thestream--2020-12-23--How 2020 Can Mean Your Best Christmas Celebration Ever

It ’ s Christmastime… Christmastime 2020 , that is .
So , who feels like celebrating ?
We ’ ve got politicians telling us to stay home and do the holiday alone .
At least the year ’ s almost over , and good riddance to it .
I ’ ll have to admit , though , the coming year weighs heavily on me .
Joe Biden will take the oath of office , representing a party that has aligned itself solidly against historic Christian belief and practice .
Either that or the courts or Congress will decide the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can be sure that thousands will arise to claim Trump stole it .
We can expect some of them will target conservative Christians with their anger .
Either way , it ’ s been a rough year , with rough times still to come .
And that makes this the year to celebrate Christmas like never before .
Celebrate ?
Yes !
Unto Us a Child is Born Let ’ s look at this famous Isaiah 9:6-7 passage in light of what ’ s behind and what ’ s to come : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the choir in Handel ’ s Messiah a hundred times or more , but I ’ ve never been quite so grateful for all that Jesus came to be and to do .
It ’ s not that this is the first hard year I ’ ve had ; far from it .
The same goes for you , too , I ’ m sure .
But our generation here in America has never had one where so many of us have shared so much of the same excruciating loss .
Christmas is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that pain , when God Himself entered into our sufferings .
In the words of that great prophecy , He became the Wonderful Child so He could be our Counselor guiding and lifting us up through these dark and confusing times .
He is the supreme revelation of our Everlasting Father .
He is our peace , which we need to a degree unmatched in our streets since the 1960s .
And with our government in such deep conflict right now , it ’ s a relief to know it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know , Christmas is supposed to be a time of family gatherings , of lights and gifts and mistletoe and good food and good times together .
America is supposed to be the home of the American Dream , too .
Supposed to be .
Some Americans never entered into the dream , and now a lot more of us are feeling it as a nightmare .
Jesus came to a world that wasn ’ t what it was supposed to be , either .
That was His whole purpose .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Be ” Problem It ’ s a story of God coming to save His people from our sins and our pain .
That ’ s worth celebrating — now more than ever .
I ’ m not so sure about that whole “ supposed to be ” thing anyway .
America ’ s Christian experience until now — what we ’ d like to think of as “ normal ” — has been anything but normal , viewed in the long sweep of history , and in the stories of Christ ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
The more normal thing , the more common experience , has been for believers to keep on praying , worshiping , learning and celebrating God ’ s goodness while under some level of difficulty or even persecution .
The other day James Kushiner , editor of Touchstone , sent out an email in which he said Christians should resist any “ New Normal ” now .
Instead we should be thinking about an “ Ancient Normal.
” I like that idea .
We ’ re entering in new ways into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s much larger than ourselves ; and what better time for old stories than Christmas ?
Peter said it well in 1 Peter 4:12-13 : “ Beloved , do not think it strange concerning the fiery which is to try you , as though some strange thing happened to you ; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ ’ s sufferings , that when His glory is revealed , you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
” “ Exceeding joy.
” Now , there ’ s a Christmas sentiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a fiery trial for you , don ’ t think of it as “ some strange thing ” that ’ s “ happened to you.
” Try to think of it instead as our opportunity to enter into that grand story , the one that goes far beyond you or me or even this great country , America .
It ’ s a story of God coming to save His people from our sins and our pain .
That ’ s worth celebrating — now more than ever .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture-card , Norman Rockwell wonderful experience .
It ’ s about remembering the One who came to be with us in our all our struggles , and to rescue us from them .
The more you and I recognize how much we need that rescue , the deeper our joy that God came to accomplish it for us .
It ’ s been a hard year , no denying it .
So read 1 Peter 4:12-13 again , and Isaiah 9:6-7 .
Read the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke .
Pray a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrate !
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the recently released Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

It’s Christmastime… Christmastime 2020, that is. So, who feels like celebrating? We’ve got politicians telling us to stay home and do the holiday alone. At least the year’s almost over, and good riddance to it.
I’ll have to admit, though, the coming year weighs heavily on me. Joe Biden will take the oath of office, representing a party that has aligned itself solidly against historic Christian belief and practice. Either that or the courts or Congress will decide the Democrats stole the election.
If that happens you can be sure that thousands will arise to claim Trump stole it. We can expect some of them will target conservative Christians with their anger. Either way, it’s been a rough year, with rough times still to come.
And that makes this the year to celebrate Christmas like never before. Celebrate? Yes!
Unto Us a Child is Born
Let’s look at this famous Isaiah 9:6-7 passage in light of what’s behind and what’s to come:
For unto as Child is born Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end.pain
I’ve sung that along with the choir in Handel’s Messiah a hundred times or more, but I’ve never been quite so grateful for all that Jesus came to be and to do. It’s not that this is the first hard year I’ve had; far from it. The same goes for you, too, I’m sure.
But our generation here in America has never had one where so many of us have shared so much of the same excruciating loss. Christmas is the start of God’s answer to that pain, when God Himself entered into our sufferings.
Joy That Lasts Through Pain
In the words of that great prophecy, He became the Wonderful Child so He could be our Counselor guiding and lifting us up through these dark and confusing times. He is the supreme revelation of our Everlasting Father.
He is our peace, which we need to a degree unmatched in our streets since the 1960s. And with our government in such deep conflict right now, it’s a relief to know it’s ultimately, eternally on His shoulders.
It’s a story of God coming to save His people from our sins and our pain. That’s worth celebrating — now more than ever.
I know, Christmas is supposed to be a time of family gatherings, of lights and gifts and mistletoe and good food and good times together. America is supposed to be the home of the American Dream, too. Supposed to be. Some Americans never entered into the dream, and now a lot more of us are feeling it as a nightmare.
Jesus came to a world that wasn’t what it was supposed to be, either. That was His whole purpose.
He Came to Fix the “Supposed to Be” Problem
It’s a story of God coming to save His people from our sins and our pain.
That’s worth celebrating — now more than ever.
I’m not so sure about that whole “supposed to be” thing anyway. America’s Christian experience until now — what we’d like to think of as “normal” — has been anything but normal, viewed in the long sweep of history, and in the stories of Christ’s followers through the centuries and around the world. The more normal thing, the more common experience, has been for believers to keep on praying, worshiping, learning and celebrating God’s goodness while under some level of difficulty or even persecution.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The other day James Kushiner, editor of Touchstone, sent out an email in which he said Christians should resist any “New Normal” now. Instead we should be thinking about an “Ancient Normal.” I like that idea. We’re entering in new ways into a very old story, one that’s much larger than ourselves; and what better time for old stories than Christmas?
“Glad with Exceeding Joy”
Peter said it well in 1 Peter 4:12-13: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”
“Exceeding joy.” Now, there’s a Christmas sentiment for you! If this year has been a fiery trial for you, don’t think of it as “some strange thing” that’s “happened to you.” Try to think of it instead as our opportunity to enter into that grand story, the one that goes far beyond you or me or even this great country, America. It’s a story of God coming to save His people from our sins and our pain.
That’s worth celebrating — now more than ever. It’s not about trying to recreate some ideal picture-card, Norman Rockwell wonderful experience. It’s about remembering the One who came to be with us in our all our struggles, and to rescue us from them. The more you and I recognize how much we need that rescue, the deeper our joy that God came to accomplish it for us.
It’s been a hard year, no denying it. So read 1 Peter 4:12-13 again, and Isaiah 9:6-7. Read the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke. Pray a prayer of thanks to God. And celebrate!
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-12-23--Christmas: A Very Jewish Story with Good News for the Nations

