Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)

There are gifts that you may receive this year that soon will be out of date or out of fashion. Some gifts, however, only grow in value over time. Maybe it’s a family heirloom that you received a long time ago, and it has become even more precious to you now.

God has given us a gift, and it never goes out of style. It’s the gift of all gifts: salvation. If you are a Christian, then you already carry this gift in your heart. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).

While this gift brings with it the hope of Heaven and the hope of eternal life, there are aspects of it that we can enjoy now. One of them is justification. The Bible says, “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).

The word justify has a twofold meaning. First, it carries the idea of the forgiveness of all our sin. Maybe you’ve been mulling over your sin and you’re troubled by it. If you have asked God to forgive you of that sin and have repented of it, then He has forgiven you.

God has forgiven you of every sin that you have confessed and turned from. Accept that. Often we dig up those sins, go over them again and again, and beat ourselves up over them. Yet God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:12 NLT).

Here’s what we need to know: We should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget. God has forgiven our sins. That is part of the gift that God has given to each of us. But there is also the positive side of justification.

When God justifies us, He places the righteousness of Christ in our account. That balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We are declared righteous. This is not a gradual process; it’s something that happens immediately when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

And there is even more. Not only has God justified us, not only has He forgiven our sins and placed the righteousness of Christ into our account, but He also has adopted us into His family.

By adopting us, God is saying, “Don’t merely stand in awe of Me. Come close to Me. I want you to be My child. You have access to Me anytime.” What a great joy to know that we have been adopted into God’s family.

If all there was as a Christian was this life we have now with Jesus, it still would be worth it to be a Christian. But that isn’t all there is. It will get even better. The afterlife will be better than the “before life.” The best is yet to come.

That is God’s gift to you. Open it. Enjoy it. Love it.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!’ (Acts 13:23 NLT)

The shadow of the cross lay over the beauty of the first Christmas night. It was there from the very beginning. That is why red is the color of Christmas. It isn’t because Santa wears red or that we sometimes wrap our gifts in red. Red is the color of Christmas, because red is the color of the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross.

That is what Jesus came to do. He went voluntarily to the cross. Of course, He could have gotten out of it if He had chosen to, but Jesus laid down His life for us.

Jesus did not come so that we could go to endless Christmas events. He did not come to teach everyone how to be good or to love their neighbors, although these are good things to do. To the point, Jesus came to die an agonizing death and to ransom us from an eternal death sentence.

The story of Christmas doesn’t begin with the words “once upon a time,” though it has all the majesty and the magic of the greatest fairy tale you’ve ever heard. It has shepherds, angels, wise men from the East, and a bright, shining star. But it’s a real story pinpointed specifically in time.

Luke begins the Christmas story by telling us who is in power and what was going on at that particular moment in history. Luke was a physician by trade, and he was a stickler for detail. Everything in the world was in place for the arrival of the Messiah.

The Bible says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4–5 NLT).

When Christmas arrives and the gifts are opened, some of us will be very excited, and some of us will be a little disappointed. That’s because Christmas can’t deliver on its promises. Only Christ can.

What is Christmas at its best? At its best it is gathering with family and friends and perhaps enjoying a meal together. (And of course, worshipping together is one of the greatest things we could do on Christmas.) But these are glimpses of things to come.

In many ways, Christmas is a promise. It’s a glimpse of something greater. It’s a promise that has not been fully kept because it’s really not about Christmas; it’s about Christ.

That is what we’re really longing for—not Christmas but Christ; not merriment, but the Messiah; not goodwill, but God himself.

Put God first, not last. Don’t work Him into your busy schedule. Rather, put Him first in all things. Jesus won’t force His way into your life, but He would love to come and be a part of it. If you will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in everything you do, it will change everything about your life.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. (Micah 5:2 NLT)

God could have directed Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in many ways, but He chose to do it through a Roman emperor’s decree. Because Mary and Joseph both traced their ancestry back to King David, they went to the boyhood town of David, which was Bethlehem.

Joseph and Mary were in Nazareth, but God needed them in Bethlehem. Micah had prophesied, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf” (Micah 5:2 NLT).

Thus, God had a plan. We read in Luke’s Gospel, “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. . . . And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home… He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child” (2:1, 4–5 NLT).

This reminds us that ultimately, God is in control. World figures come and go. Dictators come and go. Kings, queens, prime ministers, and presidents come and go. But God moves people the way He wants to move them.

Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases” (NLT). Billy Graham once quoted, “Jesus is the hinge on which the door of history swings, the point at which eternity intersects with time, the Savior who redeems time by drawing all things to himself.”

Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. It was a difficult and dangerous journey, and when they finally arrived, they looked for a place to stay. But there was no room for them, which was indicative of the treatment Jesus received when He walked this earth.

Essentially Jesus was homeless. Yes, He would stay in the homes of people, but He also slept out under the stars on the Mount of Olives. We find this interesting verse in Luke: “Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives” (21:37 NLT).

