Historic church bombed in Iraq before Christmas eve services

Baghdad – A bomb killed one person and damaged a historic church north of Baghdad on Wednesday (December 23, 2009), one day ahead of Christmas Eve services that will be heavily guarded for fear of more attacks on Iraq’s Christian minority.
 
The bomb was hidden in a handcart near the Mar Toma Church, also known as Church of St. Thomas, in the city of Mosul, a police officer said. It is one of Mosul’s older churches, dating to A.D. 770.
 
The officer said one passer-by was killed and five others were injured in the explosion. A hospital official confirmed the casualties.  Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to the media.
 
The extent of the damage to the church was not immediately clear. The blast occurred in an area where streets have been closed to cars and trucks to protect Mosul’s dwindling Christian population.
 
Iraqi defense officials warned earlier in the week that intelligence reports pointed to attacks during Christmas, leading the government to step up security near churches and Christian neighborhoods.
 
Most of the increased security will be in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk, said Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari.

(Source: AP)

Scholar: Bible ‘telling the truth’ about Christ’s birth

NASHVILLE – The Gospel of John poetically declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“The Word” refers to the Son, who since eternity past has lived in heaven. The Word for a brief 33 years also “tabernacled” among us.

John explains, “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

During the Christmas season, Christians around the world read the Gospel narrative recounting how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem where Christ, the Messiah, was born in a humble stable some 2,000 years ago.

Christians accept, by faith, the truths recorded in the birth account. Jeremy Howard, editor of Bibles and reference books for the B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources and Ph.D. graduate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, points to many reasons Christians can be sure the Christmas story is true.

CHRIST & THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament contains verses that point directly to Christ’s virgin birth, Howard noted.

The strongest evidence comes from Isaiah 7-9: The Immanuel prophecy begins in Isaiah 7:14 when the Lord speaks to Ahaz through Isaiah and says, “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign; The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.”

Micah 5:2 also points to Christ’s birth, Howard continued. The verse reads, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.”

“God is speaking about His future plans to bring peace and righteous rule to His people,” Howard said. “This is how He’s going to do it: A ruler is going to come from Bethlehem. What is peculiar about this verse is that it says, ‘His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.’ Clearly, this birth is pointing beyond the natural. It extends to the supernatural. The evidence shows that the Messiah will be more than a mere man.”

MESSIANIC EXPECTATIONS

Christ’s birth was not just a random event, Howard said; in fact, first-century Jews were looking for Messiah, literally “the anointed one.”

“We see evidences of the expectation of Christ in several extra-biblical resources,” Howard said. The first evidence is the Dead Sea Scrolls, documents that originated about 100 B.C. “Throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls, you see references to the coming Messiah,” Howard said.

The second set of evidence, Howard said, comes from the writings of Josephus and Philo, first-century scholars who discuss the expectation of Messiah.

Finally, the rabbinic literature from the second century A.D. onward reveals that Jews were waiting for Messiah.

“The first-century Jews mostly seem to be awaiting a political figure,” Howard said. “The 400 years before Christ’s birth, Israel was a subjected nation, so Jews were looking for a political kingdom.”

By and large, Jesus did not fulfill the expectations of the Jewish people, Howard said. “Mostly, they had the wrong expectations,” he said. “We see that even the disciples did not have a clear perception of Jesus. They struggled when Jesus accepted the faith of Gentiles and associated with sinners. These were expectations that confused the disciples and onlookers.”

CHRIST & THE NEW TESTAMENT

The early date of the Gospels and the eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus are both key to validating the birth narrative, Howard said.

“We know that the Book of Mark was written 20 years after the ascension of Christ, and Luke might have followed about 10 years later,” Howard said. “So 30 years from the time Christ was crucified, resurrected and ascended to heaven we have at least two of the Gospels written and starting to circulate. That puts the disciples at about 60 years of age, assuming they were contemporary with Jesus.”

Living and intact memory, Howard explained, confirms the validity of the birth account.

“Intact memory means that from the time Jesus ascended into heaven, guys such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and Peter devoted themselves to spreading the message of Christ,” Howard said. “They did not have the opportunity to forget what happened. They told the stories day in and day out.”

Living memory refers to the eyewitnesses of the events of Christ.

“If the Gospel writers tried to fabricate the stories of Christ, there would have been many eyewitnesses who would have called them into account,” Howard said. “The fact that the Gospels were penned and helped spread Christianity so quickly is proof that the writers were telling the truth.”

CHRIST & THE 21ST CENTURY

Faith is substantial and sustainable, Howard said, concerning the reliability of the birth narrative.

