Ragbag Headliners

Santorum Blames American Downfall On Gay Agenda In Colleges 

According to Santorum, pop culture and colleges have ruined America.

Former senator and Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum blamed the decline of America on indoctrinating the gay agenda in colleges across the country and the media.

"If you look at popular culture and what comes out of Hollywood, if you go to our schools and particularly our colleges and universities, they are indoctrinating in a sea of relativism and a sea of antagonism toward Christianity -- religion in general, but Christianity in particular," Santorum said, according to Right Wing Watch. He was a guest on "Washington Watch," a radio show hosted by Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

Perkins did, however, chime in to add that his Bible-owning third grade teacher regularly punished her students with a yardstick.

"But that was…Before Repressive Government, back when God was still welcome in our schools," Perkins said. –By Michelle Garcia/Advocate/January 19 2013

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North Carolina Restaurant Owner Hands Anti-Gay Letter To Lesbian Couple 

The owner of The Stingray Cafe in New Bern, North Carolina took it upon himself to hand an anti-gay letter to a lesbian couple who ate at his restaurant.

The owner of a restaurant in New Bern, North Carolina doesn’t like gays and lesbians--so much so that he delivered a letter to a lesbian couple denouncing their lifestyle.

WCTI, a local news station in North Carolina, reports that the couple, Ariel and Shawnee McPhail, ate a meal at The Stingray Cafe in early December. As they were leaving the restaurant, owner Ed McGovern “handed them a letter that stated God's opposition to homosexuality,” WCTI reports.

“Please, look at your life. See how it hurt[s] everyone around you. And ask the Lord to open your eye[s] before it [is] to[o] late,” McGovern wrote in the letter. “P.S. my daughter also was gay. It destroy[ed] her life and my grandson."

The owner confirmed he sent the letter to WCTI, and said he gave it to the couple “out of love.” McGovern also said this was not the first time he had denounced lesbians to a lesbian couple.

McGovern also told the news station that “wrote the letter because he did not approve of the McPhails kissing outside of his restaurant.” But the couple denies they were kissing.

“First of all, we didn't kiss. We don't kiss in public. We were holding hands,” said Shawnee McPhail. “Secondly, if I did kiss my wife in public, what married couple would you go to and say, 'how dare you. You cannot hold hands and you cannot kiss in public therefore you deserve my judgement.'" -By Alex Kane/AlerNet/January 11, 2013

About the Author: Alex Kane is AlterNet's New York-based World editor, and an assistant editor for Mondoweiss. Follow him on Twitter @alexbkane.

Old Greek Blasphemy Laws Stir Up Modern Drama

Before he died in 1994, a Greek monk named Elder Paisios told his compatriots to turn to faith in hard times.

The monk is said to have predicted the economic crisis — as well as a triumphant return of a Greek empire.

With unemployment now at Great Depression levels, many Greeks see him as a prophet.

But that bothers Philippos Loizos, a 27-year-old scientist. "It seems like every time there's a crisis in Greece, there's a search for saviors," says Loizos. "We wait for a sign from God or an enlightened leader. Greeks haven't figured out how to problem-solve, so we wait for someone else to save us."

Loizos set up a Facebook page that criticized Elder Paisios as xenophobic and close-minded. He also mocked the monk's name — Paisios became Pastitsios, like the Greek pasta dish. He even Photoshopped a slice of pastitsio on the monk's face.

"I got a lot of postings and messages through the page," he says. "Most were against what I was doing, and I got threatened and called names. But some people said, 'Bravo, we're with you.' "

A Free Speech Issue

The police were not among Loizos' supporters. They said they received thousands of complaints about his "Elder Pastitsios" Facebook page.

Last September, they arrested him and charged him with blasphemy, which carries up to six months in prison.

Many Greeks saw his case as a theocratic stifling of free speech. It was the first of two blasphemy arrests in recent months.

In the years before the crisis, Greece rarely invoked the law, though a version of it has been in the penal code since the 1850s.

Back then, many European countries had blasphemy laws because God was seen as determining the community's destiny, says David Nash, a history professor at Oxford Brookes University in Britain. "If you go back to the origins of blasphemy laws in medieval times, they're very much about protecting the community," he says.

But in the 20th century, Nash adds, most European countries took action to separate church and state and phased out blasphemy laws.

In Greece, the Orthodox Church remains powerful, and its opinions about blasphemy hold sway. But the church does not get involved with the law, says Haris Konidaris, a spokesman for Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece.

Ultranationalists Organize Protest

Christian activists have pushed prosecutors to make arrests on blasphemy charges in the past.

And in the past year, the neofascist Golden Dawn party has also called for such arrests during speeches in the Parliament.

Yannis Ktistakis, a human-rights attorney, says the blasphemy laws fit into their agenda. "It's the political agenda of nationalism," he says. "They think that now is the time to call [on] Greeks to think about their 'special' identity."

On the pretext of defending Greek identity and the Greek Orthodox faith, a Golden Dawn parliamentary deputy screamed obscenities as he led a mob that stormed a controversial play this October. The mob, which included priests, also threw rocks at those attending the Greek production of Corpus Christi, the Terrence McNally play that portrays Jesus and his apostles as gay men in modern-day Texas.

The director, Laertis Vassiliou, says it was like being attacked by a Christian Taliban.

"For two months they were threatening our lives," he says. "Every day there were letters saying, 'You will burn to hell.' They said to my parents that, 'We will bring your son in a box — cut in pieces and in a box.' "

Archbishop Ieronymos strongly condemned the violence — though he says the play and the Facebook parody of Elder Paisios are blasphemous.

The state has charged Vassiliou and his cast under the blasphemy law but has dropped the charge against Loizos.

He still faces trial this year for the separate charge of insulting religion — which carries up to two years in prison. –By Joanna Kakissis/NPR/January 04, 2013

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About The Photo Above: A Greek Orthodox priest is blocked by riot police as he takes part in a protest outside an Athens theater in October. The play, Corpus Christi, portrays Jesus and his apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. The director and the cast have been charged under Greece's blasphemy laws.

Another Wonderful Mystery of Nature

Among the many mysteries of Nature which no one, not even scientists, could explain is why thousands of starlings fly in shape-changing formations like an intricately choreographed mass aerial dance in the twilight above England and Scotland every autumn. The birds fly in swarms like shifting dark clouds in the sky. This unusual natural phenomenon is called murmuration. This occurs during the starlings' annual migration by the millions from Russia and Scandinavia to escape winter’s frigid bite. The starlings' murmuration is an example of "swarm intelligence", which is also practiced by schools of fish, swarms of bees and colonies of ants.

