tunisia through support for MB-aligned factions.
How ‘CNN’ sanitizes Hamas terrorism Recently, CNN labeled a leader of the Hamas terrorist organization “a senior official.” This begs the question: When is a terrorist not a terrorist according to mainstream media? Far too often, news outlets like CNN apply titles and adjectives to terrorists or mention their profession as if these are the things that matter, rather than the fact that they belong to a group pledged to commit murder.
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon According to the IDF, Israeli forces struck a Hezbollah military camp and additional military structures in multiple locations throughout Lebanon. The camp was used for training and preparing terrorists, conducting live-fire exercises, operating artillery, and storing weapons. … additional strikes deeper inside Lebanon, the IDF targeted Hezbollah military buildings used in recent months for operational activity and weapons storage.
Iran’s shadow aviation network keeps weapons flowing under sanctions Despite being subjected to one of the harshest sanctions regimes in the world, Iran has succeeded in building a sophisticated, law-evading mechanism to support its aviation and weapons smuggling industries, reflecting the shadow economy it has developed, … Western states have “identified Iran’s aviation industry as key to the regime’s weapons smuggling to its regional proxies (Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Syrian regime prior to its collapse, and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq) as well as to Africa (e.g., shipments of UAVs and weapons to Sudan) and even to Venezuela,”
TikTok signs deal to sell US unit to American investor-led venture TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with three major investors to sell just over 80% of the company’s US assets to American and global investors to avoid a US government ban, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees on Thursday.
Saudi, French, US Officials Push Hezbollah Disarmament Plan French, Saudi Arabian, and American officials held talks with the head of the Lebanese army on Thursday in Paris aimed at finalizing a roadmap to enable a mechanism for the disarmament of the Hezbollah terrorist group, diplomats said. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024, ending more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that severely weakened the Iran-backed terrorists. Since then, the sides have traded accusations over violations with Israel questioning the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
Israel will ‘deal with Hamas’ if it won’t disarm, Sa’ar says If Hamas does not follow through with U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan that involves the terrorist group laying down arms, Israel “will have to deal with the problem,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in an interview with the Saudi state-owned channel Al Arabiya English on Wednesday.Israel’s top diplomat said he hopes the Islamist organization adheres to the plan, which both Israel and Hamas’s leadership agreed to, but that “unfortunately,” senior Hamas officials have issued public declarations saying that they have no intention of giving up their weapons.
Members of Congress Urge Federal Courts to Allow Ten Commandments Displays in Public Schools First Liberty Institute and Hacker Stephens LLP recently filed a friend-of-the-court brief at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supporting the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas and Louisiana public schools. We filed on behalf of 46 members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Chip Roy
“Children Are NOT Experiments”: House-Passes Bill Criminalizing Transgender Treatments For Minors The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would criminalize transgender-related treatments for minors, which includes surgical procedures and puberty blockers. The bill, called the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” was sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and passed in a 216-211 vote.
Pentagon launches ‘command investigation’ into Democrat senator over ‘misconduct’ The Department of War confirmed on Monday that it has escalated a preliminary review of U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a retired U.S. Navy captain, to a command investigation. The investigation comes after the Democrat senator recorded a video alongside five other Democrat lawmakers urging U.S. military members and intelligence officials to “refuse illegal orders” allegedly given by President Donald Trump. “Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” the War Department official added. “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”
West Coast Being Pummeled By Trillions of Gallons of Rain, Wind Speeds Up to 144 MPH, and Flooding That Will Close Roads for Months The slow-motion disaster we are witnessing on the West Coast is unlike anything we have ever seen before. A series of atmospheric rivers has already dumped trillions of gallons of water on the region, and trillions of gallons of additional water will fall before the end of the year. This has caused some rivers to rise to the highest levels that we have ever seen. Meanwhile, some areas in the Northwest have been repeatedly pummeled by extremely high winds.
Over 700 landslides and avalanches mapped after 7.0 2025 Hubbard Glacier Earthquake A strong 7.0 oblique-slip earthquake struck beneath the Hubbard Glacier in the St. Elias Mountains, about 89 km (55 miles) north of Yakutat, Alaska, on December 6, 2025. The quake triggered widespread ground failures, with over 700 landslides and snow avalanches identified across Alaska and Canada. The largest and most concentrated slope failures occurred within a 16 km (10 miles) wide band along the estimated fault rupture.
9 Signs That Leaders All Over the Globe Have Come Down with a Really Bad Case of “War Fever” How close can we get to the edge without falling over? The largest military conflict in Europe since World War II is poised to go to the next level in 2026, war could erupt again in the Middle East at any moment, the U.S. is on the verge of starting a new war in Venezuela, and China is absolutely furious about a brand-new weapons package that has just been approved for Taiwan. The dogs of war are clawing at the gate, and yet most people don’t seem too concerned. This is particularly true in the Western world.