“I’ve spent many years studying Scripture and asking the hard questions of the faith,” he said. “What I’ve discovered, time after time and case after case, is that there is no criticism, no fact or reality that calls into question what we believe. We stand firmly on the Word of God. It has survived many criticisms for many centuries and in this day and age, I think more than ever before, we are equipped with solid answers for the challenging questions that come against us.”

Children of inmates receive Christmas hope

NEW ORLEANS — Franklin Avenue Baptist Church is making Christmas brighter for some 225 children whose parents are imprisoned.

“We recognize it as fulfilling a need and planting a seed,” said Elvira Brown, prison ministry director at the New Orleans church.

“The need is great on so many levels. Many of these children will not get any other gift for Christmas.”

In Louisiana, Franklin Avenue is among more than 100 churches committed to serve nearly 4,000 children whose incarcerated parents signed up for Angel Tree, a benevolent and evangelistic outreach coordinated by Prison Fellowship.

Nationally, Angel Tree networks with thousands of churches to give gifts to children, presented as given by the parents, along with Gospel tracts and the parents’ personal messages.

Brown said Angel Tree presents a positive image of Christianity to needy children and the families with whom they live, many of whom are not members of missions-minded congregations.

“They need to know that love is what we’re all about,” Brown said.

Louisiana houses about 3,000 federal inmates as well as about 38,000 state inmates, plus an uncounted number of local jail inmates. Children of imprisoned parents likely are impoverished, have emotional and behavioral problems and suffer sexual or physical abuse, according to the nonpartisan Council of State Governments Justice Center.

Churches develop relationships with the children and the families, ministering to them throughout the year, as Angel Tree encourages. Franklin Avenue distributed the gifts during a Christmas program Dec. 12, introducing the children to Christ through storytelling, a play and liturgical dance.

“We do have some families that do continue to come to church,” said Brown, who is working to develop a mentoring program through Franklin Avenue’s prison ministry. In addition to its Angel Tree outreach, the church plans to provide for an additional 20 children identified separately through the congregation.

Elsewhere in Louisiana, Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, which has participated in Angel Tree nearly 20 years, distributed gifts to 90 children at a Dec. 5 Christmas musical and encouraged the families to continue to fellowship with the church.

“There are some who have come back and we have some families that have joined,” said Pam Ford, Trinity’s Angel Tree coordinator. “[These families] have become a part of the family and they are experiencing the ministry that is available at Trinity.”

Angel Tree provides an opportunity to foster evangelism and giving among Trinity members while showing love for the incarcerated, Ford said. “It’s a special opportunity for parents to teach their children and for the congregation as a family to express what the real reason of Christmas is,” she said.

“We wrap our arms around everyone who comes through those doors. They get filled with the love of Jesus,” Ford said of the outreach. “There’s a connection that takes place where it doesn’t matter about any differences that may appear outwardly. Our hearts are united as one.”

First Baptist Church in West Monroe, meanwhile, is delivering Angel Tree gifts along with Bibles to the homes of the 80 children, said Joy Regan, who coordinates the outreach along with her husband Ed.

“It’s a good ministry to serve or represent the person that’s incarcerated, to be able to do something for the children that [their parents] can’t do,” Regan said. “We also want them to experience God’s love in their lives.”

And the children certainly are responsive, Regan said. “We can tell in these kids’ eyes. They say, ‘This is from my daddy?’”

(Source: Baptist Press)

Christmas in Bethlehem: Israeli govt okay’s Gaza Christian visits

TEL AVIV – According to reports in the country’s media, Israeli authorities announced their intention during the Christmas season to open the passes from the Gaza Strip to its tiny Christian community to allow them to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, which lies in the West Bank.

The Gaza Strip has been under an Israel blockade since the Hamas party seized power there. The decision also bears the hallmark of the urging of Christian churches.

Though varying by different estimates, the Palestinian Christian minority, sizeable in the West Bank, number less than 1,000 in the Gaza Strip, which has a total population near 1.5 million.

(Source: ANSAmed)

(Map Source: Univ of Texas)

CHRIS TOMLIN to perform this Sunday at Oak Creek Assembly

MILWAUKEE – In what is sure to be a highlight for thousands this Christmas season, Chris Tonlin brings his “Glory in the Highest” tour to Milwaukee.  The fourth stop (and the fourth SOLD OUT!), Tomlin expresses the joy of believers through music, lyric and stories in person.  Additional venues are sold out, including 2 night stand in Atlanta GA.