Amazing and intriguing in the starlings’ aerobatics is the tiny birds' split-second reaction time [of less than 100 milliseconds] to avoid collisions.

Two British women were out for a late afternoon canoe ride when they were treated to an awesome display of murmuration. 

Fortunately, one of them happened to take along her video and was able to capture on videotape the birds' aerial dance performance. Below, be amazed and awed by one of Nature's wonders captured on the video.

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Murmuration

Muslim Family Taking Thornton Heath Greek Orthodox School To High Court Over Hijab Ban

A Greek Orthodox school is being taken to the High Court for banning a Muslim pupil from wearing a headscarf.

The nine-year-old girl's parents were so incensed at the decision they have pulled her out of St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary Academy, in Thornton Heath.

Now they have applied to the High Court in an attempt to force the school – the only one of its kind in the country – to reverse its ban on their daughter wearing a hijab.

The parents believe it would be a sin for her head to be uncovered because she has reached puberty and is in the presence of male teachers.

Head teacher Kate Magliocco said the uniform policy was made clear to the parents when the girl arrived in Year 3.

It was not until she moved into Year 5 in September that they wanted their daughter to start wearing a hijab, a traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women which represents the Islamic principle of modesty.

Her parents complained to the governing body, which upheld the ban with the support of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Mrs Magliocco said: "The school is being taken to the High Court by parents of a Muslim girl.

"They believe that, because she is nine, she has reached puberty and it would be a sin for her not to be covered because the school has male teachers.

"The decision not to allow her to wear a headscarf was taken by the governing body. The school has a very particular uniform policy which is shared with parents and, as head, I must follow the plan.

"The pupil in question came to us from a private school. Her parents actively chose us and, before she arrived, we held a meeting which included details of the uniform plan. We are the only Greek Orthodox Primary School in the whole country. The parents actively sought our school. They must have done so with their eyes open."

The girl's parents pulled their daughter out of St Cyprian's, which this week came top of Croydon's primary school league table, in September.

She is now dual-rolled at All Saints CofE Primary School, in Upper Norwood.

Her parents want her to return to St Cyprian's as her brother still attends the school.

The family have submitted a fresh application to have the issue heard at the High Court after their first attempt was rejected. The matter is due to be considered in February.

Mrs Magliocco said the girl had otherwise observed all of the school's Greek Orthodox practices.

She said: "At the heart of this is a girl who has been unable to return to school. They are a really nice family and it's a regrettable situation for both sides. If it does go to court then it cannot be a positive thing."

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain said it would not be "appropriate" to comment.

St Cyprian's admits 52 pupils each year. While children from other religions are eligible, the admissions policy only mentions Catholic and other Christian faiths.

The school claims to "respect the religious beliefs and practice of all staff, pupils and parents". Its mission statement says the school is "committed to combating racism" and promoting "good relations between people of different ethnic origins".

It adds: "We recognise and celebrate the fact that a significant percentage of our children are from ethnic minority groups".

There is no mention of a ban on headscarves in the uniform policy on the school’s website. Girls are required to wear a dark blue coat, an optional blazer, a skirt, a white blouse, a navy blue pullover and navy blue or white socks and black shoes.

Shuiab Yusaf, trustee of Croydon Mosque & Islamic Centre, urged the school to reconsider the ban.

He said: "We encourage schools to be a little less strict and allow Muslim girls to wear headscarves if that is what they want to do," he said. -By Gareth Davies/This Is Goydon Today/December 21, 2012

Real Marriage Built For Children

Government role isn’t granting liberty but nurturing best opportunity for kids

Proponents of same-sex marriage typically ask a rhetorical question that serves as a simple leftist argument: “Why should people of the same sex who love each other be banned from getting married?” Conservatives at times have struggled to find a simple and cogent answer. But the true answer is simple: “Society cannot afford the culture war that would come with a new same-sex marriage entitlement.”

It is time for conservatives to expose the four underlying false assumptions buried in the leftist argument. The first false assumption is that the institution of marriage is designed for the benefit of adults rather than children and society. The second is that forcing the government to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a public good whose partners are entitled to benefits constitutes an exercise in liberty rather than a claim of entitlement. The third is that the government has the theological expertise necessary to certify who loves each other and who does not. The fourth is that government recognition of same-sex marriage would end the dispute.

Men and women have a psychological, spiritual and biological complementarity called conjugality. This conjugality can bear fruit at conception in the life of a baby and at the raising of a child in the natural and ideal launching pad for the child’s pursuit of happiness. The legal recognition of conjugal or traditional marriage (between a man and a woman) seeks to protect the likelihood that a child will be raised by his or her biological parents. In other words, conjugal marriage is designed for the benefit of children, not the benefit of adults.

Certainly, single parents make heroic efforts to raise their children and should be commended for their work. Many children lose their parents because of tragedies and end up being adopted by others. Other conjugal marriage partners for reasons of choice or for medical reasons never have children. All of this is inevitable in a free society. But none of it justifies the state creation of a same-sex-marriage institution that can never under any circumstances give children the intended benefit of being raised by a mother and a father.

Unlike conjugal marriage, which is designed to protect the rights of children, provide stability for society and propagate the future of the nation, the same-sex marriage the left wants the government to recognize would exist for the sake of the adults, an alleged issue of liberty. However, liberty constitutes government staying uninvolved and allowing people to pursue their own desires. In same-sex marriage, the government proactively creates the institution of same-sex marriage, recognizes it as a public good and confers legal benefits upon it. This is a proactive government entitlement, not a nongovernmental exercise of liberty.

Although the government has the authority and even the duty to proactively protect the stability of society and children’s rights as best it can by recognizing conjugal marriage as a voluntary institution that does not infringe on the liberty of adults, the government does not have the expertise necessary to certify that two people truly love each other. If, for example, two friends or two brothers have genuine nonsexual affection, the government has no mechanism to analyze their love to determine whether they have a genuine friendship or familial affection constituting a public good worthy of entitlement benefits. The analysis of the nature of genuine love is a theological endeavor that should be left to the nation’s churches.

More than 80 percent of Americans belong to faith traditions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, whose theology is not based on public opinion polls but instead is rooted in understanding love through understanding the unchanging God, an endeavor far outside the scope of government. The overwhelming theological consensus of these faiths is that same-sex relations are morally wrong. The vast majority of Americans entrust their consciences to faith traditions that teach that God designed sex to be an expression of the unconditional love of one man and one woman.