The One who created Heaven and Earth, the One who said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home” (John 14:2 NLT), left His home in Heaven so that we, too, could have a home there.

It was all part of God’s plan for our Savior to be born in the humblest of settings. At the same time, the innkeeper missed out on an opportunity. The same thing can happen to us. We can be so busy shopping for Christmas and talking about Christmas that we can’t seem to find time to go to church or even take a moment to pray.

Jesus was born so that we could be born again. He left his home in Heaven to make a home in our hearts. We need to make room for Jesus, not only during this Christmas season but all year long.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. (Philippians 2:10 NLT)

Juliet asked Romeo, “What’s in a name?” And then she answered her own question: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

That might be nice if you’re a flower. But if you’re a person, you know that a name can indeed make a difference. Names are so significant that people even will go to court to have them changed.

So, what’s in a name? That all depends on whose name it is. If it’s the name of Jesus Christ, there’s a lot in that name. The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 NLT) and “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11 NLT).

Some may claim they never will bow before Jesus. But they will. Atheists will bow and agnostics will bow. Everyone will bow, no matter who they are, at the Great White Throne Judgment of Christ. But sadly, for those at this judgment, it will be too late. There will be no other chances of forgiveness.

That is why we want to bow now so that we’ll be ready to meet the Lord. Jesus wasn’t born in a stable in Bethlehem so that we could have an excuse to go shopping for a month. The message of the angels to the shepherds was not, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Therefore, go to the nearest mall and spend lots of money.”

Rather, they said He is the Savior of the world. This is good news for us. He was born to die that we might live—and not only live eternally, but live life to its fullest and discover the plan that God has for us.

Have you discovered that plan? Maybe you’re living under the power of a particular sin right now. Maybe some vice, lifestyle, or addiction has its stranglehold on you, and you’re trying to break free. God can deliver you from it.

Maybe you’ve felt all alone. There is an everlasting Father who wants to reveal Himself to you. Maybe you have walked blindly through life, not knowing where to go or what to do. There is a God who wants to give His personal counsel to you. Most importantly, He wants to forgive you of your sin.

Every one of us has broken God’s commandments. Every one of us has fallen short of His standards. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and then rose from the dead three days later. He is saying, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20 NLT).

When we look at all that God is and all that He offers to us, it should cause us to be amazed, surprised, astonished, and in awe. And it should cause us to worship Him.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NLT)

The story of Jesus coming into the world is not so much the story of a birth as it is the story of a gift. From Earth’s perspective, it was the entrance of Jesus into Planet Earth. But from Heaven’s perspective, it was the departure of Jesus Christ from Heaven.

Jesus is God. Therefore, He is eternal. He has always existed. But at just the right time, the Son of God came to this earth. The Bible says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law” (Galatians 4:4 NLT).

We need to remember that Jesus made a choice to leave the glory of Heaven and walk among us as a man. The very Son of God was born into the most unsanitary conditions imaginable, laid in a little bed of straw, and wrapped in pieces of cloth. This is how the Creator of the universe came to us in human form.

The first Christmas was not about a gift to a child; it was about the gift of a child.

Isaiah tells us, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6 NLT). Each word that Isaiah chose to describe Jesus gives us a different insight into His nature, character, purpose, and plan.

His name is Wonderful Counselor. That takes care of the dullness of life. We no longer have to settle for the cheap substitutes but instead can experience what God has for us. It also takes care of the decisions of life. No longer do the problems we face need to plague us, because there is One who wants to counsel us.

His name is Mighty God. That takes care of the demands of life. We must never forget that Jesus was God incarnate. This means that Jesus has unlimited power. And if we put our trust in this Mighty God, He will give us the power to live the life He has called us to live.

His name is Everlasting Father. That takes care of our future. We know that life is not merely what we experience here and now on Earth. According to the Bible, we will live forever. The big question is where we will live. If we put our faith in Jesus Christ, then we will live in Heaven. Because He was born, crucified, and resurrected, we can have this hope beyond the grave.

His name is Prince of Peace. That takes care of the disturbances of life. Life throws us a lot of curve balls. Frightening things happen, and we don’t know what to do. We need the Prince of Peace to step in.

We don’t have to wait for Christ to return before we can experience His rule and reign in our lives. That can happen right now. We can surrender our lives to Him and experience the purpose and plan that He has for us.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.’ (John 14:23 NLT)

Being a Christian isn’t merely trying to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is having Jesus Christ Himself taking residence in our hearts and living inside us. It’s what distinguishes the Christian faith from any other belief system.

Jesus said, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23 NLT). That is an amazing statement when you think about it. God the Father and God the Son are saying they want to make their home with us.

And in Revelation 3, Jesus said, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (verse 20 NLT). It’s interesting that Jesus made this statement to the church of Laodicea. Jesus essentially was speaking to people who were probably in the church and going through the motions of Christianity, but for all practical purposes, they didn’t have a relationship with Him.