Imam Calls Trump ‘Human Garbage’: ‘The Foot of the Dirtiest Somali is Cleaner Than Your Face’ “A Florida Islamic cleric named Dr. Fadi Yousef Kablawi gave a sermon earlier this month declaring that the US deserves divine punishment from Allah and has only been spared because of devout Muslims living in the country. He also called President Trump “human garbage” and asserted that the dirtiest Somali’s feet are cleaner than his face, while claiming Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “gay,” and that the mere prospect of a caliphate gives him nightmares.”
A War with Venezuela Would Be All About Oil, and It Would Destroy Our Relationship with China Guess which nation has the most proven oil reserves? It isn’t Saudi Arabia, although the Saudis rank a close second. It isn’t Iran or Iraq either. In fact, the country with the largest proven oil reserves isn’t even in the Middle East. Canada has a lot of oil, and so does Russia, but neither one of them tops the list. At a whopping 303 billion barrels, the nation that currently possesses the most proven oil reserves is actually Venezuela.
Dr. Mike Yeadon: Covid vaccines are a population reduction program By December 2020, Dr. Michael Yeadon knew covid injections would injure, kill, and cause infertility. How did he know? Because they were designed to make our bodies’ cells manufacture a foreign protein our immune systems would attack, resulting in autoimmune conditions. They were designed to contain a toxic spike protein. And the mRNA injections were designed to contain lipid nanoparticles that cause infertility.
“Democratical States must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their Governments slow, but the people will be right at last.” —George Washington (1785)
Brown U update: A prime suspect in the Brown University attack has finally been identified and found. Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente was identified by law enforcement as the assailant, and police on Thursday found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. Authorities have also connected Valente to the murder of a top nuclear scientist, MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, who was shot in his Brookline, Massachusetts, home on Monday night, dying from his injuries the next day. Valente had studied with Loureiro in Lisbon, Portugal, between 1995 and 2000. Valente also attended Brown between 2000 and 2001 for a graduate program in physics, so he would have been very familiar with the campus building where he perpetrated the attack. Valente was living in the U.S. legally, having been granted a green card sometime after 2017. No motive has been established.
Trump admin escalates plan for revoking fraudulent citizenship: In an effort to crack down on immigration fraud, the Trump administration issued new guidelines for increasing the number of denaturalization cases. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been directed to “supply Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month.” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser explained, “It’s no secret that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ war on fraud includes prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship — especially under the previous administration.” He added, “We will pursue denaturalization proceedings for those individuals lying or misrepresenting themselves during the naturalization process. We look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Justice to restore integrity to America’s immigration system.”
Another illegal alien murder case: When Virginia authorities dropped Marvin Morales-Ortez’s charges of brandishment of a weapon and assault, he did not take the opportunity to become an upstanding citizen. The 23-year-old El Salvadoran national, who is illegally present in the U.S., was released from jail on Tuesday and killed a man by Wednesday. Morales-Ortez was caught after a manhunt involving drones and K-9 units. ICE has made more than 4,000 arrests in Virginia this year under Governor Glenn Youngkin, who ordered state agencies to cooperate. Morales-Ortez proves that ICE’s work is far from done in the Old Dominion, but Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has promised to rescind Youngkin’s cooperation order.
Australian police cagey about secondary Bondi Beach counterterrorism operation: A vehicle carrying five apparently non-Australian men to Bondi Beach was forcefully stopped by police yesterday after they received a tip about a planned violent act. Two more men in another vehicle were also detained. Police have denied finding any connection to Sunday’s Islamic terror event where 15 were killed at a Hanukkah celebration. Police have been slow to acknowledge any motive in either event and insist that Thursday’s counterterror operation has only led to detentions so far but no arrests. Proactive action from New South Wales law enforcement is at least a positive step after police were seen cowering in fear during the terror attack on Sunday.
Trump’s Kennedy Center: On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, more commonly known as the Kennedy Center, “have just voted unanimously” to rename it the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” Leavitt explained that the trustees made this decision “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building.” Donald Trump responded that he was “surprised” and “honored” by the decision. Predictably, a number of Democrats voiced their objection, including former Representative Joe Kennedy III. It’s “a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law,” JFK’s grandnephew argued. “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
Immigrant entitlement fraud in Massachusetts: Roughly 700,000 Massachusetts residents collect food stamps, equaling 10% of the total population. Two of those 700,000 recipients — Antonio Bonheur and Saul Alisme, of Haitian origin but now legal U.S. residents — managed to scam the system out of a total $7 million. The two men ran the “Jesula Variety Store” and the “Saul Mache Mixe Store,” where they allegedly traded SNAP benefits for cash. Their SNAP redemptions at these stores ranged from $100,000 to $500,000 monthly, whereas a local supermarket redeemed only around $82,000 monthly. The DOJ indictment also alleges that the men allowed SNAP to be used to purchase liquor and sold humanitarian aid that was meant to be given out for free.
