thestream--2020-12-16--The Military Guide to Armageddon: Surviving the Coming Turbulence

As mayhem , chaos and uncertainty from this past year threaten a new one , a retired Army chaplain issued a challenging indictment .
“ Christians today are powerless and weaponless , ” believes Col. David Giammona , an Assemblies of God minister who served three combat tours in Iraq , Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia .
In the process , he received the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit .
To try to fix that problem , Giamonna and Troy Anderson wrote , The Military Guide to Armageddon : Battle-Tested Strategies to Prepare Your Life and Soul for the End @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January , 2021 .
“ This book is a wake-up call to prepare for the last of the last days , ” Giamonna wrote in the first chapter .
The authors don ’ t spend time discussing controversial interpretations of prophecy .
Instead , they provide practical guidance for Christians to prepare themselves mentally , emotionally and spiritually for what the authors view as history ’ s possible climax .
“ Secular experts at existential risk institutes at Princeton , Oxford , Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say humanity is approaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions are taken to reverse the calamitous course the world is on , ” said Anderson , a former editor at the Los Angeles Daily News and Pulitzer Prize nominee .
Anderson and Giamonna were interviewed for this article .
The book features such chapters as , “ The Making of a Warrior , ” “ Knowing Your Enemy ” and “ Boot Camp.
” In every chapter , Giamonna takes his military experience and battle strategies , translates them into spiritual principles and offers sets of what the authors call “ spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice .
For example , Giamonna begins the chapter “ Fog of War ” with a personal experience that could ’ ve been fatal .
After a rigorous day of armor training , Giammona and his assistant were driving back to headquarters when a heavy fog rolled in .
The fog was so thick that they decided to stop and spend the night in their Humvee .
At dawn when the fog lifted , the training director woke both men up and told them to leave immediately .
A line of tanks about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and crush them .
“ You can make some deadly mistakes in the fog of war if you ’ re not careful and don ’ t know what you ’ re doing , ” Giamonna said .
“ You could go over a cliff .
You could run into the enemy .
You could lose the war.
” Giammona then uses that experience to define the idea further .
Next , he applies it to the Israelites ’ panic in Exodus 14 immediately before Moses parted the Red Sea .
Finally , Giammona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fog of war , and concludes by offering practical suggestions to help readers grow .
“ When you get a recruit off the street , you don ’ t hand him a rifle and tell him , ‘ Hey , now it ’ s time for you to go to war , ’ ” Giamonna said about the book ’ s approach .
“ He doesn ’ t understand what he ’ s going to do with that weapon .
He doesn ’ t understand the doctrine behind the training for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything until he goes through a long process of training , discipline and understanding how to use that weapon in conjunction with his team , the rest of his unit and the rest of the Army.
” But the weapons both authors talk about aren ’ t guns or bullets .
“ We ’ re trying to get people to look at the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit , ” Giamonna said .
“ God is constantly speaking to us but we ’ re so busy with our everyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to God to just really meditate and listen to what He has to say .
He has a lot to say to our hearts.
” “ We have to seek God .
We have to hear His voice and listen to what He ’ s trying to tell us in order to go forward.
” Hearing God ’ s voice , the authors wrote , involves solitude , fasting from outside distractions , true Sabbath rest and companionship with fellow Christians .
Going forward means refining your focus and ignoring static .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of times , you really don ’ t know what ’ s going on , ” Giamonna said .
“ You don ’ t know what the enemy is doing .
You don ’ t know what your own people are doing , sometimes , because it ’ s so complex , so convoluted .
You have to get clarity on what ’ s really going on , and that takes time.
” And time , both authors believe , is running out .
“ This battle involves an all-out political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and future of America , ” Anderson said , “ as well as the lives and destinies of our children and grandchildren.
” Anderson amplified that point by mentioning a conversation with another retired Army chaplain , whose Polish parents lived during the 1930s .
“ ( They ) recall what happened in Poland prior to the rise of Adolf Hitler , ” Anderson said .
“ ( He ) told us that his parents said they are witnessing the same thing happening today in America that happened in Europe prior to World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is optimistic the book will make an impact .
“ Right now , we ’ re beating the drum loudly , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve got a lot of pastors who are very interested in the book and in training their congregations in what it really means to be battle ready.
” Joseph D ’ Hippolito has written commentaries for such outlets as the Jerusalem Post , the American Thinker and Front Page Magazine .
He works as a free-lance writer .

As mayhem, chaos and uncertainty from this past year threaten a new one, a retired Army chaplain issued a challenging indictment.
“Christians today are powerless and weaponless,” believes Col. David Giammona, an Assemblies of God minister who served three combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. In the process, he received the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit.
To try to fix that problem, Giamonna and Troy Anderson wrote, The Military Guide to Armageddon: Battle-Tested Strategies to Prepare Your Life and Soul for the End Times. It will be available in January 2021.
“This book is a wake-up call to prepare for the last of the last days,” Giamonna wrote in the first chapter.
Practical Training
The authors don’t spend time discussing controversial interpretations of prophecy. Instead, they provide practical guidance for Christians to prepare themselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually for what the authors view as history’s possible climax.
“This battle involves an all-out political and spiritual war for the heart, soul and future of America,” Anderson said, “as well as the lives and destinies of our children and grandchildren.”
“Secular experts at existential risk institutes at Princeton, Oxford, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say humanity is approaching the end of human civilization unless drastic actions are taken to reverse the calamitous course the world is on,” said Anderson, a former editor at the Los Angeles Daily News and Pulitzer Prize nominee.
Anderson and Giamonna were interviewed for this article.
The book features such chapters as, “The Making of a Warrior,” “Knowing Your Enemy” and “Boot Camp.” In every chapter, Giamonna takes his military experience and battle strategies, translates them into spiritual principles and offers sets of what the authors call “spiritual exercises” to put those principles into practice.
Almost a Casualty
For example, Giamonna begins the chapter “Fog of War” with a personal experience that could’ve been fatal.
After a rigorous day of armor training, Giammona and his assistant were driving back to headquarters when a heavy fog rolled in. The fog was so thick that they decided to stop and spend the night in their Humvee.
At dawn when the fog lifted, the training director woke both men up and told them to leave immediately. A line of tanks about 150 yards behind them would soon overtake and crush them.
“You can make some deadly mistakes in the fog of war if you’re not careful and don’t know what you’re doing,” Giamonna said. “You could go over a cliff. You could run into the enemy. You could lose the war.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Giammona then uses that experience to define the idea further. Next, he applies it to the Israelites’ panic in Exodus 14 immediately before Moses parted the Red Sea. Finally, Giammona states both military and spiritual principles concerning the fog of war, and concludes by offering practical suggestions to help readers grow.
“When you get a recruit off the street, you don’t hand him a rifle and tell him, ‘Hey, now it’s time for you to go to war,’ ” Giamonna said about the book’s approach. “He doesn’t understand what he’s going to do with that weapon. He doesn’t understand the doctrine behind the training for that weapon. He doesn’t understand anything until he goes through a long process of training, discipline and understanding how to use that weapon in conjunction with his team, the rest of his unit and the rest of the Army.”
Building a Spiritual Arsenal
But the weapons both authors talk about aren’t guns or bullets.
“We’re trying to get people to look at the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit,” Giamonna said. “God is constantly speaking to us but we’re so busy with our everyday activities. We don’t give time to God to just really meditate and listen to what He has to say. He has a lot to say to our hearts.”
“We have to seek God. We have to hear His voice and listen to what He’s trying to tell us in order to go forward.”
Hearing God’s voice, the authors wrote, involves solitude, fasting from outside distractions, true Sabbath rest and companionship with fellow Christians. Going forward means refining your focus and ignoring static.
“You get into war and a lot of times, you really don’t know what’s going on,” Giamonna said. “You don’t know what the enemy is doing. You don’t know what your own people are doing, sometimes, because it’s so complex, so convoluted. You have to get clarity on what’s really going on, and that takes time.”
And time, both authors believe, is running out.
The Battle is Joined
“This battle involves an all-out political and spiritual war for the heart, soul and future of America,” Anderson said, “as well as the lives and destinies of our children and grandchildren.”
Anderson amplified that point by mentioning a conversation with another retired Army chaplain, whose Polish parents lived during the 1930s.
“(They) recall what happened in Poland prior to the rise of Adolf Hitler,” Anderson said. “(He) told us that his parents said they are witnessing the same thing happening today in America that happened in Europe prior to World War II and the Holocaust.”
Giammona is optimistic the book will make an impact.
“Right now, we’re beating the drum loudly,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of pastors who are very interested in the book and in training their congregations in what it really means to be battle ready.”
Joseph D’Hippolito has written commentaries for such outlets as the Jerusalem Post, the American Thinker and Front Page Magazine. He works as a free-lance writer.


thestream--2020-12-16--McConnell Calls Biden ‘President-Elect,’ Hails Harris as First Female Veep

