- [Announcer] This is CBN Newswatch.
- And thank you so much for joining us
for this first edition.
I'm Efrem Graham.
Ahead today, a major winterstorm will be heading
across the country bringing snow, ice
and cold temperatures from theSouthwest to the East Coast.
And a funeral service in Houston today
for former President George H.W. Bush
after Wednesday's emotionalservice in Washington, DC.
Plus, a look at Israel'slatest military actions
to take out terrortunnels to protect itself
against the terrorist group Hezbollah.
And how the Satanic templehas donated its own image
to go alongside a nativityscene at the Illinois capital.
All those stories andmuch more, ahead today
in this edition of Newswatch.
We want to begin though, with the nation.
Bracing for what forecasters say could be
a coast-to-coast winter weather event,
bringing extremely coldtemperatures, snow and ice.
Meteorologists arepredicting the storm system
which will move all theway from the Southwest
to the Mid-Atlantic couldaffect millions of people.
Depending on where ithits and the temperatures
at various areas, there could be
flooding, ice, snow andrain bringing power outages
and making life miserablefrom one side of the nation
to the other
with at least a dozen states getting snow
and another 20 moregetting very cold rain.
At the United NationsClimate Summit in Poland
the UN Secretary Generalis urging world leaders
to take the threat ofclimate change seriously.
Antonio Gutierrez saysbold action is needed
if nations are to preventa catastrophic rise
in temperatures beforethe end of the century.
But some anti-governmentprotesters in France
aren't buying it.
They launched massiveprotests and riots in Paris
to thwart the governmentplans to implement
a heavy carbon tax on gasoline.
That caused French President Macron
to cancel the taxincrease, at least for now.
Heritage FoundationEconomist, Steven Moore says,
a doom and gloom lobby ispushing the climate change
agenda in America and around the world.
- I estimate that the ClimateChange Industrial Complex,
and that's what we havetoday, is 10s and 10s
of billions of dollars tospread this doom and gloom.
We've created whole industriesof climate scientists
to come up with these
models that predict theworld is coming to an end.
- Senior InternationalCorrespondent Gary Lane
is following this storyfor us and joins us now.
So, Gary, what else didAntonio Gutierrez say about
the climate change?
- Well, he said what you'd expect, Efrem.
What he told people atthis summit in Poland is,
look, if we don't do something right away,
this is so urgent, if wedon't do something right away
to address climate change, we'regoing to see the polar caps
melting and then the sealevels rising and that will
destroy our shores and our coasts.
In addition to that,we'll see torrential rains
and flooding and also the
air pollution is going to cause a problem,
lead to death for people
in places like Beijing and elsewhere.
And also shortages ofwater around the world
that could lead to death.
And destruction, more doomand gloom, as Moore said.
- How are world leaders responding?
- Well, world leadersare pushing back a bit.
The host of the summit isthe Polish President Duda.
And what Polish President said is look,
we've got 80 percent ofour energy here in Poland
comes from coal.
That's where we get our energy.
And despite the fact thatthis is a carbon fuel,
guess what, we have reducedcarbon emissions by 30 percent.
So that's a pushback from Poland.
Other leaders are a little concerned about
the effects of peoplelike in Paris, rioting,
when they try to addressthe climate change
by increasing the taxes on fuel
and people are pushing back.
They're saying wait aminute, this is too much.
We can't handle this.
- Yeah, as you said, peopleare indeed pushing back
in France, against this fuel tax increase.
What do Americans think about it?
- Well, our gasoline is very low.
As a matter of fact, aroundthe Thanksgiving holiday
we had some very record low levels,
at least for this year.
And most Americans are saying look,
we believe that there is a problem.
We don't think we're goingto see it in our lifetimes.
But, they do believe, dependingon which party you're in
Efrem, if you're a Democrat,87 percent of Democrats
say, yes, we think thathumans have something
to do with this climate change.
Only 40 percent of Republicanssay the same thing.
So there is mixed reaction, polarization
in America on that as thereare on many other issues.
But really I think alot of people just say,
okay, this coolingwe're feeling right now,
the cold temperatures,probably from the sun spots,
lack of activity from the sun right now.
- Alright, Gary Lane, thankyou so much for that report.
A funeral service willbe held today for former
President George H.W.Bush at Saint Martin's
Episcopal Church in Houstonwhere the 41st president
and his family worshiped.
People lined us Wednesdaynight to pay their respects
to Bush followingWednesday's emotional funeral
at the National Cathedral in Washington.
CBN White House Correspondent, Ben Kennedy
brings us this look atthe powerful farewell.