Matthew is the most Jewish of the four Gospels , beginning with these opening words : “ This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah , son of David , son of Avraham ” ( Matthew 1:1 ; all quotations form the CJB ) .
Yes , this is the story of the Messiah of Israel , the one promised centuries earlier in the pages of the Jewish Scriptures .
As for His birth , Matthew writes , “ Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place .
When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh [ meaning , Holy Spirit ] ” ( Matthew 1:18 ) .
Are these names sounding unfamiliar ?
Yeshua , Miryam and Yosef ?
That ’ s because we ’ re used to hearing them through the lens of the Greek language , transmitted into Latin , and then into English , where the names become Jesus , Mary , and Joseph .
But in their day , in their hometown , these individuals would have been known as Yeshua , Miryam and Yosef .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mattityahu , in Hebrew — would have known them .
And even though Matthew ’ s Gospel has only been preserved in Greek ( there are traditions that suggest that part of it — or even all of it — may have first been written in Hebrew ) , the background is entirely Jewish .
The Jewish Names and Places of the Christmas Story As for the rest of the details of the Messiah ’ s birth , Luke , who may have been a Gentile , records this : “ Around this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a census to be taken throughout the Empire .
This registration , the first of its kind , took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria .
Everyone went to be registered , each to his own town .
So Yosef , because he was a descendant of David , went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David , called Beit-Lechem , in Y ’ hudah , to be registered , with Miryam , to whom he was engaged , and who was pregnant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ came for her to give birth ; and she gave birth to her first child , a son .
She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough , because there was no space for them in the living-quarters ” ( Luke 2:1-7 ) .
The more we read , the more Jewish the story gets , with not only the names of the main players being very Jewish but the places as well , including Natzeret ( Nazareth ) , the Galil ( Galilee ) , Beit-Lechem ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Judah ) .
Yet it is Matthew , that most Jewish of the Gospels , who also includes the nations of the world in the opening chapters of his book .
Look first in chapter 1 , verses 5-6 : “ Salmon was the father of Bo ‘ az ( his mother was Rachav ) , Bo ‘ az was the father of ‘ Oved ( his mother was Rut ) , ‘ Oved was the father of Yishai , Yishai was the father of David the king.
” Do you grasp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matthew is tracing the genealogy of Jesus through His male ancestors , he goes out of his way to point to two women here , Rachav ( Rahab ) and Rut ( Ruth ) .
And why is this so important ?
It ’ s because both of them were Gentiles .
Yet here they are , playing a key role , not only in the Messiah ’ s ancestry but in the ancestry of King David as well .
In the biblical picture , it doesn ’ t get any bigger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them women , play a major role in bringing the Messiah into the world .
There is surely a message here .
Matthew doesn ’ t want us to miss it .
Going back over to Luke , who also emphasizes Yeshua ’ s mission to both Gentiles and women , he records a significant event that took place when the Messiah was born : “ In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields , guarding their flocks , when an angel of Adonai [ the Lord ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ khinah of Adonai [ the glory of the Lord ] shone around them .
They were terrified ; but the angel said to them , ‘ Don ’ t be afraid , because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people .
This very day , in the town of David , there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah , the Lord.
’ ” ( Luke 2:8-11 ) So , an angel of the Lord announces to these Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Savior ) has been born , the Messiah , the Lord .
The Pagan Astrologers Who God Granted to Greet the King Matthew , however , relates a different event , one that took place some time later : “ After Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem in the land of Y ’ hudah during the time when Herod was king , Magi from the east came to Yerushalayim and asked , ‘ Where is the newborn King of the Jews ?
For we saw his star in the east and have come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) What ?
Pagan astrologers were coming to worship the newborn King of the Jews ?
How could this be ?
Prof. Craig Keener writes , “ Without condoning astrology , Matthew ’ s narrative challenges his audience ’ s prejudice against outsiders to their faith ( cf .
also 8:5–13 ; 15:21–28 ) : even the most pagan of pagans may respond to Jesus if given the opportunity ( cf .
Jonah 1:13–16 ; 3:6–4:1 , 10–11 ) .
For one special event in history , the God who rules the heavens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking ” ( The Gospel of Matthew : A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary , 100 ) .
Good News for All the Peoples of the World This is the wonderful news that this very Jewish story tells us for every nation on the planet .
The Messiah of Israel is the Savior of the world .
The one predicted in the Hebrew Bible , born to a Jewish virgin and raised in a Jewish society , will one day die for the sins of Jew and Gentile alike .
That ’ s why Matthew ends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Himself after He rose from the dead : “ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me .
Therefore , go and make people from all nations into talmidim [ disciples ] ” ( Matthew 28:18-19 ) .
Yes , go and make disciples of the nations .
Go and tell everyone , Jew and Gentile alike , that the Savior has come , that the Messiah has paid for their sins , that they must turn to God in repentance and receive forgiveness .
That ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big news , not just for the Jewish people but for the Gentiles as well .
Matthew wants to make sure his readers got that message right out of the gate .
( And remember : his first , intended audience of readers was Jewish . )
Of course , there remains great debate as to the exact date when Yeshua was born .
But whenever we remember His birth , we do well to remember this wonderful news .
He is the Savior of Jew and Gentile alike .
The very Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news for the whole world .
Let the celebration begin !
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Matthew is the most Jewish of the four Gospels, beginning with these opening words: “This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Avraham” (Matthew 1:1; all quotations form the CJB). Yes, this is the story of the Messiah of Israel, the one promised centuries earlier in the pages of the Jewish Scriptures.
As for His birth, Matthew writes, “Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh [meaning, Holy Spirit]” (Matthew 1:18).
Are these names sounding unfamiliar? Yeshua, Miryam and Yosef?
That’s because we’re used to hearing them through the lens of the Greek language, transmitted into Latin, and then into English, where the names become Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. But in their day, in their hometown, these individuals would have been known as Yeshua, Miryam and Yosef.
That’s how Matthew — or Mattityahu, in Hebrew — would have known them. And even though Matthew’s Gospel has only been preserved in Greek (there are traditions that suggest that part of it — or even all of it — may have first been written in Hebrew), the background is entirely Jewish.
The Jewish Names and Places of the Christmas Story
As for the rest of the details of the Messiah’s birth, Luke, who may have been a Gentile, records this: “Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This registration, the first of its kind, took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria. Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y’hudah, to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters” (Luke 2:1-7).
Go and tell everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, that the Savior has come.
The more we read, the more Jewish the story gets, with not only the names of the main players being very Jewish but the places as well, including Natzeret (Nazareth), the Galil (Galilee), Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem), and Y’hudah (Judah).
Yet it is Matthew, that most Jewish of the Gospels, who also includes the nations of the world in the opening chapters of his book.
The Gentile Women Honored in Matthew’s Genealogy
Look first in chapter 1, verses 5-6: “Salmon was the father of Bo‘az (his mother was Rachav), Bo‘az was the father of ‘Oved (his mother was Rut), ‘Oved was the father of Yishai, Yishai was the father of David the king.”
Do you grasp the significance of this? Even though Matthew is tracing the genealogy of Jesus through His male ancestors, he goes out of his way to point to two women here, Rachav (Rahab) and Rut (Ruth). And why is this so important? It’s because both of them were Gentiles.
Yet here they are, playing a key role, not only in the Messiah’s ancestry but in the ancestry of King David as well. In the biblical picture, it doesn’t get any bigger than that.
Two Gentiles, both of them women, play a major role in bringing the Messiah into the world. There is surely a message here. Matthew doesn’t want us to miss it.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Going back over to Luke, who also emphasizes Yeshua’s mission to both Gentiles and women, he records a significant event that took place when the Messiah was born: “In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, when an angel of Adonai [the Lord] appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai [the glory of the Lord] shone around them. They were terrified; but the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:8-11)
So, an angel of the Lord announces to these Jewish shepherds that a Deliverer (or, Savior) has been born, the Messiah, the Lord.
The Pagan Astrologers Who God Granted to Greet the King
Matthew, however, relates a different event, one that took place some time later: “After Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah during the time when Herod was king, Magi from the east came to Yerushalayim and asked, ‘Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew 2:1-2)
What? Pagan astrologers were coming to worship the newborn King of the Jews? How could this be?
Prof. Craig Keener writes, “Without condoning astrology, Matthew’s narrative challenges his audience’s prejudice against outsiders to their faith (cf. also 8:5–13; 15:21–28): even the most pagan of pagans may respond to Jesus if given the opportunity (cf. Jonah 1:13–16; 3:6–4:1, 10–11). For one special event in history, the God who rules the heavens chose to reveal himself where pagans were looking” (The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, 100).
Good News for All the Peoples of the World
This is the wonderful news that this very Jewish story tells us for every nation on the planet. The Messiah of Israel is the Savior of the world. The one predicted in the Hebrew Bible, born to a Jewish virgin and raised in a Jewish society, will one day die for the sins of Jew and Gentile alike.
That’s why Matthew ends his account with these words from Yeshua Himself after He rose from the dead: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim [disciples]” (Matthew 28:18-19).
Yes, go and make disciples of the nations. Go and tell everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, that the Savior has come, that the Messiah has paid for their sins, that they must turn to God in repentance and receive forgiveness.
That’s why the Messiah’s birth was such big news, not just for the Jewish people but for the Gentiles as well.
Matthew wants to make sure his readers got that message right out of the gate. (And remember: his first, intended audience of readers was Jewish.)
Of course, there remains great debate as to the exact date when Yeshua was born. But whenever we remember His birth, we do well to remember this wonderful news. He is the Savior of Jew and Gentile alike. The very Jewish story of His birth is also great news for the whole world. Let the celebration begin!
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-12-23--Madison Cawthorn Says He’s Contesting the Election, Will Fund Primary Opponents Against GOP Reps Who

Madison Cawthorn Says He’s Contesting the Election, Will Fund Primary Opponents Against GOP Reps Who Don’t Speak Out

Incoming Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn said at a Turning Point USA conference Monday that he will contest the election and fund primary opponents against GOP members not publicly urging “ for fair , free and just elections.
” Cawthorn said the Constitution says “ that state legislators are the only body that can change election law within their own states , ” video of the conference shows .
He said numerous governors and state secretaries in swing states have violated the law .
“ And so because of that on Jan 6 as the people of Western North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job , I will be contesting the election , ” Cawthorn said .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell advised GOP senators not to contest the outcomes of the election on Jan. 6 in a private phone call with the caucus , two sources familiar with the matter said , according to Politico .
Senate Majority Whip John Thune and Republican Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt reiterated McConnell ’ s thoughts .
Madison joined the audience in yelling USA once and said he has “ a message for all of the Republicans across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you are not on the record calling for fair , free and just elections now and in the future , I will come to your district and I will fund a primary opponent against you , ” Cawthorn said in the video .
Cawthorn called serving in D.C. a mission rather than a career and gave a shout out to audience members from North Carolina during the video .
“ For too long , for way too long the Republican party has just been the party of no that has always conceded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our schools , they have let socialism creep into our country .
I ’ m telling you when I look out into this crowd , I see the new Republican Party , ” Cawthorn said during the video .
Representatives for Cawthorn didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Incoming Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn said at a Turning Point USA conference Monday that he will contest the election and fund primary opponents against GOP members not publicly urging “for fair, free and just elections.”
Cawthorn said the Constitution says “that state legislators are the only body that can change election law within their own states,” video of the conference shows. He said numerous governors and state secretaries in swing states have violated the law.
“And so because of that on Jan 6 as the people of Western North Carolina sent me to Washington to do a job, I will be contesting the election,” Cawthorn said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell advised GOP senators not to contest the outcomes of the election on Jan. 6 in a private phone call with the caucus, two sources familiar with the matter said, according to Politico. Senate Majority Whip John Thune and Republican Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt reiterated McConnell’s thoughts.
Madison joined the audience in yelling USA once and said he has “a message for all of the Republicans across the country” during the video.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“If you are not on the record calling for fair, free and just elections now and in the future, I will come to your district and I will fund a primary opponent against you,” Cawthorn said in the video.
Not doing this to help my career in Washington, in fact this will most likely harm it. But no one should go to Washington as a career. Go there to serve the people. And on behalf of the people I am contesting this election based on constitutional violations by key states. pic.twitter.com/puDmUZAbaw — Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) December 22, 2020
Cawthorn called serving in D.C. a mission rather than a career and gave a shout out to audience members from North Carolina during the video.
“For too long, for way too long the Republican party has just been the party of no that has always conceded things. They have let God out of our schools, they have let socialism creep into our country. I’m telling you when I look out into this crowd, I see the new Republican Party,” Cawthorn said during the video.
Representatives for Cawthorn didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-12-23--Georgia Election Official Who Smacked Trump for Election Challenge Reports Woman for Using His Addre