Governmental recognition of same-sex marriage puts government in the position of overbearing theological opposition to the very faith traditions that served as the inspiration for the founding principle that “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Launching such a culture war infringes on the consciences of all who adhere to mainstream moral precepts. The government would attempt to compel those Americans to grant moral acceptance to same-sex relations by giving same-sex couples the benefits of marriage - from adoption to employee benefits to marriage licenses. Those unwilling to abandon their beliefs would become legally disqualified from certain jobs or fined, effectively designating heartfelt moral conviction a legal liability rather than a public good. Catholic Charities of Boston has been told to choose between its conscience and its adoption ministry. Rose Marie Belforti, a New York town clerk, has been told to choose between her conscience and her job. Society simply can’t afford to have the government launch that kind of culture war. -By Andresen Blom and James Bell/Washington Times/December 26, 2012

About the Author: Andresen Blom is executive director of American Principles Project, where James Bell is a policy adviser.

The Principal

One early morning a mother went to her sleeping son and woke him up.

MOM : “Wake up, son. It’s time to go to school.”

SON : “But why, Mama? I don’t want to go to school.”
 

MOM : “Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go to school.”
 

SON : “One, all the children hate me. Two, all the teachers hate me.”
 

MOM : “Oh! that’s not a reason. Come on, you have to go to school.”
 

SON : “Give me two good reasons WHY I should go to school?”
 

MOM : “One, you are FIFTY-TWO years old and should understand your responsibilities. Two, you are the PRINCIPAL of the school.

Author Unknown

An Unreported Tragedy

The photograph above is a brutal example of how far the struggle between Muslims and non-Muslims (Christians) in Nigeria has reached. Muslims are determined to impose their religion all over Africa as well as in other continents and countries of the world. Islam has but one goal: rule the world at any cost!

The question is: where are the international human rights organizations?

"Christians have been burnt alive in Nigeria : a horrific Holocaust right in front of international indifference!" according to Juan Carlos Martos, a member of the Missionari Clarettiani via del Sacro Cuore di Maria based in Rome, Italy Martos, a Spaniard, who currently resides in Madrid, further stated:

"By publishing this graphic document on Facebook, I have intended to make the world aware of certain terrible events totally ignored or minimized by the mainstream media; an authentic genocide so cruel and inhuman only comparable with the most hateful and vile acts in the nazi extermination camps."

"To my great surprise, Facebook has criticized me for the publication of this graphic document as a proof of the Holocaust that Christians have been suffering in Nigeria in the last ten years. According to Facebook's Security policy of the 'social' Network, this photo has been classified as 'pornographic', 'violent' or 'inappropriate', and hence I was disallowed to publish any picture for a week. And I was threatened drastic measures if I insist publishing any document that prove the terrible violations of Human Rights in Nigeria."

"This attitude by the (Spanish) Facebook Management is an attack to the freedom of expression as much as a shameful insult to the 500 victims (only in this horrible episode) slaughtered by Islamic terror only for being Christian."

"I thought that this social network, originated in the United States, would not bend its knees in front of terror. Especially, when still healing their wounds suffered in the gruesome 9/11 attack, just as our own 3/11 at Madrid railway station, all innocent victims of the wild fury and insanity of Islamic terror."

"This seems even more unacceptable in Spain, a Democratic state, where the rights of opinion, expression and religion are guaranteed by the Constitution (Art. 16 and 20), if there is an attempt to limit such rights, let alone through threats and coercion thus weakening their freedom of expression by condemning as "inappropriate" a graphic document (not a photomontage) which reflects a brutal reality in all its crudeness."

"Contrarily, the administrators of Facebook Spain should welcome this public protest advocating that such a barbarian act will never be replicated and that its perpetrators will be brought to justice. This is a right and duty of every citizen: a service to society, ultimate goal, I feel, of any network that defines itself as 'social'."

"Regrettably, if the murders continue, this is greatly because truth is always hidden to the sovereign people, so that they may not be aware and 'disdained' by it: complicit silence by the mainstream media leads to the indifference of the international political community facing this unspeakable Holocaust! Let alone the cowardice already rooted in the western world facing the Islamic terror. A consequence of the stupid " Alliance of civilizations": another regrettable incident of our former Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero."

"Can you imagine the reaction of the Islamic terrorist organization in the (impossible) case of a massacre of Muslims in a mosque, by the hands of Christian terrorists? how widely would our media cover and condemn the crime and the criminals?"

"Therefore, from this modest blog, I ask a favor from all people who are reading it: Please distribute this photo and its comments using all the media you have. If only for commemorating these martyrs since, unfortunately, Facebook seems to be on the side of the executioners by preventing the publication of such tragic events." -Author/Source Unknown

Holy E-Mail

One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on...

So He called His angels and sent one to earth for a time.

When the angel returned, he told God, 'Yes, it is bad on earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.

God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion.'

So God called another angel and sent her to earth for a time.

When the angel returned she went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true. The earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good...'

God was not pleased.

So He decided to e-mail the 5% who were good, because He wanted to encourage them, and give them a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what the e-mail said?

Okay, I was just wondering, because I didn't get one either. LOL

Author Unknown

The Last Word

Judge Finally Rules On 'Mark Of The Beast'

A federal judge in Texas has issued a ruling that a student’s religious objections to wearing a badge from a school ID program that utilizes radio chips to identify students and faculty and monitor their movements are secular, and therefore, not a concern to the school or court.

“Plaintiff’s objection to wearing the Smart ID badge without a chip is clearly a secular choice, rather than a religious choice,” wrote U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in a case brought by the Rutherford Institute on behalf of student Andrea Hernandez, who has been attending John Jay High School in the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio.

“The accommodation offered by the district … removes plaintiffs religious objection from legal scrutiny all together.”

The court record shows that the Hernandez family “felt the chip in the badge was ‘the mark of the beast’ and had a religious objection to the ‘tracking’ of his daughter. Mr. Hernandez also believed that the card prohibited his daughters’ ‘rights’ as a student,” the judge wrote.

The family also objected to a deception suggested by the school, that Andrea would wear a badge like other students, but without a chip, because that would make it appear the family was part of the chip ID program.

See the real strategy behind RFID chips, and what marketers, criminals and the government could learn, in “Spychips.”

“Predicated on our religious belief we cannot allow it to even appear that we support the program, Revelation 13:16, 17, ‘He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and sllve, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.’”

That was the family’s response.

