25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 17

Day 17:  Christmas When You Want

Recently, I went to the garage and hauled out Christmas - all the boxes full of decorations. All too soon, I'll be putting our Christmas away again - until we want it again. You can do that with Christmas - you can't do that with Christ. 

To be honest, maybe that's what it's been like with you and Jesus. You've kept Him on the edges of your life. You want Him to be around, but you don't want Him to be in charge. It's nice to have Jesus for Christmas, for Sundays, for emergencies. But the truth is, you've never really given your life to the One who gave His life for you. That cross was for you - for every wrong thing you've ever done.

You were made by Him...you were made for Him...He died for you. The Bible asks this sobering question: "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3 ). If you want to be with Jesus forever, you need to give yourself to Him now. And the Christmas season would be a great time to begin your personal relationship with Him. And we'd love to help you do that if you'll just call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  You can finally be spiritually home for Christmas.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 16

Day 16:  Assembly Required 

There are two words that I hated to see on any toys we bought for Christmas - "assembly required." Great! I get this box full of pieces, but I have to figure out how they go together.

Kind of like our lives, huh? We've got all these pieces in our life, but how do they go together into something that makes life make sense? In a recent survey asking people what question they would most like to ask God, by far the largest response was, "What's my purpose here?"

Now, Christmas is a great time to finally get the answer to that all-important question. The Bible tells us our Creator's answer. Speaking of Jesus, it says, "All things were created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16 ). You were created by Jesus and for Jesus, and life won't make sense until you belong to Jesus. Because He died to pay for your sins, He can remove the wall between you and God, and you can anchor your life to the relationship you were made for.

Now, if you've never begun your personal relationship with Him, and you want to, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. He makes all the pieces into something incredible.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 15

Day 15:  Someone in My Room! 

Recently I checked into a hotel, got the key to my room and eagerly unlocked that door. Problem. The TV was on, clothes were hanging on the clothes rack! This room was supposed to be reserved for me, but someone else was in my place.

Now, Jesus knows that feeling. Your heart was made for Him. But someone else or something else is there instead. And the one who loves you most is left standing outside. The Bible says you were created by Jesus, and for Jesus. And that means that no one else can ever fill that hole in your heart. 

But just like that first Christmas, when there was no room in the inn for Jesus to be born, Jesus has been crowded out of your life, even though he died for you, for all the sinning you've ever done. But this Christmas, Jesus is again at the door of your heart and you've never needed Him more. 

It's time to move out whatever is keeping Jesus out and swing open the door to Him. If you want to do that, there's someone waiting to talk with you at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. Finally, your heart will belong to the one it was made for. 

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 14

Day 14:  My Shopping is Done

Believe it or not, that glorious moment will come - when you slump in your chair and proclaim exuberantly, "My shopping is done!"

Your Christmas shopping, yes - your spiritual shopping - maybe not. See, most of us spend a lifetime shopping for some lasting meaning, some lasting love, and lasting peace. It may be this Christmas that your soul is tired of shopping in relationships, religion, experiences that never fill the hole in your heart.

Life's endless spiritual shopping trip ends at the feet of Jesus Christ - the One the Bible says you were made by and made for (Colossians 1:16 ). In God's words, "You are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10 ). "Complete" is what has always been missing. You've been incomplete because God's been missing because you've been running your own life. Jesus died for your sin so He doesn't have to be missing anymore.

If you'd like to begin this personal relationship with Jesus, someone's waiting to talk with you at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. Your shopping for love and peace and meaning can be over today.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 13

Day 13:  Listening to Linus

It's a Christmas TV classic..."A Charlie Brown Christmas." After Charlie Brown's frustrating search for some real Christmas, Linus walks onto the stage dragging his blanket, the spotlight hits him, and he proceeds to quote from the Bible's account of Christmas 1.

"I bring you good news of great joy. A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11 ). That really is good news! Why? For the same reason the arrival of a firefighter would be good news if you were in a burning building.

You were about to die...and the rescuer has come. Now, that's what Savior means. Jesus has come to rescue you and me from the death penalty of our sin by His death on that cross. No one has ever loved you like that. But only you can make Him your Savior by putting all your trust in Him as your rescuer.

If you have never done that and you want to, someone is waiting to talk with you at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. This can be your first Christmas with Christ in your heart.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 12

Day 12:  The Longest Christmas Journey

One of the happy faces around our friends' Christmas tree this year will be their precious China doll - the little girl they went ten thousand miles to bring into their family. Her first year was in a cold Chinese orphanage. But our friends went a very long way at considerable expense to make her their child. And, she's an orphan no more.

And, neither am I. A spiritual orphan, that is. The Bible says that all of us are spiritually fatherless, not by God's choice, but by our own. It says, "We have left God's paths to follow our own" (Isaiah 53:6 ). That's left us separated from God. That's why the hole in our heart. The loneliness that never really goes away.

But that first Christmas, Somebody came a very long way to make us His child. And Jesus paid a very high price to bring us home - His life, the payment for our sin. And Jesus says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18 ). Maybe He's come to you today to give you a chance to give yourself to Him. He is the tug you feel in your heart.

If you're ready to belong to Him, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. No longer an orphan. God's dearly loved child.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 11

Day 11:  Scrooge's Wakeup Call

Mean old Ebenezer Scrooge - he's back this Christmas. Ultimately, turning into kind, old Scrooge. Because three spirits come to him in his sleep and show him what his life was and is and will be. It's that Ghost of Christmas Future that really gets old Scrooge's attention. He sees where his life's going to end up - and he changes!

