Isaiah 9:6

The Christmas rush is here. There are plans to make, gifts to buy, and parties to attend. Sometimes these activities leave us exhausted and cranky-instead of peace and joy, we may feel inner churning because there’s too much to do. Or perhaps this time of the year brings nothing but sad memories and loneliness. Unrealistic expectations and conflicts with loved ones often leave us depressed and discouraged.

How can Jesus be our Prince of Peace when our expectations and traditions fight against the tranquility we desire? To understand why Jesus was given this title, we must first understand what it means. First of all, God’s Son did not come to do away with all conflicts-not yet, anyway. One day He will return to earth and rule as King in an environment of external harmony, but that was not the purpose of His first coming. So while we’re on earth, we’ll have trouble (John 16:33). more >>

GOP candidate Newt Gingrich again made it clear this week that a gay’s right to marry a same-sex partner is not his issue, but it is still unclear whether the former House Speaker is defending marriage on the grounds of religious freedom.

When Scott Arnold, an associate professor of writing at William Penn University and a homosexual, approached Gingrich Dec. 20 and asked the former Speaker how gay Americans could support him in his bid for the presidency, he got a rather blunt answer: perhaps they shouldn’t.

Gingrich followed up by saying: “I think those for whom the only issue that really matters is the definition of marriage, I won't get their support. I accept that as reality.” more >>

Google’s anti-competition practices are a cause for concern for the Senate’s Antitrust Subcommittee and the National Religious Broadcasters, which claims the search engine is violating free speech.

Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), both members of the Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, urged the Federal Trade Commission in a Monday letter to investigate Google Inc.’s practices regarding competition.

The letter expressed concern that the search engine has switched from simply identifying Web pages that are most relevant to users’ queries without bias to producing results that blatantly favors its own products. more >>

Is government too big? ABC's “This Week” hosted a debate on that question Sunday.

“It's no coincidence that government spending has hit record levels while people's trust in government has hit record lows,” House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said. “Too much government inevitably leads to bad government.”

But limited government is not the same as no government, he added. Ryan still argued for a government that would perform some basic functions well. “Those of us who believe in limited government also believe in effective government.” more >>

The death of Kim Jong-il has many wondering about the future of Christianity in North Korea, and the implications it could have on the underground church there.

Colorado-based mission organization Seoul USA isn’t very hopeful that persecution for Christians will decrease. Chief Operations Officer Matt Dubois told The Christian Post that he doesn’t expect to see any big changes, and that there will be continued persecution. It might even get worse as Kim Jong-un, the late dictator’s son, consolidates his new power.

Regardless, Seoul USA hopes to continue its work no matter what changes do come. North Korea still remains one of the most closed-off countries in the world to the Gospel. more >>

A Michigan woman filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a public high school district and a teacher who allegedly kicked the woman’s son out of class for his religious beliefs regarding homosexuality.

The lawsuit, based on an Oct. 20, 2010, incident at a high school in the Howell Public School District, alleges that teacher Johnson McDowell asked student Daniel Glowacki, then 16, to leave his economics class when the Catholic teen shared that he did not support gays due to the teachings of his faith.

It was anti-bullying Spirit Day in the school district, and students were allowed to express their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who are negatively targeted due to their sexuality. more >>