Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018180S
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00:09 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:20 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 No, December the 25th is not the actual birthday of Jesus. 00:28 More than likely, there were not three Wise Men who came 00:31 to visit Jesus and His family. 00:33 We say three Wise Men because gold, frankincense, 00:38 and myrrh--that's three. 00:39 But the Bible doesn't say three Wise Men. 00:42 It simply says Wise Men. 00:44 Yes, at Christmas time there are many people who eat too much, 00:48 drink too much, spend too much. 00:52 But for all of that, it's the one time of the year 00:55 that touches hearts and impacts families like no other. 00:59 Christmas is still that time of the year where we say, 01:02 "Peace on earth and goodwill towards men." 01:05 And by and large, we mean it. 01:08 Christmas, even though there is no biblical command 01:11 to remember the birth of Jesus, 01:13 gives us the opportunity to remember 01:16 and to tell and to celebrate 01:19 and to share the greatest story ever told. 01:24 So what does Christmas mean to you? 01:26 The Christmas story is the most remarkable story 01:29 about how God came near-- 01:31 in fact, how Jesus visited this sinful earth. 01:35 And He came to this earth to bring to you and me 01:37 the gift of salvation. 01:39 So what does Christmas mean to you? 01:42 I spoke to some friends and asked them 01:44 what is special to them about Christmas, 01:48 and the responses I received reveal to me that 01:52 there's a power in Christmas. 01:54 Not a magic. Something far greater. 01:57 There's something special about Christmas day 01:59 that manages to touch hearts and impact lives. 02:03 There's something special about the Christmas season 02:05 that reminds us of a greater purpose, 02:08 of a great God who loved this world so very much that He gave. 02:14 >>Woman 1: Christmas when I was a child was very fun. 02:16 I grew up in Puerto Rico, 02:18 so it was, you know, tropical scenery. 02:21 It was just, it was always surrounded, 02:24 um, by a lot of lively music, a lot of just fun with family, 02:29 a lot of stories from the olden days. 02:32 >>Man 1: Well, we were pretty traditional when we were, 02:34 when we were kids. 02:35 Um, you know, we kinda did the whole Santa thing 02:39 at that point in time. 02:41 And so, you know, family was always the cornerstone. 02:46 >>Man 2: Well, when I was a child, 02:48 of course we always looked forward to Christmas. 02:50 We weren't a real close family, but, um, yeah, Christmas time-- 02:54 my dad worked for Sears and Roebuck, 02:56 so there were a lot of toys available. 02:58 My favorite, of course, was the train. 03:00 The train around the Christmas tree--that was always fun. 03:04 >>Man 3: For me, Christmas was a lot of getting together 03:08 with family and just spending time together. 03:12 We did get toys when we were growing up, 03:14 and I would say that probably the one toy 03:16 that I remember the most was a Lego train set. 03:20 I really, really wanted this Lego train set, 03:23 and I, for some reason, remember how expensive it was. 03:25 It was $199, and that was a lot of money-- 03:29 a lot of money that my parents did not have 03:31 when I was growing up. 03:32 But I begged and I begged and I begged, 03:34 and somehow they came up with the money. 03:37 Only later did I find out my grandma had bought it for me. 03:41 >>Man 4: I'm Filipino, and so-- and I'm also a pastor's kid-- 03:44 and so Christmas for me has never really been, 03:47 uh, just a family thing. 03:48 It's more so been church and friends and all of that. 03:53 Whenever Christmas time comes around, 03:54 there's always been a party where all of my friends 03:57 and all of my church family could just, like, come together 04:00 and just be in each other's company. 04:03 >>Woman 2: Well, as an islander, 04:04 a lot of things that we like to do is eat, 04:06 [laughs] as you can see. 04:08 It's always been a big thing with, like, meals, meal prep, 04:12 um, sometimes we spend all night cooking things 04:16 'cause family come from far and near. 04:19 So food has always been a big thing for Christmas for us. 04:23 It was more, more food than the gifts. [laughs] 04:25 >>Boy: You, you get to eat good suppers, 04:28 and you get to spend time with your families. 04:31 >>Man 5: Yeah, Christmas growing up as a child, um, 04:34 a lot of food, a lot of music, family members, 04:37 um, just a big community of people coming together. 