Tornadoes pummel San Antonio, many homes and businesses damaged

Monday evening radar, storms trek East

by Kami Klein

Severe Storms, downpours and tornadoes hit the residential areas north and northeast of downtown San Antonio shortly after midnight and early morning Monday.  The National Weather Service confirmed Monday morning that four tornadoes hit San Antonio. Two were rated EF-1, with winds of 110 and 105 mph. The third and fourth were rated an EF-0, with winds of 70 and 85 mph.

USA Today reported over 150 homes and businesses received damage from these tornadoes that ripped through the area.  Five injuries were reported by city officials, but all were minor.  At the height of the outages, CPS Energy reported nearly 40,000 customers without power due to the storms.

Storms continued to pound the state of Texas as the storm system moved on towards the east.  The National Weather Service is predicting more severe thunderstorms heading towards eastern Texas and Louisiana late Monday and headed towards the evening hours.  The National Weather Service is predicting more flooding and high winds in these potentially dangerous systems.

 

Contaminated water found throughout the U.S.

Water from Faucet

By Kami Klein

Drinking water and unsafe levels of lead are back in the news and it’s not about Flint Michigan this time.. Schools in the Bronx, Pennsylvania and in Massachusetts have shown levels of lead higher than in Flint.  In fact, Reuters reported nearly 3,000 areas with recently recorded lead poisoning rates that were at least double of those in Flint during the absolute peak of the city’s crisis. What is alarming is that more than 1,100 of these communities had a rate of elevated blood tests at least four times higher than those tested in Flint, Michigan.

Lead poisoning has been shown to permanently stunt a child’s intelligence and development.  In adults, lead poisoning can damage the brain and nervous system, the stomach, and the kidneys. It can also cause high blood pressure and other health problems.

There are other contaminants other than lead to be worried about in our drinking water.

Evidence was gathered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from samples of more than 60,000 water systems in all 50 states between 2013 and 2015.  These samples show that the tap water of 218 million Americans contain high levels of chromium 6. In fact, this carcinogen turned up in as much as two-thirds of our nation’s water supply! These high levels of chromium 6 were deemed unsafe by public health officials. Oklahoma, Arizona and California had the highest average statewide levels of the chemical found in their drinking supply. This was the poison in the water that got Erin Brockovich upset enough to take on huge corporations in the attempt to clean it up and help families who suffered from cancer and other disease stemming from the groundwater becoming contaminated.

Over 50% of the U.S. population depends on groundwater for drinking water. But contamination is being discovered daily from industrial waste, sewage, fertilizer runoff and pesticides.  In the United States there are thought to be over 20,000 known abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and these sites could contaminate the groundwater if there is a leak. Research into who is monitoring these sites has not turned up a definitive answer.

Do we really know what is in our water when we drink it?   Most people want to have faith in the laws and the standards that are set for our cities but what is being discovered  in many areas, are that those standards are not being met nor are they being brought to the attention of the public.

More than half of Americans are buying bottled water assuming it is safe but bottled water is not consistently tested and there has been E Coli as well as other contaminants found in them as well.  A proven filtering bottle to carry with you or a filtering system at home, not only makes sense for your health and for your family, but is smart for the pocketbook as well!

Water is life.  Standards recommended by health officials say to drink at least 64 oz per day.  Clean drinking water is a priority for your health.

Seychelle Filtration Systems

(Additional Sources: 1. Lead in Water: What are the health Effects and Dangers , 2.Water lead levels in Bronx school ‘higher than Flint, Michigan’,3. Groundwater Contamination, 4. How safe is bottled water? 5.Public water supply is unsafe for millions of Americans, 6.Environmental Science and Letters, 7. Centers for Disease Control,8. Mother sues Pennsylvania school district over lead-tainted water

 

Highest levels of radiation reported by TEPCO from Fukushima power plant

A worker puts up new logo of TEPCO Holdings and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Group on the wall ahead of the transition to a holding company system through a compan

By Kami Klein

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced the highest documented radiation levels ever recorded in reactor 2 of the damaged Fukushima  No. 1 power plant.  Based on its analysis of measurements and pictures taken by a remote controlled sensor and camera instrument, radiation levels recorded were the highest ever documented since the triple core meltdown in March 2011. TEPCO also reported close to a 3 foot hole in the metal grating under the pressure vessel of reactor 2 of the damaged Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

According to the Japan Times the power plant has reached a maximum of 530 sieverts per hour.  At 530 sieverts, a person could die from even the briefest exposure.  This highlights the difficulties that lie ahead for TEPCO and the Japanese Government as they try to figure out a way to dismantle all three reactors that were damaged by the March, 2011 9.0 earthquake and giant tsunami that killed almost 16,000 people.