Georgia Election Official Who Smacked Trump for Election Challenge Reports Woman for Using His Address to Cast Illegal Vote

President Trump details why he continues to fight for election integrity while election fraud comes home to an anti-Trump Georgia election official .
The fight for a fair election count rolls on .
Trump Calls on Americans to Fight Against the “ Theft of the Election ” President Trump insisted again Tuesday night that the 2020 contest was stolen , and called on Americans to raise their voices and “ stop the theft of the presidential election.
” In the nearly 10 minute long video , Trump said one of his solemn duties is to protect the “ sacred right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be fair , they must be honest , they must be transparent , and they must be 100 % free of fraud.
” “ We won this election by a magnificent landslide , and the people of the United States know it , ” said the president , “ All over , they ’ re demonstrating , they ’ re angry , they ’ re fearful .
We can not allow a completely fraudulent election to stand.
” He then laid out some of the election “ facts that every American needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive and statistically inconceivable vote dumps ” in the middle of the night in swing states .
The absurdly low mail-in ballot reject rates that “ prove that hundreds of thousands of illegitimate votes were counted in the key states.
” The fact there was no “ meaningful attempt to verify citizenship , residency , identity , or eligibility for mail-in ballots.
” Witnesses testifying to seeing thousands of pristine ballots with no creases or folds … all for Joe Biden .
Said Trump , “ If this egregious fraud is not fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will forever be regarded as illegitimate and the most corrupt election in the history of our country.
” Georgia ’ s Elections Manager Gabriel Sterling has been dismissive of the idea there was fraud involved in the Georgia election .
In fact , Sterling , who has a history of anti-Trump comments , slammed Trump and Republicans in a December 1 press conference over efforts to challenge the vote .
However , Sterling ’ s tune changed when the fraud hit his doorstep .
Sterling says the woman he bought his house from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an absentee ballot .
He ’ s filed an official challenge to “ stop her from casting an apparently illegal vote .
I ’ d show you his tweet about it , but it ’ s now blocked .
But here ’ s a link to the Fox5 Atlanta story about his challenge .
The woman had the Georgia ballot sent to her Maryland address .
Then mailed in the ballot .
She was not living in the Georgia house listed in her voting records .
“ That would be illegal voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sterling going to argue he ’ s an isolated case ?
It ’ s a foolish argument , given what was found in Georgia by Matt Braynard and others .
Only 11,799 votes separate Joe Biden and President Trump .
It is also mind-numbing to look at just how the number of absentee ballots , both counted and outstanding , kept changing in Georgia .
And of course ballots continued to magically appear until Biden took the lead .
Gateway Pundit has the rundown .
Also , the state ’ s Senate Judicial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election anomalies in Georgia .
They ’ re calling on the state to rescind its certification of Joe Biden as the winner .
The Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee was scheduled to hold another hearing on election integrity Wednesday .
Wouldn ’ t the state ’ s own Election Manager Sterling , whose own crib was used to steal a vote , make a glorious witness ?
Peter Navarro has expanded his epic “ Immaculate Deception ” report detailing the “ 6 key dimensions of election irregularities ” with some new information out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s , there are nearly 400,000 questionable votes in Michigan .
This doesn ’ t include “ at least 305,000 additional ballots in question ” due to “ voting system irregularities ” … aka Dominion .
How many repetitions of “ nothing to see here ” do we accept before we believe there ’ s something foul in plain sight ?
Memo to War Room on Michigan by Natalie Winters Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ StreamingAl on Twitter and Parler .

President Trump details why he continues to fight for election integrity while election fraud comes home to an anti-Trump Georgia election official.
The fight for a fair election count rolls on.
Trump Calls on Americans to Fight Against the “Theft of the Election”
President Trump insisted again Tuesday night that the 2020 contest was stolen, and called on Americans to raise their voices and “stop the theft of the presidential election.”
Statement by Donald J. Trump, The President of the United States Full Video: https://t.co/avKfYctPAD pic.twitter.com/i8IMLhH53Q — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2020
In the nearly 10 minute long video, Trump said one of his solemn duties is to protect the “sacred right to vote.” “Our elections must be fair, they must be honest, they must be transparent, and they must be 100% free of fraud.”
“We won this election by a magnificent landslide, and the people of the United States know it,” said the president, “All over, they’re demonstrating, they’re angry, they’re fearful. We cannot allow a completely fraudulent election to stand.”
He then laid out some of the election “facts that every American needs to know.”
For example, the “massive and statistically inconceivable vote dumps” in the middle of the night in swing states. The absurdly low mail-in ballot reject rates that “prove that hundreds of thousands of illegitimate votes were counted in the key states.” The fact there was no “meaningful attempt to verify citizenship, residency, identity, or eligibility for mail-in ballots.” Witnesses testifying to seeing thousands of pristine ballots with no creases or folds … all for Joe Biden.
Said Trump, “If this egregious fraud is not fully investigated and addressed, the 2020 election will forever be regarded as illegitimate and the most corrupt election in the history of our country.”
Georgia Official Who Dismissed Fraud, Reports Fraud
Georgia’s Elections Manager Gabriel Sterling has been dismissive of the idea there was fraud involved in the Georgia election. In fact, Sterling, who has a history of anti-Trump comments, slammed Trump and Republicans in a December 1 press conference over efforts to challenge the vote.
However, Sterling’s tune changed when the fraud hit his doorstep. Sterling says the woman he bought his house from used his address to secure and submit an absentee ballot.
He’s filed an official challenge to “stop her from casting an apparently illegal vote. I’d show you his tweet about it, but it’s now blocked. But here’s a link to the Fox5 Atlanta story about his challenge.
The woman had the Georgia ballot sent to her Maryland address. Then mailed in the ballot. She was not living in the Georgia house listed in her voting records.
“That would be illegal voting,” said Sterling.
Now, is Sterling going to argue he’s an isolated case? It’s a foolish argument, given what was found in Georgia by Matt Braynard and others. Only 11,799 votes separate Joe Biden and President Trump.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It is also mind-numbing to look at just how the number of absentee ballots, both counted and outstanding, kept changing in Georgia. And of course ballots continued to magically appear until Biden took the lead. Gateway Pundit has the rundown.
Also, the state’s Senate Judicial Committee has issued a scathing report on election anomalies in Georgia. They’re calling on the state to rescind its certification of Joe Biden as the winner.
The Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee was scheduled to hold another hearing on election integrity Wednesday.
Wouldn’t the state’s own Election Manager Sterling, whose own crib was used to steal a vote, make a glorious witness?
Navarro: Nearly 400,000 Dubious Votes in Michigan
Peter Navarro has expanded his epic “Immaculate Deception” report detailing the “6 key dimensions of election irregularities” with some new information out of Michigan.
According to Navarro’s, there are nearly 400,000 questionable votes in Michigan.
There are over 379,000 potentially illegal ballots in Michigan – more than twice the alleged Biden victory margin. These 379,000 potentially illegal ballots have been called into question by three types of election irregularities – outright fraud in the form of dead voters; a significant process foul in the form of a failure to provide adequate voter identification check; and significant statistical anomalies in the form of inexplicable vote surges.
This doesn’t include “at least 305,000 additional ballots in question” due to “voting system irregularities” … aka Dominion.
How many repetitions of “nothing to see here” do we accept before we believe there’s something foul in plain sight?
READ the Memorandum here:
Memo to War Room on Michigan by Natalie Winters
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl on Twitter and Parler.


