Jim began the program by sharing a couple stories on how Christmas is under attack. No matter how hard you try, you can't cancel Christmas. He then shared the fulfillment of prophecy given hundreds of years before Christ, followed by several Scriptures which lay out the the birth of Christ and the reason for which He came. For the remainder of the program, phone lines were opened to give listeners an opportunity to share a brief thought as to what makes this time of year special to them - perhaps a word of testimony, a verse of Scripture, a Christmas carol or a brief Christmas greeting.

Shahram Hadian is the founder of Truth in Love Ministry. He is a Christian pastor and a former Muslim. Shahram was born in Iran and came to America in 1978 to escape an oppressive Islamic regime and committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1999. He has an extensive background not only as a pastor, but also is a former police officer, teacher, coach and servant leader in his community. Despite consistent attacks upon Jews and Christians around the world (infidels), Islam is claiming to be the victim and that the real problem is Islamophobia. Recent strong statements from individuals such as Congressman Randy Fine and Senator Tommy Tuberville have no doubt fueled the fire. The solution that's being called for is a unified definition of Islamophobia that includes insults to their prophet, their sacred symbols and those holding to a perspective that is in opposition to Islam. As Shahram noted in his comments dealing with the recent Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia, the reaction by the government shows they are more afraid of the jihadists within their borders than they are the Christians or Jews who aren't going around blowing things up. This is why when you hear terms like "Islamist," "Radical Islam" or "extremism," these are attempts at deflection in order to create the false narrative that there's a peaceful version of Islam, which 1,400 years of history has proven false. Shahram also indicated that it can be proven Islamic Sharia Law, as a legal system, violates the tenets of the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights. If this fact alone is ignored, it opens the door wide open to the advancement of Islam with no opposition.

Dr. David Saxon, professor of Church History at Maranatha Baptist University, tells the story of Andrew Fuller, an English Baptist pastor and missions supporter, to Randy Melchert

Here's a selection of stories Jim presented during the first half-hour of this edition of the News Round-Up & Comment program: --Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, released a video on Tuesday evening announcing immediate changes to directives given to military chaplains. He described the original intent of chaplains, that they are to be the spiritual and the moral backbone of our nation's forces. Jim provided audio from the secretary. --This past Wednesday, Pete Hegseth hosted the first ever Pentagon Christmas worship service. Jim provided audio from U.S. Navy Admiral and Chaplain, Carey Cash. --Authorities have identified the suspect in Saturday's mass shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine injured during a finals week review session as the same man believed to have carried out the murder of a renowned nuclear scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. --Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of a felony charge of obstruction by a jury yesterday in a case involving the judge's actions related to the defendant in her court that ICE officials were attempting to arrest outside the courtroom. --House Republicans successfully passed a premium-slashing health care package on Wednesday, overcoming a late breaking revolt from House GOP moderates. --Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined Tuesday to rule out triggering another government shutdown as Democrats press Republicans to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. --President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act yesterday authoring some 901 billion dollars in military and national security programs for fiscal year 2026.

Gary Kah is founder and director of Hope for the World. Gary is Editor of Hope for the World Update. He is an author and former Europe & Middle East Trade Specialist for the Indiana State Government. Globalists have an agenda that casts aside national sovereignty, private property rights and individual freedom. In other words, they have a lust for worldwide control over nearly every facet of your life. The goal is a one-world system economically, politically and even spiritually. In order to craft this effort, regular meetings are being held by the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and other globalist bodies. Gary monitors this agenda and he presented listeners with an update concerning the following: Pope Leo's brother supposedly is a strong MAGA Republican. Will this cause Trump to get "cozy" with the Pope?...the increase in hate toward anything Jewish or Christian...Zohran Mamdani and socialism in the United States...the economy and our debt...digital currency plans...and much more! It's always an information-packed program when Gary is the guest so there will be a lot to take in when you review this edition of Crosstalk.

