As we gather with family and friends each holiday season, what should be a meaningful and hopeful time can often become stressful and strained. We forget the joy of the Christmas message: God with us. It’s a message that everyone needs to hear because only the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings dead people to life again. And it’s a message that Satan is working around the clock to bury and stifle. That is why Christians must be on guard to keep the joy of our salvation ever before us. We must not allow Satan a foothold to distract us from the wonder of Christmas and render us ineffective to share the hope of Christ with our family, friends, and neighbors. May God bless you with the joy of seeing lives brought from death to life in Christ. There are two practical ways we can glorify God this Christmas and beat back the advances of Satan that seek to dismantle our delight in Him. FIRST, WE MUST LET CHRIST LEAD OUR CELEBRATIONS. Don’t let the busyness of presents, parties, and preparations crowd out time with the Lord. Take extra care to preserve your prayer time so that Christ is ever before you. As you pray, ask the Lord to align your heart with His so that His priorities for this season are your priorities—so that you long to bring glory to God and invite people into His marvelous light. Carefully choose which gatherings, opportunities, and traditions to participate in instead of saying yes to every invitation and event. SECOND, SHARE THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS WITH OTHERS. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to church or to a Gospel-centered event so they can have an opportunity to hear the Good News of Christmas. Build relationships of care and trust by showing hospitality or by meeting a need. Show people that you see them and so does the Lord. Don’t shy away from asking deep questions about issues of eternal significance. Be bold to begin conversations that delve into life’s deep problems and motivations, and trust God for opportunities to share how He answers the profound longings of our heart. Remember: Eternal salvation is at stake. So, make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16), trusting that the Holy Spirit will give you words to say (Luke 12:12), that God’s Word does not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11), and that God is the one who changes hearts (Ezekiel 36:26)—we have only to obey the call to go and tell others the Good News. May Christ lead you to deeper worship and enjoyment of Him this Christmas as you marvel at His grace displayed in the incarnation. As you share the Good News of Jesus with the people He puts in your path, may He bless you with the joy of seeing lives brought from death to life in Christ.   Learn 8 practical principles for effective evangelism through the FREE digital resource Build Up Your Boldness. LEARN MORE

At Christmas, we tend to look upon the Christ child as a helpless babe. But the second title of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, which God unveiled to us 700 years before Christ was born, reveals something completely different. The baby born and placed in a manger was Mighty God. The Hebrew word for "God" in "Mighty God," El, is a name for God used throughout the Old Testament to describe God’s supernatural power and might. El is the Creator of heaven and earth — the inventor of the universe and all it contains. Of God’s many names, none express His supernatural power like the name El. Read Isaiah 7:14. God reiterated this Truth with Isaiah when He shared Jesus’ name, "Immanuel." The word Imm means "with" in Hebrew. Anu means "we" or "us." And El means "God." God was unveiling a wonderful Truth: He Himself was coming to be with us. "As you worship Jesus this Christmas, challenge yourself to see Him as He is." Jesus is the one and only God — the God of power and might in human flesh. He stated it plainly: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). The baby born in Bethlehem of Judea had forever existed with God the Father in the Godhead. The same El who said, "Let there be light," stood on the Mount of Olives and proclaimed, "I á´€á´