“If we allow her to take the mark, in this case the [shell] badge it will appear that she is supporting wearing the mark and now she can participate in the economy of the school.”

The judge ordered the student to tell the district “prior to the end of the current semester” “whether she intends to accept the accommodation being offered and wear the Smart ID badge without a chip.”

He said, “If plaintiff refuses to wear the uniform badge issued to all students at Jay High School, even without a chip, the district may exercise its discretion and transfer plaintiff back to her home campus, where she can wear her old student ID badge,” the judge said.

Rutherford attorneys say they will appeal immediately, because of the violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

“The Supreme Court has made clear that government officials may not scrutinize or question the validity of an individual’s religious beliefs,” said John Whitehead, chief of the Rutherford. “By declaring Andrea Hernandez’s objections to be a secular choice and not grounded in her religious beliefs, the district court is placing itself as an arbiter of what is and is not religious.

“This is simply not permissible under our constitutional scheme, and we plan to appeal this immediately,” the said.

The student, 15, “has been penalized, discriminated against, and retaliated against by school officials for objecting to being forced to participate in the RFID program,” the legal team explained.

“For Hernandez, a Christian, the badges pose a significant religious freedom concern in addition to the obvious privacy issues. Andrea’s religious objection derives from biblical teachings that equate accepting a personalized code – as a sign of submission to government authority and as a means of obtaining certain privileges from a secular ruling authority – with a form of idolatry or submission to a false god,” her attorneys argued.

The magnet school’s plan has some 4,200 students at John Jay High School and Jones Middle School wearing mandatory “SmartID” card badges embedded with an RFID tracking chip which allow school officials to track students at all times on campus.

Both Andrea and her father, Steven Hernandez, testified they believed the electronic system was a sign of the Antichrist described in the New Testament book of Revelation.

“No matter how many ways school officials attempt to justify this program, the key here, as NISD officials have themselves acknowledged, is the fact that this program is about one thing only – making money for the schools at the expense of students’ constitutional rights and potentially their safety,” Rutherford attorneys explained.

School officials contend that a continuous monitoring and tracking of students will reduce absences, and they will be able to collect an additional $1.7 million in funding from the state by the time the monitoring program is installed in the district’s 112 schools.

The judge’s decision rejected a request for a preliminary injunction to be in force while the case is litigated.

The judge noted that the chip “is not noticeable,” and he claimed the badges “do not work off campus.”

One of the additional rules is that students “are discouraged from leaving, forgetting or exchanging their badges,” the judge said. –By Bob Unruh/WND/January 8, 2013

About the Author: Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially.

A Liberal, A Conservative, And A Southern Conservative

So What’s The Difference Between  Liberal, A Conservative And A Southern Conservative?

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises his knife, and charges you and your family.

FYI: You’re carrying a concealed 9mm and your wife’s carrying her 38 special. You’re both expert shots. You have only seconds before he reaches you and your family. So, what would you do?

A Liberal’s answer: “I don’t have enough information to answer that question!” For example:

Does the man look poor or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack us? Could we run away? What is my wife thinking? What psychic impact will this have on my kids? Could I possibly swing my gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Do our pistols have appropriate safety features? Why am I carrying a loaded concealed weapon anyway? What kind of message does this send to society and to my children? Is it possible he'd be satisfied just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he stabs me? Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted? Is this our fault? We shouldn’t have come this way! We need to raise taxes and clean up this neighborhood! We need to make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage terrorist behavior! I need time to discuss this with some friends and try to come to a consensus of opinions! I’m confused!

A Conservative’s answer: BANG!

A Southern Conservative's answer: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click..... (Sounds of reloading) BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click

Author Unknown

Tim Chickering

He and his wife, Kara, are phenomenal photographers.
Follow them on Facebook at
Fly Away Home Studios or on the web by clicking here.

The Pastor

A pastor was at church when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left church and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn't know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened. The baby sitter told her that the fever was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door."

The pastor looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been left on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time had locked their keys in their car. She looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." She bowed her head and asked God to send her help. Within five minutes a beat up old motorcycle pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head.

The pastor thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful. The man got off of his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?" He said, "Sure." He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was open. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank You So Much! You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour." The pastor hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional!"

Author Unknown

Not My Will, But Yours ...

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." -1 John 5:14 

It says in Joshua 10: "Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel, sun stand still over Gideon and moon in the valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the people had revenge upon their enemies. So the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day and there has been no day like it before or after it that the Lord headed the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel."

That is what you would call an answer to prayer. Does God answer prayer? Yes, absolutely.

I believe it was Pastor Bruce Larson who said, "Does God answer prayer? Yes, he does. However, sometimes he answers, "Yes." Sometimes he answers, "No. And sometimes his response is, "You've got to be kidding!"

Whichever answer we receive, God answers prayer, but he doesn't always answer according to our timing, does he? Our schedule doesn't always align with God's. In fact, when God does answer prayer, I've always found that he answers in such a way that the answer is more complex than what I asked. So it's not just this one focused little idea that we may have had, but rather it's a greater answer to that prayer that we never thought or dreamt. It's beyond our wildest comprehension.

God delights in doing those things for us because then we can stand back and say assuredly, "I had nothing to do with this. It was, in fact, an act of God." -By Dr. Lawrence Wilkes/Crystal Cathedral/November 14, 2012

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for answered prayers. However you answer my prayers, the result is always perfect. To be in your will, accepting your provision, and being content in all things is the blessing I receive for believing in you. Amen.

Devotion: Name some of the most memorable times that God answered your prayers. How was his answer different than you expected? How was it the same or better?

Ragbag Headliners

France To Open World's First Gay Mosque

Muhammad Ludovic Lütfi Zahed wants men and women to feel safe when they pray.

According to the Jerusalem Post, a gay French-Algerian man, Muhammad Ludovic Lütfi Zahed, is planning to open the first gay mosque in France at the end of this month. A Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, repoted that the mosque will not have the gender exclusions that other mosques do.

“In normal mosques, women have to sit in the back seats and wear a headscarf and gay men are afraid of both verbal and physical aggression," Zahed told reporters. "After performing the Hajj, I realized that a mosque for gays was a must for gay Muslims who want to perform their prayers.” The new mosque, says Zahed, will not segregate women and women even during prayers.

Zahed's marriage to Qiyam al-Din earlier this year was reportedly approved by an imam and made national headlines after they married (legally) in South Africa but France refused to acknowledge it. –By Diane Anderson-Minshall/Advocate/November 26 2012

African Pastors Lead Crusade for Circumcision

Religious leaders join effort to circumcise 20 million adult men in fight against HIV.