Dr. Nathan Jones is director of internet outreach and is co-host of Christ in Prophecy at Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a media evangelist harnessing radio, television, internet and print to spread the Gospel. He's an author and holds a Doctor of Religious Studies in Evangelistic Apologetics. This Crosstalk looks at his book, The Coming Millennial Kingdom. The Bible teaches us that the earth's failed, flawed, human system will one day end when the Prince of Peace returns at His second coming to install and establish His kingdom (the millennial kingdom) which will go on into eternity. However, in our day as we wrestle with a failed human government, we must also continue to deal with the problem of sin that's behind it all. In order to see the broader picture that the Bible presents concerning the move toward the millennial kingdom, Dr. Jones starts from the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Moving on, he discusses other aspects such as the gathering of Israel, the reign of Christ, the millennial kingdom itself, the millennial temple, what happens at the end of the millennium and much more. So if Bible prophecy is of interest to you, don't miss this edition of Crosstalk!

Dr. Gary Frazier is founder and president of Discovery Missions International, an equipping ministry. He is a former pastor, a respected speaker on Bible prophecy and the author of 15 books. He returned to Crosstalk to discuss his book, Hell is for Real: Why It Matters. Early on Gary mentioned how many people never ponder their own mortality. He gave an example involving George Barna, the highly respected survey expert. He discovered that 76% of Americans surveyed said they believe there is a heaven. 71% believe there is a hell. The problem is that only one half of one percent believe that they will go there; that it's only for terrible people. So the criteria that is used to determine where someone will spend eternity has been flawed. Getting the right criteria means dealing with certain questions and answering them biblically. Gary does just that as he deals with the following difficult questions related to this vital subject: What does it take to get to heaven? What does it take to get to hell? Are there some pastors that are giving out wrong information when it comes to hell? How does the Bible describe hell? Why would our loving God create such a place? What does it mean to "perish"?

In Germany's Reformation church, Hitler's regime co-opted the church under Mueller, while Bonhoeffer and Niemöller resisted, showing moral courage and warning that true faith demands standing for truth over conformity.

Phillip Bliss and his wife were headed from their home in Rome, Pennsylvania, to Chicago to reunite with the evangelist D. L. Moody. On December 29th, 1876, their train, the Pacific Express was crossing a trestle bridge near Ashtabula, Ohio. The bridge collapsed, and the train cars fell into the ravine. In that day, each train car had a stove to heat the vehicle, and with the fall the train cars eventually caught fire. While Bliss initially survived, he went for his wife, and neither survived. This was the greatest loss of life in a train crash to date, and known to history as the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster. The human remains were moved to Chestnut Grove cemetery and buried in a mass grave. In his baggage was found the words to the hymn, I Will Sing of My Redeemer and His Wondrous Love to Me, set to music after his death.

Usama Dakdok is founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He's the speaker on Revealing the Truth About Islam. Born and raised in Egypt, Usama learned about Islam just as every other student does in a Muslim country. He studied for a university degree in Egypt which included the study of Sharia. He came to America in 1992. With his knowledge of Islam, he founded The Straight Way of Grace Ministry. Usama speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Qur'an into English. He's the author of Exposing the Truth about the Qur'an and Exposing the Truth About Jihad and the booklets, The Violent Truth about Islam and The Straight Way to Eternal Life. Usama travels the country to equip the church to minister to Muslims and to warn Americans about the deceptive methods being used that lead many into the cult of Islam. Since late last week, multiple Islamic terror attacks have taken place in various places around the world including Brown University, in Syria, Amsterdam, Germany and Australia. When it comes to such attacks, one organization to watch out for is the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Usama, the Muslim Brotherhood originated as a revival movement in Egypt. So they are members of Egypt, leaders of the mosque, are very scholarly, they study the Qur'an and they adhere to the roots of their beliefs. In other words, there's nothing "radical" about them as they simply follow the core teachings that comprise Islam. There's much more to hear, including Usama's comments regarding the attack on Jews in Sydney, Australia, where 15 individuals were killed. The attack is being called, "Hanukkah Horror."