04:41 And, um, the highlight is, uh, growing up in a neighborhood 04:46 where kids were just, like, 04:47 entering into each other's homes, 04:49 and, uh, there was food everywhere. 04:52 You know, you'd walk into this home Christmas Eve, 04:54 and there's, there's food on the table. 04:55 You'd eat it and talk with your friends and play. 04:58 So Christmas was just a whole big community event. 05:01 >>John: What's your favorite Christmas memory? 05:04 >>Woman 1: I'd probably have to say the Christmas 05:06 that my grandma was able to come from Ecuador 05:09 to visit us for the first time. 05:10 Like, I got to meet her. 05:12 I was kinda nervous, actually, 'cause I, 05:14 I didn't know what to expect. 05:15 But it was fun; it turned out really fun. 05:18 She had a lot of stories and, like, new traditions for us, 05:21 so that was a really good Christmas. 05:23 >>Woman 3: One of the ones that stands out a lot to me 05:25 is one Christmas when, uh, one of my sisters had gone through 05:29 a huge, like, a health crisis, and she'd nearly died, 05:33 and our money was, like, really low. 05:34 We didn't have money for presents; 05:37 uh, we didn't have money for a Christmas tree, 05:38 which we always try to get every year, 05:40 and we were feeling pretty down in the dumps and sad. 05:44 And, uh, we heard on the radio one day 05:46 that there's this place that had Christmas trees 05:49 that they're just gonna give away for free. 05:51 So two days before Christmas, we go down at night 05:54 to see what they had, and they had about, I don't know, 05:57 a dozen or so Christmas trees, and we picked one out. 05:59 It was big, tall, beautiful, maybe like 9 or 10 feet or so, 06:03 and brought it back and decorated it. 06:05 And I can't remember if anybody scrounged up presents or not, 06:08 but we loved the tree and just looking at it, 06:10 looking at the lights. 06:11 And it just, it cheered us up. 06:13 And that's one of my favorite memories. 06:16 >>Woman 4: We had invited this couple that had 06:18 three little children under school age, 06:22 and, uh, he was a student, a theology student. 06:25 And we invited them for Christmas. 06:27 And, um, I bought, or had in mind at least, 06:31 presents for them all. 06:32 But, you know, men are hard to buy for, so I asked the lady. 06:34 [laughs] And she said there was a kind of Bible that he wanted. 06:39 Um, I don't remember the name, and I had to order it. 06:42 Anyway, when he opened up his, uh, present, 06:47 the look on his face-- the surprise and the pleasure-- 06:51 was worth all the effort. [laughs] 06:54 I remember that more than the children opening their gifts. 06:58 I got to thinking, you know, one day God's-- 07:01 Jesus is going to introduce us to His Father, 07:04 and I know the Father won't be surprised 07:08 because He knows everything, 07:10 but I thought He'll certainly have a pleased expression 07:13 on His face, and I hope to be there to see that. 07:17 >>Man 2: My favorite Christmas memory had to be... 07:20 the day I asked Phoebe to marry me. 07:24 That really was exciting. 07:26 Well, I was going to, on an errand, 07:28 waiting for her to get done at the school of nursing. 07:31 And I went down this hill without realizing 07:33 that I sped up. 07:35 I put the brake on, but it was too late. 07:38 I told the policeman I'd just driven clear across the country 07:41 to get here, but he wasn't even helpful. 07:44 I had to go to court. 07:46 My turn came, and, 07:48 and he said, "Well, how do you plead?" 07:49 And I said, "Guilty, sir." 07:52 And he leaned forward like, "Well?" [laughs] 07:55 What else could I do but tell him my story? [laughs] 07:58 And I said, "Well, maybe it just goes to show that men 08:02 about to get engaged to be married shouldn't be driving." 08:05 And the whole courtroom started laughing. [laughs] 08:08 And he laughed--first time. 08:11 And he said, "What did she say?" 08:13 And I said, "She said yes." 08:15 And then he said, "Mr. Cleveland, 08:17 you can go out the free door today. Merry Christmas." 08:21 >>John: I'll be back with more in just a moment. 08:23 ♪[Music]♪ 08:33 >>Announcer: The gift of the Holy Spirit. 08:35 But how do we take hold of it? 08:38 To learn more, request your free copy of the booklet 08:40 "The Gift of the Spirit." 08:43 Simply call 800-253-3000. 08:47 That's 800-253-3000. 08:51 You may also write to It Is Written, 08:53 PO Box 6 Chattanooga, TN 37401, 08:58 or visit our website at iiwoffer.com. 09:04 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 09:05 on It Is Written. 09:06 I'm John Bradshaw. 09:08 So what does Christmas mean to you? 09:09 What should Christmas mean to you? 09:12 I asked some people what Christmas meant to them. 09:16 Here's what they told me. 09:18 >>Woman 5: Well, first of all, it means the birth of Christ. 