25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 25

Day 25:  The Bethlehem Scandal 

Illegitimate. That's what some people called the baby born in Bethlehem that first Christmas - even years later. They didn't understand, or didn't believe, that this was God's Son, miraculously conceived in a virgin's womb.

Actually, there's no such thing as an illegitimate or unplanned child. Every life has been planned by God. "God's workmanship" - That's what the Bible calls you, no matter how you were conceived or how you've been treated (Ephesians 2:10 ).

And you can tell how much God loves you by what He spent on you - to save you from the awful penalty of defying Him and running your own life. In the Bible's words, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 ). He sent His Son to die in your place. He wants you in His family, in His heaven. If you've never pinned all your hopes on Jesus, this could be your day to experience His love for yourself. Call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  Nobody loves you like He does.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 24

Day 24:  It's Christmas!  Come on In! 

Two teenage friends suddenly appeared at our door on Christmas Eve, looking for a refuge from the party at home. Well, we were in the middle of acting out the Christmas story - with our two-year-old in a basket as Baby Jesus, and his older brother and sister in bathrobe and shawl as Joseph and Mary - with me, the angel, on the back of the couch and my wife crawling around baa-ing. The girls weren't too sure about us - but, hey, we invited them right into our Christmas.

Which is what God is doing for you this Christmas season - inviting you into the middle of what He was really doing that first Christmas. Anybody's welcome to come on in and join God's family. Look at who got the first invitation to "come on in" - shepherds, society's rejects in that day. God said to them, "A Savior has been born to you" (Luke 2:11 ). Now, maybe you, like the shepherds, have felt your share of closed doors and condemnation. Well, so did Jesus - all the way to the cross where He died for all the sins of your life.

This Christmas, Jesus is throwing open the door to His family, and saying, "I died for you. Come on in." If you'd like to, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org. You need to come on in.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 23

Day 23:  The Manger Under the Tree 

As I was growing up, our manger was always under our Christmas tree. That's probably the right place for it - since, in a real sense, the shadow of a tree loomed over the manger that first Christmas morning. You can't really understand Christmas without Good Friday - where this sinless Son of God was nailed to a tree He created, by men He created. 

The Bible says, "He bore our sins in His body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24 ). Jesus absorbed the death penalty of hell for every wrong thing you've done - to rescue you. That's how much He loves you.

In the words of the carol, "What Child Is This": "Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you." You've had your Christmases, celebrating Christ's coming. Have you ever had your Good Friday, where you stand at His cross and put your life and your sin in His hands? If you want to belong to Jesus Christ, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  No one loved you like He does.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 22

Day 22:  Forget the Wrapping Paper! 

You can wrap that present like a pro - a kid doesn't care. He'll just rip off the paper with one mighty blow. All he cares about is what's inside.

God's like that. He doesn't much care about what you're like on the outside - the Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 ). He sees what no one else sees - the pain, the insecurity, the sin. Jesus came because He wants to heal that pain...to give you one love, one hope you can never lose, and to forgive every wrong thing you've ever done.

It took dying on the cross to pay for the junk inside all of us. He's not impressed with your image, your religion, or whatever's on the outside. He wants to love you and change you from the inside out, if you'll give yourself to this Man who knows all about you and loves you so very much. Call us if you want to begin a relationship with Jesus. At 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  You can celebrate this Christmas with Christ in your heart.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 21

Day 21:  Missing at Christmas 

As our two-year-old grandson was helping set up the family Nativity scene, he noticed they were missing one figure - Baby Jesus. That night, our grandson greeted his father at the door with an impassioned question - "Hey, where's Jesus?" 

That's the question God is asking some of us as He looks at our lives - "Where's Jesus?" It's possible that, like our grandson that day, you have everything except Jesus. That's why the Bible says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5 ). You may have a Christian vocabulary, Christian beliefs, - but there may have never been that time when you personally told Jesus, "I believe You died for me - I'm Yours."

He's giving you another opportunity, this opportunity, to take the step that will finally bring Jesus into your life. If you want to do that right now, we're waiting to talk with you at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  Judgment Day is the wrong time to have God look in your heart and say, "Where's Jesus?" Be sure He's in your heart.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 20

Day 20: Skin On 

The little boy was having a hard time getting to sleep - he was scared of the dark, even though his Mommy told him God was there, watching over him. And he responded, "Mommy - I need God with skin on."

Because of Christmas, we've got God with skin on. The Bible says that the Son of God "became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14 ). Jesus isn't just another prophet or religious leader - He's God with skin on. This Jesus, who asks for your heart, has walked your trail. He knows what it is to be lonely...to be abandoned...to be betrayed...to be a victim...to be tortured...to die. That brutal death on a cross was ultimately His choice - He loves you so much that He chose to take the death penalty for your sin so you could be with Him forever.

And now this Jesus wants to walk every mile of the rest of your life with you - if you'll give yourself to Him. If you've never done that, and you want to, we'd love to talk with you at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.  You'll never spend another day alone.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 19

Day 19:  Bombshell Birthday 

Bottom line - Christmas is a birthday. The bombshell birthday. The birth that literally split history in two. B.C., A.D. - before Christ and after Christ.

For millions of people, the coming of Jesus has been the turning point of their life - my life before Jesus was there, and since He came in. The Bible describes the miraculous change this way: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

All of us who've opened up to Jesus consider all the years "before Christ" pretty much wasted years - away from the God we were made for, carrying the guilt and the death penalty of running our own lives. But we discovered that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son" to cancel the death penalty for our sins (John 3:16 ).

There really is a definite moment when you move from "B.C." to "A.D." - it's when you tell Jesus, "I'm Yours from this day on." 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.  And the miracle can begin.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOMENTS FROM RON HUTCHCRAFT - DAY 18

Day 18:  The Worst Part in the Christmas Story 

I've played a shepherd, a wise man, even Joseph in the Christmas Story. I've never played King Herod. I never want to. He was the king the wise men told about the birth of Jesus - the king who was enraged that there could possibly be a king other than him.

So he missed the Son of God who was born just six miles from his palace. But Herod's not the last person to miss Jesus because of wanting to be king. We all want to be king - of our own life. And that self-rule the Bible calls "sin" is what ultimately separates us from the God we can't live without and keeps us out of His heaven.

Jesus asked, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?" (Matthew 8:36 ). We are in danger of losing our soul- until we come in our heart to the cross where Jesus gave His life to pay our spiritual death penalty. We surrender the throne we never should have occupied to the Savior who belongs there. If you want to experience Jesus' love and forgiveness for yourself, call us at 888-Need-Him or chat with us live at needhim.org.

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.