A few verses earlier, Jesus said to them, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (verses 15–16 NLT).

In other words, “Lukewarmness turns my stomach.” Thus, Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

It’s hard for us to appreciate the significance of that statement in our fast-food culture. We are used to quick meals. In fact, we have developed into an art form the ability to eat while we’re driving.

But in Jesus’ day, there was no such thing as takeout. A meal took much longer back then. Dinner was the main event of the evening, where you sat down with friends and family. You took your time to relax, share the events of the day, and bare your hearts to one another.

So, when Jesus said, “I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends,” He was saying, “I want to have fellowship with you, and I want you to relax and be honest. I want to spend a lot of time with you.”

Is Christ at home in your heart? The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16–17 NLT).

Is Jesus Christ an honored guest in your home, or is He a permanent resident? He wants to be the latter. Jesus doesn’t just want to be home for the holidays. He wants to live in your heart all year.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. (Psalm 132:7 NLT)

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the boyhood years of Jesus. But it does give us an instance where Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, and they took twelve-year-old Jesus with them. Then they made the journey back home.

In those days, the men and women traveled separately. Joseph thought that Jesus was with Mary. And Mary thought that Jesus was with Joseph. But then they realized they had lost Jesus. So, they frantically made their way back to Jerusalem. They found Him in the temple three days later, where He was speaking with the elders.

Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NLT). Imagine the panicked couple running around town, asking people if they had seen their son.

We can become so busy, especially at this time of year, that we don’t have time for God. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas that we lose Jesus. We string the lights, trim the tree, and buy the gifts. And during all this busyness, we can forget all about the Lord. We can lose Jesus just like Mary and Joseph did.

We Americans are so busy. You could write on our tombstones, “Hurried. Worried. Buried.” We’re always rushing about, and that is more evident at Christmas than at any other time of year. Lines are long and tempers are short.

We think Christmas will bring us some measure of happiness. But after so much buildup, Christmas can be a letdown. Then there is the mess and cleaning up. Soon the bills start arriving, and reality kicks in.

Experts tell us that calls to psychiatrists and emergency rooms increase during this time of year. That is because Christmas can’t measure up to its romanticized image.

So many of us say, “I would like to make time for God, but I am just so busy. I work too hard and don’t have any time in my schedule. I would like to go to church, but there just isn’t time for that. I would like to read my Bible, but I just can’t find the time.”

However, we find time for what is important to us.

It seems the only place where there ever was room for Jesus was on a cross where He died for the sins of the world. Ironically, Jesus Himself said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home” (John 14:2 NLT).

We don’t have room for Him, but He has many rooms for us. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we could have a home in Heaven.

So, let’s forget about the clutter and hype and replace it with the Christ of Christmas. Then it will be great. It is not about Christmas presents; it is about His presence in our lives. The message of the season is not “let it snow” or “let us shop.” It is “let us worship.”

If we will focus on that, then Christmas will be a blessed time for us.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.’ (Luke 1:46–48 NLT)

Mary was a good Jewish girl who would have learned the Scriptures from her youth. And no doubt she would have heard the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT).

However, it’s unlikely that, in her wildest dreams, she ever thought, “That is me? I am going to be the virgin that Isaiah prophesied of? I am going to be the mother of the Messiah and carry God incarnate in my womb?”

Mary was stunned, as we see from her reaction to the angel Gabriel when he appeared. He said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28 NLT). The passage goes on to say, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean” (verse 29 NLT).

She was genuinely surprised that God had chosen her. Mary could have said to Gabriel, “It’s about time you showed up!” But of course, her response was nothing like that. When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They won’t speak of what they’ve done for God. Rather, they always will speak of what God has done for them.

That is why John, in his Gospel, described himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” It might seem a little self-serving. But wasn’t that better than describing himself as “the disciple who loved Jesus”? Our love is fickle. It can vary, depending on circumstances.

On the other hand, God’s love is consistent. God’s love never changes. Thus, John boasted of God’s love for him rather than of his love for God.

By the way, that is a good mark of an effective testimony. A good testimony always will focus on what Christ gave up to save you, not what you gave up to follow Him. When some Christians share their testimonies, they make their past sound more interesting than their present and future.

They say things like, “I used to party and have fun. We did all these great things. Then I heard about Jesus and took up the old, rugged cross. Now I just read my Bible. And one day, I will die and go to Heaven, where I’ll float around on a cloud and play a harp.”

That is neither a proper nor accurate testimony. Instead, let’s focus on what God has done for us.

Mary was a virtuous woman, but she wasn’t a sinless woman. Yes, God chose her and called her. But even Mary needed a Savior. And in the passage that we call the Magnificat, Mary said, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46–47 NLT).

She didn’t fully understand, but Mary obeyed just the same with an attitude of childlike faith and obedience. This is the kind of attitude God looks for in His servants. And God can use you, like Mary, wherever you are.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.