09:21 He came into this world for our sins, died for our sins, 09:26 and He has made a... 09:29 an extreme impression on me throughout my whole lifetime. 09:33 And I think about Him every day, and what He went through for me. 09:37 >>Woman 2: The first thing that comes to mind 09:39 when you say "Christmas" is family. 09:42 >>Man 6: And also Christmas, of course, means food. 09:45 You got to have a lot of good food for Christmas. 09:48 >>Man 7: Christmas means my grandma. 09:51 Super easy for her to get in the spotlight 'cause 09:53 she's always telling jokes and always doing that stuff. 09:56 So, I'd say it's her. 09:59 >>Woman 6: It means a lot more, um, now that I have my own kids. 10:03 Um, I, I went through a couple years where I was kind of 10:06 the Grinch and didn't really wanna, you know, 10:08 deal with Christmas 'cause it just seemed like a hassle 10:10 before I had kids. 10:12 Um, and now it's just a whole lot more fun 10:15 'cause you can kinda relive it through them again. 10:18 >>Man 2: It's such a blessing to get together with your children, 10:21 your grandchildren, 10:22 and just be able to really have time together. 10:25 You know, the world is in so much turmoil, 10:29 and we hear it every day. 10:31 But when that family is together, 10:32 when you're up in that mountain cabin, 10:34 and the snow is all around, and, and you're telling stories, 10:38 and, and you're making Norwegian prune cookies, 10:40 and, and, uh, just enjoying each other, 10:43 it just, it just transports you to another place. 10:47 And those are the kind of moments I wished 10:50 everybody could enjoy because it's just so rewarding. 10:54 >>John: What's the most special Christmas gift 10:56 that you've ever received? 10:57 >>Man 6: [Laughs] The best Christmas gift I ever received. 11:01 Uh, it's kinda funny for-- 11:02 uh, I grew up with, uh, three sisters, no brothers, 11:05 and so every year I was always like, 11:08 "Mom, can I get a brother for Christmas?" 11:10 And she always was like, "No." 11:12 And as an adult, I understand the absurdity of that question, 11:14 but as my sisters have all gotten older, 11:17 they've all married guys, so I now have three brothers-in-law. 11:21 And all of their anniversaries are within a week of Christmas. 11:24 So it's kind of a reminder that, you know, 11:26 I got my childhood wish of having a brother. 11:29 >>Woman 7: I think the best gift I ever received 11:31 was probably a music box from my great-grandpa. 11:34 Um, just the fact that it was from him was a big factor 11:37 'cause he hasn't been around for a while. 11:39 But, um, I mean, I had been wanting one for a long time 11:45 and just to finally have it, and it was great, 11:48 and it was so pretty, and I just loved it. 11:51 >>Man 7: I do remember the present that my grandma gave 11:54 to me, even though it was not the most expensive one. 11:58 It was just because we saw, like, how much time 12:01 she put on it, and, um, I think just her face, like, 12:06 when she gives the presents to us, and she sees that, like, 12:09 this was meant for you, you know. 12:11 So that made it extra special. 12:14 >>Woman 1: I was already almost a teenager, maybe, 12:16 and we had moved away from Puerto Rico. 12:18 It was kind of a poor Christmas, I guess you would say. 12:21 And, um, my parents didn't have much, 12:23 and they decided to-- what little we had, 12:26 we just decided to give it away to, like, 12:29 just some charity or something. 12:30 And it was just that lesson that Christmas was still fun, 12:33 even though we didn't have to have some fancy gadget. 12:36 That lesson has just kinda stayed with me; 12:38 it was a different kind of gift. 12:41 >>Woman 5: Roller skates I got one year. 12:43 We, I grew up during the Depression, 12:45 and we were-- everybody was poor. 12:46 We didn't know we were poor, but everybody was poor. 12:49 And I think the year I got roller skates 12:51 I felt like I had gotten a million-dollar gift. [laughs] 12:56 That was one of them. 12:58 Later on, in 1955, I got my husband on Christmas day. 13:03 That's our anniversary, 13:05 and that was probably my biggest Christmas. 13:08 >>John: If there was a gift that you could give somebody 13:12 at Christmas time, what would it be? 13:16 >>Man 5: Uh, an opportunity for them to get better, 13:19 whatever that opportunity is, 13:21 and if it was within my power to give them that opportunity, 13:24 you know, I would give it to them as a gift-- 13:25 be it a financial opportunity, be it a job break, you know, 13:29 but an opportunity-- 13:31 just an opportunity for them to be better. 