(funeral music)
- [Ben] From the Capitol Hill steps
to the halls of the NationalCathedral and beyond.
- I believe in God, the Father Almighty
creator of heaven and earth.
- [Ben] The country honoredthe nation's 41st president,
George Herbert Walker Bush.
George W. Bush deliveredthe eulogy for his father,
the last person he spoketo before passing away.
- I said, Dad, I love you
and you've been a wonderful father.
And the last words he wouldever say on earth were,
I love you too.
- [Ben] Seated in the frontrow, alongside the Bush
family was President Trumpand first lady, Melania Trump,
along with former Presidents Barack Obama,
Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
(orchestral Friends)
♪ Friends forever if theLord's the Lord of them. ♪
- [Ben] Christian recordingartist, Michael W. Smith,
a longtime friend ofthe family sang Friends.
♪ Though it's hard to let you go ♪
♪ In the Father's hands we know ♪
- It means somethingbecause I've been friends
with him for 29 years.
And so the fact that he wantedme to sing at his funeral
it's just a honor beyond words, really is.
- Smith recalled seeing President Bush
a mere month before he passed away.
- As we were leaving,we just gave him a hug
and says hey, we love you, we love.
Thanks, just so good to see you.
And then about the time we were,
he kind of get hislittle finger in the air,
and he had that little sparkle in his eye.
He said, friends are friends forever.
That's what he said. It'sthe last thing he said to us.
- [Ben] And now you're singing Friends.
- Crazy.
And Deb and I walkedout of there thinking,
you know what, that might be the last time
that we see him.
- [Ben] Reverend Dr.Russell Levenson was with
the former president in his final days
and shared a moment hewitnessed between Bush
and his former Secretaryof State, James Baker,
a man he called his little brother.
- Secretary Baker was at thefoot of the President's bed.
And toward the end, JimBaker rubbed and stroked
the President's feet forperhaps half an hour.
The President smiled at thecomfort of his dear friend.
Here I witnessed a worldleader who was serving
a servant who had been our world's leader.
And what came to mind, was Jesus.
- The 94 year old servedhis country as President,
Vice-President, World War IIveteran and even CIA Director.
He guided the US through the Gulf War
and the breakup of the Soviet Union.
- He stood in the breech against tyranny
and discrimination and on his watch,
a wall fell in Berlin.
A dictator's aggression did not stand.
- [Ben] But one of his proudest moments
was that of a husband and father.
Married more than sevendecades to Barbara,
their marriage would bring six children,
including George whofollowed in Dad's footsteps
as the country's 43rd President.
- A great and noble man, the best father
a son our daughter could have.
And in our grief, quitea smile knowing that Dad
is hugging Robin
and holding Mom's hand again.
- Now, former PresidentBush is only the 19th person
to be honored with a state funeral.
His casket is in Houston,Texas for a service
and he'll be buriednext to his wife Barbara
and his daughter Robin whodied at just three years old.
Ben Kennedy, CBN News, the White House.
- In just a few minutes we'll hear from
a speech writer for formerPresident George W. Bush
about the legacy of hisfather, the late President
George Herbert Walker Bush.
Here now are a few of the headlines
we're following for you todayinside the CBN Newsroom.
Illinois capital rotundahas a brand new Christmas
display this year.
Alongside the nativityscene and Hanukkah Menorah
stands an arm holdingan apple with a snake
coiled around it.
The unusual sculpture called Snaketivity.
It was donated by the Satanic Temple.
The piece also has a sign that says,
knowledge is the world's greatest gift.
Lex Manicore, a leader andspokesperson for the group
told the State Journal-Registerthe arm represents
Eve in the Garden ofEden where Adam and Eve
disobeyed God by eatingfrom the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil.
He says his group sees Satanas a hero in that story
for spreading knowledge.
He added the group does not worship Satan
or believe he exists,but sees the fallen angel
as a metaphor for rebellion in the face
of religious tyranny.
Churches in Austin,Texas may soon be forced
to hire LGBT employees if acity ordinance is implemented.
The city says it guarantees, quote,
"the opportunity for eachperson to obtain employment
"without regard to race,color, religion, sex,
"sexual orientation, genderidentity, national origin,
"age or disability."
The Houston based US PastorCouncil and the group
Texas Values is suing the city.
They both argue theordinance forces churches
to go against their biblical beliefs.
The search for people unaccounted for
after the deadliest USwildfire in at least a century
is winding down in Northern California.
There are 11 names left on the list
that once had 13,000 names.
Called the Camp Fire, theblaze burned for 17 days
killing 85 people andscorching more than 153,000
acres of land.