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday congratulated “ President-elect Joe Biden ” in a Senate floor speech , asserting , “ the Electoral College has spoken.
” McConnell , R-Ky. , delivered his remarks one day after the Electoral College voted 306 to 232 to declare Biden the official winner of the presidential election .
However , President Donald Trump hasn ’ t conceded the race , and continues to allege voter fraud and other irregularities in closely contested states .
McConnell also recognized Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , as the vice president-elect .
The Kentucky Republican ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge the Electoral College outcome in Congress , led by Rep. Mo Brooks , R-Ala. , will be an even steeper climb .
“ Americans voted in this year ’ s general election .
The legal and constitutional processes have continued to play out since then , ” McConnell said , in a reference to a string of lawsuits the Trump campaign filed alleging fraud in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
“ Yesterday , electors met in all 50 states .
So , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officially a president-elect and a vice president-elect.
” McConnell said he had hoped Trump would be reelected .
“ Many millions of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result , ” he said .
“ But our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20 .
The Electoral College has spoken.
” The Republican praised Biden , a former Senate colleague .
“ So , today , I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden .
The president-elect is no stranger to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to public service for many years , ” McConnell said , adding : I also want to congratulate the vice president-elect , our colleague from California , Sen. Harris .
Beyond our differences , all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time .
I look forward to finishing out the next 36 days strong with President Trump .
Our nation needs us to add another bipartisan chapter to this record of achievement .
Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of Abuse of Power : Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump .
Send an email to Fred .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday congratulated “President-elect Joe Biden” in a Senate floor speech, asserting, “the Electoral College has spoken.”
McConnell, R-Ky., delivered his remarks one day after the Electoral College voted 306 to 232 to declare Biden the official winner of the presidential election. However, President Donald Trump hasn’t conceded the race, and continues to allege voter fraud and other irregularities in closely contested states.
.@senatemajldr: "So, as of this this morning, our country has officially a President-elect and a Vice President-elect… The Electoral College has spoken. So, today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden." pic.twitter.com/4S7Xv7otsH — CSPAN (@cspan) December 15, 2020
McConnell also recognized Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as the vice president-elect.
The Kentucky Republican’s remarks also suggested that a push to challenge the Electoral College outcome in Congress, led by Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., will be an even steeper climb.
“Americans voted in this year’s general election. The legal and constitutional processes have continued to play out since then,” McConnell said, in a reference to a string of lawsuits the Trump campaign filed alleging fraud in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. “Yesterday, electors met in all 50 states. So, as of this morning, our country has officially a president-elect and a vice president-elect.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
McConnell said he had hoped Trump would be reelected.
“Many millions of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result,” he said. “But our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken.”
The Republican praised Biden, a former Senate colleague. “So, today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden. The president-elect is no stranger to the Senate. He’s devoted himself to public service for many years,” McConnell said, adding:
I also want to congratulate the vice president-elect, our colleague from California, Sen. Harris. Beyond our differences, all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time. I look forward to finishing out the next 36 days strong with President Trump. Our nation needs us to add another bipartisan chapter to this record of achievement.
Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of Abuse of Power: Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump. Send an email to Fred.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-12-16--‘I Didn’t Know I Had It’: Elderly 107-Year-Old Woman Defeats COVID-19

A 107-year-old Minnesota woman survived COVID-19 after she was infected in the fall , Ecumen Detroit Lakes Community Home officials said , according to CNN .
Tillie Dybing has lived in the community home for five years , CNN reported Wednesday .
Dybing turned 107 this summer and celebrated with nurses in the facility without her family to prevent the coronavirus from hitting the nursing home , KARE11 reported .
Dybing slept for awhile on one day in November and her daughter , Susan Berke , said she attempted to call her on a Saturday , according to KARE11 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning and she didn ’ t answer .
I called all day and called the nurse and she , they said , ‘ well she ’ s sleeping.
’ ” Berke said in a video interview with KARE11 .
“ We were really concerned and thought , well , this is probably it.
” Berke said her mother woke up and felt alright , according to KARE11 .
Dybing tested positive for the virus a week later and sleepiness was her only symptom , KARE11 reported .
Ecumen Detroit Lakes didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation ’ s 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 .

A 107-year-old Minnesota woman survived COVID-19 after she was infected in the fall, Ecumen Detroit Lakes Community Home officials said, according to CNN.
Tillie Dybing has lived in the community home for five years, CNN reported Wednesday. Dybing turned 107 this summer and celebrated with nurses in the facility without her family to prevent the coronavirus from hitting the nursing home, KARE11 reported.
Dybing slept for awhile on one day in November and her daughter, Susan Berke, said she attempted to call her on a Saturday, according to KARE11. “I tried to call her Saturday morning and she didn’t answer. I called all day and called the nurse and she, they said, ‘well she’s sleeping.’” Berke said in a video interview with KARE11. “We were really concerned and thought, well, this is probably it.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Berke said her mother woke up and felt alright, according to KARE11.
Dybing tested positive for the virus a week later and sleepiness was her only symptom, KARE11 reported.
This 107-year-old Minnesota woman survived Covid-19. It isn't the first pandemic she has lived through. Born in 1913, Tillie Dybing was almost 5 years old when the 1918 flu pandemic hit her family farm in North Dakota, she said. https://t.co/90wwXzXiay — CNN (@CNN) December 16, 2020
Ecumen Detroit Lakes didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s 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--2020-12-16--Local Churches as Centers of Resistance

Local Churches as Centers of Resistance

It is true that our elected officials help determine the direction of the nation .
That is why we emphasize the importance of voting and staying involved in the political process .
But it is also true that God ’ s people , gathered together in local congregations , can have an even greater influence on the direction of the nation , especially when we make up a substantial part of the population .
As Jesus put it , we , His followers , are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly , does this look like ?
How do we fulfill these sacred and sobering roles ?
Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. , famously said , “ The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state , but rather the conscience of the state .
It must be the guide and the critic of the state , and never its tool .
If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal , it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , exactly , does this look like ?
How do we make a transformative impact on our society ?
How do we resist the destructive trends that threaten to destroy our nation ?
How do we push back against real forces of wickedness ?
It is certainly not by taking over our neighborhoods through intimidation and fear , forcing non-believers to live by our moral codes .
It is even more certainly not a call to take up arms and literally go to war with our ideological opponents ( although it is perfectly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military to fight in what theologians have dubbed “ just wars ” ) .
This past Saturday , at a “ Jericho March ” rally in Washington , DC , Christians gathered to pray against election fraud .
One of the speakers said , “ President Trump has been betrayed at every step of the way .
… He needs to invoke the Insurrection Act and suppress this insurrection.
” He continued , “ You can be called up as the militia to support and defend the Constitution .
… If he does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s commander in chief , we ’ re gon na have to do it ourselves later in a much more desperate , much more bloody war .
Let ’ s get it on now while he ’ s still commander in chief.
” This is most certainly not how local churches are to function as centers of resistance .
( For the record , we are not yet in a situation that parallels our situation during the Revolutionary War when we went to battle against British tyranny . )
Interestingly , it appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jericho March had no idea it would go in the direction that it did .
( It included a visit from Alex Jones . )
And the last speaker of the day , Jonathan Cahn , declined an invitation to be there in person precisely because he was concerned about the political overtones of this prayer event .
He explained this to me via email ( with permission to quote him publicly ) , “ Then I felt [ the need ] to send a message for the purpose of refocusing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off .
Thus , I focused on the real danger — the spiritual and moral agenda that is progressing across America — and to encourage God ’ s people to not to compromise — not to give up — but to focus on God ’ s power — and prayer for revival.
” He continued , “ More than once I said ‘ some trust in princes and kings , but we trust in God , ’ and that regardless of who sits in the White House , it is Who sits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He alone is our hope .
That we must stand for God and His ways without fear and pray — as revival in God is our only hope .
Then I prayed for God ’ s will for America , its people and government , for revival.
” In keeping with this mentality , the resistance comes from us using the spiritual weapons God has given us .
It continues as we live out our biblical values with boldness and faith .
The resistance also continues as we advocate for our legal rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain our God-given freedoms .
Longtime Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter gives us a clear picture of what it means for the church to function in this way .
He said : “ Along with many African-American theologians , I believe in the tremendous importance of preserving religious communities not only as centers of difference — that is , places where one grasps the meaning of the world as different from what you find in the dominant culture — but even more so as centers of resistance .
These centers of resistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe what the rest of you believe , ’ but say , ‘ We are willing and ready to sacrifice , to lose something material for the sake of that difference in which we believe.
’ ” Carter explained how , in the black community , “ in the inner city , the only institution of civil society able to enable political activity is the church .
There , if one does not do political organizing in the churches , one does not do political organizing at all.
” The last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church to become politically uninvolved .
Yet there was something deeper we were called to do as Christians .
As he noted , “ Indeed , radical transformation will demand a sacrifice .
But a fundamental demand for sacrifice will not arise in politics .
It will have to arise from the church , which is really the only contemporary , genuine source of resistance to the existing order .
Nobody else can do it .
“ Nobody was ever persuaded to go out and risk life and limb because of reading a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No people ever said they were going to organize a march and be beaten by the police because of something they read in The New York Times op-ed page .
It is only religion that still has the power , at its best , to encourage sacrifice and resistance.
” So , we must do our best to preserve our religious freedoms , but then we must use those freedoms to live out our faith in a nation-impacting way : “ The resistance is the power of the faith , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people .
Faith provides strength to stand up for something that is at stake .
The power of the faith-and-resistance dynamic fosters inspiration that can sometimes move a nation , even when the nation neither shares nor understands the underlying theology .
But one can only do that if religious freedom is robustly protected.
” Yet , he urged , “ one should have no illusions .
All too many pastors today , black and white , are so worried about filling the seats .
Clergy deliver brilliant sermons that preach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do something , and then they will pull back .
Some pastors display prophetic leadership and call for sacrifice , but their numbers are small.
” Put another way , talk is cheap .
Political posturing is easy .
Shouting out slogans is painless .
But living out our faith 24/7 , in our homes , in our schools , in our places of business , in the midst of a hostile world — that is where the rubber meets the road .
And that is where we are called to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through fasting , through preaching the gospel , through living holy lives , through making disciples , through acts of compassion , and through resistance to evil .
Can any power on earth turn back hundreds of thousands of committed , mobilized , Spirit-empowered communities of faith rising up throughout the nation ?
Absolutely , positively , not .
As my dear friend James Robison said , “ The most important changes will be made by changed people who are led by wisdom from above and purpose-inspired living — God ’ s purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only the church — the body of Christ — that the gates of Hell , deception and destruction can not prevail against .
Christ in us is the only hope for His glory and grace to be revealed to people groping in darkness.
” Let each of us respond by saying , “ Here I am !
Send me.
” On with the revolution .
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 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