Officials had never taken into account for the “unimaginable” radiation levels that are being seen.  Experts say that 1 sievert could lead to infertility, loss of hair and cataracts.  Cancer risks increase substantially with any radiation levels above the 100 millisieverts or 1 sievert mark.

In a report by the Washington Post, TEPCO recorded radiation near the reactor core using a stick-like robot equipped with a camera and a device designed to measure radiation levels and has suggested that some melted fuel escaped.  Officials state that this was the first time this kind of device has been able to get into this part of the reactor, which explains the unprecedented amount of radiation recorded.  TEPCO said that at this level of radiation, a robot would only operate for less than two hours before it was destroyed.

If deposits that have been seen on portions of the grating are proven to be melted fuel, it would be the first time they have found even a trace of any sign of the fuel rods since the core meltdowns occurred. Levels of radiation are too high to check the actual condition of the fuel, which they believe has melted through their pressure vessels and is pooled at the bottom of their containment units.  This fuel MUST be discovered and removed before the plants can be decommissioned.

Reuters reports that TEPCO has been developing robots that can swim under water and navigate obstacles in damaged tunnels and piping to search for the melted fuel rods.  But as soon as the robots get close to the reactors, the radiation destroys their wiring and renders them useless.  TEPCO does plan to send this robot into Reactor 1 but are still unsure regarding Reactor 2 because of the very intense radiation levels.

Officials still state that these levels may not actually be rising but because they have not been tested so closely to the reactor, they are just now getting a better idea of the true levels recorded. TEPCO does report a 30% margin of error in the tests.

The effects of the radiation on the rest of the world have been in constant discussion and arguments among government officials and environmental scientists.  One year ago, PBS reported that more than 80 percent of the radioactivity from the damaged reactors ended up in the Pacific, far more than ever reached the ocean from Chernobyl or Three Mile Island.  A small fraction is currently on the seafloor, but the rest was swept up by the Kuroshio current, a western Pacific version of the Gulf Stream, and carried out to sea.  Recently, radioactive contamination has been documented near British Columbia and California.

 

Violent Tornadoes Ravage Louisiana and New Orleans, several injured

Lightning strikes

By Kami Klein

According to the National Weather Service, at least three tornadoes have touched down close to or in the New Orleans area on Tuesday.  New Orleans East seems to have been the hardest hit so far but officials are touring the many areas that have reported tornadoes on the ground.  

According to local officials, the storm flipped over cars, tore roofs off homes, broke power poles off their foundations and ripped through a gas station canopy.  CNY Central News says that as the storm blew over New Orleans, the sun could only be seen on the far away horizon below the dark thunderheads that turned day into night.

The Weather Channel reported that New Orleans East is home to at least 65,000 residents, down from 95,000 prior to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the area in 2005. New Orleans East is a neighborhood in the city’s Ninth Ward.

The tornado also left damage to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility and the USDA’s National Finance Center’s Primary Business Center. The buildings are located adjacent to one another in Michoud.

The Times of Greater New Orleans is reporting at least 15 people have been injured and taken to local hospitals.  

Please do not try to come to New Orleans East,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a press conference, “It is totally shut down.”

A tornado watch is in effect until 6 p.m. CST Tuesday for southern Alabama and the western Florida panhandle. This watch area includes Mobile and Pensacola. A tornado watch is also in effect until 5 p.m. CST for parts of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. This watch area includes New Orleans, along with Gulfport, Jackson and Hattiesburg in Mississippi.

Philip Cameron sees a Holy Revival in America

Philip Cameron

By Kami Klein

Last night Philip Cameron and the worship team lifted spirits and joyfully shouted hope for a Holy revival like no one has ever seen before!  The Morningside Restoration Marathon is continuing on Grace Street and the outpouring of love and in the belief of this ministry is inspiring.

“God is raising up people RIGHT NOW who aren’t necessarily religious but hungry for GOD!”  Cameron declared!