Paradise, Californiawas virtually destroyed
by the flames, but thiscross from Our Savior
Lutheran Church was not destroyed.
Pastor Brandon Meritposted it in the heart
of the tragedy and the story of the cross
is still being told.
Part of his message read,
"For me, this picture isnot just a heartbreaking
"reminder of what canhappen to things and people
"of this world, this is our one true hope
"in the midst of tragedy
"that cannot be destroyed by anything.
"God is with us."
Today, on CBN's Faith Nationwe're gonna take a look
at how politics can getback to a place of civility
in today's highly charged climate.
That's on Faith Nation at 6pm on the CBN News Channel.
Can America still have a future?
That is the subject we'relooking at on tonight's
Global Lane Program onthe CBN News Channel.
(swoosh)
- I'm Gary Lane.
Are America's best days ahead
or are we headed for disaster?
WallBuilders President David Barton says
it depends on the choices wemake in eduction and morality.
Barton says right now, three quarters
of Americans youngpeople no longer believe
in moral absolutes.
(swoosh)
- When there is no right and wrong
then you're polarized.
The thing we had at the Great Depression
was you didn't have crime outbreaks
even though there was Depression poverty
because everybody stillbelieved the 10 Commandments
and you believed the GoldenRule and you believed
the Good Samaritan.
We don't have that moral foundation today.
(swoosh)
- And it was full speedahead for the American
economy this year.
We'll talk to StevenMoore for his prediction
on what you and yourfamily can expect in 2019.
Watch these segments andmore on this week's episode
of the Global Lanetonight at 9:30 pm Eastern
on the CBN News Channel.
(swoosh)
- And a quick reminder, as Gary just said,
you can see the Global Lanetonight at 9:30 Eastern
on the CBN News Channel.
(swoosh)
Up next, across the country
as the country remembersPresident George H.W. Bush,
we're gonna hear someinsights about his legacy
from a former speechwriter for his son,
President George W. Bush.
We're gonna have thatinterview when we come back.
(tense music)
- God Almighty is a God of blessing.
He always want to bless his people.
But how do you get that blessing
and what principleswill unlock that secret?
- [Announcer] In Miraculous Blessings
Pat Robertson shows youhow to open the floodgates
of God's awesome blessings in your life.
- In order to have a blessingyou've got to be blessable.
- [Announcer] Discoverwhat the Bible has to say
about God's covenant of blessing,
the laws of blessing andwhat are the hindrances
to the blessings of God?
- The words of Jesus
they are as valid as the law of gravity
and if we follow thoselaws, we will be blessed.
- [Announcer] You'llsee amazing true stories
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- But even the doctors acknowledged that
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- [Announcer] Call 1-800-700-7000
or visit CBN.com to become a CBN partner
and get Miraculous Blessings today.
(dramatic music)
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there are morethan 148 million orphans
in the world today, 148 million?
But it was three littlegirls that taught me
about the plight or orphans.
My husband and I spent nearlya month immersed in the
daily activities of a Ukrainian orphanage
as we waited to adopt three sisters.
I saw firsthand the utterloneliness, the pain
of rejection and theoverwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changed me forever.
And out of it grew aministry from my heart
called Orphan's Promise.
Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes.
They're being educated, andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to joinwith me and become family
to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now
because every child deservesthe chance to be happy.
- As we shared earlier, yousaw people across the country
and the world honoring former
President George H.W. Bush Wednesday.
They bid a final farewell
during a National Cathedral Service.
The beloved former Presidenttouched numerous lives
and left an unforgettable legacy.
CBN's Heather Sells spokewith Rob Schwarzwalder
of Regent University.
He's a former speechwriterfor George W. Bush.
He shared some insights about how
George H.W. Bush's impact will live on.
- This funeral, the tributethat his son paid to him,
what are your thoughts on that?
- I don't think howanybody can not be moved
by watching a devoted son say farewell
to his father and to hear the
obvious love and loyaltythat came through.
There's nothing feigned,nothing fake about that.
- Right, and it's so interestingbecause here you have
two of the most incredibly powerful men
and yet when it came down to it,
it's really their family relationship that
they're reflecting on.
- People ask what George H.W.Bush will be remembered for.
And I think we could say the same thing
of President George W. Bush.
Both of them are deeplycommitted to their families.
Family is central.
In the nation's capital,in the Capitol Dome,
the quarry of Bushchildren and grandchildren
and great-grandchildren was huge.
These are people whodeeply loved their father,
great-grandfather, grandfather.
That kind of commitment issomething that's genuine.