13:33 >>Man 6: Uh, if there was any gift I could give anyone 13:37 in the world, um, I would have a hard time 13:41 not giving something super special to my parents, 13:45 just because, you know, they raised me, 13:46 and they've given me a whole lot over the years. 13:49 Um, and, uh, I'm now finally at a, at a place in my life 13:54 where I can give good gifts to my parents, so... 13:58 >>Man 1: My parents have sacrificed a lot for us, 14:01 and, um, I'd like to give something back to my mother. 14:04 Uh, so, you know, pay off her mortgage 14:07 or something along that line-- just a way to say thank you. 14:12 >>Woman 1: I'd probably try to reunite a family. 14:17 I've heard stories of people that just go through so much, 14:21 and they're away from family, 14:23 and it just means the world to them to be reunited. 14:25 So if I could do that, that would probably be 14:27 the best gift I could give. 14:29 >>Man 2: You know, as I get older, 14:31 um, I think it gets more real. 14:34 Somehow a gift of service-- maybe a mission trip together? 14:39 Um, something that you're just so glad you did it 14:45 would be the kind of gift I would want to give. 14:47 >>Man 3: The best gift that I think I could probably give 14:50 to anybody, even if it's somebody that I didn't know, 14:52 would probably be to adopt a child. 14:56 I would think that would be a good gift for somebody, 14:59 to give them a home, a family that would love them. 15:02 >>John: And what do you want for Christmas? 15:05 >>Girl: Presents! 15:06 >>Woman 1: A car would be really nice. [laughs] 15:09 As a college student, to have a car-- 15:11 that would be really nice. 15:12 >>Woman 2: I think a laptop, [laughs] a laptop for school. 15:15 >>Woman 7: More scholarships. 15:18 >>Man 1: Nothing. [laughs] 15:20 What makes a dad happy for Christmas is his children 15:24 to be healthy and content, 15:25 and so their smiling faces is, is all that I need. 15:31 >>Woman 4: You know, I'm to the stage of life 15:32 where I'm getting rid of some stuff-- 15:35 I won't need that anymore. [laughs] 15:37 Uh, just the fact that my family is there; 15:41 they all love the Lord, and, 15:43 and that's special, and that's what I want for Christmas. 15:48 >>Man 4: I just wanna be at home, like, to be honest. 15:51 I'm the baby of the family, and so, uh, 15:54 being away from home for so long-- 15:58 uh, it just makes me wanna be back with my family-- 16:03 my parents, my sister. 16:04 >>Man 2: Uh, more of my wife-- time together. 16:09 >>Man 6: As a Christian, I think what I would most want 16:12 for Christmas is for Jesus to come again. 16:14 Um, I think any Christian should want that for Christmas. 16:18 But you know, barring that, 16:22 I would not mind having student loans paid off. 16:25 >>Man 5: Just to spend time with family, 16:26 especially the aging old in my family, 16:29 not knowing how long they've got left to go in life, 16:32 but just to be with them. 16:33 >>Woman 5: There's nothing like your family getting together 16:35 for Christmas, and I would love to have them there, 16:38 and our grandchildren--all of them, just the whole family. 16:42 >>Woman 6: Time with family-- uh, the more family the better. 16:45 And, um, I think just taking in all parts of the holiday, 16:51 um, everything that you can and, and making it 16:53 just a really special time-- more than just a day-- 16:56 uh, the whole season, 16:57 and talking about what's really important, um, with your family. 17:02 I, I think that's the most important thing. 17:04 >>Man 3: I don't think gifts would make my Christmas better. 17:08 I'm past that stage now. 17:10 I think the only thing that would make it better is 17:13 if I could be surrounded by friends and family, 17:16 and really celebrate Christ and the gifts that He's given to us. 17:23 >>John: I'll be right back with more in a moment. 17:25 ♪[Music]♪ 17:33 >>John: Thank you for remembering 17:35 that It Is Written exists 17:36 because of the kindness of people just like you. 17:39 To support this international life-changing ministry, 17:42 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 17:46 You can send your tax-deductible gift 17:48 to the address on your screen, 17:49 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:53 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 17:56 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 18:00 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 18:03 [Fire crackling] 18:05 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45, and she smelled smoke. 