thestream--2020-12-23--Christmas 2020: A Little Too Authentic for My Taste

In the first humor book I wrote , The Bad Catholic ’ s Guide to Good Living , I offered a lot of advice .
Most of it was very bad advice , offered with tongue firmly planted in cheek , to give my readers a laugh .
But out of a sense of journalistic integrity — or maybe just terrible judgment — I decided to try out such advice myself , to see just how bad it was .
I didn ’ t test every idea .
For instance , the recipe I offered , “ Bear Claws for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a pastry which readers could whip up and serve , by hand , to bears at national parks .
I decided to just wait for letters from readers on how that worked out .
Either nobody actually tried it , or none of them lived , but no feedback ever came .
I offered a party idea for marking St. Patrick ’ s Day : re-enacting the Irish potato famine , offering guests just beer and boiled potatoes , but not enough of them .
Those who wanted more would have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spuds in the gray potato water .
Again , I outsourced the testing on this to any gullible , literal-minded readers .
But most of the bad ideas I went ahead and ran with , to see how they ’ d turn out .
So yes , to mark Pentecost , I threw a party with 12 flambeed dishes ( one for each of the Apostles , plus Mary ) .
Including the salad .
And yes , for the Halloween/Reformation Day celebration , I printed up Indulgence certificates and tried to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mardi Gras party where the only entrée offered my hungry guests was ( surprise ! )
bowls of snapping turtle soup .
The awful idea I took the furthest ?
The “ right ” way to mark Christmas Day .
Let me quote the book itself : There ’ s nothing more delightful than going to the home of a friend or family member who has really pulled out all the stops to provide an old-fashioned Christmas feast .
Roast turkey or ( better ) goose with fresh cranberry sauce , roasted potatoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — all presented on the very best china , with the scent of spiced candles , real pine boughs , and a roaring fire .
All these Victorian English trappings have come to define Christmas celebrations for us , and we wouldn ’ t have it any other way—so long as someone else is hosting .
Because , face it folks , providing all of the above is a heck of a lot of work .
What ’ s more , if you do it right , chances are you ’ ll get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your home with long-lost family members , unmarried high school friends with hungry eyes , bawling children , and sticky pets .
Do you really want that kind of “ perfect storm ” to engulf your overcrowded apartment every December until you finally succumb to Alzheimer ’ s ?
( They might keep showing up even then , but at least you won ’ t mind . )
Make This the Last Christmas You Ever Have to Host Ever practical and helpful , I offered my readers a simple , decisive solution : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better way .
If family members have been broadly hinting that it ’ s “ someone else ’ s turn ” to host the holiday , we suggest you leap to your feet this year and volunteer .
That ’ ll get you points for being proactive .
But when your guests arrive on Christmas Eve or Day , they ’ re in for a big surprise .
You ’ ll be serving no turkey , no ham , no stuffing , and no eggnog .
There won ’ t be a trace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mistletoe .
And no Christmas carols either .
Because , as you will inform them upon arrival , you ’ ll have decided to host an “ authentic Middle Eastern Christmas , ” just like they have over in Bethlehem .
That means you ’ ll serve completely unfamiliar Arab and Israeli dishes , play Lebanese , Syrian , and Chaldean liturgical music , along with the funky Israeli singer Ofra Haza .
Neglect all “ holiday ” programming in favor of documentaries on the sufferings of Christians in the Holy Land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house , and somberly explain that “ this is the real Christmas.
” Bone up on the impoverished lives of Christians stuck between two sides on the West Bank , and take up a collection to benefit them .
Send what you can to the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land , 1400 Quincy St. , N.E.
, Washington , DC 20017 .
Remind any children who get all stoked about their gifts that “ Jesus never had a GameBoy—all he got was some myrrh.
” We guarantee you that you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leg of Lamb with Roast Eggplant and Potatoes And yes , dear reader , for Christmas 2004 , I really did throw such a party , and serve the menu above — to my blue-collar family from Queens .
Most of my relatives think of Chicken Pesto with Linguini as hopelessly “ foreign , ” and Pad Thai as virtually poisonous .
They seem to have inherited my mother ’ s Irish genes , which drove her to treat black pepper like ghost peppers , and garlic like plutonium .
Indeed , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stale garlic powder in her mom ’ s cough medicine .
She tasted it , panicked , and called the Poison Control Bureau hotline .
The nice man who answered tried to help her .
“ But how do I get the taste out of my mouth ?
” Mom caterwauled into the phone .
“ Just lie down in the dark for a few hours .
It should pass .
And ma ’ am , may I ask you , are you Irish ?
” “ Yeah , what has that got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oh , it ’ s just that we get these questions a lot .
Thank you !
” I did indeed conduct this social experiment in anti-hospitality , and the results were as I expected .
Nobody would ever let me host any holiday again .
We Are All in Roman Palestine Now Now what does all this have to do with Christmas , 2020 ?
A lot , I think .
Too much , in fact .
Because we as believers are gradually being stripped of all the benefits of 2,000 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing happy blessings like family gatherings and public Christmas displays , and essential things , like in-person church services and broad religious freedom .
We ’ re losing the rights and privileges of a free society , which emerged when our mostly Christian founders drew on the natural law and vision of human dignity which our churches passed along .
And we ’ re stumbling as a culture into a dark , unfathomable future of techno-paganism and Anarcho-Tyranny .
The outcome ?
We ’ re feeling more and more like Jews at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not have appointed procurators , but we do have stolen elections .
In lieu of puppet kings like Herod , we have hapless , useless Republicans .
Our elites are steeped in gross superstition and base perversions as Tiberius was on Capri , ruler over Rome when Our Lord appeared in Bethlehem .
For almost 50 years , we have seen the ongoing Slaughter of the Innocents at clinics across our country .
Our marriage laws have been shattered like gouged-out mosaics , as also happened in ancient Rome .
Too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sadducees , happy to trim away inconvenient doctrines and collaborate with Caesar .
And our rulers glare at us suspiciously , worried that “ Christian Nationalism ” might turn us into Zealots they ’ ll need to suppress , Ruby Ridge or Waco-style .
Let This Guide and Goad Us I won ’ t pretend that I ’ m so unworldly that I ’ m not scared by and angry at all of this .
I don ’ t think it will necessarily prove spiritually beneficial .
For the small number of martyrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legions of weaklings who fall away from the Church .
Isn ’ t it our job to look out for the weakest among our brothers ?
Insofar as our own failings let pagans and perverts take over our culture , we must repent .
And endure this looming occupation by Caesar , Mammon , and Sodom as best we can .
If indeed American Christians are about to endure captivity in Babylon-on-the-Potomac , we can at least let the collapse of our world goad us to think about the next world .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves in the Hebrew Bible .
We should be reading the words of the prophets , and the story of the Maccabees .
If we are short of angels and wise men , God still has them in great store .
As the darkness around us deepens , let ’ s light our candles and humbly , trustingly beg for the Light to return — first in our hearts , then our homes , then the public square .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

In the first humor book I wrote, The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living, I offered a lot of advice. Most of it was very bad advice, offered with tongue firmly planted in cheek, to give my readers a laugh. But out of a sense of journalistic integrity — or maybe just terrible judgment — I decided to try out such advice myself, to see just how bad it was.
I didn’t test every idea. For instance, the recipe I offered, “Bear Claws for the Bear’s Claws,” was a pastry which readers could whip up and serve, by hand, to bears at national parks. I decided to just wait for letters from readers on how that worked out. Either nobody actually tried it, or none of them lived, but no feedback ever came.
I offered a party idea for marking St. Patrick’s Day: re-enacting the Irish potato famine, offering guests just beer and boiled potatoes, but not enough of them. Those who wanted more would have to fight over them, or bob for spuds in the gray potato water. Again, I outsourced the testing on this to any gullible, literal-minded readers.
Field-Testing Crackpot Ideas
But most of the bad ideas I went ahead and ran with, to see how they’d turn out. So yes, to mark Pentecost, I threw a party with 12 flambeed dishes (one for each of the Apostles, plus Mary). Including the salad. And yes, for the Halloween/Reformation Day celebration, I printed up Indulgence certificates and tried to sell them to guests. I threw a Mardi Gras party where the only entrée offered my hungry guests was (surprise!) bowls of snapping turtle soup.
The awful idea I took the furthest? The “right” way to mark Christmas Day. Let me quote the book itself:
There’s nothing more delightful than going to the home of a friend or family member who has really pulled out all the stops to provide an old-fashioned Christmas feast. Roast turkey or (better) goose with fresh cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes, festive veggies, and plum pudding — all presented on the very best china, with the scent of spiced candles, real pine boughs, and a roaring fire. All these Victorian English trappings have come to define Christmas celebrations for us, and we wouldn’t have it any other way—so long as someone else is hosting. Because, face it folks, providing all of the above is a heck of a lot of work. What’s more, if you do it right, chances are you’ll get stuck hosting Christmas every year — filling your home with long-lost family members, unmarried high school friends with hungry eyes, bawling children, and sticky pets. Do you really want that kind of “perfect storm” to engulf your overcrowded apartment every December until you finally succumb to Alzheimer’s? (They might keep showing up even then, but at least you won’t mind.)
Make This the Last Christmas You Ever Have to Host
Ever practical and helpful, I offered my readers a simple, decisive solution:
We’d like to suggest a better way. If family members have been broadly hinting that it’s “someone else’s turn” to host the holiday, we suggest you leap to your feet this year and volunteer. That’ll get you points for being proactive. But when your guests arrive on Christmas Eve or Day, they’re in for a big surprise. You’ll be serving no turkey, no ham, no stuffing, and no eggnog. There won’t be a trace of pine, poinsettia, holly, or mistletoe. And no Christmas carols either. Because, as you will inform them upon arrival, you’ll have decided to host an “authentic Middle Eastern Christmas,” just like they have over in Bethlehem. That means you’ll serve completely unfamiliar Arab and Israeli dishes, play Lebanese, Syrian, and Chaldean liturgical music, along with the funky Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Neglect all “holiday” programming in favor of documentaries on the sufferings of Christians in the Holy Land. Put up potted palms around the house, and somberly explain that “this is the real Christmas.” Bone up on the impoverished lives of Christians stuck between two sides on the West Bank, and take up a collection to benefit them. Send what you can to the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, 1400 Quincy St., N.E., Washington, DC 20017. Remind any children who get all stoked about their gifts that “Jesus never had a GameBoy—all he got was some myrrh.” We guarantee you that you’ll never have to host Christmas again. I even offered a menu and recipes: Lebanese Ice Tea Feta Cheese Cigarettes Green Salad with Yogurt Dressing Leg of Lamb with Roast Eggplant and Potatoes Chicken with Apricots White Beans with Saffron and Parsley Basmati Rice with Dates and Almonds Baklava
“Ma’am, Garlic’s Not a Toxin.”
And yes, dear reader, for Christmas 2004, I really did throw such a party, and serve the menu above — to my blue-collar family from Queens. Most of my relatives think of Chicken Pesto with Linguini as hopelessly “foreign,” and Pad Thai as virtually poisonous. They seem to have inherited my mother’s Irish genes, which drove her to treat black pepper like ghost peppers, and garlic like plutonium. Indeed, one April Fool’s I put some stale garlic powder in her mom’s cough medicine. She tasted it, panicked, and called the Poison Control Bureau hotline. The nice man who answered tried to help her.
“Ma’am, garlic’s not toxic. It’s a food substance.”
“But how do I get the taste out of my mouth?” Mom caterwauled into the phone.
“Just lie down in the dark for a few hours. It should pass. And ma’am, may I ask you, are you Irish?”
“Yeah, what has that got to do with anything?”
“Oh, it’s just that we get these questions a lot. Thank you!”
I did indeed conduct this social experiment in anti-hospitality, and the results were as I expected. Nobody would ever let me host any holiday again.
We Are All in Roman Palestine Now
Now what does all this have to do with Christmas, 2020? A lot, I think. Too much, in fact.
Because we as believers are gradually being stripped of all the benefits of 2,000 years of Christian civilization. We’re losing happy blessings like family gatherings and public Christmas displays, and essential things, like in-person church services and broad religious freedom. We’re losing the rights and privileges of a free society, which emerged when our mostly Christian founders drew on the natural law and vision of human dignity which our churches passed along. And we’re stumbling as a culture into a dark, unfathomable future of techno-paganism and Anarcho-Tyranny. The outcome?
We’re feeling more and more like Jews at the turn of the first century. We may not have appointed procurators, but we do have stolen elections. In lieu of puppet kings like Herod, we have hapless, useless Republicans. Our elites are steeped in gross superstition and base perversions as Tiberius was on Capri, ruler over Rome when Our Lord appeared in Bethlehem.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
For almost 50 years, we have seen the ongoing Slaughter of the Innocents at clinics across our country. Our marriage laws have been shattered like gouged-out mosaics, as also happened in ancient Rome. Too many of our religious leaders act like the Sadducees, happy to trim away inconvenient doctrines and collaborate with Caesar. And our rulers glare at us suspiciously, worried that “Christian Nationalism” might turn us into Zealots they’ll need to suppress, Ruby Ridge or Waco-style.
Let This Guide and Goad Us
I won’t pretend that I’m so unworldly that I’m not scared by and angry at all of this. I don’t think it will necessarily prove spiritually beneficial. For the small number of martyrs great persecutions produce, they also yield legions of weaklings who fall away from the Church. Isn’t it our job to look out for the weakest among our brothers? Insofar as our own failings let pagans and perverts take over our culture, we must repent. And endure this looming occupation by Caesar, Mammon, and Sodom as best we can.
If indeed American Christians are about to endure captivity in Babylon-on-the-Potomac, we can at least let the collapse of our world goad us to think about the next world. We can and should go back and immerse ourselves in the Hebrew Bible. We should be reading the words of the prophets, and the story of the Maccabees. If we are short of angels and wise men, God still has them in great store. As the darkness around us deepens, let’s light our candles and humbly, trustingly beg for the Light to return — first in our hearts, then our homes, then the public square.
A blessed Christmas to all.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-12-24--Sensing Big Tech Censorship, The Stream Joins Social Media Platforms MeWe and Gab