For the past 15 years, George Karambuka, a Pentecostal pastor and health worker, has fought against HIV/AIDS. Like many Kenyan church leaders, Karambuka believed premarital abstinence and marital fidelity were the key to preventing new infections.

But Karambuka, fellow African pastors, and other religious leaders have recently joined a new, controversial effort to stem the deadly virus: circumcising adult African men, by the tens of millions. About 70 percent of men in Africa are already circumcised. So an estimated 20 million uncircumcised adult men, many of them living in sub-Saharan Africa, could potentially benefit from this surgery.

Though skeptics remain, recent research indicates that circumcision helps prevent the transmission of HIV from women to men. Edward C. Green, the renowned HIV/AIDS researcher and author of Broken Promises: How the AIDS Establishment Has Betrayed the Developing World, is one champion of voluntary medical male circumcision. In an interview, Green said, "From a purely public health standpoint circumcision is beneficial, especially in southern Africa where infection rates are the highest.

"We talk about a perfect storm of factors. There are more men and women having multiple and concurrent sex partners in southern Africa than any other place in the world. You have high rates of uncircumcised men, and a couple other factors that together make the perfect storm for high HIV rates."

Green has encouraged religious leaders to support adult male circumcision. "The evidence is so strong and the church is so powerful. It's essential. If more than half of the male population of a country becomes circumcised, and certainly if it went up to closer to 80 or 90 percent, we would see the infection rates go way down. Having the church behind it would be great."

Jesus Was Circumcised

Churches have significantly stepped up their efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. Karambuka had an early encounter with the AIDS epidemic that changed his life. In 1995, Karambuka and his wife were tested less than two years after they married. He was negative, but she tested positive for HIV.

"We were dumbfounded. How did she get the virus, yet I was the first man she slept with all her life, and I was still negative? We did not know how to break the news to friends and relatives.

"We were counseled on how to cope. We continued to live together and even have relations. We had our second child, a baby boy." Two years later, his wife died due to complications from AIDS. The cause of her infection was never determined.

Karambuka then immersed himself in HIV/AIDS ministry. When he first began speaking out about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1998, some in the church shunned him. Others believed he was HIV positive himself. But slowly families sought him out for help in caring for their infected parents and orphaned children. Kenya alone has 1.2 million AIDS orphans.

In time, Karambuka remarried, and his two sons from his first wife are virus-free today. All are active in HIV/AIDS outreach. "One of my greatest moments in life," he said, "is when I see people coming for HIV tests, and those who are found positive adhere to the prescribed treatment, embracing behavior change and living positively." His ministry has three goals:

• Help individuals see their need for HIV testing, treatment, and counseling;

• Integrate the gospel into all levels of care;

• Train Christian leaders to care holistically and through the church.

Karambuka is a leader at the Loco Health Center in Nairobi, where voluntary circumcisions take place nearly every weekday. On average, 20 procedures are performed each day. But that number frequently surges much higher for the 15-minute surgery.

The steady stream of patients is partly due to Christian organizations now referring their members to Loco and similar clinics for circumcision. Referrals are coming from Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, independent Pentecostals, and Zinduka Afrika, an organization linked with a megachurch in Nairobi. Some 500 young men from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa signed up for circumcisions late this fall.

One way to convince men to agree to the procedure, said Green, is to point out that Jesus as a Jew was circumcised. Also, health officers inform uncircumcised men that their spouses would now have a lower risk for cervical cancer.

Scaling Up

Several years ago, three randomized clinical trials in Africa revealed for the first time that male circumcision reduced female to male infections by about 60 percent. In one study in South Africa in 2006, the results were so startling that researchers halted the trial and immediately offered circumcision to the so-called control group.

In 2007, the World Health Organization and the UNAIDS agency issued official recommendations, saying, "The efficacy of male circumcision in reducing female to male HIV transmission has now been proved beyond reasonable doubt." According to UN projections, if 20 million men aged 15-49 are circumcised by 2015 in 14 target nations, there would be 3.4 million fewer HIV infections by 2025.

After these findings, dozens of health agencies added male circumcision to the arsenal of treatment and prevention, including condoms, antiretroviral drugs, voluntary testing, and support for faith-based prevention programs focused on sexual abstinence and marital fidelity.

In January 2008, Kenya officially published policy guidelines on male circumcision. A phased rollout of the national program began in November 2008. The goals were to increase the proportion of 15- to 49-year-old Kenyan males who are circumcised from 84 percent to 94 percent by 2013. Four U.S.-based organizations signed on: the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; the U.S. Agency for International Development; the independent Family Health International, a North Carolina nonprofit originally involved in contraceptive research; and the Gates Foundation.

According to UN projections, if 20 million men aged 15-49 are circumcised by 2015 in 14 target nations, there would be 3.4 million fewer HIV infections by 2025.

Male circumcision is offered as part of a package rather than just a surgical procedure. This minimum package includes HIV counseling and testing, treatment for other sexually transmitted diseases, provision of condoms, and counseling on risk reduction and safer sex.

From the faith sector, the Catholic Medical Mission Board has been one of the largest service providers in Kenya. In addition to providing sterile, safe, medical surgeries for adolescent males, the initiative incorporates HIV/AIDS and life skills education for parents and siblings, counseling and testing, and ongoing mentorship for young men.

Karambuka told CT that most Kenyan evangelicals are willing to work with Catholics, government agencies, and other groups from overseas to cope with the large number of families devastated by HIV/AIDS.

In Kenya, a nation of 43 million, 1.5 million people live with HIV. That's the fourth largest case load among all nations. By comparison, the United States, a nation of 311 million, has 1.2 million people with HIV.

Church leaders teach those who are already infected how to live with their situation. When pastors preach sexual abstinence, that message may work for some but not for others. Karambuka believes such individuals should be told how to protect themselves. He said that even as the church discourages promiscuity, it should be practical. "We should remember that before the kingdom of God finally comes, we are still living in this world," he said.

As a result of efforts in his own church, which include drugs and basic health care, some people with HIV have regained their health, married, and even given birth to virus-free children.

But he says that one of the most significant changes has been that the church has accepted those living with HIV, and their families. "They have cared and shown them love without judging them," he said.
 

More Harm than Good?

Amid the enthusiasm for circumcision, some Bible scholars and church leaders think these programs do more harm than good.

