VIDEO
We live between Advents. Christ’s first coming in Bethlehem was humble and quiet. When he comes again, all the nations will acknowledge his glory.
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Max Lucado: What Does Christmas Have to Do With End Times?
A Season Of Anticipation And A Long Tradition of Expectation
A Long Tradition of Expectation
The inseparable association between the annual arrival of Christmas and the innate anticipation it provokes during the holiday season predates our modern recognition of this festive and hallowed day on our calendar. It’s something that began prior the birth of Jesus and has been formalized and commemorated each year for centuries among faithful followers of Christ. The concept of looking forward to the arrival of a Savior, that is the long-awaited Messiah or Christ, is seen all throughout the Old Testament, but is especially highlighted in the accounts of specific individuals typically associated with the story of Christ’s birth and infancy as seen in the Gospels. Included among these individuals we find Zacharias and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the “wise men from the east,” a man named Simeon, and a prophetess named Anna.
When looking at the first couple on this list, Zacharias and Elizabeth were the parents of John the Baptist who were told by the angel Gabriel that their son would not only cause many in Israel to turn back to God, but that he would go before “Him,” that is Jesus, as a forerunner in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the people for the Lord (Lk. 1:17). You can imagine not only their excitement and anticipation for the birth of their son, but more importantly, the ministry he would accomplish to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of Christ.
Similarly, Mary and Joseph, the mother and adoptive father of Jesus, also eagerly awaited the fulfillment of God’s promises prophesied to them through the nativity of Jesus Christ Himself (Mt. 1:20-25, Lk. 1:28-35). Can you grasp what they must have felt being given the tremendous honor, responsibility, and weight of the job God was bestowing upon them as the parents and caregivers of His only Son?
Also included in this time anticipating the arrival of the Jewish King were the wise men or “magi” from the East. This group, most likely comprised of scholars familiar with the writings of the prophet Daniel who served as head of the wise men in the kingdoms of Babylon and Persia (Da. 4:9, 6:3), understood and discerned the signs heralding the birth of Israel’s King, and traveled hundreds of miles just to worship Him (Mt. 2:1-11).
Let’s not forget Simeon who also anticipated gazing upon “the Consolation of Israel” before he died as revealed to him by the Holy Spirit (Lk. 2:25-35). Nor should we overlook Anna, the elderly prophetess who served God night and day at the temple, who rejoiced when the infant Jesus was presented there by His parents, and immediately began proclaiming to those “who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk. 2:36-38).
Clearly, the longing, excitement, and expectancy that accompanies the joyous celebration of Jesus’ birth has a long and distinguished history with which we are privileged to continue in our present generation. Christmastime is a season for Christians to reflect on the meaning and significance of all that is encompassed in Jesus’ first coming as part of God’s plan to overcome sin, redeem humanity, and commence the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. As part of a long-held tradition of contemplation and expectancy, it is common for believers to focus on specific themes throughout the Christmas season coinciding with the historical account of Jesus’ birth. Such themes typically include hope, peace, joy, and love.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
‘Dangerous scenario unfolding’ in Southern California from potent storm lashing the entire state
Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce, Andrew Freedman
A powerful storm carrying a strong atmospheric river is laying siege to California, where evacuations have been issued because of the risk of life-threatening flooding and debris flows.
“A dangerous scenario is unfolding, with widespread and significant impacts from flash flooding and debris flows expected,” the Weather Prediction Center said about areas near and north of Los Angeles as the downpours arrived Wednesday morning.
The NWS is warning of more flooding rains and strong winds in Northern and Southern California on Christmas Day.
Some areas in the mountains to the north and northwest of Los Angeles have already seen 4 to 8 inches of rain and the atmospheric river continues to soak the region. Feet of mountain snow, severe thunderstorms and strong winds round out the multiple threats the state is facing.
Evacuation warnings or orders were in place in parts of at least five Southern California counties, notably around areas recently burned by wildfires.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Shasta counties. The state of emergency will “activate emergency authorities and preposition resources to keep our communities safe,” Newsom said in a Wednesday post on X.
Here’s the latest:
Rare high risk of flooding rain: More than 7 million people in portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are in the highest-risk zone Wednesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. More than a dozen flash flood warnings have been issued this morning in Southern California. One of those includes over 6 million people in Los Angeles until 6 p.m. PT.
Roads and highways washed out: Authorities in northwest Los Angeles and northeast Ventura counties have reported “heavy rain, rockslides, mudslides, and washed out roadways,” the National Weather Service said. Debris flows and flooding have also been reported in the San Bernardino Mountains, including Highway 2. Mud and debris flows shut down northbound Interstate 15 near Cajon Junction Wednesday morning, and flooding shut down portions of Interstate 5 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday afternoon, according to Caltrans. The Los Angeles Police Department has responded to 52 traffic accidents, a Wednesday morning release from the mayor’s office said.
Rescues underway amid mud and debris flows in Wrightwood:The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept. issued a shelter-in-place order for the community of Wrightwood, northeast of Los Angeles, Wednesday afternoon due to flash flooding, mud and debris flows. An evacuation warning was previously in effect for the area. Video posted by the county Fire Department showed heavy flooding in the area that made Highway 2 impassable.