It comes from the heart.
And that's a real tribute to him.
- And it's such a blessingfor our country really.
Let me ask you, so you
were doing speech writingfor George W. Bush.
But it sounds like youalso saw the imprint of his
father on his Presidency.
Talk about that.
- I think there are a couple of things.
One is that neither mantook himself too seriously.
Both of them had the abilityto laugh at themselves.
We heard during the funeral service
several speakers talkabout his sense of humor.
At the same time, theybrought great dignity
to the office because althoughthey didn't take themselves
personally, they took thePresidency with great seriousness.
They understood that the stakes were high.
There was no room forthe kind of moral lapse
that we have seen inother Administrations.
They wanted to stay the course faithfully
for the Americans peopleand as a testimony
to their own families and uphold
that sense of dignity thatreally seems to characterize
the Bush family.
- That's really beautiful.
The farewell from formerSenator Bob Dole yesterday
is getting a lot of attention.
The 95 year old washelped from his wheelchair
to stand and salute his longtime colleague
and fellow World War II veteran.
What do you see as thelegacy or the impact
of that military servicethat George H.W. Bush had
on his administration of the country?
- [Rob] I think he went intoconflict with a real sense
that people are actually affected by this.
This isn't something out of a novel
or out of movie.
His two crewman on hisAvenger flight were killed.
He was the only one who survived.
He almost got captured by the Japanese.
Two of their boats wereactually coming in his direction
before he was rescued.
So he understood the stakes.
He knew that sending Americans into combat
was as serious as it gets.
So when he did initiate
our efforts to get SaddamHussein out of Kuwait,
he did that with a mindfulness.
They need to be the bestequipped, the best trained,
the best led servicepersonnel in the world.
And that was a realtribute to his commitment
to excellence in military leadership.
- Wow, well a lot we can learn.
How do you think historywill remember him?
What do you think will be theimprint that he will leave?
- I think calm statesmanshipin the midst of a storm.
The other day, Angela Merkel,the Chancellor of Germany
said he was one of the fathersof German reunification.
He kept a steady hand.
He let everyone knowAmerica will be strong,
America will do its best for our country.
Along with that, we willmake sure that the rest
of the world is as safe aplace it can be for everyone.
That's a tremendous legacyfor any president to leave.
- Right, Rob Schwarzwalder, thanks so much
for your time.
- Thank you.
(swoosh)
- [Efrem] Still ahead, howthe Israeli Defense Forces
are destroying tunnelsthat the terrorist group
Hezbollah could have used to capture parts
of the Jewish State.
We're gonna have that story from Jerusalem
when we come back.
(tense music)
- [Announcer] Parents,the Superbook Bible app
is a great way to get yourchild reading the Bible
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The free Superbook Bible app has fun stuff
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Jesus said it, I came to give you life.
Life to the fullest, life in your family.
Life in your finances, lifein your body, mind and spirit.
(chatter)
Life in your every day.
(pleasant music)
At CBN.com we're takingwhat Jesus said seriously.
(pleasant music)
We're to help you discover life.
Life,
live it fully.
CBN.com
(pleasant music)
- We had four jobs that didn't go right
but we didn't waver in our faith.
- That's when God put on my heart that we
needed to do the well.
- [Husband] Within a coupleof days, we got an insurance
refund check that we hadno idea it was coming.
- And here we are, this yearit's just booming. (laughing)
- You go out and help other people and
you get rewarded for it.
- [Announcer] Get PatRobertson's latest teaching,
Miraculous Blessings.
- And welcome back.
Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu says
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran
was planning to use tunnels to carry out
a deadly infiltration and capture parts
of Galilee in Northern Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces
continue to expose anddestroy those terror tunnels.
Here's CBN Middle EastBureau Chief, Chris Mitchell,
with that story from Jerusalem.
- [Chris] These are Hezbollah operatives
making their way through an attack tunnel
that begins in Lebanon andcontinues inside Israel.
The IDF distributed thefootage showing the men
approaching a hidden IDF camera.
An explosion and the men running away.
- These cross border terror tunnels
were built by Hezbollahwith the direct support
and funding from Iran.
They were built with one purpose in mind,
to attack and murder innocent
Israeli men, women and children.
This is a grave violationof Israel's sovereignty.
- [Chris] According tothe IDF, this tunnel
begins in the Lebanesevillage of Kafr Kila.
It's about 650 feet long, including
about 120 feet inside Israel
and is about 80 feet deep.
This IDF graphic shows howthe tunnel crosses the border.
Israel announced it hadbegun what it's calling
Operation Northern Shield on Tuesday
and went into action to expose the tunnels
along its northern border.