Matthew Okeyo of the African Inland Church and the chief executive of AIC Child Care Kenya said the campaign's intention is good, but the implementation is not helping. "Male circumcision as a means to fight HIV is, to me, practically a fallacy, and it is just a matter of time before we see the side effects of it," Okeyo said.

He added, "Sex is a powerful thing because it is not just a good feeling, but it involves the mind, soul, and body. So the fact that people are told that circumcision will reduce the infection and enhance performance has done disservice to the campaign." He said he knows men who changed their behavior before they were circumcised. "But now they are back to their careless lifestyle because they feel safe. They say that they have now sharpened themselves."

Okeyo said he feels the campaign's supporters did not take into consideration all of the social forces at work in the persistent spread of HIV. He said the church should focus on what the Bible teaches and not offer alternatives.

"We need to teach the truth about sexuality and its beauty," he said. "The problem we have is that we tend to believe that people cannot change, so we go for the easy option."

Martin Wesonga, academic dean at the Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology and Development in Mombasa, Kenya, agrees with Okeyo. Drawing from the New Testament, he said that Paul argues that people need to "circumcise" their hearts.

"Christianity does not condemn the uncircumcised since it is about the heart, not works. Salvation is by faith. To my understanding, circumcision does not stop the spread of HIV. It is morality of the heart, which is brought out by Jesus Christ, that can help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS."

Time Is Short

Kenya is among a handful of nations with a generalized HIV epidemic. This means the virus, predominantly spread in Africa through heterosexual contact, is well established in all sectors of society.

New field research reveals that members of Kenya's Christian community may be responding to HIV/AIDS prevention programs better than the general population. According to a 2007 survey, religious men and women have lower rates of infection. Among Roman Catholics, the prevalence rate was 5.4 percent; among Protestants, 5.7 percent; and among other Christian groups, 5.5 percent.

The same survey revealed that the prevalence rate among adult Kenyans aged 15 to 64 was 7.1 percent. The report revealed that the prevalence was higher among uncircumcised men (13.2 percent) than among circumcised men (3.9 percent). Peak HIV prevalence among uncircumcised men was among those men aged 30-39 (29.7 percent).

Many regional variations exist. Nyanza Province in western Kenya has the lowest prevalence of male circumcision (47 percent) and the highest HIV rate (15.3 percent). Nyanza is the first province to implement the male circumcision program. Its goal is to increase the proportion of circumcised males in the target age bracket from 47 percent to 80 percent by 2013. This translates into 84,000 circumcisions a year.

In light of this intensive new program, George Karambuka and his family recently expanded their outreach beyond Nairobi. They are bringing with them one of their most meaningful new family traditions: Every January, they go together for an HIV test in memory of his late wife and his children's mother. Karambuka said this gesture makes visible the African saying about HIV: "All are not infected, but all are affected." -By Moses Wasamu/Christianity Today/January 2, 2013

About the Author: Moses Wasamu, based in Nairobi, Kenya, is associate editor of Christian Times, Juba, South Sudan. Additional reporting by CT news intern Bryn Sandberg.

Tenth Avenue North

Losing (Official Music Video) - Music Videos

A Christmas Miracle

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The boy who must have been four years old or even younger, climbed up on his lap, and in his hand was a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this girl?" asked Santa.

"My sister, Sarah. She is very sick," he said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who stood nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"She very much wanted to come with me to see you. She is sorry that she couldn't." the little boy said softly.

As usual, Santa tried his best to be cheerful and encouraging. After asking the little boy what he wanted for Christmas, the grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked.

The old woman told her grandson to go and get his gift from one of the elves, and then turned to Santa saying, "Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, but...the girl in the photograph is my granddaughter... she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it through the holidays. Is there any way, Santa....any possible way that you could come see Sarah? All that she's been ask for, for this Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with one of the elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. For the rest of that afternoon, the thought which really bothered him was:

"What if it were my child lying in that hospital bed dying?"

After the day's visit-with-Santa ended, he asked who of the helpers the grandmother gave the information to about "a little girl named Sarah who is in the hospital". He then asked if any of the helpers knew how to get to the local Children's Hospital. Rick, the helper who got the information from the grandmother asked, "Why?"

Santa then told him of the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day.

"C'mon....I'll take you there," Rick volunteered.

Rick and Santa drove to the hospital. The information desk clerk told them which room Sarah was in and how to get there. Rick decided to wait in the hallway.

Santa peeked into the room through the partially closed door and saw the little girl in bed. The grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day were also in the room along with several other family members. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently stroking Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. The atmosphere in the room was somber with people talking in hushed tones. But Santa sensed the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, Santa entered the room as he bellowed a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"

"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah. She tried to get out of her bed to run to him -- despite being attached to various tubes and monitors.

Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. Sarah, the seven-year-old girl -- age of his own son -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes.

His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears.

Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing in the room. As he and Sarah began to talk, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, gave Santa a squeeze either in his shoulder or his hand and a whispered "thank you".

Santa and Sarah continued their chat. She told him excitedly the things she wanted for Christmas.

Knowing how sick the girl, Santa decided to end their time together, but somehow Santa felt a strong urge to pray for Sarah. He asked permission from the girl's mother if it would be all right to do so. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed. As each one held hands, Santa looked at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.

"Oh , yes, Santa...I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," said Santa.

Laying a hand on Sarah's head, Santa prayed. He asked God to touch little Sarah, and heal her, if it is His will. He also asked that angels watch over her.

When he finished praying, he started singing, "Silent Night, Holy Night."

The family joined in and as tears of hope mixed with tears of joy flowed. Sarah beamed with joy.

After the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and took Sarah's frail, small hands in his as he said authoritatively, "Now, Sarah, you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this coming summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was a risky proclamation to the little girl with terminal cancer, but he felt that "had" to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls, games or toys -- but the gift of healing and hope.

"Yes, Santa!" Sarah replied.

He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, and left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamedly. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.

"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "So, I felt thatthis is the least I could do."

They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa was back on the set in Milwaukee again for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.

"Hi, Santa! Remember me?"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed as he smiled down at her.

After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if he or she were the "only" child in the world at that moment.

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!"

Santa's jaw dropped.

Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her. Her hair had grown long and silky and her cheeks rosy -- quite different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Mark, the make-believe Santa Claus. He had witnessed -- and had been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- a genuine miracle of healing and hope. The precious little child was healed -- cancer-free, alive and well. Mark looked up towards heaven and whispered under his breath, "Thank you, Father, for this truly very merry Christmas!" -Author Unknown

Life is God's gift to you. How you live it is your gift to God, to your loved ones, and to yourself.