I wonder what we'd do if we had a chance to see where we're going to end up? Change maybe? Actually, the Bible shows us the future: "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27 ). And he says some "will live" and some will "be condemned" (John 5:29 ). The deciding factor? "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 ).

Your future is an appointment with a holy God to face the judgment for the sins of a lifetime. Unless they've been forgiven by the only One who died to pay for them. Jesus took your hell so you could have His heaven. So everything depends on whether or not you've ever given yourself to Him.

Now, if you want to be sure you belong to Him, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. Because your future is Jesus.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 10

Day 10:  The Christmas Moment in the Lost Mine 

The world was watching as that Chilean rescuer was lowered into the mine where 33 miners were trapped. As that capsule touched down in the mine...as the rescuer stepped out...and when the first miner emerged alive.

You know, in so many ways, it was a Christmas moment. The miners were trapped in a deadly place they could not possibly escape from. Just like us - separated from God because of our sin, facing an awful eternity without Him. The miners' only hope was a rescuer from above. Just like you and me. We can no more get to heaven by being good than those miners could dig their way out. One hope - a rescuer from above.

Well, Christmas is when the Rescuer from heaven touched down in our dark world. In the mine, at the Cross, the rescuer traded places with those who needed to be saved. For Jesus, that meant dying to pay for our sin. And the rescue happens when we step into that way out - by putting all our trust in Him to be our Rescuer from our sin.

For you, the rescue can be today. Call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. The Rescuer has come for you.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 9

Day 9:  How Santa Can Mess You Up

It freaked me out as a kid. Santa's got this big book where he's either got me down as "naughty" or "nice." I find out which one on Christmas morning!

Unfortunately, a lot of us think God operates sort of Santa-style. He's got this big book in the sky with each of us either on the "nice" list who will go to heaven or the "naughty" list who will go to hell. Most of us think we're on the "nice" list. We'll find out when we die.

But the Bible says "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23 ). We are all on the list of sinners who are unfit to live with a perfect God in His heaven. Some of the people in the greatest spiritual danger are people who have lots of Christianity, but have somehow missed Christ. Because they've never taken for themselves what Jesus died to give them - sins forgiven, hell canceled, heaven guaranteed.

The question is: Has there ever been a time when you've given yourself to the Savior who gave Himself for you? If you're not sure, please call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. You can't afford to miss Him.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 8

Day 8:  Holiday Heart Repairs

It wasn't exactly what our family had in mind for Christmas In early December, someone we loved went into the hospital for a routine cardiac procedure - and was rushed to open heart surgery the next morning. The doctor found a heart condition that needed immediate repair. Or, as he said, "I can't be sure she'll have a Christmas." The surgery was life-saving - and life-changing.

Dr. Jesus may be making a similar spiritual diagnosis for someone listening right now. "You need surgery for a deadly heart condition. You won't make it without it." It's a heart condition we all have. The Bible says, "Your sins have separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:2 ). And "the soul who sins...will die" (Ezekiel 18:4 ) Our running of our own life has left us living life here without meaning and life hereafter without hope.

Enter Christmas. Jesus came to save our life by giving His. On a cross. And we're not going to make it unless He forgives our sin and fixes our heart. He's waiting to do that for you today. We'd love to talk with you about it at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. Because none of us knows how much time we've got left.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 7

Day 7:  One Light in the Christmas Night

On a Southwest Indian reservation I know well, there are Christmas lights almost nowhere. Just desert darkness.

Except for that one village church. It's covered with lights, with a brightly lit cross on top. One Christmas Eve, Amy walked the village - her pain again drowned with alcohol. Then she saw the light on the cross. That night, her life changed forever as she prayed with the pastor's wife to give her life to Jesus Christ.

We've all got our personal darkness. Around us. Inside us. Sin...guilt...brokenness. But we don't have to live in that darkness anymore. Because Jesus came. The Bible says Jesus is "the rising sun who will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Luke 1:78-79 ). Now, he says that will happen "through the forgiveness of...sins" (Luke 1:77 ). The light that has forever changed the darkness of so many of us still shines from that cross where He died for us.

And He's reaching out to you this Christmas. Isn't it time you reached back? Call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. It's been dark long enough.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 6

Day 6:  Jingle Bells and Jesus

Last fall, at a retreat where I was speaking, someone asked all my grandchildren to sing "Jesus Loves Me" up in front. It was adorable. Especially our little two-year-old guy. He was singing his own song. "Jingle Bells." Yeah, months before Christmas.

Now, our grandson's not the only one who's got "Jingle Bells" and Jesus confused. Christmas is so entangled with the Claus guy, and psycho Christmas shopping and a barrage of celebrations, you can miss Jesus in the season that's rooted in His birth. But behind the Christmas season fog is a game-changing message that is summed up in that little song - "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Why else would He have left heaven for a stinking stable - and worshipping angels for humans who had no use for Him? Why else would He have let men He had made nail Him to a tree He had created? Why else would He take our hell so we could go to His heaven? Because "Jesus loves me - this I know." And if you'll give yourself to Him, you can know His love for yourself. Forever.

If that's what you want, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. Because you really do need Him.