New York set to be the next state to launch state-sponsored suicide: Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul announced her support for a proposed “Medical Aid in Dying” bill. It’s a nice euphemism, but it covers up the ugly truth — suicide is being encouraged by the New York government. Hochul insists she only supports the bill because of the guardrails she fought to include, such as limiting the program to New Yorkers who are expected to die in the next six months. Canada’s MAID program’s guardrails worked out so well that now the mentally ill and poor are asked to consider suicide when they visit the hospital. Suicide is the ultimate expression of despair, and any state or government that supports such a final act has surrendered any adherence to morality or ethics. May God have mercy on them.
Appeals court rules nonviolent felons don’t lose gun rights: A panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that a man convicted of a felony over his failure to pay child support should not be stripped of his Second Amendment rights for the rest of his life. Judge James Ho wrote, “There’s no historical justification to disarm him at that moment — never mind for the rest of his life.” Ho contended that the Founders did not intend that those found guilty of nonviolent felonies should automatically have their Second Amendment rights stripped. “Historical analysis determines whether a particular individual can be disarmed for life,” Ho wrote. “And we are unable to find a historical basis for disarming [Edward Cockerham] for the rest of his life, just because he was once convicted of failure to pay child support.”
BBC’s black Briton con: In an effort to demonstrate “anti-racist” credentials, the BBC just proved that it’s racist … against whites. In 2016, the news outlet proudly proclaimed that a Roman-era woman’s skeleton discovered at Beachy Head was of sub-Saharan origin and was therefore heralded as the “first black Briton.” But scientists have recently revealed that she was actually white. Dr. William Marsh, who carried out the genetic study, informs us, “By using state-of-the-art DNA techniques, we were able to resolve the origins of this individual. We show she carries genetic ancestry that is most similar to other individuals from the local population of Roman-era Britain.” How shocking to find a typical British lass in Southern England. Leave it to the BBC to publish revisionist nonsense to virtue signal. It seems to be the Left’s modus operandi.
Headlines
Trump gives federal workers two new holidays around Christmas (NY Post)
Trump signs sweeping executive order aimed at “ensuring American space superiority” (Space.com)
Bill Gates, Sergey Brin among those in new Epstein photos (NewsNation)
Rubio announces sanctions on ICC judges over Israel case (Just the News)
Chicago Bears’s potential move to Indiana draws sharp reactions (Fox 32)
Humor: Trump eases marijuana restrictions after reviewing extensive research by Dr. S. Dogg (Babylon Bee)
“I had a brother, Fred,” said a reflective Donald Trump back in 2017. “Great guy, best-looking guy, best personality — much better than mine. But he had a problem. He had a problem with alcohol. And he would tell me: ‘Don’t drink. Don’t drink.’”
In another interview, Trump added of his brother, “He had a profound impact on my life because you never know where you’re going to end up.”
Indeed. Death, it seemed, was the only thing that could stop Freddy Trump from drinking. And, sure enough, it did — in 1981, at the too-young age of 43.
I mention this because yesterday, President Trump issued an executive order that directs his administration to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug by moving it from Schedule I status to Schedule III. So, if all goes according to plan, pot will no longer be lumped in with heroin and LSD, which sounds about right. Still, you could practically hear the president’s people wrestling with the words of the order, wrestling with the language in order to set a proper tone. Clearly, it wasn’t a cause for celebration, but it was the right thing to do.
As the AP reports, “The proposed change still requires federal regulatory approval. But the change could make the marijuana industry more profitable, facilitate new research on medicinal uses and nudge federal policy closer to a more tolerant approach already in place in many states.”
The order focused on the research piece and the medicinal piece, as opposed to the recreational component of pot. And rightly so. “I’ve always told my children, ‘Don’t take drugs, no drinking, no smoking,’” said Trump yesterday at a White House event.
While noting that he’s been inundated with calls to make marijuana more accessible for folks dealing with severe pain, he added, “At the same time, the facts compel the federal government to recognize that marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered.”