Big tech social media platforms Facebook and Twitter are increasingly becoming spaces hostile to free speech .
As Stream contributor Ron F. Hale recently wrote , “ The 2020 election season pulled back the curtain on an ever-increasing codependence between Big Tech , the mainstream media , and far-left Democrats .
Much of it involved media suppression of negative news about Biden.
” For example .
We ’ ve already noticed some of our content related to election fraud — the hottest topic in the land — performing poorly on Facebook .
We have no doubt after studying the analytics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t showing the post on our followers ’ newsfeeds .
Some of our contributors have told us they used to see our content on their Facebook feeds , and since the election , they haven ’ t seen us .
And if you haven ’ t heard , The Stream ’ s John Zmirak recently got booted off Twitter .
@ JZmirak is no more .
When you can ’ t trust Big Tech , what do you do ?
Don ’ t rely on Big Tech to get your information .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve mentioned recently .
We recommend search engine alternatives such as Bing , Dogpile , and DuckDuckGo to avoid sneaky algorithms .
As for social media , The Stream is announcing we ’ ve recently joined alternative platforms MeWe and Gab , two sites that are gaining momentum among conservatives .
As announced in July , we ’ re also on Parler .
Of course we ’ re remaining on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .
And we have the wonderful new Stream app .
One way or another , we hope you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Tech tries to throw over the light we remain committed to bring .

Big tech social media platforms Facebook and Twitter are increasingly becoming spaces hostile to free speech. As Stream contributor Ron F. Hale recently wrote, “The 2020 election season pulled back the curtain on an ever-increasing codependence between Big Tech, the mainstream media, and far-left Democrats. Much of it involved media suppression of negative news about Biden.”
For example. We’ve already noticed some of our content related to election fraud — the hottest topic in the land — performing poorly on Facebook. We have no doubt after studying the analytics this was because Facebook simply wasn’t showing the post on our followers’ newsfeeds. Some of our contributors have told us they used to see our content on their Facebook feeds, and since the election, they haven’t seen us. And if you haven’t heard, The Stream’s John Zmirak recently got booted off Twitter. @JZmirak is no more.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
When you can’t trust Big Tech, what do you do? Don’t rely on Big Tech to get your information. That definitely includes Google, as we’ve mentioned recently. We recommend search engine alternatives such as Bing, Dogpile, and DuckDuckGo to avoid sneaky algorithms.
As for social media, The Stream is announcing we’ve recently joined alternative platforms MeWe and Gab, two sites that are gaining momentum among conservatives. As announced in July, we’re also on Parler. Of course we’re remaining on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And we have the wonderful new Stream app.
One way or another, we hope you’ll find us … regardless of whatever blankets Big Tech tries to throw over the light we remain committed to bringing.


thestream--2020-12-24--Military Photo of the Day: Santa in a Snow Globe

Santa Claus touches the hand of a young child after settling into a snow globe to greet those who participated @ @ @ @ @ ceremony held at Fort Knox in Kentucky on December 4 , 2020 .

Santa Claus touches the hand of a young child after settling into a snow globe to greet those who participated in the Christmas tree lighting ceremony held at Fort Knox in Kentucky on December 4, 2020.
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!
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Mary’s Extraordinary ‘Yes’

Hers was a “ yes ” of faith .
A “ yes ” of courage .
A “ yes ” of blessing and unforeseen suffering .
Above all , it was a “ yes ” of surrender .
In one brief moment during an encounter with God ’ s messenger angel , Mary , the future mother of the Savior of the World , said “ yes ” to God ’ s will — embracing the mystery of all her “ be it unto me ” would come to mean .
It ’ s only natural to wonder what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
She was a seemingly ordinary girl from small-town Nazareth in Galilee .
There was nothing about her social status or upbringing that , to the naked eye , would have flagged her as the “ favored one ” through whom Almighty God would choose to birth the long-awaited Messiah .
Yet In this beautiful and profound twist of irony woven throughout the entirety of Scripture , God once again glorifies Himself through the narrative , making the humble of this world strong .
It is not actually who Mary is — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — whereby we witness the unfolding of the Incarnation .
God ’ s master plan to save mankind birthed through a simple girl who said “ yes.
” Blessed Is She Who Believed Reading through the account found in Luke 1:26-56 , we watch Mary ’ s encounter with the Angel Gabriel unfold .
Gabriel lays out a plan so incredulous it would be hard for anyone to believe .
He tells Mary that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son that would be great and called the Son of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His kingdom there will be no end ” ( Luke 1:31-33 ) .
The caveat ?
Mary was still a virgin .
She asks Gabriel what we would be thinking too : “ How will this be , since I am a virgin ?
” ( v. 34 ) .
It ’ s at this life-changing juncture that Mary demonstrates something extraordinary in her response .
It would seem that her question of “ how ” was coming from a place of clarification , not doubt .
By faith and in reverence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ yes ” to not only what — but who — was about to be conceived in her womb .
It wasn ’ t about who she was or wasn ’ t .
Who could ’ ve would have been a better choice .
She didn ’ t make it about her education , lineage , perceived self-worth or lack thereof .
It was about God and God only : His plan , His will , His way .
And that ’ s what made her “ yes ” so extraordinary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mary ’ s “ yes ” showed that she completely trusted the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word .
Several months later , her relative Elizabeth commended her by saying , “ Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord ” ( Luke 1:45 ) .
Just before Gabriel left her , Mary said , “ Behold , I am the servant of the Lord ; let it be to me according to your word ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself as God ’ s servant , one who worships God and submits to Him .
The Greek word for servant used here is “ doulē ” which means bondslave or handmaid .
Mary presented herself to God out of a lowly position , one of servitude , weakness and dependence .
Such a response demonstrated how God would choose to show strength with His arm , scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts , and exalt those of humble estate ( Luke 1:51 ) .
These were the words of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirit in the Magnificat shortly after saying yes to God ’ s will for her life .
Another definition is “ one who gives himself up wholly to another ’ s will.
” Mary personified this .
Her “ be it unto me ” becoming the death knell to the self-life .
It was no longer about her , nor could it ever be again .
Whatever her “ yes ” meant , that would she live .
Mary ’ s “ yes ” would bring her to the mountaintops of supernatural breakthrough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ yes ” made her the very first eye witness to what the presence of Jesus does to a life , causing that which is impossible with man to become possible with God .
She watched God do the extraordinary again and again .
Shepherds rushing to Bethlehem to tell of a multitude of heavenly host praising God over her son ’ s birth ( Luke 2:16-19 ) .
Wise men from afar falling down and worshipping the Godchild ( Matthew 2:11 ) .
Simeon and Anna prophesying Jesus ’ destiny when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2:28-38 ) .
All of these things building her own faith as she herself came to believe , years later , that her son could — and would — turn water into wine ( John 2:5 ) .
Her “ yes ’ also led her to the foot of Calvary , to endure unimaginable suffering , pain and loss as she watched her innocent , firstborn Son die an excruciatingly agonizing death as a criminal , abandoned by His closest friends ( John 19:25 ) .
It was a mother ’ s worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the price of her unconditional “ Yes.
” Mary continued to treasure “ all these things , ” pondering them in her heart ( Luke 2:19 , 2:51 ) .
She knew what she witnessed was God … all God .
Emptied of herself , she became filled with God Himself .
She is the only person in all of history that can literally , not figuratively , say , “ Christ in me , the hope of glory ” ( Colossians 1:27 ) .
Mary ’ s extraordinary “ yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Jesus that grew inside her wants to grow inside you and me .
He wants to so fill us with Himself that wherever we find ourselves , we will say like Mary , “ Be it unto me , ” and then rest in His ability to accomplish His word toward us .
Jesus is making us strong in weakness .
He is filling the hungry with good things .
He is sustaining us through suffering .
We echo Mary ’ s song and declare , “ for he who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and holy is his name ” ( Luke 1 : 46-49 ) .
Annemarie McLean is a four-girl mom , freelance writer , and co-founder of Brave & Beautiful , a ministry focused on challenging young women to live purpose-driven lives full of courage and character , while developing Christ-centered inner beauty .
Annemarie holds a journalism degree from Oral Roberts University , with graduate work in organizational leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University .