America does need revival and what many are experiencing and seeing around the world is the the embracing of Jesus and of God’s Word.  Our partners are writing in and expressing this new hope for our country and the gentle courage to build up the Church.  During this Morningside Restoration Marathon, not only are the people working together for a common purpose, they are doing so with faith.

Faith is what Philip Cameron spoke of last night during the evening Praise service. “Ridiculous Faith that will bring a mighty pouring of the Holy Spirit!”

Philip recalled the path and restoration of Pastor Jim Bakker and how the Lord has walked with him in his obedience.  The amazing things that happened at Heritage, the people whose lives were changed in deep and profound ways, and the loving Christian family that was created there by the thousands who visited from all over the world.

“I am family here at Morningside too.  We are family and you are a part of this family too! I invite you to be a part of this ridiculous faith that can move mountains.  I see a revival happening here, a 24 hour a day revival with God’s mighty hand and love pouring out to America! If anyone can get a 24 hour a day revival going it would be Jim Bakker!  He is crazy enough in faith to do it!   This nation needs to be shaken from DC to Sacramento! “

We are family here at Morningside!   We are READY to take this message of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and continue spreading it as far as God allows!  We need your help to make that possible!

Please consider a Thanksgiving donation.  Help us get this revival moving!  And don’t forget to keep watching our Restoration Marathon for more testimonies, fellowship and celebration for God’s incredible hand on you and on our ministry!
Please tune in to Morningside’s Restoration Marathon on Watch Us Live .

Look for Facebook live posts on The Jim Bakker Show Facebook page and donate here to bless this ministry.  

Morningside Restoration Marathon    

 

The Restoration Marathon Continues with Old Friends and New!

By Kami Klein

What an incredible time we are having at Morningside! It is week two of our Restoration Marathon, our 24 hour-a-day, all week live stream event on Roku, Apple TV, and our website!  Pastor Jim was faithful to God and worked incredibly hard to get people out to vote this year for the election!  He brought in leaders of this country and within the church to help us all understand the issues and the challenges! With your help, we now have a praying leader in office!  But, while we focused so hard on these historic events for our country, the business of raising money to stay on the air had to fall second. While Pastor Jim and Lori are resting (doctor’s orders), we are coming together on a true spirit of faith to raise up the funds and catch up on the bills!  

Television station time is truly expensive, and we don’t want to stop the growth of this ministry! Now, more than at any other so far, is the time to hear our prophets and leaders of the church.  Now is the time of the greatest harvest!!

When word got out that we were having this marathon, old and new friends of Pastor Jim and Morningside began coming in for support!  This week, Philip Cameron, as well as his family and friends will be here throughout the day and  leading evening services Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Philip will be bringing special guests with him including founder of the Fivestarman movement, Neil Kennedy, on Tuesday evening and international Christian Evangelist and author, Pat Schalzline, on Wednesday! Don’t forget: this is ALL happening LIVE!  

Thursday and Friday the dynamic Bishop Ron Webb will be leading evening services joined by Director of House on the Rock Ministries, John Kiehl and Pastor Waylon Hopper. Seychelle’s Carl Palmer is also coming this week to offer support as well as our very own Harmony, Caleb and Marcey with some good, soul-lifting praise music!

We are clearing out our warehouse during this event with some popular and never before seen offers!  If these are items you need and want, now is the time to give your gift to this ministry. But, so many are also choosing our Thanksgiving offer.  If you have been blessed by our programing, if you appreciate the messages from these outstanding teachers and prophets that have been brought on our show or even if you, like many of us, have been touched by Jim and Lori Bakker’s story and faithfulness, perhaps you will consider a Thanksgiving donation of any amount to help us!  The Bakker’s Story is a powerful one of Restoration that comes from saying YES to God and reminds us to keep going, no matter how impossible it seems.  We Give Glory to God for ALL of the blessings of this ministry.  We thank God for YOU!

Please tune in to Morningside’s Restoration Marathon on Watch Us Live look for Facebook live posts on The Jim Bakker Show Facebook page and donate here to bless this ministry.  Morningside Restoration Marathon   

Thank you for all you do to keep God’s message going throughout the world!  

 

 

 

Welcome to the Morningside Restoration Marathon!

