HEARTBREAK! Wartime dampens Christmas celebrations in Nazareth; Arab Christian prays for ‘better days’

During tense times like this, Yasmeen Mazzawi an Arab Christian, said she cannot help but reflect on Matthew 24:6, in which Jesus says, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." In this verse, Jesus is instructing His followers that this life will be filled with violence, chaos and unrest, but that does not, in itself, mean that the end is near. There are events that are part of God's unfolding plan for the earth, and turmoil and disasters will persist until the Lord makes everything new. "These events are part of a larger picture," Mazzawi said about the Bible verse in relation to the ongoing conflicts in Israel. "It's a call not to lose heart, to hold onto hope and to continue to serve, even when things seem uncertain, and to pray."