It is true that our elected officials help determine the direction of the nation. That is why we emphasize the importance of voting and staying involved in the political process. But it is also true that God’s people, gathered together in local congregations, can have an even greater influence on the direction of the nation, especially when we make up a substantial part of the population. As Jesus put it, we, His followers, are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16).
But what, exactly, does this look like? How do we fulfill these sacred and sobering roles?
A Transformative Impact on Society
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., famously said, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
Again, I ask: What, exactly, does this look like? How do we make a transformative impact on our society? How do we resist the destructive trends that threaten to destroy our nation? How do we push back against real forces of wickedness?
It is certainly not by taking over our neighborhoods through intimidation and fear, forcing non-believers to live by our moral codes.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It is even more certainly not a call to take up arms and literally go to war with our ideological opponents (although it is perfectly appropriate for Christians to serve in their military to fight in what theologians have dubbed “just wars”).
Centers of Resistance
This past Saturday, at a “Jericho March” rally in Washington, DC, Christians gathered to pray against election fraud. One of the speakers said, “President Trump has been betrayed at every step of the way. … He needs to invoke the Insurrection Act and suppress this insurrection.”
He continued, “You can be called up as the militia to support and defend the Constitution. … If he does not do it now while he’s commander in chief, we’re gonna have to do it ourselves later in a much more desperate, much more bloody war. Let’s get it on now while he’s still commander in chief.”
This is most certainly not how local churches are to function as centers of resistance. (For the record, we are not yet in a situation that parallels our situation during the Revolutionary War when we went to battle against British tyranny.)
Our Only Hope
Interestingly, it appears that some of the speakers invited to the Jericho March had no idea it would go in the direction that it did. (It included a visit from Alex Jones.) And the last speaker of the day, Jonathan Cahn, declined an invitation to be there in person precisely because he was concerned about the political overtones of this prayer event.
We must do our best to preserve our religious freedoms, but then we must use those freedoms to live out our faith in a nation-impacting way.
He explained this to me via email (with permission to quote him publicly), “Then I felt [the need] to send a message for the purpose of refocusing a zeal that I was concerned was going off. Thus, I focused on the real danger — the spiritual and moral agenda that is progressing across America — and to encourage God’s people to not to compromise — not to give up — but to focus on God’s power — and prayer for revival.”
He continued, “More than once I said ‘some trust in princes and kings, but we trust in God,’ and that regardless of who sits in the White House, it is Who sits on the throne that matters — and that He alone is our hope. That we must stand for God and His ways without fear and pray — as revival in God is our only hope. Then I prayed for God’s will for America, its people and government, for revival.”
Using Spiritual Weapons
In keeping with this mentality, the resistance comes from us using the spiritual weapons God has given us. It continues as we live out our biblical values with boldness and faith. The resistance also continues as we advocate for our legal rights and call on the political system to maintain our God-given freedoms.
Longtime Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter gives us a clear picture of what it means for the church to function in this way.
He said: “Along with many African-American theologians, I believe in the tremendous importance of preserving religious communities not only as centers of difference — that is, places where one grasps the meaning of the world as different from what you find in the dominant culture — but even more so as centers of resistance. These centers of resistance do not simply proclaim ‘We don’t believe what the rest of you believe,’ but say, ‘We are willing and ready to sacrifice, to lose something material for the sake of that difference in which we believe.’”
Talk is cheap. Political posturing is easy. Shouting out slogans is painless. But living out our faith 24/7, in our homes, in our schools, in our places of business, in the midst of a hostile world — that is where the rubber meets the road.
Carter explained how, in the black community, “in the inner city, the only institution of civil society able to enable political activity is the church. There, if one does not do political organizing in the churches, one does not do political organizing at all.”
The last thing he was advocating for was the church to become politically uninvolved.
Yet there was something deeper we were called to do as Christians.
A Fundamental Demand for Sacrifice
As he noted, “Indeed, radical transformation will demand a sacrifice. But a fundamental demand for sacrifice will not arise in politics. It will have to arise from the church, which is really the only contemporary, genuine source of resistance to the existing order. Nobody else can do it.
“Nobody was ever persuaded to go out and risk life and limb because of reading a smart article on philosophy and public affairs. No people ever said they were going to organize a march and be beaten by the police because of something they read in The New York Times op-ed page. It is only religion that still has the power, at its best, to encourage sacrifice and resistance.”
Living Out Our Faith
So, we must do our best to preserve our religious freedoms, but then we must use those freedoms to live out our faith in a nation-impacting way: “The resistance is the power of the faith, but the faith is interpreted through the concrete experience of the people. Faith provides strength to stand up for something that is at stake. The power of the faith-and-resistance dynamic fosters inspiration that can sometimes move a nation, even when the nation neither shares nor understands the underlying theology. But one can only do that if religious freedom is robustly protected.”
Yet, he urged, “one should have no illusions. All too many pastors today, black and white, are so worried about filling the seats. Clergy deliver brilliant sermons that preach up to the edge of asking people to do something, and then they will pull back. Some pastors display prophetic leadership and call for sacrifice, but their numbers are small.”
Put another way, talk is cheap. Political posturing is easy. Shouting out slogans is painless.
But living out our faith 24/7, in our homes, in our schools, in our places of business, in the midst of a hostile world — that is where the rubber meets the road. And that is where we are called to bring about radical change — through prayer, through fasting, through preaching the gospel, through living holy lives, through making disciples, through acts of compassion, and through resistance to evil.
A Revolution
Can any power on earth turn back hundreds of thousands of committed, mobilized, Spirit-empowered communities of faith rising up throughout the nation? Absolutely, positively, not.
As my dear friend James Robison said, “The most important changes will be made by changed people who are led by wisdom from above and purpose-inspired living — God’s purpose. … Never forget, it is only the church — the body of Christ — that the gates of Hell, deception and destruction cannot prevail against. Christ in us is the only hope for His glory and grace to be revealed to people groping in darkness.”
Let each of us respond by saying, “Here I am! Send me.”
On with the revolution.
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--2020-12-16--Farewell Twitter, Goodbye YouTube