Osprey Documentary Feature

^^^*^^^

See life through the eyes of the only aquatic bird of prey native to the entire world. Be there as it breaks from a shell, takes to the sky, and learns to hunt in preparation for its epic migration. 

What is Couple Sex?

An 8-year-old girl went to her grandfather, who was working in the yard and asked, "Grampa, what is couple sex?"

The grandfather was surprised that she would ask such a question, but decided that if she's old enough to know to ask the question, then she's old enough to get a straight answer.

Steeling himself to leave nothing out, he proceeded to tell her all about human reproduction and the joys and responsibilities of intercourse. When he finished explaining, the little girl's mouth hung open and her eyes wide in amazement.

Seeing the look on her face, the grandfather queried, "Why did you ask?"

The little granddaughter replied, "Grandma said that dinner will be ready in just a couple secs."

Author Unknown

Who Is the Jesus of Christmas?

More than Human?

Christmas cards and nativity scenes depict Jesus as a harmless child lying in a manger in a Bethlehem stable surrounded by animals and adoring worshipers.

However, the real story of Christmas only begins in Bethlehem; it doesn’t end there. Nor does it end tragically on a Roman cross thirty years later. The real Jesus Christ wasn’t just a harmless baby. In fact, he infuriated his enemies so much that they were obsessed with getting rid of him. And that effort goes on today.

In an aggressive move to take Christ out of Christmas, the American Atheists placed a billboard in New York’s Times Square urging us to, “Keep the Merry. Dump the Myth.”  The billboard speaks of Jesus as mythical, but no leading scholar, Christian or secular, believes Jesus didn’t exist. In fact his life has influenced our planet more than any other person (see: “Was Jesus a Real Person?” )

This billboard is only one of many assaults on the identity of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of books, documentaries and articles have attempted to “dump” or alter the identity of Jesus Christ as depicted in the New Testament.

Although such attacks on Jesus have increased dramatically in the past few decades, they are really not new. Both the Jews and Romans of Jesus’ time attempted to marginalize him because they were threatened by his claims. He claimed to be from God. He claimed to be the only way to God. He claimed that eternal life was through him—alone.

Such radical claims incensed his enemies to the point that they wanted Jesus killed. He was making claims that only God could make (see “Did Jesus Claim to be God?”). Jesus certainly wasn’t merely a harmless baby to them.

His followers didn’t see him that way either. At first they wondered who he was. The more time they spent with him, the more they came to understand that he was the unique fulfillment of numerous messianic prophecies. God had promised through the prophets that he would one day visit Planet Earth.

Messiah?

The apostles came to believe that Jesus was this Messiah who would someday bring peace to Israel. Isaiah had prophesied 700 years earlier that, “a virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and his name would be called ‘Immanuel’, meaning ‘God with us.’”[1] Isaiah also gives us clues as to the identity of this child:

    “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”[2]

According to the writers of the New Testament, Jesus is the literal fulfillment of this Isaiah passage, as well as hundreds of other prophecies written centuries earlier. Incredibly, biblical scholars tell us that Jesus fulfilled more than 300 Old Testament prophecies regarding his birth, life, and death (see “Was Jesus The Messiah?”).

Creator?

It stretches the imagination to think that the baby in the manger depicted in nativity scenes is the same person who flung the stars into space, engineered DNA, and created the power of nuclear energy. However, according to the apostles, that is exactly who he was. God the Son, Creator of the universe, had left his Father in heaven and visited Planet Earth.[3]

The apostle Paul (formerly named Saul of Tarsus) originally believed Jesus was a false Messiah. After Jesus’ death on the cross, Paul launched a campaign against Christians resulting in many being executed. But something happened that radically changed him. After seeing Jesus in a vision, Paul wrote of him,

    “Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that everything was made. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for, him.”[4]

When we speak of the mystery of God taking on human flesh, we will never be able to grasp how he did it, or what it fully means. But both Old and New Testaments clearly proclaim Jesus Christ as fully man and fully God.

Some ask, “If God left heaven to become a man, who was running the universe?” Was God confined to a human body? Not according to Jesus and the authors of the New Testament, who speak of God as their Father in heaven, and Jesus as the Son of God. So who is Jesus—is he truly God, or something less?

Professor Peter Kreeft states that “In Jesus we find one person with two natures (human and divine)….Of course, God, the eternal “I AM,” did not become human in nature, for God’s nature cannot change. He did, however, take on a second nature. So it is that Jesus, the Son of God, had a God-nature and a human-nature.”[5]

Savior?

The ancient Hebrew prophets had also foretold that the Messiah would suffer for our sins, being “pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.”[6] God had established a sacrificial system in which the blood of a slain spotless lamb provided a picture of God’s willingness forgive sin. That picture would be fulfilled when the Messiah would literally die, offering his blood as the perfect Lamb of God.

God’s perfect justice demanded sin be punished, and his perfect love provided a way for sin to be forgiven through the sacrifice of the only perfect offering—his Son. Jesus is called the “Lamb of God,”[7] because he is that perfect sacrifice.

As God, Jesus was pure, righteous and sinless. This qualified him to be our Savior. As man, he represented us as mortal beings, subject to all our human limitations, yet without sin. This is why only Jesus was qualified to be our Savior.

Now we can understand why Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were so in awe of that baby in the manger. They understood that Jesus was God in human flesh. The first clue in the Christmas story that indicates Jesus’ deity is the fact that he was worshiped by those who saw him. Later, Jesus was worshiped by his disciples. Today he is worshiped by his followers.

The apostle John tells us that the world is divided into two camps: those who reject Jesus Christ, and those who worship him.

    “Although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land…he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”[8]

These words about Jesus from John’s Gospel remind us that the Christmas story is much more than the adoration of a baby in a manger by Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. The Christmas story is God invading our planet with his message of love and forgiveness. Furthermore, it’s the story of incredible hope for those who put their faith in his greatest gift of all: eternal life through Jesus Christ.

However, in order for that wonderful gift to be a reality in our lives, we must receive him. Eternal life begins when we ask him to become our Savior and Lord. Because he gives us free will, we have the right to reject him. Yet he tells us that if we do reject him, it will result in the tragic consequence of an eternity separated from his love and forgiveness.[9]

Have you received the wonderful free gift of God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ? It is a gift that can’t be earned by human effort.[10] We encourage you to read the following article which explains in more detail why Jesus came to Planet Earth, and what that means to you: Is Jesus Relevant Today? -Jesus Online

Endnotes

[1] Isaiah 7:14

[2] Isaiah 9:6

[3] Philippians 2:5-6.