“The thought I’ve had running through my head is that it’s time to introduce ourselves to love again. People need to be reminded that what we’re here to do is to love God and love people. Worship is a relationship of love. It’s our love of God and our love of people.”

“I want to talk about what’s right now,” says Tomlin, the singer/songwriter/worship leader/Texas native/three-time Gospel Music Association male vocalist of the year/two-time GMA artist of the year/two-time GRAMMY nominee/most sung Christian artist in the United States.

WI Memorial Park open house – Dec 5

A Christmas Open House will take place on Saturday Dec 5 at 2PM in the Chapel at the Wisconsin Memorial Park located at 13235 W Capital Dr in Brookfield.

The event will include a festive concert by Cheryl McCrary & Heir-Born Band ,  refreshments, cookies, sleigh rides, carolers and more!

Admission is free of charge. For more information please visit  WisconsinMemorialPark.com

MOVIE REVIEW: Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Disney’s A Christmas Carol (3D and iMax)
Rated: PG   (The film may be frightening for small children.)
CCN Summary:  As artistic, original and dramatic as any animated version can offer in this traditional Christmas story.  An unbeliveable experience for family and friends.

With the Christmas season upon us, like an expected heavy blanket of snow, bombarded by the commercialism and secularism, Disney attempts to lift our spirits in the spirit of Dickensonian tradition with A Christmas Carol.

Not the fanfare of talking animals and outer space effects, nor a culturally contemporary script, but a masterful rendering of the original story, complete with references (and reverences) to the Nativity, Scriptural quotes, and glad tidings.

While some might criticize the effort to retell this story for the 14th time on the big screen since 1938, the technical superiority in 3D is nothing less than breath-taking.  With fly-throughs across the London skyscape, cut-aways from the viewpoint of the ethereals looking down on the Crachet family through roofs and floors, and detailing to the wrinkles and whiskers of old Ebenzer, himself, A Christmas Carol offers the audience a unique experience sure to stimulate the same physical thrills one feels as they ride a roller coaster.

Instead of adapting the story to film, Director/Producer/Screenwriter Robert Zemeckis adapted modern film animation and technology to the story – a rare and refreshing  departure from the cliche seasonal material provided in recent years.  No puppets, talking pigs, or singing mice, Disney’s 2009 contribution to the Charles Dickens legacy  is an endowment of entertainment and encouragement for young and old.

The ensemble cast and technical talent which produced this production have produced art for the film-lover, a tapestry of color and movement forthe art-lover, and an accurate script true enough to the book to please the most traditional adherent.  Jim Carrey carries the film with a noteworthy English accent and all the arrogance, fear and remorse which the part demands.  Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Carey Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins and many others added their talents to complete a euphony which draws one into a complete visual and audio experience of everyemotion throughout the story…from the horror of witnessing the attacks of ‘ignorance’ and ‘want’ while the spirit of Christmas Present fades into dust…to the hights of elation in Scrooge, humself, as he discovers that mankind is now his business.

Some scenes are truly dark, as one would expect when travelling with certain spirits - but the moral is clear: selfishness without repentance leads to a hopeless end.  With spine-tingling and fearsome graphics in mind, the film is probably not suited for the very young, but viewed best by tweens and older.

On the other hand, with repentance and reconciliation being emphasized, albeit apart from any clear statement of the Gospel, a deficiency more critical of Dickens’ original work rather than an issue with Hollywood’s rendering, believers who know that salvation is only by grace through faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and not of man’s works (Eph 2:8-9), might, nevertheless, recognize the positive presence of Scripture and reverent treatment of God in secular media in this day and age.  Few choices offer the possibility to evangelize in mainstream settings, and this may be the domino to fell that singular, hardened heart in your sphere of influence at this hour.

A Christmas Carol opens Friday, November 6, 2009.  Visit the website here.

May  Disney’s A Christmas Carol boldly echo the phrases, “Peace on Earth; good tidings to men,” and “God bless us, everyone!” this Christmas season…throughout the year ahead and for many that may come.

(Source: Walt Disney Pictures)

Morning Star performs “The Rag Doll’s Dance”

MILWAUKEE – A Christmas Parable, “The Rag Doll’s Dance” , combines ballet, singing and ingenious costumes to portray the story of an evil Ice Doll who tries to ruin Christmas by freezing the hearts of the toys waiting under the tree.

For ticket sales and showtimes visit http://www.MorningStarProductions.org or call 414.228.5220 ext 385

All performances are to be held at Eastbrook Church 5385 N Green Bay Avenue.