As the executive order puts it:
It is the policy of my Administration to increase medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. It is critical to close the gap between current medical marijuana and CBD use and medical knowledge of risks and benefits, including for specific populations and conditions. Research methods and models should include real-world evidence and should facilitate affordable access in order to rapidly assess the health outcomes of medical marijuana and legal CBD products while focusing on long-term health effects in vulnerable populations like adolescents and young adults.
Here in our shop, we think the president is right on the merits because, as bad as marijuana is, it’s not on the same level at all with those other Schedule I drugs. But here, it’s also worth noting that Trump was supposed to issue this order on Monday. Why the delay? Maybe his administration was struggling with it. Or maybe because on Monday, he issued an executive order reclassifying another drug, fentanyl, as a weapon of mass destruction. Given the grim body count of fentanyl in recent years, it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Maybe it would be a bad look to ease restrictions on pot on the same day.
As for the pot EO, there’s plenty of snark to go around. The Wall Street Journal asks, “Does MAHA Stand for ‘Make America High Again’?” and then wrings its hands about the reclassification, saying that it “flies in the face of Trump and RFK Jr.‘s professed concern about health.”
Whatever, dudes.
The point, though, is that the optics of Trump’s decision aren’t particularly good among some traditional Republicans, even if the spirit of the order is spot-on. The drug issue is a deeply complicated one that cuts a jagged path across our left-versus-right political affiliations. As for the evolving nature of the marijuana taboo, more than half of Americans live in places where recreational marijuana is legal.
The bottom line: We’re not going to pot, at least not yet, and at least not for this particular reason. As is his nature, President Trump is trying to find the right balance and solve difficult problems — because that’s precisely what we elected him to do.
Brian Mark Weber: Ford EVs Found on Road Dead — The auto giant has decided to cut its (huge) losses on electric vehicles after the Trump administration cut regulations and Congress dumped subsidies.
Thomas Gallatin: Incentivized Entitlement Fraud — Minnesota’s massive and growing welfare fraud scandal demonstrates the reality that the entitlement state has gotten too big and unaccountable.
Emmy Griffin: Parenting Adult Children Can Be Heartbreaking — Parents, particularly moms, on the receiving end of “no contact” from their adult children have had it. But the only solution that will lead to reconciliation is God’s grace.
Patrick Hampton: The Grace and Class of Erika Kirk — She embodies compassion, courage, kindness, faithfulness, forgiveness, and real godliness — the kind of character our world desperately needs.
Ron Helle: God’s Holiday Travel Plans — God, according to His divine plans and purposes, orchestrated Joseph and Mary’s seemingly bad road trip down to the minutest detail.
Farmers Finally Fight Back — Farmers all across Europe went to the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, to protest the new trade deal with the Mercosur. But will they wake up before it’s too late?
In the Face of Evil, Many Heroes Emerged — In the midst of unthinkable tragedy, ordinary people showed extraordinary courage. Let’s honor the heroes whose selfless actions saved lives and revealed the best of humanity.
“If this bill becomes law, doctors, pharmacists, and — in some circumstances — the parents of young trans people, would face time in prison for choosing to prioritize their child’s health.” —Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) describing a bill to punish those who mutilate children in the name of “gender-affirming care”
Foot in Mouth Syndrome
“We should call this obsession with your kids and what treatment they’re getting in a pediatrician’s office what it is: it’s creepy.” —Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) inadvertently admitting that she doesn’t think your kid’s medical treatment is your business
Stranger Than Fiction
“What’s the point of food stamps if it’s just for real food?” —a Missouri food-stamp recipient
Dumb & Dumber
“[ICE is] arresting people simply for the offense of being in the country illegally.” —Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
“We do not move to America because we think it’s a better country. We move here because it’s a little less worse than our other countries. … We have better vibes, music, food, culture, history.” —social media influencer Montse Lewin
Belly Laughs of the Day
“If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat.” —former Special Counsel Jack Smith on his political persecution of Donald Trump
“We strongly and rightly believed that there should be an absolute separation between what we wanted as an administration and what the Department of Justice did.” —former VP Kamala Harris on the Biden DOJ not releasing the Epstein files
Re: The Left
“The people trying to turn Mary and Joseph into illegal aliens or Jesus into Karl Marx are also the same people who lecture us about the ‘separation of church and state’ when we say, ‘God created marriage as the union of one man and one woman’ or that all life is sacred and created in the image of God. But now, all of a sudden, they have discovered Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” —Gary Bauer
“If policymakers and cultural leaders refuse to acknowledge that some ideas are worse than others, that some ideological frameworks are more prone to producing violence, they miss the central motivating factor in human behavior.” —Ben Shapiro
“Americans across the country are frustrated by the complete lack of accountability for the lies, the corruption, the fraud. … We see people committing egregious crimes, stealing staggering amounts of taxpayer dollars, and eroding our constitutional rights. And … crickets. It is impossible to overstate the damage this is doing to public confidence in government and law enforcement.” —Laura Hollis
Upright
“We have to stop sprinting away from God and then wondering why everything feels empty. The American experiment was never meant to function on material prosperity alone. It assumed a people who believed they were accountable to something higher than their appetites and their politics.” —Armstrong Williams
And Last…
“I’ll take a President who gives the troops MONEY over the President who gave them DRAG SHOWS any day.” —Jimmy Failla
ON THIS DAY in 1998, the House impeached Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice, marking only the second time a president had been impeached. He was, of course, later acquitted by the Senate.