Hers was a “yes” of faith. A “yes” of courage. A “yes” of blessing and unforeseen suffering. Above all, it was a “yes” of surrender. In one brief moment during an encounter with God’s messenger angel, Mary, the future mother of the Savior of the World, said “yes” to God’s will — embracing the mystery of all her “be it unto me” would come to mean.
It’s only natural to wonder what it was about Mary that drew God to her. She was a seemingly ordinary girl from small-town Nazareth in Galilee. There was nothing about her social status or upbringing that, to the naked eye, would have flagged her as the “favored one” through whom Almighty God would choose to birth the long-awaited Messiah.
Yet In this beautiful and profound twist of irony woven throughout the entirety of Scripture, God once again glorifies Himself through the narrative, making the humble of this world strong. It is not actually who Mary is — but rather who God is to Mary — whereby we witness the unfolding of the Incarnation. God’s master plan to save mankind birthed through a simple girl who said “yes.”
Blessed Is She Who Believed
Reading through the account found in Luke 1:26-56, we watch Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel unfold. Gabriel lays out a plan so incredulous it would be hard for anyone to believe. He tells Mary that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son that would be great and called the Son of the Most High — “and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).
The caveat? Mary was still a virgin. She asks Gabriel what we would be thinking too: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (v. 34). It’s at this life-changing juncture that Mary demonstrates something extraordinary in her response. It would seem that her question of “how” was coming from a place of clarification, not doubt. By faith and in reverence to Almighty God, her heart had already said “yes” to not only what — but who — was about to be conceived in her womb.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It wasn’t about who she was or wasn’t. Who could’ve would have been a better choice. She didn’t make it about her education, lineage, perceived self-worth or lack thereof. It was about God and God only: His plan, His will, His way. And that’s what made her “yes” so extraordinary.
All-in, unconditional, and without reservation, Mary’s “yes” showed that she completely trusted the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word. Several months later, her relative Elizabeth commended her by saying, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45).
Embracing the Role of a Handmaid
Just before Gabriel left her, Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary saw herself as God’s servant, one who worships God and submits to Him. The Greek word for servant used here is “doulē” which means bondslave or handmaid. Mary presented herself to God out of a lowly position, one of servitude, weakness and dependence. Such a response demonstrated how God would choose to show strength with His arm, scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts, and exalt those of humble estate (Luke 1:51). These were the words of Mary herself — pouring out of her spirit in the Magnificat shortly after saying yes to God’s will for her life.
‘Be It Unto Me’
Another definition is “one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will.” Mary personified this. Her “be it unto me” becoming the death knell to the self-life. It was no longer about her, nor could it ever be again. Whatever her “yes” meant, that would she live. Mary’s “yes” would bring her to the mountaintops of supernatural breakthrough and into valleys of suffering.
Her “yes” made her the very first eye witness to what the presence of Jesus does to a life, causing that which is impossible with man to become possible with God. She watched God do the extraordinary again and again. Shepherds rushing to Bethlehem to tell of a multitude of heavenly host praising God over her son’s birth (Luke 2:16-19). Wise men from afar falling down and worshipping the Godchild (Matthew 2:11). Simeon and Anna prophesying Jesus’ destiny when he was presented in the temple (Luke 2:28-38). All of these things building her own faith as she herself came to believe, years later, that her son could — and would — turn water into wine (John 2:5).
Her “yes’ also led her to the foot of Calvary, to endure unimaginable suffering, pain and loss as she watched her innocent, firstborn Son die an excruciatingly agonizing death as a criminal, abandoned by His closest friends (John 19:25). It was a mother’s worst nightmare. This, too, came to be the price of her unconditional “Yes.”
Emptied to be Filled
Mary continued to treasure “all these things,” pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19, 2:51). She knew what she witnessed was God … all God. Emptied of herself, she became filled with God Himself. She is the only person in all of history that can literally, not figuratively, say, “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Mary’s extraordinary “yes” can be our extraordinary “yes.” The Jesus that grew inside her wants to grow inside you and me. He wants to so fill us with Himself that wherever we find ourselves, we will say like Mary, “Be it unto me,” and then rest in His ability to accomplish His word toward us.
Jesus is making us strong in weakness. He is filling the hungry with good things. He is sustaining us through suffering. We echo Mary’s song and declare, “for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1: 46-49).
Starting with our “yes.”
Annemarie McLean is a four-girl mom, freelance writer, and co-founder of Brave & Beautiful, a ministry focused on challenging young women to live purpose-driven lives full of courage and character, while developing Christ-centered inner beauty. Annemarie holds a journalism degree from Oral Roberts University, with graduate work in organizational leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University.


thestream--2020-12-25--The First Christmas Eve: The Night Before the World Changed

In his book , “ The Triumph of Christianity ” ( which , by the way , was one of Chuck Colson ’ s favorite books ) , historian Rodney Stark describes the Roman world of that first Christmas Eve .
The gods , Stark writes , “ were everywhere and thought to be undependable.
” Apart from “ some magical powers ” and “ perhaps the gift of immortality , ” there was little to distinguish them from their human worshipers : “ they ate , drank , loved , envied , fornicated , cheated , lied and otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , not surprisingly , they didn ’ t care one bit about those who worshiped them .
All they wanted was to be propitiated .
In other words , Christ entered into a culture in which the gods of the age were not worthy of worship .
Society Was Just as Bad And Roman society was just as oppressive and undependable as its gods .
For most people , life in the empire ’ s cities could be fairly described , to borrow a phrase from philosopher Thomas Hobbes , as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and short.
” This was the world into which Christianity was born .
And still Christianity triumphed , not least of which because it offered an alternative to the oppression of Roman society .
It offered another way than the dead-end of paganism , a way so compelling that it outweighed the obvious social disadvantages of being identified as a Christian .
As Stark writes , “ in the midst of the squalor , misery , illness , and anonymity of ancient cities , Christianity offered an island of mercy and security.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stark ’ s words , you realize that we also have something far more compelling to offer our contemporaries as well .
Many of our contemporaries also worship deities that are undependable and scarcely distinguishable from their worshipers .
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “ worship ” as “ the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
” Worship transforms the worshiper .
As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote , “ the Gods we worship write their names on our faces ; be sure of that .
.
.
thus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we worship , for what we are worshipping we are becoming.
” Emerson wrote that without even foreseeing the age of “ social media , ” in which we increasingly worship what we ’ ve become or at least what we imagine ourselves to be .
Many pages on Facebook and Instagram can , with almost no exaggeration , be called “ shrines.
” Our deities are as much of a dead end as the pagan gods of Rome .
And like all idol worship , self-worship can be a lonely activity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t play well together , today ’ s pagans are far from anonymous , but just as isolated as their ancient predecessors .
A 2011 Cornell study found that the average American has only two “ good friends.
” What Christians today have to offer is remarkably similar to what the early Christians had to offer : what Stark called an “ intense community , ” a place where , instead of being surrounded by strangers , they are surrounded by “ brothers and sisters in Christ.
” A place that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitably they will , “ there [ are ] people who care — there are people who have the distinct responsibility to care.
” Stated succinctly , what Christians have to offer is a better way of being human than anything currently offered in contemporary society .
That ’ s why , despite the often-distressing state of our culture , I remain hopeful .
The Christian alternative is just as desperately needed today as when the early Church offered it to the Romans .
Like them , we must proclaim and embody that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could be another Christmas Eve all over again .
A version of this commentary first aired on Christmas Eve , 2014 .
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview .
He ’ s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture , theology , worldview , education and apologetics .
Roberto Rivera is a Fellow and Senior Writer at the Colson Center .
He has written for Sojourners , Christianity Today , Books & Culture , Touchstone , First Things , and The Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on Breakpoint.org : BreakPoint Commentaries .
Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview .

In his book, “The Triumph of Christianity” (which, by the way, was one of Chuck Colson’s favorite books), historian Rodney Stark describes the Roman world of that first Christmas Eve.
The gods, Stark writes, “were everywhere and thought to be undependable.” Apart from “some magical powers” and “perhaps the gift of immortality,” there was little to distinguish them from their human worshipers: “they ate, drank, loved, envied, fornicated, cheated, lied and otherwise set morally ‘unedifying examples.’”
And, not surprisingly, they didn’t care one bit about those who worshiped them. All they wanted was to be propitiated.
In other words, Christ entered into a culture in which the gods of the age were not worthy of worship.
Society Was Just as Bad
And Roman society was just as oppressive and undependable as its gods. For most people, life in the empire’s cities could be fairly described, to borrow a phrase from philosopher Thomas Hobbes, as “nasty, poor, solitary, brutish, and short.”
This was the world into which Christianity was born. And still Christianity triumphed, not least of which because it offered an alternative to the oppression of Roman society. It offered another way than the dead-end of paganism, a way so compelling that it outweighed the obvious social disadvantages of being identified as a Christian.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
As Stark writes, “in the midst of the squalor, misery, illness, and anonymity of ancient cities, Christianity offered an island of mercy and security.”
I hope that when you hear Stark’s words, you realize that we also have something far more compelling to offer our contemporaries as well.
Many of our contemporaries also worship deities that are undependable and scarcely distinguishable from their worshipers.
The Gods We Worship
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “worship” as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” Worship transforms the worshiper. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “the Gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that . . . thus, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Emerson wrote that without even foreseeing the age of “social media,” in which we increasingly worship what we’ve become or at least what we imagine ourselves to be. Many pages on Facebook and Instagram can, with almost no exaggeration, be called “shrines.”
The Christian alternative is just as desperately needed today as when the early Church offered it to the Romans. Like them, we must proclaim and embody that alternative.
Our deities are as much of a dead end as the pagan gods of Rome. And like all idol worship, self-worship can be a lonely activity. Just like the Greek gods, who didn’t play well together, today’s pagans are far from anonymous, but just as isolated as their ancient predecessors. A 2011 Cornell study found that the average American has only two “good friends.”
Christianity’s Intense Community
What Christians today have to offer is remarkably similar to what the early Christians had to offer: what Stark called an “intense community,” a place where, instead of being surrounded by strangers, they are surrounded by “brothers and sisters in Christ.” A place that when the hard times come, as inevitably they will, “there [are] people who care — there are people who have the distinct responsibility to care.”
Stated succinctly, what Christians have to offer is a better way of being human than anything currently offered in contemporary society.
That’s why, despite the often-distressing state of our culture, I remain hopeful. The Christian alternative is just as desperately needed today as when the early Church offered it to the Romans. Like them, we must proclaim and embody that alternative.
And if we do, it could be another Christmas Eve all over again.
A version of this commentary first aired on Christmas Eve, 2014.
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He’s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics.
Roberto Rivera is a Fellow and Senior Writer at the Colson Center. He has written for Sojourners, Christianity Today, Books & Culture, Touchstone, First Things, and The Catholic Herald, among other publications.
Originally published on Breakpoint.org: BreakPoint Commentaries. Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview.


thestream--2020-12-25--Entertaining Angels: A Christmas Story

Entertaining Angels: A Christmas Story

The disheveled man was shaking and soaking wet from head to toe in the freezing Kentucky rain .
It was a miserable night .
He had nowhere to go and no money to get there .
It was Christmas Eve many years ago when he showed up on the Gibson family ’ s doorstep in the middle of nowhere .
The family inside — aunts , uncles and cousins — was preparing for the evening ’ s celebration of opening gifts and peering in stockings .
The ham was on the table , along with deviled eggs , Christmas cakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full swing when they heard a knock at the door .
The Hands and Feet of Jesus Ten-year-old Brian Gibson wasn ’ t sure about his parents ’ opening the door .
“ I remember thinking that this guy was suspicious looking , to be honest , ” he told The Stream .
He was leery of the man his parents invited in .
“ But then I watched the actions of my parents .
And I think it began to seed into my heart way back then that , come on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jesus .
We take care of people and people that even the rest of society might be afraid of or turned off by .
That is the mission of Jesus , right ?
To seek and to save that which was lost .
And people are lost in all sorts of different ways.
” Brian ’ s parents let the man warm up and gave him dry clothes .
They then put him up at the local Redwood Inn .
They gave him what he needed to get to his next stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday celebration for a bit to care for the man .
They “ slowed down our Christmas to bless somebody else , ” he remembers .
“ That ’ s the spirit of Jesus , the spirit of Christmas , ” said Brian , now a pastor and the founder of PeaceablyGather.com , an organization that helps churches reopen during the pandemic and helps protect religious liberty .
We can miss divine distractions when we ’ re busy .
“ But a lot of the ministry of Jesus happened on the way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s on the way somewhere when the woman with the issue of blood comes up and grabs the hem of His garment .
Peter and John are on their way to the temple , ” when the man at the gate needed a miracle .
“ I think we ’ ve got to be careful at Christmas — and everyday — when we live in a distracted culture , a distracted world , that we have time to stop on the way and minister the love of Jesus.
” The Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reconnect with humanity , with family and friends .
“ And the church is the bedrock part of that in America.
” Brian said the values he learned from his parents , particularly his mom , came from the time they spent in church .
“ You ’ re changing people ’ s Christmas , you ’ re changing people ’ s lives , through Jesus , and more specifically , not just through Jesus , but Jesus ’ body , the church.
” Americans need to remember what we have in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so important that we keep our First Amendment , keep our religious Liberty .
And that ’ s why we ’ ve been so … persistent and committed our life [ to ] telling pastors open up your churches , tell the story of Jesus .
I just think it ’ s so important for pastors , for Christians , for everybody to push , to hold on to this .
And I ’ ll say it again .
If anybody needs help doing that with their church or needs information , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would help them any way we could .
Brian remembers feeling a sense of satisfaction after his parents helped the man on Christmas Eve .
“ I knew when they did that , they were doing the right thing .
So , those values were being instilled .
And I think if everyone just every day tries to do the right thing , you know , we ’ ve got a better world , almost immediately.
” He remembers that his mother , generous to a fault , talked about entertaining angels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never know who ’ s at the door.
” Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

The disheveled man was shaking and soaking wet from head to toe in the freezing Kentucky rain. It was a miserable night. He had nowhere to go and no money to get there.
It was Christmas Eve many years ago when he showed up on the Gibson family’s doorstep in the middle of nowhere. The family inside — aunts, uncles and cousins — was preparing for the evening’s celebration of opening gifts and peering in stockings. The ham was on the table, along with deviled eggs, Christmas cakes and candy. The festivities were in full swing when they heard a knock at the door.
The Hands and Feet of Jesus
Ten-year-old Brian Gibson wasn’t sure about his parents’ opening the door. “I remember thinking that this guy was suspicious looking, to be honest,” he told The Stream. He was leery of the man his parents invited in. “But then I watched the actions of my parents. And I think it began to seed into my heart way back then that, come on, we’re the hands and feet of Jesus. We take care of people and people that even the rest of society might be afraid of or turned off by. That is the mission of Jesus, right? To seek and to save that which was lost. And people are lost in all sorts of different ways.”
Brian’s parents let the man warm up and gave him dry clothes. They then put him up at the local Redwood Inn. They gave him what he needed to get to his next stop. Brian’s parents stopped the holiday celebration for a bit to care for the man. They “slowed down our Christmas to bless somebody else,” he remembers.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“That’s the spirit of Jesus, the spirit of Christmas,” said Brian, now a pastor and the founder of PeaceablyGather.com, an organization that helps churches reopen during the pandemic and helps protect religious liberty. We can miss divine distractions when we’re busy. “But a lot of the ministry of Jesus happened on the way to somewhere,” he explained. “He’s on the way somewhere when the woman with the issue of blood comes up and grabs the hem of His garment. Peter and John are on their way to the temple,” when the man at the gate needed a miracle. “I think we’ve got to be careful at Christmas — and everyday — when we live in a distracted culture, a distracted world, that we have time to stop on the way and minister the love of Jesus.”
The Church is the Bedrock
Christmas is a time to reconnect with humanity, with family and friends. “And the church is the bedrock part of that in America.” Brian said the values he learned from his parents, particularly his mom, came from the time they spent in church. “You’re changing people’s Christmas, you’re changing people’s lives, through Jesus, and more specifically, not just through Jesus, but Jesus’ body, the church.”
Brian continued:
Americans need to remember what we have in the church and why it’s so important that we keep our First Amendment, keep our religious Liberty. And that’s why we’ve been so … persistent and committed our life [to] telling pastors open up your churches, tell the story of Jesus. I just think it’s so important for pastors, for Christians, for everybody to push, to hold on to this. And I’ll say it again. If anybody needs help doing that with their church or needs information, they could go to [peaceablygather.com] and we would help them any way we could.
Entertaining Angels
Brian remembers feeling a sense of satisfaction after his parents helped the man on Christmas Eve. “I knew when they did that, they were doing the right thing. So, those values were being instilled. And I think if everyone just every day tries to do the right thing, you know, we’ve got a better world, almost immediately.”
He remembers that his mother, generous to a fault, talked about entertaining angels unaware.
“And so, you never know who’s at the door.”
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-12-24--Give Santa a Break!

Give Santa a Break!