Farewell Twitter, Goodbye YouTube

After multiple short-term suspensions , and the doubling of my followers thanks to my pieces on Sidney Powell , Twitter at last expelled me .
The last straw was a Swiftian joke I made in response to the latest transgenderist attack on the existence of human biology .
Remember the rules , people .
It ’ s okay to argue that every young person on earth should have his or her puberty blocked , using dangerous hormones .
It ’ s fine to promote , in all seriousness , hunting down every last unborn baby with Down Syndrome , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defend China ’ s massive use of Uyghur slave labor to make Nike sneakers , Apple products , or just plain pick cotton in the fields .
It ’ s also acceptable to promote a global totalitarian religious state that persecutes homosexuals — as long as that state is Muslim .
Obsessed Billionaires Trying to Transform Our Species But don ’ t cross the trans community .
It has obsessed trans billionaires funding it , as Jennifer Bilek documents in her can ’ t-miss piece at The Standard .
( One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois . )
Pharmaceutical companies stand to make many billions more selling sex-change hormones to young people whom the trans movement convinces that they need them .
Given how few people naturally develop gender dysphoria ( are we still allowed to call it that ? )
, and how much money is behind encouraging their delusions and imposing them on us all , the trans cause may be the best-funded evil cause , per capita , on earth .
Its goals are modest : force the whole human race to deny we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coherent sexes .
To break down every human institution ( which is most of them ) built on that solid , biological fact .
And to silence all speech to the contrary , if need be by threats of prison .
Is that too much to ask ?
The transgenderist demands exceed those of Communist revolutionaries , who only wish to wipe out private property , religion , and the family .
If Marxists believe that we are not social mammals but actually insects meant to live in hives like termites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to portray us as moray eels or clownfish , which spontaneously change their sexes .
Of course , we can ’ t do that naturally .
To manage the unconvincing , sterile , and usually grotesque outcome of trans transitions , we must pour money ( including public money ) into the coffers of massive pharmaceutical companies and well-heeled plastic surgeons .
Standing on the tracks trying to hold back this freight train are … a few churches that still cling to the truth about human nature , and philosophers here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purged from campus .
The kind of people who showed up at the Jericho March this past weekend , trying to stop the theft of the 2020 election , only to face cruel mockery by comfort-loving conservatives .
They won ’ t be comfy for long .
We have seen what the Democrats have in mind for America .
It looks like … New York City , now turning into a ghost town of dead restaurants , emptied office buildings , plummeting rents , and arbitrary tyranny .
All this built on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom Governor Andrew Cuomo outright murdered by dumping COVID patients among them .
All this to achieve a COVID death rate no better than that of Florida , which followed none of those insane policies .
The Democrat America looks like last spring ’ s riots , where Marxist and anarchist thugs get to loot , beat , burn , and terrorize at will , while cops stand with hands in their pockets .
Their Anarcho-Tyrannical masters , the Democrat mayors and governors , reserve deadly force for arresting … citizens who defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark and Patricia McCloskey , and Jake Gardner ( RIP ) .
And farewell YouTube , too .
The video Eric Metaxas and his crack producer Chris Himes made of my parody song , “ Biden Did You Know ?
” hit 200,000 views last night .
And disappeared this morning .
That ’ s how things go .
A little conservative or Christian speech may be let in between the cracks , so long as it ’ s viewed as harmless .
Once it passes a certain threshold , it sets off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” such as Twitter , YouTube , and Facebook .
Then they take out the gags and start frantically hitting the Cancel button .
We should keep on pushing back as hard as we can , if only for the sake of our own self-respect .
We want to be able to tell our kids , and Our Lord on the day of Judgment , that we never chose comfort or false respectability over the truth .
We should stand by our allies , even those who might stand outside our comfort zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including President Trump .
Find Me on Facebook ( for now ) and Parler If you like my columns , please make a point of sharing them on Twitter — for as long its overpaid , brainwashed employees permit you to .
You may also follow me , for the moment , on my revived Facebook page , and over at Parler .
Please go ahead and share Eric ’ s video , which is still alive over at Rumble.com .
We Can Still Stop the Steal Meanwhile , keep praying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and continues on many fronts .
The most urgent is our effort to save the 2020 election from foreign interference and home-grown fraud .
As Trump aide Stephen Miller told Fox & Friends : The only date in the constitution is Jan 20 , so we have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election result and certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election .
As we speak today , an alternate slate of electors in the contested states are going to vote and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congress .
This will ensure that all of our legal remedies will remain open .
That means that if we win these cases in the courts , that we can direct that the alternate slate of electors will be certified .
We also have the fight for two Georgia Senate seats .
Should the Steal succeed , they would make the difference between gridlock under a discredited , scandal-plagued “ President ” Biden , and one-party rule that destroys the U.S. Constitution by packing the Supreme Court .
Should that happen , kiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of our other key liberties goodbye .
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 .
”

After multiple short-term suspensions, and the doubling of my followers thanks to my pieces on Sidney Powell, Twitter at last expelled me. The last straw was a Swiftian joke I made in response to the latest transgenderist attack on the existence of human biology.
Remember the rules, people. It’s okay to argue that every young person on earth should have his or her puberty blocked, using dangerous hormones. It’s fine to promote, in all seriousness, hunting down every last unborn baby with Down Syndrome, and killing him in the womb. Or to defend China’s massive use of Uyghur slave labor to make Nike sneakers, Apple products, or just plain pick cotton in the fields. It’s also acceptable to promote a global totalitarian religious state that persecutes homosexuals — as long as that state is Muslim.
Obsessed Billionaires Trying to Transform Our Species
But don’t cross the trans community. It has obsessed trans billionaires funding it, as Jennifer Bilek documents in her can’t-miss piece at The Standard. (One of them is the brother of Governor Pritzker of Illinois.) Pharmaceutical companies stand to make many billions more selling sex-change hormones to young people whom the trans movement convinces that they need them.
Given how few people naturally develop gender dysphoria (are we still allowed to call it that?), and how much money is behind encouraging their delusions and imposing them on us all, the trans cause may be the best-funded evil cause, per capita, on earth.
Its goals are modest: force the whole human race to deny we are mammals, divided into two clear, coherent sexes. To break down every human institution (which is most of them) built on that solid, biological fact. And to silence all speech to the contrary, if need be by threats of prison.
Countless Billions for Pharmaceutical Giants
Is that too much to ask? The transgenderist demands exceed those of Communist revolutionaries, who only wish to wipe out private property, religion, and the family. If Marxists believe that we are not social mammals but actually insects meant to live in hives like termites, the trans agenda goes further. It wants to portray us as moray eels or clownfish, which spontaneously change their sexes.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Of course, we can’t do that naturally. To manage the unconvincing, sterile, and usually grotesque outcome of trans transitions, we must pour money (including public money) into the coffers of massive pharmaceutical companies and well-heeled plastic surgeons.
David Against Leviathan
Standing on the tracks trying to hold back this freight train are … a few churches that still cling to the truth about human nature, and philosophers here and there who haven’t yet been purged from campus. The kind of people who showed up at the Jericho March this past weekend, trying to stop the theft of the 2020 election, only to face cruel mockery by comfort-loving conservatives. They won’t be comfy for long.
We have seen what the Democrats have in mind for America. It looks like … New York City, now turning into a ghost town of dead restaurants, emptied office buildings, plummeting rents, and arbitrary tyranny. All this built on the skeletons of thousands of nursing home patients whom Governor Andrew Cuomo outright murdered by dumping COVID patients among them. All this to achieve a COVID death rate no better than that of Florida, which followed none of those insane policies.
Anarcho-Tyranny, Coming to Your Home Town
The Democrat America looks like last spring’s riots, where Marxist and anarchist thugs get to loot, beat, burn, and terrorize at will, while cops stand with hands in their pockets. Their Anarcho-Tyrannical masters, the Democrat mayors and governors, reserve deadly force for arresting … citizens who defend themselves. People like Kyle Rittenhouse, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, and Jake Gardner (RIP).
And farewell YouTube, too. The video Eric Metaxas and his crack producer Chris Himes made of my parody song, “Biden Did You Know?” hit 200,000 views last night. And disappeared this morning. That’s how things go. A little conservative or Christian speech may be let in between the cracks, so long as it’s viewed as harmless. Once it passes a certain threshold, it sets off the alarms at the “neutral platforms” such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Then they take out the gags and start frantically hitting the Cancel button.
We should keep on pushing back as hard as we can, if only for the sake of our own self-respect. We want to be able to tell our kids, and Our Lord on the day of Judgment, that we never chose comfort or false respectability over the truth. We should stand by our allies, even those who might stand outside our comfort zone, and be loyal to our champions, including President Trump.
Find Me on Facebook (for now) and Parler
If you like my columns, please make a point of sharing them on Twitter — for as long its overpaid, brainwashed employees permit you to. You may also follow me over at Parler. Eric’s video is still alive here for the moment.
We Can Still Stop the Steal
Meanwhile, keep praying. This fight is far from over, and continues on many fronts. The most urgent is our effort to save the 2020 election from foreign interference and home-grown fraud. As Trump aide Stephen Miller told Fox & Friends:
The only date in the constitution is Jan 20, so we have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election result and certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election. As we speak today, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states are going to vote and we’re going to send those results up to congress. This will ensure that all of our legal remedies will remain open. That means that if we win these cases in the courts, that we can direct that the alternate slate of electors will be certified.
We also have the fight for two Georgia Senate seats. Should the Steal succeed, they would make the difference between gridlock under a discredited, scandal-plagued “President” Biden, and one-party rule that destroys the U.S. Constitution by packing the Supreme Court. Should that happen, kiss religious freedom, gun rights, and most of our other key liberties goodbye.
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--2020-12-17--Do We Still Have a Chance to Stop the Steal?