Recently, the American Bible Society measured the largest decline in "Bible users" in its history. According to its 2022 State of the Bible report, only 39 percent of Americans report reading the Bible at least three to four times a year outside of church—down from 49 percent the previous year. Biblical literacy is plummeting, but should we be surprised? Scripture is constantly maligned and attacked in the media and in society. If you want to be dismissed, just begin a sentence with "The Bible says . . ." Jesus came because we needed Him—desperately. Despite this dismal outlook, the Christmas season stands out like a faithful witness to the authority of God’s Word and a counter to its critics. Centuries before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, . . . he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," and, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 9:6 and 7:14, respectively). With Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem, God fulfilled these miraculous prophecies. It is through Jesus’ incarnation, or first advent—the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a Savior way back in Genesis 3:15—that we grow confident in the Truth of Scripture, including the promise of our Lord’s second advent. Let’s look briefly at both these arrivals. HIS FIRST ADVENT At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation of the Creator of the universe—the humble birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. You’ve likely heard the expression "He is the reason for the season." I disagree. Rather, you are the reason for the season! He came for you, and He came for me. He came because we needed Him—desperately. First, we needed Jesus to show us what God is like. For centuries people looked up to the heavens, at the stars and planets in motion, and wondered, "What is God like?" But, since that first Christmas Day, we no longer need to wonder. Jesus Christ stepped out of the heavens to show us the Great I am. Second, we needed Jesus to show us how to live. Most people don’t really live; they just exist. They get up in the morning, go to school or work, come back and watch television, and then go to bed. They wake up the next day and do it again. They just twiddle away their lives. They live for 60, 70, or 80 years and then die. But Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and live it to its fullest!" (see John 10:10). God doesn’t want us to simply exist but to live the abundant life. Jesus did not come to make some of us religious. He didn’t come to improve our lives. He came so all who receive Him—all who believe in His name—might become children of God and co-heirs with Christ of the heavenly Kingdom (see Romans 8:17). That is a Truth that breathes abundant life into a soul here and now and forever. Third, we needed Jesus to forgive our sins and assure us of heaven. Only Jesus can forgive our sins because He alone paid for the wages of our sins. And your sin and my sin cost Him everything. To save us He left the majesty and splendor of heaven for a life of poverty (see John 6:38; Luke 2:7, 24; Matthew 8:20). He had to live a human life with all its limitations and difficulties (see Philippians 2:7). And ultimately, after living a perfect, sinless life, He had to die a gruesome death on the cross and suffer the full wrath of God the Father—His just judgment of our sin. Christmas reminds us of our need. Religion will not get you to heaven; a code of ethics will not get you to heaven. Neither a moral life nor charity work will get you to heaven. Only the one who paid the debt and penalty of your sin can get you to heaven. And He has told us He is coming again to take His followers there. This is the promise of His second advent. HIS SECOND ADVENT "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:3). Our Savior promised to come again. The world is content to celebrate Christmas with a cute, helpless baby in a manger. The world is content to eat, drink, and be merry. But it is incumbent upon us who know the Lord Jesus Christ, as we see the day drawing near, to tell people the full story of Christmas. We must share how the baby whom they exalt only at Christmas is not just a baby; He is the risen Lord Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, the Lion of Judah, the First and the Last. We must share the story of Christmas not as an inoffensive, bland children’s storybook. The real message of Christmas is not just a baby in a manger born of a virgin, historic as that may be, but that the baby grew up and died to pay for your sins and mine. The real message of Christmas is that this Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected and ascended into heaven. The real message of Christmas is that He is coming again both "to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" and to judge every man and woman on the face of the earth (Hebrews 9:28; see also Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 22:12). That is the full message of Christmas. You see, at His first advent, Jesus took on flesh in the form of a baby, but at His second advent, He will come unveiled for all to see. On His first advent a star marked His arrival, but at His second advent the stars will fall from the sky. At His first advent, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts, but at His second advent He will bring blessings and gifts to His friends. On His first advent there was no room for Him, but I want to tell you that on His second advent the whole world will not contain His glory. At His first advent few knees bent to greet Him, but at His second advent every knee shall bow "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). On His first advent He may have been a humble baby, but on His second advent He will come as the sovereign King of kings to sit on the throne of God. THIS CHRISTMAS, LOOK TO HIS COMING This Christmas season is the right time to ask, "Am I ready for His second coming?" The first Christmas stands as a faithful witness to Christ’s promised return. And Scripture powerfully reveals the faithfulness of God and the assurance of salvation found in Christ alone—our hope that does not disappoint. So may we read and cherish God’s promises and look for Jesus’ coming, for our full redemption. For, this time He will not become like us. We will become like Him. As John wrote, "[W]e know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). Are you preparing to see your Lord? Are you, like the wise men and shepherds of old, sharing the Good News of Christ’s advent—both the first and the advent yet to come—with those around you? In the Preparing for the King Advent booklet, reflect on eye-opening Scriptures that point to Jesus as the one and only Savior foreshadowed for thousands of years—and be encouraged to prepare for the King not just at Christmas, but in your everyday life. ORDER NOW