[4] Colossians 1:15-16, J. B. Phillips.

[5] Peter Kreeft, “Why I Believe Jesus Is The Son Of God,” Norman L. Geisler & Paul K. Hoffman, eds, Why I AM A Christian (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 224.[6] Isaiah 53:5.

[7] John 1:29

[8] John 1:11-12.

[9] 1 John 5:11-12.

[10] Ephesians 2:8-9.

Ragbag Headliners

Desmond Tutu Tells Ugandan MPs 'God Does Not Discriminate'

In a powerful op-ed in Uganda's daily newspaper, the Nobel Peace Prize winner urges Ugandan members of parliament to reject the so-called Kill The Gays bill.

Desmond Tutu, the archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, penned a poignant op-ed Wednesday calling on Uganda's members of parliament to stand up for the oppressed and reject the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which would prescribe long-term imprisonment and even death for some LGBT people. The bill has been positioned at the top of Parliament's list of "business to follow" for several weeks, and Speaker Rebecca Kadaga told reporters in November that she wants the bill passed as a "Christmas present" to Ugandans who are "demanding it."

The Rev. Tutu, who rose to sociopolitical prominence fighting to end the racial segregation of apartheid in South Africa, implored Ugandan leaders and laypeople to turn away from the hateful legislation.

"One thing that Ugandan legislators should know is that God does not discriminate among members of our family," writes Tutu. "God does not say black is better than white, or tall is better than short, or football players are better than basketball players, or Christians are better than Muslims… Or gay is better than straight. No. God says love one another; love your neighbor. God is for freedom, equality, and love."

In the editorial published in Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor, Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, compared Uganda's so-called Kill The Gays bill to South Africa's apartheid and the mass extermination of Jewish people under the Nazi party.

"It is with supreme sorrow that I witness, to this day, the subjugation and repression of African brother and sisters whose only crime is the practice of love," writes Tutu. "Hate, in any form or shape, has no place in the house of God."

Tutu also challenges the notion that LGBTI Africans are a product of Western influence, pointing out that "LGBTI Africans have lived peacefully and productively beside us throughout history." -By Sunnivie Brydum/Advocate/December 12 2012

<><><>*<><><>

Sudan Renews Attacks on Christian-Populated Area

Armed forces of the Islamic regime of Sudan's Omar al-Bashir attacked at least 26 villages in the Nuba Mountains in November.

The Nuba Mountains are home to Sudan's largest Christian population. Satellite images show burned out huts in South Kordofan, where the Nuba Mountains are located.

The Satellite Sentinel Project, which tracks activity in Sudan and South Sudan, said government forces destroyed schools, homes, churches, food crops, and grasslands in a 54-square mile area in the Nuba Mountains in November.

The area suffered vicious attacks during the 20-year civil war between the Arabic Islamic regime of Khartoum and Christians and black Africans in the south. –CBN News

Gifts

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sport car in a dealer showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approaches, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him.

He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible? "and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen Him since that graduation day.

But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.

He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words…

PAID IN FULL.

MORAL LESSON:

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Author Unknown

Bob Welsh - My Christmas Eve

The Yellow Light

The traffic light just in front of him turned yellow. He did the right thing by stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating and crossing the intersection.

The tailgating woman immediately behind him was furious. She honked her horn, screamed in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection. Her cell phone and make-up kit slid off the seat and down to the floor, when she slammed on her brakes to avoid rear-ending the car in front.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on the partially open passenger window, and when she looked at who was tapping, she saw the face of a police officer.

The officer ordered her to get out of her car, and put both her hands up. He then took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, another policeman approached the cell and who opened the cell door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer waited with her personal effects.

The police officer said, ''I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I was right behind your car when you slammed on your brakes, repeatedly and angrily blew your car horn, flipped off the guy in front of you, and you appeared to be cussing a blue streak at him. So, when I noticed the car bumper stickers that said: 'What Would Jesus Do' and 'Follow Me to Sunday-School'; the Choose Life license plate, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, naturally, I wondered if you had stolen the car.''

Author Unknown

Inspiration

Life is yours to create, if only you believe it to be. ~ Karen Downing

If I could share 500 words of wisdom to summarize what I've learned so far in life, these are the important things I'd want to pass along to others…

Never give up on yourself. You are, and always will be, the most important person in your life, for your life would not exist without you!

You are capable of anything. In order to attain any accomplishment, you must believe that you are worthy of achieving it! Everything in your life can assist you in some way, but if you focus on the have-nots, then you will always be wanting for more.

Shift your focus onto your innate worthiness. Worthiness does not have to be achieved or bestowed upon you; your worthiness is already there, because it is an integral part of life. Once you realize that you always have been worthy of great things, you can truly begin to open up to your ability to create great things in your life.

Discover what you are inspired to do. Anything that inspires you is your key to uncovering your life path. Find that key, turn that key, and see what awaits behind the door.

Form your own unique path. Your life does not need to be a reflection of any other person's journey. YOU are uniquely talented and beautiful; let your uniqueness guide you to your purpose.

Be patient. Impatience is only a manifestation of living in the future. However, when you are living in the now moment, you create your future. Patience is about trust: trusting in you, trusting in the process of life, and trusting in Divine inspiration.

Share your joy with others. Do not let your expectations of others' opinions prevent you from opening up about your happiness. If you feel joy in your life, share it. It only can grow bigger!

Expand your perceptions. What you can achieve is only limited by what you think you can achieve. If you take guided action in your life every day, you will not only be able to live a life of your own making, but also you will open up to even more possibilities.

Live with love. Love is understanding others for who they are, and allowing others to see the real you. Unconditional love is the source of personal power and authenticity. When you are aligned with a state of love, nothing can stand in your way.

Listen to your intuition. It will always show you what to do next. The more you trust in your inner voice, the more wonderful synchronicities you will experience. The more you listen, the more messages you will receive.

Treat yourself. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Find fun ways to give yourself gifts of time, love, healing, relaxation, fun and happiness.

Say "Thank you." Be thankful for your home, your loved ones, your health, your bank account, etc. When you view your life with gratitude, you attract more to be grateful for.

Never stop learning. The moment you decide that you are done, the Universe will always show you that you have so much more to learn! -Karen Downing/Inspire Me Today

About The Author: Karen is a spiritual teacher, personal coach, author and intuitive reader.

Forever in Our Hearts

Tribute to the Victims of the Newtown School Shooting