Do we still have a chance to # StopTheSteal ?
Yes , but it ’ s a narrow one .
Remember the teensy , narrow bridge that Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship had to traverse over the abyss on the way out of Moria ?
All that with a Chinese Communist balrog emerging from the depths ?
Well , we don ’ t have a Gandalf to tell him “ You shall not pass !
” No flaming swords or elven phials .
But like the heroes of the Tolkien ’ s The Lord of the Rings we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult , tempting circumstances acting with courage and integrity .
The question is , “ Will they ?
” Or has the Republican party succumbed to the Wormtongues and Sarumans ?
NeverTrumpers promise that we can enjoy some peace and autonomy under the dark lord ’ s tutelage .
Or to our Denethors ?
They gave up long ago on fighting to win .
Now they drown their own shame at their Sloth in claims that defeat was inevitable , all along .
That America was founded on wicked , godless , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re just reaping its bitter , unavoidable harvest .
Come join us inside our “ Benedict Option ” bunker .
We can grow organic rutabagas , as we wait for the State to take our kids away to receive their puberty blockers .
How Clumsy a Crook Will Joe Biden Turn Out to Be ?
And no I ’ m not putting too fine a point on things .
We don ’ t know to what degree Joe Biden was compromised , blackmailed , and bribed by the Communist government of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to get a glimpse , once it ’ s too late for voters to change their minds .
Thank you so much , Attorney General Bill Barr , for keeping that secret .
It ’ s crucial to prove to the ref that we ’ re playing by Marquess of Queensbury Rules , as our opponent stabs us over and over again with his switchblade .
We do know that Biden ’ s absolute , almost inhuman opportunism moved him from a socially moderate bad Catholic in the 1980s to an LGBT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposes any restrictions on child-killing at any point in a pregnancy , for any reason .
And expects you and me to pay for it .
And nuns to give out abortion pills , or else abandon their terminal cancer patients .
Biden doesn ’ t just back the farce of same-sex “ marriage.
” He personally performed one .
He wields old rosary beads as Madonna once draped her cleavage in them .
And most U.S. bishops seem absolutely giddy to welcome our “ second Catholic president.
” We know that Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more straightforward .
Pay up , and she won ’ t prosecute you .
That was her message to San Francisco Catholic schools and orders tired of seeing their sex abusers get hauled up on charges .
They funded her race against an inconvenient ( liberal Democrat , but honest ) district attorney .
She won , and his cases against abusive priests just … went away .
Pay more , and Harris will try to imprison your political enemies , as Planned Parenthood learned when she took over as Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such obvious scofflaws , with a platform that ’ s a wish list for spoiled elites and irresponsible extremists should win the White House by blatant , in-your-face fraud .
We still have a narrow chance of stopping them .
But it will be a march into Mordor , with the ring weighing down our necks .
Here ’ s what needs to happen : Enough swing state Republicans where fraud was obvious need to name alternate electors .
Thankfully , Team Trump has managed that , naming such electors for Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nevada , and New Mexico .
What Happens Then ?
Both chambers of Congress could accept the same slate of electors , which would almost certainly put the matter to rest .
The chambers could also split , which is more likely if the Republicans retain control of the Senate and Democrats hold onto their House majority .
If lawmakers can not agree on a set of electors , the country will find itself in uncharted territory .
The Electoral Count Act , often described by academics as “ unintelligible , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified by the state ’ s governor , according to Ned Foley , a professor at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law .
But Foley notes that some scholars and an analysis by the Congressional Research Service have rejected that conclusion .
Academics have sketched out several scenarios .
Under one , Pence as president of the Senate could throw out both sets of a state ’ s electors .
Another contemplates that the House of Representatives would end up choosing between Biden and Trump .
There is even a scenario in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently Democrat Nancy Pelosi , could become acting president .
Would the U.S. Supreme Court get involved ?
The Supreme Court may be called upon to interpret the Electoral College Act to break any deadlock .
To throw the state-approved , fraud-tainted Biden electors into question , at least one senator and one member of the House of Representatives must object .
The worthy Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-AL ) has sworn to do that in the house .
Will Ted Cruz or Rand Paul , or some other nervy Republican do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pressuring them — surprise , surprise — not to .
Why ?
Because then his RINO allies in the Senate who want to see Trump pushed aside , by whatever means , would have to go on the record supporting Biden ’ s election .
This in the face of an overwhelming majority of Trump voters considering the 2020 election stolen .
Much of the legacy conservative media , from National Review on down , has joined the MSM , social media , and other elites trying to mock Trump voters into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate is certainly hearing about the fraud .
The fearless Epoch Times reports : Witnesses at a U.S. Senate hearing on election “ irregularities ” testified about a litany of alleged instances of election fraud occurring in certain states .
Some also expressed concerns over last-minute changes to election laws and other issues they argued were unconstitutional .
Republican senators said they believe fraud did occur and that taking an honest look into the growing mountain of evidence is necessary for a democracy , noting that many Americans have similar concerns .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found 70 percent of Republicans didn ’ t believe it was free and fair .
Democratic senators largely used their time to attack the hearing , declaring that the American people had already spoken and Republicans were spewing disinformation .
Courts have struck down many of the suits contesting the results , they said .
But witnesses , including politicians such as Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) , pointed out that the vast majority were rejected for procedural reasons , as opposed to merit-based or substantive-based rulings focused on the allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , said in his opening statement that although the Electoral College awarded Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden 306 votes , “ a large percentage of the American public does not believe the November election results are legitimate.
” “ The fact that our last two presidential elections have not been accepted as legitimate by large percentages of the America public is a serious problem that threatens our republic , ” Johnson said at the first federal hearing on the matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses , whistleblowers , and data experts , some level of fraud and other irregularities occurred during the 2020 election , but the level of fraud is disputed .
The question is “ whether the level of fraud would alter the outcome of the election , ” Johnson said in his opening remarks .
Like him or not ( I do ) , Rand Paul is a man of integrity .
He won ’ t be cowed by McConnell ’ s threats .
He might well join Mo Brooks in speaking up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re being robbed , by a bunch of crooks in bed with Communist China .
If Ted Cruz is politically wise , he ’ ll add his name to Paul ’ s , and then all bets are off .
Keep praying !
The stakes couldn ’ t be much higher .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Government .
”