The Christmas story is not just a sweet story about a little baby in a manger born in Bethlehem. For this baby grew up and was crucified because He claimed to be God. And He could make this claim truthfully because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin (see Matthew 1:18-23). The virgin birth is miraculous, supernatural, and unique. If this were not the case—if Jesus had not been God in flesh—His teachings would have been fraudulent, and the Bible, no more sacred than today’s newspapers. If Jesus had not been the Son of God—the full expression of God the Father, born of a virgin and therefore untouched by original sin—then Calvary would have been for nothing, and we would truly be lost fools. This is why Jesus’ virgin birth is essential to our faith. The virgin birth is miraculous, supernatural, and unique. We must not dismiss it simply because it is impossible with man. If we dismiss the birth narratives of the New Testament, how can we trust the records of the resurrection? We must hold fast to Scripture and take God at His Word. He is, after all, Almighty God. But He also graciously gives us more evidence to consider in His Word. CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE Mary did not hide in shame. In Mary’s community, the penalty for sex outside of marriage would have been stoning, ordered by the high priest according to Levitical law. But after the angel Gabriel visited her, Mary hurried to her cousin Elizabeth—running straight to the home of Zechariah, the high priest!  The Holy Spirit validated the virgin birth. At the temple, the Holy Spirit came upon Simeon, and he prophesied that this newborn baby with Mary and Joseph was the Son of God. Years later, at the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus as He was baptized, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). God does not make mistakes.  Mary did not recant as Jesus died on the cross. Because He claimed to be God, Mary saw her holy Son crucified. Yet Mary did not try to save Jesus by saying, "I lied; He wasn’t virgin-born. We made that up to hide our sin." She refused to deny the miracle.  Sometimes Christians have said, "It doesn’t matter whether you believe in the virgin birth or not." But it is absolutely essential. If Jesus were just another man, we could never be forgiven, have peace with God, nor claim victory over sin. But because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, He is the God-man, mighty to save. His infinite, divine life sacrificed on the cross atones for the infinite debt of our sin and rebellion against God. His perfect, sinless life as a man who did not inherit original sin from Adam ransoms us from the punishment we deserve. You see, as followers of Jesus Christ, we must live in the realm of the impossible; our very salvation rests in the supernatural. For, "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:27). Do you have more questions about the Christian faith? ASK US

Tradition dictates the way many of us celebrate Christmas. We have traditions for how and where we spend time with family, how we decorate, when we shop, and whether or not we go caroling. We carefully organize the details for each part of our traditional celebration—wreaths, trees, nativity scenes, charitable contributions, church productions, meals, gifts, and more. But as these traditions take on a life of their own, we can wear ourselves out trying to attend to all the details. It might make you wonder why in the world you’re doing all this. Are homespun traditions all there is to Christmas? Of course not. Christmas is about celebrating God’s goodness to the world through the birth of Jesus Christ.  Love brought Jesus down so that God’s people would have a right relationship with Him. Our Christmas traditions should, in some way, point to God’s fulfilled promise of redemption for His people. God gave fully and loved perfectly in Jesus Christ. He didn’t give His gift to beautiful and gracious people who deserved redemption, but to people who were filled with enmity and hatred. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Love brought Jesus down so that God’s people would have a right relationship with Him. He gave His Son to be born as a helpless baby in a manger and later to toil as a young man in a carpenter’s shop. He gave Him to the Pharisees and the scribes, who slandered His immaculate character. He died a criminal’s death and took on the sin of the world, forsaken—for a time—by His beloved Father. He took on our judgment and death so that we might be reconciled to God. As we prepare for Christmas this season, let us infuse our traditions with new ways to remember, appreciate, and share God’s fulfilled promise of redemption. Prayer: Father, forgive me for getting wrapped up in traditions that don’t matter. I pray that You would help me this Christmas season to keep my traditions focused on the fulfilled promise of redemption. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Why Did Jesus Come from Heaven?: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW

At Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of cherished prophecies about the coming Messiah—centuries of longing culminating in the advent of a baby King, the Rock of Ages lying in a manger. Jesus came from heaven to earth, walked among us in our sinful world, and lived a sinless life. He chose to bear our sins and gave His life to pay for them so that through Him we will not be condemned. But behind all the reasons why Jesus came from heaven is His ultimate motive for doing so. Jesus came from heaven to earth to rescue us because He loves us. Jesus came from heaven to earth to rescue us because He loves us. Read Hebrews 12:2. God tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of "the joy set before him." It was His joy to become the cure for your sickness of sin and to set you free. It was His joy to shipwreck and dissolve the chains of sin that Satan had placed upon you. It was His joy to raise you up with Him to live a life fully alive to God. It was His joy to set you free to be close to Him now and for all time. The much-loved Christmas song "O Holy Night" shines more insight into why Jesus left heaven: Long lay the world in sin and error pining ‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. "And the soul felt its worth." Jesus left heaven to rescue you because you are of great worth to Him. God loves you so much that He gave His very life so that you could be with Him forever. That is the ultimate reason why Jesus came from heaven. His love for you drove Him from heaven to earth to die and be raised to life to set you free. You are deeply loved by the God of the universe. How are we to respond to the greatest act of love in history? The end of the song provides the answer: Christ’s sacrifice is a call for us to fall on our knees in surrender, worship, and adoration. As you reflect on why Jesus came from heaven, consider how God may be inviting you to respond to Him. This Christmas, in the midst of the energy and excitement of the season, may your soul feel its worth, and may all that is within you praise His holy name. Merry Christmas. Prayer: Lord, thank You for setting me free and raising me up to live abundantly in You. Thank You for the love that drove Your Son to the cross. You are worthy of all worship, and I humbly surrender all to You! I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Why Did Jesus Come from Heaven?: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW