Celebrating Good News and Great Joy this Christmas

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” ~ Luke 2:10

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with our families and friends, I am grateful that I’ve been able to share much good news with all the supporters of the ACLJ this year.

This past year our dedicated legal efforts, while some having taken years, yielded many great victories for liberty, persecuted Christians around the world, and the fight for life.

For almost 2 years we represented American Pastor Andrew Brunson who was wrongfully imprisoned in Turkey because of his Christian faith. Pastor Andrew was forced to endure a sham trial on charges of “Christianization” and faced 35 years – essentially the rest of his life – in a Turkish prison.

This year through our legal efforts and the prayers and support of ACLJ members, he is free and will celebrate Christmas at home in America with his loved ones.

For over four years, we fought for the life of Asia Bibi, the innocent Christian mother of 5 convicted in 2010 under Pakistan’s archaic blasphemy laws, and sentenced to hang. This year the prayers of her children were answered when Pakistan’s Supreme Court granted her appeal and overturned her death sentence due to the lack of evidence.

But this Christmas we must also remember the persecuted Christians who are still suffering. Pastor John Cao is a U.S. permanent resident who we are fighting to free from wrongful imprisonment in China. Others – like Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani imprisoned in Iran and Christian teen Leah Sharibu who refuses to recant her faith and is held captive by Boko Haram in Nigeria – face some of the worst persecution imaginable. They are all separated from their loved ones, forced to celebrate Christmas in the darkest of situations. We must pray for them and continue to be there voice.

Perhaps other than Bethlehem, no other city has such a strong connection to our risen Savior than Jerusalem. This year I had to privilege to be in that holy city on the day the U.S. Embassy finally opened its doors, recognizing Jerusalem as the one true capital of Israel.

It was the culmination of a dream I’ve personally spent decades working to see come true.

At Christmas, perhaps more than ever, we recognize our moral obligation to fight without ceasing to save unborn babies, as it was the birth of a baby who saved all of us.

2018 saw major victories in our ongoing battle to defend life.

When California tried to force pro-life pregnancy centers to promote taxpayer funded abortions, we took the case all the way to the Supreme Court and won a monumental victory. Now we’re able to take this victory and block laws aimed at shutting down these lifesaving centers nationwide.

Now, this Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, these centers are able to fulfill their mission and minister to women in need and their precious babies – giving the greatest gift, the gift of life.

While it’s not necessarily a traditional Christmas verse, in Galatians the Bible also tells us to “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

We will not give up. The victories we have achieved this year, seeing prisoners set free and lives – born and unborn – saved have been some of the greatest gifts we’ve ever received.

From my family and everyone at the ACLJ, I want thank you for your steadfast support and prayers, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

May God continue to bless you and your loved ones in the new year.