Do we still have a chance to #StopTheSteal?
Yes, but it’s a narrow one. Remember the teensy, narrow bridge that Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship had to traverse over the abyss on the way out of Moria? All that with a Chinese Communist balrog emerging from the depths? Well, we don’t have a Gandalf to tell him “You shall not pass!” No flaming swords or elven phials. But like the heroes of the Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings we do rely on a few men in difficult, tempting circumstances acting with courage and integrity. The question is, “Will they?”
Or has the Republican party succumbed to the Wormtongues and Sarumans? NeverTrumpers promise that we can enjoy some peace and autonomy under the dark lord’s tutelage. Or to our Denethors? They gave up long ago on fighting to win. Now they drown their own shame at their Sloth in claims that defeat was inevitable, all along. That America was founded on wicked, godless, “liberal” principles anyway. So now we’re just reaping its bitter, unavoidable harvest. Come join us inside our “Benedict Option” bunker. We can grow organic rutabagas, as we wait for the State to take our kids away to receive their puberty blockers.
How Clumsy a Crook Will Joe Biden Turn Out to Be?
And no I’m not putting too fine a point on things. We don’t know to what degree Joe Biden was compromised, blackmailed, and bribed by the Communist government of the Chinese leviathan. We’re starting to get a glimpse, once it’s too late for voters to change their minds. Thank you so much, Attorney General Bill Barr, for keeping that secret. It’s crucial to prove to the ref that we’re playing by Marquess of Queensbury Rules, as our opponent stabs us over and over again with his switchblade.
We do know that Biden’s absolute, almost inhuman opportunism moved him from a socially moderate bad Catholic in the 1980s to an LGBT and abortion fanatic in 2020. He opposes any restrictions on child-killing at any point in a pregnancy, for any reason. And expects you and me to pay for it. And nuns to give out abortion pills, or else abandon their terminal cancer patients. Biden doesn’t just back the farce of same-sex “marriage.” He personally performed one. He wields old rosary beads as Madonna once draped her cleavage in them. And most U.S. bishops seem absolutely giddy to welcome our “second Catholic president.”
Kamala Harris: Prosecutor for Hire
We know that Kamala Harris is even worse. Her corruption is more straightforward. Pay up, and she won’t prosecute you. That was her message to San Francisco Catholic schools and orders tired of seeing their sex abusers get hauled up on charges. They funded her race against an inconvenient (liberal Democrat, but honest) district attorney. She won, and his cases against abusive priests just … went away. Pay more, and Harris will try to imprison your political enemies, as Planned Parenthood learned when she took over as Attorney General of California.
Much of the legacy conservative media, from National Review on down, has joined the MSM, social media, and other elites trying to mock Trump voters into compliance, with little success.
How fitting that two such obvious scofflaws, with a platform that’s a wish list for spoiled elites and irresponsible extremists, should win the White House by blatant, in-your-face fraud.
We still have a narrow chance of stopping them. But it will be a march into Mordor, with the ring weighing down our necks. Here’s what needs to happen:
Enough swing state Republicans where fraud was obvious need to name alternate electors. Thankfully, Team Trump has managed that, naming such electors for Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.
What Happens Then?
REUTERS explains the rest:
Both chambers of Congress could accept the same slate of electors, which would almost certainly put the matter to rest. The chambers could also split, which is more likely if the Republicans retain control of the Senate and Democrats hold onto their House majority. If lawmakers cannot agree on a set of electors, the country will find itself in uncharted territory. The Electoral Count Act, often described by academics as “unintelligible,” seems to favor the slate of electors certified by the state’s governor, according to Ned Foley, a professor at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. But Foley notes that some scholars and an analysis by the Congressional Research Service have rejected that conclusion. Academics have sketched out several scenarios. Under one, Pence as president of the Senate could throw out both sets of a state’s electors. Another contemplates that the House of Representatives would end up choosing between Biden and Trump. There is even a scenario in which the Speaker of the House, currently Democrat Nancy Pelosi, could become acting president. Would the U.S. Supreme Court get involved? The Supreme Court may be called upon to interpret the Electoral College Act to break any deadlock.
Will Mitch McConnell Seal the Steal?
To throw the state-approved, fraud-tainted Biden electors into question, at least one senator and one member of the House of Representatives must object. The worthy Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) has sworn to do that in the house. Will Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, or some other nervy Republican do so in the Senate? Speaker Mitch McConnell is pressuring them — surprise, surprise — not to.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Why? Because then his RINO allies in the Senate who want to see Trump pushed aside, by whatever means, would have to go on the record supporting Biden’s election. This in the face of an overwhelming majority of Trump voters considering the 2020 election stolen. Much of the legacy conservative media, from National Review on down, has joined the MSM, social media, and other elites trying to mock Trump voters into compliance, with little success.
A Litany of Crimes
The Senate is certainly hearing about the fraud. The fearless Epoch Times reports:
Witnesses at a U.S. Senate hearing on election “irregularities” testified about a litany of alleged instances of election fraud occurring in certain states. Some also expressed concerns over last-minute changes to election laws and other issues they argued were unconstitutional. Republican senators said they believe fraud did occur and that taking an honest look into the growing mountain of evidence is necessary for a democracy, noting that many Americans have similar concerns. A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll taken after the election found 70 percent of Republicans didn’t believe it was free and fair. Democratic senators largely used their time to attack the hearing, declaring that the American people had already spoken and Republicans were spewing disinformation. Courts have struck down many of the suits contesting the results, they said. But witnesses, including politicians such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), pointed out that the vast majority were rejected for procedural reasons, as opposed to merit-based or substantive-based rulings focused on the allegations of fraud. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in his opening statement that although the Electoral College awarded Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden 306 votes, “a large percentage of the American public does not believe the November election results are legitimate.” “The fact that our last two presidential elections have not been accepted as legitimate by large percentages of the America public is a serious problem that threatens our republic,” Johnson said at the first federal hearing on the matter of election fraud. According to officials, witnesses, whistleblowers, and data experts, some level of fraud and other irregularities occurred during the 2020 election, but the level of fraud is disputed. The question is “whether the level of fraud would alter the outcome of the election,” Johnson said in his opening remarks.
A Few Good Men
Like him or not (I do), Rand Paul is a man of integrity. He won’t be cowed by McConnell’s threats. He might well join Mo Brooks in speaking up for the 50% of America that thinks we’re being robbed, by a bunch of crooks in bed with Communist China. If Ted Cruz is politically wise, he’ll add his name to Paul’s, and then all bets are off.
Keep praying! The stakes couldn’t be much higher.
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--2020-12-17--Military Photo of the Day: An A-10 Thunderbolt II Over Arizona

An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot flies over Tucson , Arizona , on December 10 , 2020 .
Thank you to @ @ @ @ @ for capturing this breathtaking image .

An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot flies over Tucson, Arizona, on December 10, 2020.
Thank you to Staff Sgt. Sergio Gamboa for capturing this breathtaking image.
React to This Article What do you think of our coverage in this article? We value your feedback as we continue to grow.


Trump at the Bat

Most of us have read the iconic 1888 poem , Casey at the Bat , by Ernest Thayer .
He did an incredible job of building up the reader ’ s boundless confidence in “ the mighty Casey , ” along with an expectation of triumph , both reaching an apex at the very last sentence .
Then , we read , “ But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.
” Period .
That ’ s it !
There are more than 70 million conservatives in our country who feel much like the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that same confidence and expectation from all the electrifying Trump rallies .
Add in the inspiring campaign ads , and a challenger riddled with both corruption and cognitive struggles .
You can see why felt pumped !
Then , “ Strike one !
” The mainstream media fired this one .
It wasn ’ t a curveball or a knuckleball .
They weren ’ t even trying to conceal their bias against Donald Trump .
It was a fastball right down the middle .
They spewed lies 24/7 to make the president look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Biden , particularly Hunter Biden ’ s laptop , which implicated Biden in his son ’ s corrupt dealings in China and elsewhere .
Emboldened by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , the social media giants censored many voices that might help the president ’ s cause , including the president ’ s own .
The COVID-19 pandemic came as a bewildering knuckleball .
Unwarranted blame for deaths linked to COVID ( accurately or not ) hounded Trump during the entire campaign .
But the most devastating component was what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after the vote .
( And after major media outlets rushed to announced Biden as “ president-elect.
” ) Pfizer broke the stunning news that they had developed a vaccine that was 90 % effective .
Two days .
Coincidence ?
I ’ m not buying that .
Just days earlier would have likely made a big difference in the election .
( In fact , media have reported that the Biden team pressured Pfizer to wait until after the vote . )
A week later , Moderna chimed in with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % effective .
Shortly thereafter , AstraZeneca announced a third .
Many polls had showed the pandemic as the most important issue for voters , even above the economy .
The suppression of vaccine news cost Trump an enormous amount of political capital .
And all the while , the guy who called Trump a “ xenophobe ” for promptly cutting off flights from China got cover by the media , and even propped up as our great savior from COVID .
The final pitch was a slider , a lot like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw the batter off .
The Dems had a comprehensive plan in place to cheat during the election .
They thought we would never notice , but we did .
We must demand that the revelations lead to major reforms in future elections .
But the bad news is , they seem to have gotten away with it in the 2020 election .
They proved that conspirators can put an illegitimate candidate in the White House .
That was “ Strike Three !
” And as the Mudville crowd cried “ Fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cried “ Fraud !
” to our umpire , the electoral officials in about a half-dozen swing states .
Hundreds of lawyers and surrogates for Trump went to the cities of suspicion and unearthed much crime .
It turns out , the pitcher took steroids , and his foot strayed off the mound .
And the leaders of those states ( including some Republicans ) didn ’ t seem to care .
The Trump team was absolutely right to investigate and do everything in their power to produce a just outcome .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize.
” So , as believers , what do we make of all this , after many of the greatest conservative minds and even well-respected prophetic voices pointed to a Trump victory ?
The way I see it , there are a couple of possibilities .
It ’ s the Battle , Not the War First , we might chalk it up as the devil picking off a battle from us .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the political war in our country .
Let us not forget that we are in a fallen world , and bad things can happen that are not God ’ s will .
I don ’ t buy the fake “ non-partisan ” narrative that I ’ ve heard multiple times this election cycle citing Joshua 5 .
When Joshua asked the angel ( or Christ Himself ) , “ Are you friend or foe ?
, ” the reply was “ Neither one.
” They relate the phrase “ Neither one ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that God doesn ’ t take sides .
But God clearly took sides in that battle and supernaturally helped Joshua and his army conquer Jericho .
God is always on the side of His people who will walk in His ways .
And politically in the U.S. , His ways mostly favor the Republicans .
We must continue to fight the good fight of faith , not only politically , but also in the spiritual realm .
“ For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies , but against evil rulers and authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers in this dark world ” ( Ephesians 6:12 ) .
And I ’ m not trying to characterize every Democrat with these demonic influences .
But the platform of their party is clearly the least aligned with God ’ s Word ( and therefore , His will ) and consequently is undeniably the preferred agenda of these dark forces .
Furthermore , although Trump ’ s campaign seems “ dead , ” let ’ s not forget about Lazarus .
The 22nd Amendment , Section 1 , ( passed by Congress March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.
” It doesn ’ t say the two terms have to be in succession .
They were not in the case of President Grover Cleveland , who served non-consecutive terms as our 22nd and 24th Presidents .
So , think about a major league baseball manager , who wants to put his star pitcher back on the mound in Game Four of the World Series , but he strategically holds him back for Game Five , for the park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field advantage .
Is it possible that God sees a more opportune time to put Trump back in the game in 2024 ?
Could it be that the Republicans will gain both chambers of Congress and by deferring Trump ’ s second term allow him to get more done ?
I don ’ t know , but God does .
I do know “ Hope deferred makes the heart sick , but when the desire comes , it is a tree of life ” ( Proverbs 13:12 ) .
What the enemy means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good ( Genesis 50:20 ) .
We should be thankful for Donald Trump for changing the Republican party .
He taught us how to stand up against the mob and put the people first .
He taught us the sky is not going to fall if we take bold steps like moving our embassy to Jerusalem , controlling the borders , or standing up to China .
Worst case scenario : Trump ’ s political career is over .
Should that prove true , I see his very departure as like Samson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle pillars and destroyed the Philistines ’ temple , “ killing more of them in his death than throughout his life ” ( Judges 16:29-30 ) .
The “ pillars ” Trump pushed over exposed massive election fraud on his way out , and that exposure will energize us to eradicate it going forward .
There ’ s still a great deal of good in this country of ours , which Trump helped energize us to fight for , whoever ends up leading us .
“ Let us not grow weary while doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall reap if we do not lose heart ” ( Galatians 6:9 ) .
Nolan Lewallen is a retired pilot of a major airline and lives near Stephenville , TX with his wife , Kim .
Nolan ’ s two greatest passions are the Bible and politics .
His new book , The Integration of Church & State : How We Transform “ In God We Trust ” From Motto to Reality , brings the two together .
Nolan ’ s other published works include Where ’ s My 100-Fold Return ?
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 ) , The Sports Edition of the Bible ( 1996 ) , and The Cowboy Pictorial Edition of the Holy Bible ( 1981 ) .