 

 

We are SO excited!!  The Morningside Restoration Marathon Telethon began this morning with a 2.5 million dollar goal to pay off our stations so that we may stay on the air to continue presenting you with amazing guests that are truly making a difference!  Here you will find Biblical teaching that is REAL.  We are hearing from you and know how much you are enjoying the guests and the teaching that is being brought to you.    

 

We will be here on the live stream 24 hours a day 7 days a week with some of our favorite friends to the ministry, Praising God and being together!

 

We have some amazing offers on our live feed and through our webstore.  

Here are just a few:

 

REDUCED!!!!  Our  440 WATT PORTABLE FUEL LESS GENERATOR:  $450 CLOSE OUT! This are the last of these incredible portable generator at a fantastic price!  

 

Another is for our favorite, healthy case of coconut oil for just $20!  

 

You may even think about giving a gift for our Thanksgiving offer.  This is an offering of Thanksgiving in celebration for all that God has done for this nation, for Morningside and for the entire Bakker family!  This donation can be any amount.  If you want to give a dollar or a thousand we thank you for that blessing!  We believe that God still wants us to be on the air, still spreading the gospel, and allowing the prophets He has sent to us to speak.  

 

Pastor Jim Bakker and Lori Bakker have been blessed with Restoration by our truly Loving God.   This ministry and Morningside has become a treasured part of this community and a haven for Christians who are making this their home. The Jim Bakker Show has become known as an End Times Ministry with great heart!  Morningside has proven time and again that we are here for anyone who needs us.  

 

Now we need YOU!!


Join Tammy Sue, Sasha, Zach, The Morningside Band, Harmony, Caleb the rest of the team along with some fantastic guests… just pop on anytime, and we will be here! Tonight Michael 
Snyder will be hosting our Prophets Speak series!   

Join us HERE.  You can also watch on Roku or Apple TV on the PTL Television Network. 

 

Donald J. Trump sworn in as President and the Bakkers are there!

Jim and Lori Bakker in Washington DC for the Presidential Inaugural events

By Kami Klein

As Donald J. Trump was sworn in and became the 45th President of the United States all of Morningside paused or at the very least, continued to work while peaking at the television, taking in the events. It has been a long road to get here and on election night we watched together as the impossible became possible.  So many of our guests on The Jim Bakker Show had prophesied a Trump Presidency.  This election was so important. After all, we have experienced our values and Christian faith attacked time and again over the last years. But God’s hand guided this election and we are watching the miracle come to fruition.

We are here, in our offices, listening to our new President tell us not to fear because “We are protected by God”.  When that was spoken the cheers could be heard echoing across the building.  It is such a relief to hear the leader of our country acknowledge God’s role here in the  United States of America!

Pastor Jim and Lori are there, live and in person, at the inauguration. Much to their surprise, they were invited to attend.  After great discussion, Pastor Jim decided that this was something that was very important and that he and Lori should participate. You, our viewers and supporters of this ministry worked incredibly hard during this election.  You prayed with Pastor, you listened to the facts that the entire staff worked diligently to collect. You heard the teachers and prophets and you not only went out and voted, you encouraged others to do so!  When President Elect Trump called Pastor a few weeks after the election, he called to thank YOU!  It was for this reason that the Bakkers decided it was important to represent all of us as our country looks to a new hope in leadership.

Jim And Lori Bakker at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Jim And Lori Bakker at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Yesterday, Pastor Jim and Lori attended the Washington, DC Prayer Service, hosted by Jim Garlow.  There, they prayed for our nation, for our Congress, and for our President.  Many of those who led prayer are friends of our ministry; Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Alveda King, Marcus Lamb and David Barton were among many who prayed with the attendees.   

This morning Jim and Lori attended the Presidential Inauguration Prayer Breakfast at the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C..  This breakfast was incredibly special as Rabbi Jonathan Cahn was asked to speak.  His calm, loving presence always stirs the Holy Spirit.  Thousands of Christian leaders are in Washington D.C. to anoint the path that our new President will walk with praise to our Lord.

Tonight Jim and Lori will be attending one of the three inaugural Balls to celebrate!  We know this will be a remarkable experience and we are so eager to hear all about this amazing time in history seen from their perspective!  

Sharing in many of these events has been Dr. Lance Wallnau who is scheduled to appear next week, Wednesday, January 25th on Grace Street at Morningside.  We look forward to hearing all about the inaugural events and the coming together of Christian leadership as President Trump took office.  We hope you can join us, but if you are unable to be here for taping please look for these inspirational shows on your local station very soon!