This footage shows how closethe Lebanese population
lives to the border andjust how well they can see
what's going on inside Israel.
On the Israeli side,agricultural fields and orchards
flank the border.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said
he had a message forthe people of Lebanon.
- Hezbollah is puttingyour lives in danger.
They're sacrificingyour wellbeing to serve
the aggressive purposes of Iran.
Israel holds the Lebanesegovernment accountable
for all terror activityemanating from Lebanon
against Israel.
- [Chris] Since the endof the Second Lebanon War
in 2006, UN Resolution1701 required UN forces
to essentially maintaina Hezbollah free zone
next to the border.
But Israel's Ambassador tothe UN, Danny Danon said
the UN's forces in Lebanonaren't doing the job.
- UN's mission is toprevent a buildup of arms
and military infrastructurein Southern Lebanon.
Clearly it is not doing enough.
- [Chris] Danon calledon the UN to condemn
Hezbollah's actions.
- Israel has no interest in escalation.
But we will do whatever it takes to defend
our sovereignty and our citizens.
The Security Council mustcondemn this terrorist threat.
- [Chris] So farHezbollah hasn't responded
to the Israeli operation.
In the meantime, Israelis continuing to expose
and destroy the tunnelsin an operation expected
to last a few weeks.
Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem.
- And still ahead, whatwas the most popular online
Bible verse in 2018?
We're gonna have theanswer when we come back.
Stay with us.
(tense music)
(majestic music)
- [Pat] When you give
smiles grow bigger.
When you care
homes are happier.
When you comfort
the hurt goes away.
When we all come together to love
miracles happen.
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there aremore than 148 million
orphans in the world today, 148 million?
But it was three little girls that taught
me about the plight of orphans.
My husband and I spent nearly a month
immersed in the dailyactivities of a Ukrainian
orphanage as we waitedto adopt three sisters.
I saw firsthand the utter loneliness,
the pain of rejection
and the overwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changed me forever.
And out of it grew aministry from my heart
called Orphan's Promise.
Today we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes.
They're being educated andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to joinwith me and become family
to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now
because every child deservesa chance to be happy.
- Hello, is this thing on?
Hey kids, do you love
games? (cheering)
And do you love discovering things? (boom)
Yeah.
Well, do ya? (cheering)
- [Announcer] Then you're gonna love this.
It's the new freeSuperbook kids Bible app.
You can play games, watchvideos, find answers
to your questions and a whole lot more.
The new Superbook Kid's Bible App.
Free downloads available oniTunes and Google Play now.
- [Announcer] Bring home amiracle this holiday season
with Superbook's newestepisode, Jesus Feeds the Hungry.
- [Character] I've neverseen a miracle this great.
- [Announcer] SuperbookJesus Feeds the Hungry,
yours when you join the Superbook Club.
And if you act by December31st you'll receive
three copies of The FirstChristmas as our way
of saying thanks.
Plus call now to receivethree copies of the
all new Superbook funfilled activity book.
Jesus Feeds the Hungry, available. Now.
- The most popular onlineBible verse of this year
comes from the Book of Isaiah.
That is according tothe Youversion Bible app
which says that Isaiah 41 and ten
was the most shared bookmarkand highlighted verse
of 2018 among its 350 millionusers around the world.
The verse reads
"Don't be afraid for I am with you.
"Don't be discouraged for I am your God.
"I will strengthen you and help you.
"I will hold you up withmy victorious right hand.
The Youversion Bible app, by the way,
has more than 1800versions in 1250 languages.
And Bible reading inthe app is on the rise
on several continents.
You can find out moreabout which countries are
seeing the most growth in Bible reading
by checking out this story at CBNNews.com.
Well time now for your Thursday Thankful
and I hope you will join me in this prayer
of gratitude today.
God I thank you for my flaws.
And while I may magnify them,
you don't see them, you see me
for who I can be in you.
With that prayer of gratitude,I hope you will make today
indeed, a thankful Thursday.
Well that will do it for thisedition of CBN Newswatch.
Remember that you can always find more
of our exclusive coverage of the issues
you care most about at CBNNews.com.
And we would love toknow what you think about
the stories that you've seen here today.
You can do that byemailing Newswatch@CBN.com.
And of course you canalways touch us on Facebook,
on Twitter as well as Instagram.
While this concludes thisnewscast, remember the news
continues 24/7 at CBNNews.com.
We're updating it for you 24/7.
Hope you'll join us againright here next time.
Make this a thankful Thursday.
We'll see you tomorrow.
(tense music)