Most of us have read the iconic 1888 poem, Casey at the Bat, by Ernest Thayer. He did an incredible job of building up the reader’s boundless confidence in “the mighty Casey,” along with an expectation of triumph, both reaching an apex at the very last sentence. Then, we read, “But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.” Period. That’s it!
Strike One!
There are more than 70 million conservatives in our country who feel much like the crowd in Mudville. We were filled with that same confidence and expectation from all the electrifying Trump rallies. Add in the inspiring campaign ads, and a challenger riddled with both corruption and cognitive struggles. You can see why we felt pumped!
Then, “Strike one!” The mainstream media fired this one. It wasn’t a curveball or a knuckleball. They weren’t even trying to conceal their bias against Donald Trump. It was a fastball right down the middle. They spewed lies 24/7 to make the president look bad. They buried every negative story about Biden, particularly Hunter Biden’s laptop, which implicated Biden in his son’s corrupt dealings in China and elsewhere. Emboldened by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the social media giants censored many voices that might help the president’s cause, including the president’s own.
Strike Two!
The COVID-19 pandemic came as a bewildering knuckleball. Unwarranted blame for deaths linked to COVID (accurately or not) hounded Trump during the entire campaign. But the most devastating component was what didn’t happen until only two days after the vote. (And after major media outlets rushed to announced Biden as “president-elect.”) Pfizer broke the stunning news that they had developed a vaccine that was 90% effective. Two days. Coincidence? I’m not buying that. Just days earlier would have likely made a big difference in the election. (In fact, media have reported that the Biden team pressured Pfizer to wait until after the vote.)
A week later, Moderna chimed in with a second vaccine, supposed to be 95% effective. Shortly thereafter, AstraZeneca announced a third. Many polls had showed the pandemic as the most important issue for voters, even above the economy. The suppression of vaccine news cost Trump an enormous amount of political capital. And all the while, the guy who called Trump a “xenophobe” for promptly cutting off flights from China got cover by the media, and even propped up as our great savior from COVID.
Strike Three!
The final pitch was a slider, a lot like a normal fastball but with just enough break to throw the batter off. The Dems had a comprehensive plan in place to cheat during the election. They thought we would never notice, but we did. We must demand that the revelations lead to major reforms in future elections. But the bad news is, they seem to have gotten away with it in the 2020 election. They proved that conspirators can put an illegitimate candidate in the White House. That was “Strike Three!” And as the Mudville crowd cried “Fraud!” to the umpire, we also cried “Fraud!” to our umpire, the electoral officials in about a half-dozen swing states.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Hundreds of lawyers and surrogates for Trump went to the cities of suspicion and unearthed much crime. It turns out, the pitcher took steroids, and his foot strayed off the mound. And the leaders of those states (including some Republicans) didn’t seem to care. The Trump team was absolutely right to investigate and do everything in their power to produce a just outcome. Colossians 2:18 (AMPC) says, “Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize.”
So, as believers, what do we make of all this, after many of the greatest conservative minds and even well-respected prophetic voices pointed to a Trump victory? The way I see it, there are a couple of possibilities.
It’s the Battle, Not the War
First, we might chalk it up as the devil picking off a battle from us. But that wouldn’t mean we have lost the political war in our country. Let us not forget that we are in a fallen world, and bad things can happen that are not God’s will. I don’t buy the fake “non-partisan” narrative that I’ve heard multiple times this election cycle citing Joshua 5. When Joshua asked the angel (or Christ Himself), “Are you friend or foe?,” the reply was “Neither one.” They relate the phrase “Neither one” to our current politics. They claim that God doesn’t take sides. But God clearly took sides in that battle and supernaturally helped Joshua and his army conquer Jericho.
God is always on the side of His people who will walk in His ways. And politically in the U.S., His ways mostly favor the Republicans. We must continue to fight the good fight of faith, not only politically, but also in the spiritual realm. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world” (Ephesians 6:12). And I’m not trying to characterize every Democrat with these demonic influences. But the platform of their party is clearly the least aligned with God’s Word (and therefore, His will) and consequently is undeniably the preferred agenda of these dark forces.
A More Opportune Time?
Furthermore, although Trump’s campaign seems “dead,” let’s not forget about Lazarus. The 22nd Amendment, Section 1, (passed by Congress March 21, 1947) says, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” It doesn’t say the two terms have to be in succession. They were not in the case of President Grover Cleveland, who served non-consecutive terms as our 22nd and 24th Presidents.
So, think about a major league baseball manager, who wants to put his star pitcher back on the mound in Game Four of the World Series, but he strategically holds him back for Game Five, for the park with the shorter fences and the home field advantage.
Is it possible that God sees a more opportune time to put Trump back in the game in 2024? Could it be that the Republicans will gain both chambers of Congress and by deferring Trump’s second term allow him to get more done? I don’t know, but God does. I do know “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
What the enemy means for harm, God can turn to good (Genesis 50:20). We should be thankful for Donald Trump for changing the Republican party. He taught us how to stand up against the mob and put the people first. He taught us the sky is not going to fall if we take bold steps like moving our embassy to Jerusalem, controlling the borders, or standing up to China.
A Departure Like Samson’s
Worst case scenario: Trump’s political career is over. Should that prove true, I see his very departure as like Samson’s. He pushed on the two middle pillars and destroyed the Philistines’ temple, “killing more of them in his death than throughout his life” (Judges 16:29-30). The “pillars” Trump pushed over exposed massive election fraud on his way out, and that exposure will energize us to eradicate it going forward.
There’s still a great deal of good in this country of ours, which Trump helped energize us to fight for, whoever ends up leading us.
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).
Nolan Lewallen is a retired pilot of a major airline and lives near Stephenville, TX with his wife, Kim. Nolan’s two greatest passions are the Bible and politics. His new book, The Integration of Church & State: How We Transform “In God We Trust” From Motto to Reality, brings the two together. Nolan’s other published works include Where’s My 100-Fold Return? A Troubleshooting Guide for the Discouraged Tither (2009), The Sports Edition of the Bible (1996), and The Cowboy Pictorial Edition of the Holy Bible (1981).


thestream--2020-12-18--Was Jesus Really Born in a Stable?

Was Jesus Really Born in a Stable?