 

Please continue to join us in prayer for our new President!  God Bless America!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netanyahu’s response in full to John Kerry and the Obama administration

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Prime Minister in meeting

By Kami Klein

Many times when an important speech is given, the American public is offered short snippets without the tone and completeness of the message.  We feel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the actions of the Obama Administration is incredibly important. In order to fully understand the implications of this decision, we have provided links to videos that will help you understand Israel’s history. Additionally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s full response is listed below.

While brushing up on the history of Israel we have discovered information  that will help you have a complete understanding of Israel’s stance and the continued attacks on her very existence.  This history will be vital in the coming days when the people and supporters here in the United States must make a stand for Israel.

The first video is “The Middle East Problem” by American conservative and nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Dennis Prager.  This incredibly concise lesson shows the history of modern Israel and the concessions that have already been made in the attempt for peace. The second video by Attorney Alan Dershowitz entitled “Are Israeli Settlements the Barrier to Peace?”.  Please click on the titles to see these informative videos so that you have a clearer understanding on the true war that is taking place in the Middle East and why the recent Obama stance at the United Nations is dangerous for us all.   

Please join us at Morningside with Michael Snyder on Saturday night, New Year’s Eve as he addresses these very issues on the topic “Obama betrays Israel, What comes next?”. This is a live stream event and begins at 7pm CST.  Catch it live on Roku, Apple TV, or our website at watch us live! 

 

The following is the Prime Minister’s complete response to John Kerry.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Statement in Response to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s Speech

Before I explain why this speech was so disappointing to millions of Israelis, I want to say that Israel is deeply grateful to the United States of America, to successive American administrations, to the American Congress, to the American people.

We’re grateful for the support Israel has received over many, many decades. Our alliance is based on shared values, shared interests, a sense of shared destiny and a partnership that has endured differences of opinions between our two governments over the best way to advance peace and stability in the Middle East. I have no doubt that our alliance will endure the profound disagreement we have had with the Obama Administration and will become even stronger in the future.

But now I must express my deep disappointment with the speech today of John Kerry – a speech that was almost as unbalanced as the anti-Israel resolution passed at the UN last week. In a speech ostensibly about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Secretary Kerry paid lip service to the unremitting campaign of terrorism that has been waged by the Palestinians against the Jewish state for nearly a century. What he did was to spend most of his speech blaming Israel for the lack of peace by passionately condemning a policy of enabling Jews to live in their historic homeland and in their eternal capital, Jerusalem.

Hundreds of suicide bombings, thousand, tens of thousands of rockets, millions of Israelis in bomb shelters are not throwaway lines in a speech; they’re the realities that the people of Israel had to endure because of mistaken policies, policies that at the time won the thunderous applause of the world. I don’t seek applause; I seek the security, and peace, and prosperity and the future of the Jewish state. The Jewish people have sought their place under the sun for 3,000 years, and we’re not about to be swayed by mistaken policies that have caused great, great damage.

Israelis do not need to be lectured about the importance of peace by foreign leaders. Israel’s hand has been extended in peace to its neighbors from day one, from its very first day. We’ve prayed for peace, we’ve worked for it every day since then. And thousands of Israeli families have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and advance peace.

My family has been one of them; there are many, many others.

No one wants peace more than the people of Israel. Israel remains committed to resolving the outstanding differences between us and the Palestinians through direct negotiations. This is how we made peace with Egypt; this is how we made peace with Jordan; it’s the only way we’ll make peace with the Palestinians. That has always been Israel’s policy; that has always been America’s policy.

Here’s what President Obama himself said at the UN in 2011. He said: ‘Peace is hard work. Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now.’

That’s what President Obama said, and he was right. And until last week this was repeated over and over again as American policy. Secretary Kerry said that the United States cannot vote against its own policy. But that’s exactly what it did at the UN, and that’s why Israel opposed last week’s Security Council resolution, because it effectively calls the Western Wall ‘occupied Palestinian Territory,’ because it encourages boycotts and sanctions against Israel – that’s what it effectively does, and because it reflects a radical shift in US policy towards the Palestinians on final status issues – those issues that we always agreed, the US and Israel, have to be negotiated directly, face to face without preconditions.