18:09 [Sirens wailing] 18:10 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning, 18:12 the, uh, my wife got a phone call, 18:15 and I could hear the voice on the other end of the line, 18:18 and she was basically, uh, screaming, 18:21 "There is a fire! 18:22 It's massive! It's headed your way! 18:24 You need to get out, and get out now." 18:26 >>Woman: After I hear, "Fire," I hear in the background, 18:30 "The fire is two to four blocks away from your house," 18:32 and I panicked. 18:33 We started praying. Our prayers didn't last long. 18:36 They were desperate; they were, they were rushed. 18:40 There was a need; 18:41 it was urgent; it was very, very urgent. 18:43 I said, "Please save my children." 18:46 ♪[Music]♪ 18:49 >>John Bradshaw: Where was God when the fires burned? 18:51 Where was God as people suffered? 18:53 Where was God while people were dying? 18:55 Where was God in the midst of the devastation? 18:58 [Fire crackling] 19:05 >>John Bradshaw: So what do you want for Christmas? 19:08 You know, Christmas is one of life's great seasons 19:10 of perspective. 19:12 You get an opportunity to ask yourself, 19:15 "What's really important?" 19:16 Because, of course, as we look around society, 19:19 the emphasis is on--what? 19:20 Gifts and getting and having and consuming. 19:24 And you and I both know that at the end of the day, 19:26 even though there are things that we want, 19:29 and there are things we want to eat, 19:31 and there are things we want to consume; 19:32 there are things we want to have; 19:34 the having and getting and consuming 19:35 and eating and drinking and all of that-- 19:38 it's not what Christmas is really all about. 19:41 As I spoke with multiple people about Christmas, 19:43 you know what came through? 19:44 They said, "What's important to me? Grandma." 19:46 So if you're a grandma, thank you. 19:49 It seems like you make Christmas really special. 19:53 Keep doing what you're doing. 19:55 Family! 19:56 There's nothing like getting together with family. 19:59 I live thousands of miles from my-- 20:02 not my immediate family-- but my extended family, 20:05 and I see them very infrequently. 20:08 So when people talk about the joy of getting together 20:10 with family at Christmas, I say, 20:12 "Aw, yeah, I'd love to be with my family." 20:16 People say, "The kids. It's the kids that's important." 20:20 Now, you ask a kid; the kid will say, 20:21 "Presents! I want Legos! I wanna eat." 20:24 That child will get old enough one day to say 20:26 what's most important isn't the Legos and the gifts 20:30 and the food, but it's, it's the kids--it's family. 20:35 You want enough time-- family time, togetherness. 20:39 What do you want for Christmas? 20:43 Now, it may be that what I've done is I've painted 20:46 a Hallmark card. 20:49 Maybe we've-- we're guilty sometimes 20:51 of painting an idyllic Christmas scene 20:53 because what we know is that for many people, 20:56 this won't be a happy Christmas. 20:59 Maybe there's no work, no job, no money. 21:01 Maybe you're just broke. 21:04 Happy Christmas. 21:05 Maybe you're facing Christmas alone. 21:08 There's no one to turn to, no one to hug, 21:09 no one to love, no one to lean on, 21:11 no one to celebrate with, maybe. 21:14 There are many people in that very situation right now. 21:17 Maybe bills are piling up. 21:20 Maybe you've suffered terrible losses. 21:23 If not you, then certainly somebody that you know. 21:28 If you lost your home in a fire, 21:31 then this Christmas is gonna be very different 21:33 from any Christmas that you've ever experienced before. 21:39 If someone has just told you they want a divorce, 21:42 if your kids aren't going to be home for Christmas, 21:47 Christmas can be a really challenging time. 21:52 So what do we really want for Christmas? 21:55 Well, we want grandma and cookies and gifts, 21:57 and we want a tree and a fireplace, 21:59 and we want the family to come together. 22:02 Which leads me to wonder something. 22:04 Can I share with you something that I'm wondering? 22:07 I wonder if what we really want is that which we don't yet have, 22:13 and that what we cannot yet have. 22:16 Maybe what we really want for Christmas, 22:20 maybe what we really want for Christmas...is heaven. 22:25 Because it's only then that family won't be separated. 22:30 It's only then that there won't be any hardship. 22:35 It's only when we get to heaven that there won't be 22:37 any mourning. 22:39 It's only when we get to heaven 22:41 there won't be any grief and death, 22:44 won't be any lack of anything at all. 22:47 Jesus came into this world, 22:49 born as a baby 2,000 years ago in the little town of Bethlehem. 22:55 And why did He come into this world? 