Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'm off for my holiday break and wanted to wish you all a happy and joyous Christmas. I know that the news we link to here is often grim but I'm sure that most of you who visit this site are Christians who understand that beyond the headlines we know that God is sovereign and always in control. We know that this effort to be watchful has a purpose and a focus, and that focus is on Jesus Christ.

We watch the signs of His return, but this season is all about the First Coming, not the Second Coming, so as we turn to our families and friends to celebrate the holidays we offer thanks and praise to God and above all, celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
lyrics by Charles Wesley

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Rumors of War - Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Hezbollah chief vows to avenge commander's death
My Way News reports: "The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group says it is confident based on evidence it has that Israel was behind this month's assassination in Beirut of a senior Hezbollah commander. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech Friday to exact revenge."

Kings of the East

My Way News - Terrorism lawsuit clouds Chinese Israel visit
My Way News reports: "China's foreign minister paid a rare visit to Israel on Wednesday, reflecting the burgeoning trade ties between the two countries. But the trip was clouded by fresh accusations that Israel's prime minister had compromised the global war on terrorism under heavy Chinese pressure. [...] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made relations with China a priority."

Pestilence

My Way News - China says woman died from bird flu new to humans
My Way News reports: "Chinese authorities said Wednesday that a 73-year-old Chinese woman died after being infected with a bird flu strain that had sickened a human for the first time, a development that the World Health Organization called 'worrisome.'"

King of the North

My Way News - Putin: Russia to buy $15 billion in Ukraine bonds
My Way News reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday opened his wallet in the battle with the European Union over Ukraine's future, saying Moscow will buy $15 billion worth of Ukrainian government bonds and sharply cut the price of natural gas for its economically struggling neighbor."

Comment: Vlad is buying back the Russian Empire, EU showing political and economic weakness.  

Persecution

My Way News - Seizure of nuns stokes Syrian Christian fears
My Way News reports: "Syrian Christians offered prayers Sunday for a group of more than a dozen nuns and orphanage workers held by rebels for nearly a week, fueling fears in the minority community that they are being targeted by extremists among the fighters seeking to oust President Bashar Assad."

Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Comet ISON pronounced dead: Sun is chief suspect
My Way News reports: "The comet, which excited astronomers and the media as it zipped within 730,000 miles of the sun on Thanksgiving Day, was pronounced dead at a scientific conference Tuesday. Astronomers who had followed the ice ball mourned the loss of the sky show that once promised to light up during December."

Mark of the Beast

CNN - Embracing big brother: How facial recognition could help fight crime
CNN reports: "From fighting terrorism to processing payments in the blink of an eye, facial recognition is set to change our ideas on privacy. [...] A Finnish company, meanwhile, aims to streamline sales by using facial recognition technology for payments. Helsinki-based Uniqul has patented a system allowing payments to be made without wallets or smartphones."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Abbas aide lambasts US push for framework deal
My Way News reports: "A senior Palestinian official on Monday railed against U.S. attempts to broker a broad outline of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, saying Secretary of State John Kerry is breaking a promise to try to negotiate a final agreement in the current round of talks. The Palestinian leadership is concerned that such a framework deal will accommodate very specific Israeli security demands, while offering only vague promises to the Palestinians, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top aide to President Mahmoud Abbas."

Pestilence

My Way News - Hong Kong reports 2nd H7N9 bird flu case
My Way News reports: "Hong Kong reported its second human case of H7N9 bird flu just days after the first, raising fears that the virus is spreading beyond mainland China. The Health Department said late Friday that an 80-year-old man being treated for a chronic illness in the hospital was found to have the bird flu strain."

Global Government

My Way News - Jordan wins Security Council seat, replaces Saudis
My Way News reports: "The U.N. General Assembly elected Jordan to the Security Council on Friday to replace Saudi Arabia, which rejected the seat it won in an unprecedented act to protest the council's failure to end the Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. [...] The Security Council has five permanent members with veto power - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and 10 elected members who serve two-year terms. Since joining the world body in 1955, Jordan has held the seat twice before. It will join four other newcomers to the council on Jan. 1 - Chad, Nigeria, Lithuania and Chile."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - At halfway mark, Kerry's Mideast effort stumbles
My Way News reports: "Halfway through an ambitious nine-month process aimed at forging Mideast peace, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, after another round of shuttle diplomacy, has little to show for his efforts. The participants have reported no progress, a top Palestinian negotiator has resigned in frustration, and few believe Kerry can broker the comprehensive settlement set as his official goal."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Kerry to present security plan in Mideast visit
My Way News reports: "Secretary of State John Kerry will present the outlines of a West Bank security plan in meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, stepping up American involvement in hopes of reviving faltering Mideast peace efforts, U.S. officials said Wednesday."

Fear for the Future

My Way News - Federal study warns of sudden climate change woes
My Way News reports: "Hard-to-predict sudden changes to Earth's environment are more worrisome than climate change's bigger but more gradual impacts, a panel of scientists advising the federal government concluded Tuesday."

Rumors of War

My Way News - Israeli troops return fire after attack from Syria
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military says its troops have come under attack from Syria and have fired back in retaliation. The military says a mortar round landed on the Israeli side of the frontier Monday and then gunfire targeted an Israeli patrol. There were no injuries on the Israeli side. The troops returned fire toward their attackers in Syria."