Richard Ellis Talks

Jesus came to earth in the poorest of conditions. He was born in a stable, and God chose to share the news of the Messiah with smelly, poor shepherds before anyone else. None of the circumstances under which Christ was born were accidental -- they were orchestrated by God as a reminder that Jesus would go on to be the Savior of the whole world, and that He came to rescue all of humanity.

God used people like Elizabeth and Mary to change the world, not because they were somehow unique or more special than anybody else, but because they were willing to obey Him no matter what He asked. We're called to trust God and to listen when He asks us to do something -- even when it might seem crazy to us!

You don't always see the difference between houses built on solid foundations and houses built on shaky foundations until the storm comes -- and the same is true of how we build our families. When we make Jesus the center of our homes and our lives, no amount of trials or tribulations will be able to shake our foundation. Only He can bring us stability not just for this temporary life, but for eternity.

The Christmas story is about Jesus giving Himself for us. He came to earth as a baby who would grow up to die for our sins. And in response, He asks us to love Him with our whole selves and hold nothing back. When we give Him all of us, it's amazing how He uses that commitment to change the world around us.

Family issues have a way of rearing their ugly heads at the worst times, including around the holidays. We can't control others, but we can take responsibility for ourselves and do our part to make and keep the peace. God calls us to love each other with grace and forgiveness -- the same way He first loved us.

God's love was so clearly displayed when He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of this world. He loved us enough, even in our sinful state, to make the greatest sacrifice of all on our behalf. He doesn't want anyone to be condemned to hell, but we have to choose to receive the gift He's offered: salvation through Christ alone.

The shepherds and the wise men chose to worship Jesus when He was born on earth. We have the same opportunity to choose: are we going to lay down our lives in worship to Him? Whatever our decision, one day we won't have a choice -- because in the end, everyone will end up worshipping Christ the King.

In the book of Exodus, we read how the Israelites needed the blood of a spotless lamb to save themselves from physical death. Today, we need the blood of God's spotless Lamb -- Jesus -- to save us from spiritual death. And when we understand there's nothing else that can save us but the blood of Christ, we realize how important it is to share that news with others.

God used Mary as a part of His plan to save the world. And if He can use a virgin to birth the Savior of all mankind, He can choose to use each of us for His purpose, too, if only we make ourselves obedient to Him. God doesn't look for "special" people to use for His glory -- He looks for open hearts ready to put His will ahead of their own.

God holds the entire universe in the palm of His hand. So why do we have such a hard time trusting that He's in control of all things? He gave His Son to die for us, and in doing so, He showed us in the biggest way possible just how much He loves us. We can trust Him to carry the weight of our burdens -- and more than that, we can trust Him to carry us through any situation or circumstance.