22:58 Now, this is what you don't see in manger scenes; 23:00 it's what you'll never see written in slogans on signs 23:04 along Main Street. 23:06 According to the Bible, Matthew 1:21 says 23:09 that Jesus came to this world to save His people from their sins. 23:16 Jesus was a child who was born to die. 23:20 He was born owing to the sins of the world. 23:24 Someone had to save the wandering human family-- 23:28 and have we ever wandered! 23:29 While you enjoy--I'm hoping-- the happy side of Christmas, 23:32 police or other first responders will see all too graphically 23:36 that we are still in the midst of a troubled world 23:39 mired in sin. 23:41 There are still wars being fought. 23:43 We salute our troops and thank them for their commitment 23:47 to this Christmas time. 23:48 There's still hate, and there's still injustice. 23:50 There is still racism. There is still death. 23:55 I think perhaps what we want for Christmas 23:57 is to be out of this world and into the world to come. 24:02 I think that as we remember the very first advent of Jesus, 24:04 what we really want, and what we really need, is His return. 24:11 Revelation 21:4-- 24:13 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; 24:17 and there shall be no more death, 24:20 neither sorrow, nor crying, 24:23 neither shall there be any more pain: 24:26 for the former things are passed away." 24:30 The shepherds who watched their flocks by night 24:32 heard angels sing. 24:34 Luke 2:20 says, 24:35 "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God 24:38 for all the things that they had heard and seen." 24:42 But they hadn't seen the best that there was to see. 24:46 Matthew 2:11 says, 24:48 "And when they had come into the house, 24:51 they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, 24:54 and fell down and worshiped Him. 24:56 And when they had opened their treasures, 24:58 they presented unto Him gifts: 25:00 gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." 25:04 Imagine! 25:06 But they hadn't seen the best there was to see. 25:10 In the temple, Simeon took Jesus up into his arms, 25:13 and he blessed God. 25:15 But even Simeon hadn't seen the best that there was to see. 25:19 First Thessalonians 4:16-17 say, 25:23 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven 25:26 with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 25:29 and with the trump of God: 25:31 and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 25:34 then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up 25:37 together with them in the clouds, 25:38 to meet the Lord in the air: 25:40 and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 25:44 That's the best there is to see: 25:47 the return of Jesus, the end of sin, 25:50 an eternity of peace. 25:52 And we get to see it. 25:54 By asking Jesus into your heart, 25:56 you have the assurance of eternal life. 25:58 Surrendering to God, Jesus becomes your Lord, 26:04 your Savior, and your eternal hope. 26:08 What do you want for Christmas? 26:11 I know what I want. 26:13 As John, who wrote Revelation, said, 26:15 "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 26:20 >>Announcer: The gift of the Holy Spirit. 26:23 But how do we take hold of it? 26:25 To learn more, request your free copy of the booklet 26:28 "The Gift of the Spirit." 26:30 Simply call 800-253-3000. 26:34 That's 800-253-3000. 26:38 You may also write to It Is Written, 26:40 PO Box 6 Chattanooga, TN 37401, 26:45 or visit our website at iiwoffer.com. 26:51 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:53 Our Father in heaven, the true essence of the Christmas story 26:57 reveals to us that there is a God with a great heart of love, 27:02 who wants more than anything that we, His children, 27:04 be saved and be with Him forever. 27:06 Friends, as I pray, 27:07 I'm wondering if God is speaking to your heart. 27:09 If He is, and I think He is, 27:12 would you surrender your heart to Him now? 27:14 "Lord, I'm tired of going my way," you might say. 27:17 "I'm tired of doing my thing. 27:19 I do want a new heart and a new life." 27:23 And so we pray, Father, take our hearts; 27:25 make them Yours. 27:27 And as You do, we believe that in Jesus, 27:30 whom You gave 2,000 years ago, 27:32 we have the gift of eternal life. 27:35 We thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name. 27:40 Amen. 27:41 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:43 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:46 Until then, remember: 27:47 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:52 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:57 ♪[Theme music]♪ 28:07 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2019-12-10