This time of year always sees a few Scrooges and Grinches getting grumpy about Santa Claus .
Maybe they don ’ t like the fact that the fat man in the red suit is associated with materialism at the mall .
Some of them grumble that Santa is a pagan elf that has infected a Christian Christmas .
Others think it ’ s a bad thing to tell your children lies — even to the extent of putting carrots and cookies and milk by the chimney .
Some simply think the whole Santa thing is a stupid , tacky and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Frosty the Snowman and fifteen-foot inflatable illuminated nutcrackers on your neighbor ’ s front lawn .
Christmas needs Scrooges too .
But I ’ m for setting them all on one side , and celebrating Santa — trying to remember who he really is underneath the Coca-Cola ads and Norman Rockwell paintings .
Santa Claus is an interesting amalgamation of various European and Christian traditions .
He has adapted and adopted modern ways to perpetuate his myth , and he survives now as a curiously popular and perennial version of our shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s a venerable part of our European-American traditions .
Where did Santa come from ?
First of all from St. Nicholas , the feisty and famous fourth century bishop of Myra , in what is now Turkey .
Feisty because he was a defender of the faith and a missionary .
Famous for his work with the poor — dropping gold through the window of a poor man to ransom his daughters , and rescuing poor boys from human trafficking .
Nicholas became the patron of children .
His feast day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charming traditions across Europe .
The Dutch were especially fond of the one they called “ Sinterklaas.
” He was portrayed as an old bishop with a long white beard , a red bishop ’ s hat , robes and bishop ’ s staff .
He comes on a steamship from Spain and rides a grey-white horse .
On his gift-giving expeditions , across the rooftops , dropping gifts down chimneys , he was accompanied by “ Zwarte Piet ” — Black Peter , a master of mischief .
Meanwhile , another bearded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bleak mid-winter long before St. Nicholas arrived on the scene .
The god Odin was a Gandalf-type figure who bore the alternative name Langbaror , or “ long beard.
” Along with the beard , he wore a cloak and a broad brimmed hat and carried a staff .
Odin was master of the ancient Yule celebration , spread across Northern Europe .
The leader of the Wild Hunt — a ghostly procession through the sky , he rode an eight footed beast named Sleipnir to bring gifts to his people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baptized , if you like , by St. Nicholas — who , in Puritan England , evolved into the non-Catholic Father Christmas .
The Dutch brought Sintaklaas with them to New Amsterdam .
New Amsterdam became New York , and “ Sintaklaas ” became Santa Claus .
As the term “ Santa Claus ” became separated from the Catholic Sintaklaas , or Saint Nicholas , so the bishop ’ s outfit disappeared .
In Charles Dickens ’ A Christmas Carol , the Ghost of Christmas Present — the jolly and generous old man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishop-like trappings .
Instead , he wore an English-style green cloak , and had holly in his hair .
Around the same time , in 1863 the American illustrator Thomas Nast portrayed Santa as a rotund figure dressed in warm red winter woolies .
No longer was there even a hint or nod to the garb of a fourth-century , gospel-preaching , children-rescuing bishop .
The new image of Santa Claus in the mid-nineteenth century sprang from the 1821 publication of A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore — the poem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In it he is first seen as a jolly elf .
He has a belly that shakes like jelly and “ a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.
” His oft-forgotten diminutive stature explains how he gets down the chimney .
By the 1930s , Santa had fully evolved into the red and white suited , oversized guzzler of Coca-Cola , gone global .
Santa : An Enjoyable Part of the Christmas Celebration What ’ s wrong with Santa ?
Nothing really .
He ’ s an enjoyable part of the Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he ’ s pagan or Catholic or both .
But their logic doesn ’ t follow .
Vestiges of Catholicism and paganism are scattered throughout our American culture in ways too numerous to mention .
There ’ s nothing wrong with Santa as such .
The problem with our modern Christmas is that too often there is nothing but Santa .
The modern Santa Claus is a manifestation of our culture and belief system , just as much as Odin was for pagan Germanic peoples and St. Nicholas was for medieval Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mirror up to us and our culture without— and what we see is a culture that used to be Christian , but which has evolved into a cheerful , consumerist secularism .
In Santa we see a culture that is overweight with happy materialism — laughing with oblivious , self-indulgent pleasure .
Santa Claus should be part of our Christmas as long as it is not the main part .
He is part of the wider celebration — part of the extra decoration .
His focus on children and gifts is a reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with gifts .
Finally , Santa ’ s attention to children and his giving of gifts is a pointer to the profound truth that children are a precious gift , and that the Child of Bethlehem is the greatest gift of all .
Read Dwight Longenecker ’ s astounding discoveries about the wise men who visited Jesus .
The Mystery of the Magi-The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men .
dwightlongenecker.com

This time of year always sees a few Scrooges and Grinches getting grumpy about Santa Claus. Maybe they don’t like the fact that the fat man in the red suit is associated with materialism at the mall. Some of them grumble that Santa is a pagan elf that has infected a Christian Christmas.
Others think it’s a bad thing to tell your children lies — even to the extent of putting carrots and cookies and milk by the chimney. Some simply think the whole Santa thing is a stupid, tacky and terrible part of Christmas — as bad as Frosty the Snowman and fifteen-foot inflatable illuminated nutcrackers on your neighbor’s front lawn.
Christmas needs Scrooges too. But I’m for setting them all on one side, and celebrating Santa — trying to remember who he really is underneath the Coca-Cola ads and Norman Rockwell paintings.
Santa Claus — The Myth
Santa Claus is an interesting amalgamation of various European and Christian traditions. He has adapted and adopted modern ways to perpetuate his myth, and he survives now as a curiously popular and perennial version of our shared tradition. Why not enjoy Santa? He’s a venerable part of our European-American traditions.
Where did Santa come from? First of all from St. Nicholas, the feisty and famous fourth century bishop of Myra, in what is now Turkey. Feisty because he was a defender of the faith and a missionary. Famous for his work with the poor — dropping gold through the window of a poor man to ransom his daughters, and rescuing poor boys from human trafficking. Nicholas became the patron of children. His feast day of December 6 was celebrated with various charming traditions across Europe.
Santa’s Forerunners
The Dutch were especially fond of the one they called “Sinterklaas.” He was portrayed as an old bishop with a long white beard, a red bishop’s hat, robes and bishop’s staff. He comes on a steamship from Spain and rides a grey-white horse. On his gift-giving expeditions, across the rooftops, dropping gifts down chimneys, he was accompanied by “Zwarte Piet” — Black Peter, a master of mischief.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Meanwhile, another bearded old man had been making the rounds in the bleak mid-winter long before St. Nicholas arrived on the scene. The god Odin was a Gandalf-type figure who bore the alternative name Langbaror, or “long beard.” Along with the beard, he wore a cloak and a broad brimmed hat and carried a staff. Odin was master of the ancient Yule celebration, spread across Northern Europe. The leader of the Wild Hunt — a ghostly procession through the sky, he rode an eight footed beast named Sleipnir to bring gifts to his people.
Thus Odin was gathered up and baptized, if you like, by St. Nicholas — who, in Puritan England, evolved into the non-Catholic Father Christmas. The Dutch brought Sintaklaas with them to New Amsterdam. New Amsterdam became New York, and “Sintaklaas” became Santa Claus.
Saint Nicholas Evolves
As the term “Santa Claus” became separated from the Catholic Sintaklaas, or Saint Nicholas, so the bishop’s outfit disappeared. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present — the jolly and generous old man — was pictured without all the Catholic bishop-like trappings. Instead, he wore an English-style green cloak, and had holly in his hair. Around the same time, in 1863 the American illustrator Thomas Nast portrayed Santa as a rotund figure dressed in warm red winter woolies. No longer was there even a hint or nod to the garb of a fourth-century, gospel-preaching, children-rescuing bishop.
The new image of Santa Claus in the mid-nineteenth century sprang from the 1821 publication of A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore — the poem better known as The Night Before Christmas. In it he is first seen as a jolly elf. He has a belly that shakes like jelly and “a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.” His oft-forgotten diminutive stature explains how he gets down the chimney. By the 1930s, Santa had fully evolved into the red and white suited, oversized guzzler of Coca-Cola, gone global.
Santa: An Enjoyable Part of the Christmas Celebration
What’s wrong with Santa? Nothing really. He’s an enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Some latter-day Grinches dislike Santa because he’s pagan or Catholic or both. But their logic doesn’t follow. Vestiges of Catholicism and paganism are scattered throughout our American culture in ways too numerous to mention.
Santa Claus should be part of our Christmas as long as it is not the main part. His focus on children and gifts is a reminder of St. Nicholas’ rescuing of children with gifts.
There’s nothing wrong with Santa as such. The problem with our modern Christmas is that too often there is nothing but Santa. The modern Santa Claus is a manifestation of our culture and belief system, just as much as Odin was for pagan Germanic peoples and St. Nicholas was for medieval Christians.
As such, he holds a mirror up to us and our culture without — and what we see is a culture that used to be Christian, but which has evolved into a cheerful, consumerist secularism. In Santa we see a culture that is overweight with happy materialism — laughing with oblivious, self-indulgent pleasure.
Santa Claus should be part of our Christmas as long as it is not the main part. He is part of the wider celebration — part of the extra decoration. His focus on children and gifts is a reminder of St. Nicholas’ rescuing of children with gifts. Finally, Santa’s attention to children and his giving of gifts is a pointer to the profound truth that children are a precious gift, and that the Child of Bethlehem is the greatest gift of all.
Read Dwight Longenecker’s astounding discoveries about the wise men who visited Jesus. The Mystery of the Magi-The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men. dwightlongenecker.com