Man rescued on Los Angeles River: The Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a man trapped in a small drainage tunnel on the Los Angeles River in the Winnetka neighborhood during heavy rain Wednesday morning. Two other people in the area were also moved out of the danger zone, the department said. The fire department has deployed teams to two river rescue incidents as of early Wednesday afternoon, the mayor’s office said.
Thousands without power amid high winds: Strong winds and heavy rain blasted Northern California this morning, including the Bay Area, where a wind gust up to 108 mph was clocked in the northern hills. Wind gusts have topped 90 mph in multiple spots across Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains. Thousands of homes and businesses have lost power in the state, according to PowerOutage.us.
Chain controls in effect for I-80: The snowy side of this storm is now ramping up in the Sierra Nevada. Requirement 2 chain controls are in effect for Interstate 80, which means chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except those with four-wheel or all-wheel drive that also have snow-tread tires.
Driver killed after wet roadway crash: A motorist crashed and died on a wet roadway in South Sacramento, California, the state highway patrol told CNN. “While the crash is still under investigation, it appears that the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed on the wet roadway and lost control,” hitting a metal power pole, the agency said. Heavy rainfall had occurred in the 5 a.m. hour and light rain was in the area during the time of the crash.
Rare high risk on Christmas Eve
High risk flooding events are incredibly significant: High risks are issued on fewer than 4% of days per year on average, but are responsible for more than 80% of all flood-related damage and 36% of all flood-related deaths, WPC research shows.
Rainfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour at times into Wednesday evening and potentially again on Thursday. That’s more than enough to trigger dangerous flash flooding and life-threatening debris flows on recent burn scars, including from January’s Eaton and Palisades fires.
The scorched ground of these scars repels water instead of absorbing it, quickly turning rain into a surge of floodwater that pulls mud and debris with it.
Washington deploys more troops to Caribbean
RT
The US is reportedly expanding its military posture near Venezuela by deploying additional forces to the Caribbean amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
The movements include special operations aircraft and military transport planes, the newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing US officials and open-source flight tracking data. According to the report, the deployments are intended to provide Washington with additional options for potential action against Venezuela, although no specific operation has been announced publicly.
The outlet reported that at least ten CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft linked to US special operations units have flown into the Caribbean from bases in the continental US. Several C-17 cargo aircraft also reportedly transported troops and equipment to Puerto Rico on Monday, according to US officials cited by the paper.
US Southern Command has declined to comment on the reported troop movements, citing operational security concerns. The White House and the Department of War have not responded publicly to questions about the deployments.
The reported buildup comes as US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on the Venezuelan government, ordering a blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving the country. Trump has accused Caracas of “stealing” US energy assets and infrastructure and has warned that Venezuela would face “the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America” unless those assets are returned. He has refused to rule out air or land strikes.
Over the past week, the US has seized two Venezuelan oil tankers in international waters, claiming the vessels were operating in violation of Washington’s sanctions. Authorities in Caracas have denounced the seizures as “piracy” and have accused Trump of pursuing regime change in order to gain control of the country’s oil reserves.
Washington’s actions have drawn international condemnation, with Russia criticizing the tanker seizures and the US naval blockade of Venezuela, warning of “catastrophic consequences” for regional stability and maritime security. China has also urged restraint.
Israel prepares for Phase 2 trap in Gaza as Hamas resumes regime of terror
As the Trump administration intensifies pressure to transition to “Phase 2” of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, potentially as early as January, observers in Israel see no sign of Hamas disarming as the terror organization reestablishes its fundamentalist, murderous regime over the 47% of Gaza that it controls.
Despite multiple reports of international stabilization force preparations and Palestinian technocratic governments, the reality inside the Gaza Strip could not be more starkly different.
Hamas is actively rebuilding its regime of terror, refusing disarmament, and testing the IDF’s forward positions along the Yellow Line, which demarcates the areas of Gaza currently under Israeli control, leading to targeted Israeli airstrikes to enforce the terms of the truce.
The dissonance between the diplomatic vision in Washington and the security reality in Gaza was exposed in recent multiple incidents where terrorists breached the Yellow Line. One recent case was on Dec. 20, when Israel Defense Forces troops identified two terrorists crossing the line and approaching forces, posing an immediate threat.
The Israeli Air Force eliminated them. The following day, three separate incidents occurred where suspects crossed the line, causing the IAF to strike again to remove the threats.
According to an IDF official, Hamas is now focused on aggressively reasserting its sovereignty. The official, speaking to JNS, detailed how Hamas is exploiting the current pause to cement its control over the population, even as Hamas’s military-terrorist chain of command remains fractured.
“Most of what we are seeing regarding [Hamas] strengthening, improving, and preserving capabilities is mainly in the political,” the IDF official stated. “That is to say, they are trying very hard to strengthen and maintain their status vis-à-vis the Palestinian population, to show that they are still the sovereign and that they can still provide them with food and make donations to the needy and collect taxes.”
The military official explained that this effort is a calculated message to both the local population and the international community. “They are trying to tell the Palestinians, ‘You will not have anything better than us,’ even though the truth is clear to all of us,” he said. “And probably also to the international community, they are trying to signal, ‘We don’t need an international force; we can do it alone.’”
This effort by Hamas includes seizing control of aid distribution, creating headquarters for its men and appointing members to political roles, while the terror group’s military recovery is still in early stages.
“There is no one really holding the organization together right now militarily, but in the political world, they are trying hard,” the official assessed.
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