Australian authorities say they moved quickly to prevent another possible violent attack. The Trump administration is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. President Trump has signed an executive order paving the way for the F.D.A. to study its medical uses. A man suspected of killing 2 students and wounding 9 others has been found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility. Despite being cut short by an assassin’s bullet, Charlie Kirk’s impact continues to grow. His last book — “Stop in the Name of God” — talks about a profound change in his life that took place while on a visit to Israel. From politics to sports, today’s culture often pushes the concept of winning at all costs.
As seen on “Faith Nation” on December 18, 2025. Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
The president says he trusts in divine grace to remain with the nation
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he places his trust in God and believes that divine grace will continue to protect Russia.
The comment was made during the Russian leader’s annual Q&A session on Friday, as he responded to a series of brief personal and philosophical questions.
“I believe in God, who is with us and will never abandon Russia,” Putin said, after the moderator noted that every person needs something to believe in.
Putin is known as a practicing Orthodox Christian and an ardent supporter of what he describes as traditional religions. He has repeatedly argued that such faiths embody time-tested wisdom that remains essential even in the modern world.
What happens to a society when trust in law enforcement collapses? Can a culture survive when those sworn to protect it are constantly vilified? In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk, skepticism and cynicism toward law enforcement has surged, reshaping public trust and public safety. Former cold-case homicide detective, J. Warner Wallace, joins Frank to examine how we arrived at this moment and what’s at stake if the trend continues. Together, Frank and Jim answer questions like:
What is the primary role of government according to God?
Why is local law enforcement considered the #1 essential service of any functional society?
How does public skepticism and cynicism toward law enforcement directly impact crime and safety?
Why is it so important for police officers to proactively suppress crime?
How do first responders reflect God’s nature and design for authority?
Why is it better for local agencies to handle local crimes?
Are “viral” police encounters distorting reality?
What is the observer effect and what does it have to do with “the weirdest claim of all Christianity”?
Why does law enforcement attract so much criticism compared to other professions?
Why do so many police officers face difficulty in marriage and what’s the solution?
Drawing from real-world experience, Jim exposes the cultural forces undermining police authority and explains why a biblical worldview is essential for justice, accountability, and social stability. As Christians, let’s lead the way in Gospel-centered engagement with those in uniform. Do you love your freedom? Thank a police officer!
If you enjoyed this podcast episode PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY BY SUPPORTING OUR MINISTRY USING THE LINK BELOW. 100% of your donation goes to ministry, 0% to buildings!
Artificial intelligence continues to dominate Americans’ lives, with new technologies transforming the way people interact with brands, the Internet — and more. Nick Skytland, vice-president, AI developer, research and product at Gloo, recently explained the impact of artificial intelligence and why his organization is on a mission to investigate how AI contends with the Christian worldview.
Gloo recently launched its Flourishing AI effort, an effort to research benchmarks surrounding how faith is perpetuated and handled in the AI space. Skytland argues that mainstream AI models default to generic or secular advice rather than biblical or Christian guidance, even when faith-based prompts are given.
“Gloo is a technology company that serves the faith ecosystem, and, back in July, we had released some research that we call Flourishing AI,” Skytland said. “And it’s just a benchmark that’s really grounded in seven dimensions of human flourishing based on a lot of research that’s out there.” Gloo’s focus is on the Christian worldview and understanding how this dynamic shows up through various AI tools. “We really think that this might be the first comprehensive framework of its kind, measuring AI alignment for human flourishing from an authentic biblical worldview,” Skytland said.
The researcher said he tends to be a “half-full optimist” and believes “AI is incredible” and has a lot of promise. Still, there are some caveats and worries. “I think there’s something that we really do need to understand here — that AI does have a built-in bias,” Skytland said. “It does have a built-in, essentially hidden worldview, especially to the average user.” This is why Gloo has gone so deep into its efforts to try and discern what is happening within the AI framework.
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