If you have set up your nativity scene by now you probably put the figures in a quaint , wooden stable shed .
With a rickety roof and rough beams , the ox and donkey shelter there along with the sheep , the shepherds , Mary and Joseph and the wise men .
But hang on .
Was Jesus really born in a barn because there was no room in the inn ?
When we study the Scriptures in detail and learn more about the history and culture of the times , it helps us understand what the birth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was a rustic old inn along with a grumpy innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away is a feature of how the Christmas stories were told in the Middle Ages in Europe .
When they heard that the baby was born in a stable they also pictured a “ lowly cattle shed.
” St. Francis was supposedly the first to set up a Christmas creche with a stable scene .
The lovely story grew and developed .
Carols were composed and the story was told and re-told , and as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : the ox and ass bowed down to worship the Lord and the little shepherd boy played his drum for the Christ child … I call all these extra elements “ Christmas clutter.
” The delightful details make for a good story , but much of it isn ’ t in the Bible and it doesn ’ t fit what we now know about life in Judea in the first century .
Was there “ no room at the inn ” ?
The Greek word translated “ inn ” in the older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is the same word used for the “ upper room ” where the Last Supper was held .
It could simply mean an upper room or an extra space which was used as a guest room .
This is why modern translations of the Bible will say , “ There was no space for them in the guest room of the house.
” Archeologists tell us that Bethlehem at the time of Jesus ’ birth was a small village .
It is very unlikely that there was a commercial inn of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up at the home of his family or his extended family , but because the home was crowded and there was no private place for Mary to give birth , they camped out in the stable .
Rather than Mary and Joseph being relegated to a drafty outbuilding by strangers , it was much more like any large family hosting overnight family members and setting up some extra beds in the den or the basement .
The Stable and the Cave Justin Martyr , who lived in the area of Judea and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death and resurrection of Jesus , said Mary gave birth in a cave in Bethlehem , and that the local people in Bethlehem knew where it was .
Not too long after Justin Martyr was writing , the emperor Hadrian built a pagan temple to the god Adonis on the site in Bethlehem to discourage the Christian worship that was already taking place at the location of Christ ’ s birth .
About two hundred years after that , Helena — the mother of the emperor Constantine — had become a Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built a church on the site in Bethlehem where Jesus was born .
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is still there today , and pilgrims can visit the cave in the lower level of the church where Jesus was born .
What happened to the “ lowly cattle shed ” ?
Why do we say Jesus was born in a cave ?
He wasn ’ t a cave man !
In fact , people in the Middle East have lived in caves since ancient times , and the area of Bethlehem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses were not only most common , but some Palestinians still live in cave homes even today .
In this article from 1987 titled Shepherds ’ Caves Still Dot Holy Land , we learn about the people who live in caves near Bethlehem .
“ Apart from a few concessions to the 20th Century , these Arabs live isolated , pastoral lives that have changed little since the time of Jesus , says Nissim Krispil , 39 , an Israeli scholar of Arab folklore , history and customs in the West Bank and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject.
” The author of the article interviews Mohammed — a seventeen-year-old shepherd near Bethlehem who lives with his parents and five brothers and sisters year round in a cave that is in an area where caves have been occupied for 3,000 years .
The high ceilinged cavern where Mohammed lives has a man-made raised area , called a mastaba , where the family sleeps and eats .
The animals sleep on the lower level .
Once a week , the floor is doused with ammonia to sanitize the cave and neutralize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mohammed says , “ The animals make it warm for the people , and the people make it warm for the animals.
” Notice that the cave has a manmade “ upper room ” where the family lives .
The stable is at the lower level .
This sounds like the perfect description of the location of Jesus ’ birth .
When Mary and Joseph arrived at the cave house , the “ upper room ” was already crowded with family members , so they were given space in the warm lower room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fit Perfectly With the Gospel Accounts Was Jesus born in a stable or a cave ?
The answer is “ both.
” He was born in a cave that was a stable .
These details help us to draw other conclusions .
First , to understand the Bible we should try to pare away 2,000 years of traditions that have accumulated as we read the Bible through the perspective of our own culture and time .
The pictures we have in our minds about the Christmas story are cluttered up with images from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn the real details of the story they help us to draw other conclusions about Joseph and Mary .
Rather than seeking lodging at an inn , they most likely stayed in the home of Joseph ’ s family in Bethlehem .
It may have been the home of one of his brothers or even the family home where he grew up .
Some scholars believe Bethlehem was actually Joseph ’ s real home and that he settled in Nazareth as a migrant worker to find work in the cities that Herod was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Magi arrived , St. Matthew tells us Mary and the young child were in a house .
( Mt .
2:11 ) Because by this time Jesus is a “ young child ” or toddler , we can conclude that Joseph and Mary probably stayed in a similar cave house in Bethlehem for a year or two .
Finally , the real details of life in Bethlehem may not fit with the medieval legends that give color to the charming Christmas cards and carols that we enjoy , but these details do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is important because the details helps us confirm that the gospels are not fairy tales made up by Christians long after the event , but stories of real people and places of history .
Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest working in South Carolina .
He is the author of several books , including The Mystery of the Magi-The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men .
Visit dwightlongenecker.com .

If you have set up your nativity scene by now you probably put the figures in a quaint, wooden stable shed. With a rickety roof and rough beams, the ox and donkey shelter there along with the sheep, the shepherds, Mary and Joseph and the wise men.
But hang on. Was Jesus really born in a barn because there was no room in the inn? When we study the Scriptures in detail and learn more about the history and culture of the times, it helps us understand what the birth of Jesus was really like.
The idea that there was a rustic old inn along with a grumpy innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away is a feature of how the Christmas stories were told in the Middle Ages in Europe. When they heard that the baby was born in a stable they also pictured a “lowly cattle shed.” St. Francis was supposedly the first to set up a Christmas creche with a stable scene.
The lovely story grew and developed. Carols were composed and the story was told and re-told, and as the legends grew, more charming details were added: the ox and ass bowed down to worship the Lord and the little shepherd boy played his drum for the Christ child …
I call all these extra elements “Christmas clutter.” The delightful details make for a good story, but much of it isn’t in the Bible and it doesn’t fit what we now know about life in Judea in the first century.
The Upper Room
Was there “no room at the inn”? The Greek word translated “inn” in the older versions of the English Bible is kataluma. This is the same word used for the “upper room” where the Last Supper was held. It could simply mean an upper room or an extra space which was used as a guest room. This is why modern translations of the Bible will say, “There was no space for them in the guest room of the house.”
Archeologists tell us that Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth was a small village. It is very unlikely that there was a commercial inn of any kind. Instead Joseph probably turned up at the home of his family or his extended family, but because the home was crowded and there was no private place for Mary to give birth, they camped out in the stable.
Rather than Mary and Joseph being relegated to a drafty outbuilding by strangers, it was much more like any large family hosting overnight family members and setting up some extra beds in the den or the basement.
The Stable and the Cave
Justin Martyr, who lived in the area of Judea and was writing just 80 or 90 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, said Mary gave birth in a cave in Bethlehem, and that the local people in Bethlehem knew where it was. Not too long after Justin Martyr was writing, the emperor Hadrian built a pagan temple to the god Adonis on the site in Bethlehem to discourage the Christian worship that was already taking place at the location of Christ’s birth.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
About two hundred years after that, Helena — the mother of the emperor Constantine — had become a Christian. She demolished the pagan shrine and built a church on the site in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is still there today, and pilgrims can visit the cave in the lower level of the church where Jesus was born.
What happened to the “lowly cattle shed”? Why do we say Jesus was born in a cave? He wasn’t a cave man! In fact, people in the Middle East have lived in caves since ancient times, and the area of Bethlehem is one of the areas where cave houses were not only most common, but some Palestinians still live in cave homes even today.
The Cave Dwellers of Bethlehem
In this article from 1987 titled Shepherds’ Caves Still Dot Holy Land, we learn about the people who live in caves near Bethlehem.
“Apart from a few concessions to the 20th Century, these Arabs live isolated, pastoral lives that have changed little since the time of Jesus, says Nissim Krispil, 39, an Israeli scholar of Arab folklore, history and customs in the West Bank and the author of a five-volume encyclopedia on the subject.”
The author of the article interviews Mohammed — a seventeen-year-old shepherd near Bethlehem who lives with his parents and five brothers and sisters year round in a cave that is in an area where caves have been occupied for 3,000 years.
The high ceilinged cavern where Mohammed lives has a man-made raised area, called a mastaba, where the family sleeps and eats. The animals sleep on the lower level. Once a week, the floor is doused with ammonia to sanitize the cave and neutralize the pungent odor of the animals.
Mohammed says, “The animals make it warm for the people, and the people make it warm for the animals.”
Notice that the cave has a manmade “upper room” where the family lives. The stable is at the lower level. This sounds like the perfect description of the location of Jesus’ birth. When Mary and Joseph arrived at the cave house, the “upper room” was already crowded with family members, so they were given space in the warm lower room with the animals.
The Real Details Fit Perfectly With the Gospel Accounts
Was Jesus born in a stable or a cave? The answer is “both.” He was born in a cave that was a stable. These details help us to draw other conclusions. First, to understand the Bible we should try to pare away 2,000 years of traditions that have accumulated as we read the Bible through the perspective of our own culture and time. The pictures we have in our minds about the Christmas story are cluttered up with images from medieval Europe.
Second, when we learn the real details of the story they help us to draw other conclusions about Joseph and Mary. Rather than seeking lodging at an inn, they most likely stayed in the home of Joseph’s family in Bethlehem. It may have been the home of one of his brothers or even the family home where he grew up. Some scholars believe Bethlehem was actually Joseph’s real home and that he settled in Nazareth as a migrant worker to find work in the cities that Herod was building in Galilee.
Third, when the Magi arrived, St. Matthew tells us Mary and the young child were in a house. (Mt. 2:11) Because by this time Jesus is a “young child” or toddler, we can conclude that Joseph and Mary probably stayed in a similar cave house in Bethlehem for a year or two.
Finally, the real details of life in Bethlehem may not fit with the medieval legends that give color to the charming Christmas cards and carols that we enjoy, but these details do fit perfectly with the gospel accounts. This is important because the details helps us confirm that the gospels are not fairy tales made up by Christians long after the event, but stories of real people and places of history.
Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest working in South Carolina. He is the author of several books, including The Mystery of the Magi-The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men. Visit dwightlongenecker.com.