That shift happened despite the Palestinians walking away from peace and from peace offers time and time again, despite their refusal to even negotiate peace for the past eight years, and despite the Palestinian Authority inculcating a culture of hatred towards Israel in an entire generation of young Palestinians.

Israel looks forward to working with President-elect Trump and with the American Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to mitigate the damage that this resolution has done and ultimately, to repeal it.

Israel hopes that the outgoing Obama Administration will prevent any more damage being done to Israel at the UN in its waning days. I wish I could be comforted by the promise that the US says we will not bring any more resolutions to the UN. That’s what they said about the previous resolution. We have it on absolutely incontestable evidence that the United States organized, advanced and brought this resolution to the United Nations Security Council. We’ll share that information with the incoming administration. Some of it is sensitive, it’s all true. You saw some of it in the protocol released in an Egyptian paper. There’s plenty more; it’s the tip of the iceberg.

So they say, but we didn’t bring it. And they could take John Kerry’s speech with the six points. It could be raised in the French international conference a few days from now and then brought to the UN. So France will bring it, or Sweden – not a noted friend of Israel – could bring it. And the United States could say, well, we can’t vote against our own policy, we’ve just annunciated it.

I think the United States, if it’s true to its word, or at least if it’s now true to its word, should now come out and say we will not allow any resolutions, any more resolutions in the Security Council on Israel. Period. Not we will bring or not bring – we will not allow any, and stop this game, the charades.

I think that the decisions that are vital to Israel’s interests and the future of its children, they won’t be made through speeches in Washington or votes in the United Nations or conferences in Paris. They’ll be made by the Government of Israel around the negotiating table, making them on behalf of the one and only Jewish state – a sovereign nation that is the master of its own fate.

And one final thought – I personally know the pain, the loss and the suffering of war. That’s why I’m so committed to peace. Because for anyone who’s experienced it, as I have, war and terror are horrible. I want young Palestinian children to be educated like our children, for peace. But they’re not educated for peace. The Palestinian Authority educates them to lionize terrorists and to murder Israelis.

My vision is that Israelis and Palestinians both have a future of mutual recognition, of dignity, mutual respect, co-existence. But the Palestinian Authority tells them that they will never accept, should never accept the existence of a Jewish state.

So, I ask you, how can you make peace with someone who rejects your very existence?

See, this conflict is not about houses, or communities in the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, the Gaza district or anywhere else. This conflict is and has always been about Israel’s very right to exist. That’s why my hundreds of calls to sit with President Abbas for peace talks have gone unanswered. That’s why my invitation to him to come to the Knesset was never answered. That’s why the Palestinian government continues to pay anyone who murders Israelis a monthly salary.

The persistent Palestinian refusal to recognize a Jewish state remains the core of the conflict and its removal is the key to peace.

Palestinian rejection of Israel and support for terror are what the nations of the world should focus on if they truly want to advance peace, and I can only express my regret and say that it’s a shame that Secretary Kerry does not see this simple truth.

 

 

 

CHRIST IS BORN!!

Christ Is BORN!

By Kami Klein

For Christians, Christmas represents the light of hope that we carry within us. The birth of Jesus and the tremendous acts of courage throughout the Christmas story, inspire us to have more faith, spread more love, forgive quickly and freely while making that extra effort to show compassion to others.    

The moment the song “Oh Holy Night” fills the air, that sweetness of faith wraps it’s arms around us and if we allow it,  no matter our differences, inspires us to show that light of Christ to the world.

The account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible shows the simple faith of shepherds in the field, willing to listen to an Angel!  They trusted what they heard from this Holy being and simply had faith.

The same is to be said for the Three Wise men who decided to blindly follow a star and listen when warned without falter.   It was Faith.

As we celebrate the birthday of our Savior, let us ask for the love of God to wash away any old resentments, fears and grudges.  Let us take that one simple act of faith and courage and live as Christ has asked us to and honor the man, the teacher, the Savior, the Son of God.

Christmas is not just a time for friends and family..Christmas is for ALL of humanity!

 

Luke 2:1-20 

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire inhabited earth should be taxed. 2 This taxation was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone went to his own city to be taxed.

4 So Joseph also departed from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be taxed with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So while they were there, the day came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid. 10 But the angel said to them, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace, and good will toward men.”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 So they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17 When they had seen Him, they made widely known the word which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!