"Now comes the time when we resolve. Right-thinking Christians and Americans, determined to live life better, and in the new year 2025, be better soldiers of the cross and better citizens of the greatest nation in the history of mankind."
"So, on to DIFFERENT AND BETTER 2025."
"LIFE. Only one life and that will soon be past. Treasure every moment. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring us life more abundantly. Live 2025 in an abundant life. Live as HE said joyfully, live as HE would have you live, that your JOY might be full. Life is good no matter. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT."
"WORRY. Nothing is more negative. Worry is wrong, perhaps rising to the level of sin. Give no thought at all, my fellow Christians, to the TOMORROW. It is a day with its own good and evil and to worry about a day not yet come ruins this day, the day which the Lord has made.
THE FIGHT OF FAITH. Stand up for your faith. Stand tall in the Lord. Never compromise your faith in any way by thought, word, or deed. NEVER!"
"RESIST EVIL. Here comes evil 2025, the devil at work, more aggressive than ever. Resist evil and it will go away, the devil will flee. Resist it with all your Christian might, armor, and strength. Do what is right, and fight back. Never give up. NEVER! In the words of the Apostle Paul:
PRESS ON FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS."
"PRESS ON!"
"SALT AND LIGHT. Let you light, my fellow Christians, so shine before all mankind, that all may see your good works, know what you believe, and glorify not you, but:"
"HIM."
"Whether word or deed, a deed seems to be more lasting and effective than a word in so many ways. Flavor this world with Christian love and forgiveness (salt) and let your light so shine before men. Let it shine brighter than ever."
"EDUCATE. Now comes a radical, woke, progressive agenda seeking to transform, really destroy so much of America, a culture, system, and group of priorities which is thoroughly and completely:
ANTI-AMERICAN."
"It is wrong. Say so and stand up.
YOU. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Care for it, nurture it, preserve it. Live healthy as God would intend and respectfully in the flesh that God has given you.
PRAYER. Pray without ceasing. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray always, everywhere. Live in a prayerful environment, where the Holy Spirit rules and you are in constant communication, prayerful communication with your Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer works wonders, whether it comes from the closet, all alone, even with groanings which are interpreted by the Holy Spirit, or in mass assemblies. God hears and answers HIS
WAY, at His time, and always for your good."
"THANKS. In all things give thanks. ALL THINGS. There is no such thing as luck, but only the will of God at work, whether we are aware of that or not. All things happen as HE would will and no matter what they are, good or bad in our opinion, they are His will at work, and in all such things we should be:
THANKFUL."
"And especially, we should be thankful for His: UNSPEAKABLE GIFT,"
"A gift that cannot be adequately described in words: OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
LOVE. No matter how hateful the world is, no matter how alone you may feel or be, the love of our Lord is with you. Christ, closer than a friend or brother, is with you, by your side, even if no one else is, as our Lord was with the Apostle Paul in his final days, all alone in a dungeon. Christ died for you and there is no greater love than that of a man who lays down his life for a friend:
YOU AND ME.
2025 is the year which the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice therein. Let us resolve to live this great year joyfully, and more productively, and work in his behalf for the night is coming when no man or woman can work.
A very blessed New Year’s greeting from all of us at the Crawford Broadcasting Co. and
may you and yours have a year with the full blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here he comes, AGAIN. And for the last time. Four more and no more. Trump will do everything possible to make his mark, leave his legacy, and do what’s right for America.
Conservatives and Christians are, or should be, gratified, thankful that Trump prevailed over Harris, for there is a far better chance that the real America, the true America, under sabotage in so many ways by the Biden administration, will be once again revived, born again. MAGA will be the lodestar of the Trump administration for he has promised to:
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
May it be so. Don’t you agree?
We will also get to know JD Vance. In the first Trump administration, Vice President Pence was of little influence or importance. It is perhaps possible that Vance will play a more active role, have more responsibilities, and especially in the last two years of the Trump administration, be more visible as a potential republican candidate for President in 2028.
Many do not like Donald Trump personally, even many who voted for him. He is indeed a polarizing personality. But he was in so many ways the very best candidate for President, and perhaps Americans, and especially conservatives and Christians learned that they and we all vote for a president and a politician, not the personality of a pastor. There is none who take that office who have ever been morally perfect but the real question in terms of morality and character is whether or not as President, that candidate will honor the promises and vows made in seeking election and otherwise be a respectful, forthright and strong president of WE THE PEOPLE. May it be so, don’t you agree?
Many believe that Donald Trump will be more mature in the second four years. Trump they feel will have no reason to make enemies, confront, or criticize. Most believe that his decisions will be more rational, thought out, mature, and made with the advice and consultation of people expert in the field. May it be so.
Trump has promised to do away with the swamp. He has said he never realized how deep, pervasive, and all entwined (murky to the eye) the swamp was, and consequently, did not finish the job. This time around, so he says, he will. May it be so, don’t you agree?
That includes doing away with certain of the agencies which control so much, like the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DOE). That is a woke, progressive, liberal organization-agency and America will be better without it. Trump also indicated he would move agencies out of Washington. Decentralize much so as to control the unregulated power of so many. He stands openly against woke, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) and the radical, even anti-American aspects of the Federal Government will be done away with. May it be so.
Trump has vowed he will make things happen, and where necessary, he will issue EXECUTIVE ORDERS which will in fact make things happen. Because of the inaction of congress in so many ways, the orders of the executive have become a political way of life. It remains to be seen how aggressive Trump will be.
He has promised to stabilize the Middle East. Unlike Biden, Trump will be a strong supporter of Israel. Trump will not authorize or enforce the treaty-agreement with Iran. He will stand up to North Korea, and Russia. And most especially, Trump knows the threat of China and he has promised, with tariffs, military action where necessary, as in the Chinese promise to take over Taiwan, curtail the influence and threat of China. May it be so, don’t you agree?
Trump has promised to strengthen the military. That should start with the Navy, with submarines, nuclear warfare capability and protection, a reprioritizing of military purposes and the strengthening of American defenses. May it be so.
And the financial. Trump has promised to deal with inflation, and no new taxes, unlike Biden and the Democrats, to control the interest rates, to work on reducing the American debt, something he did not do in his first term. Now comes the DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. If these two men are allowed to do their job, they will be able to eliminate so much waste in spending and how wonderful that would be for America. May the actions of DOGE be real and for the benefit of our beloved America.
Trump will undoubtedly appoint one or more new justices of the Supreme Court. May he have the wisdom to put the very right people in such a critical position, with so much authority over WE THE PEOPLE. His first appointments were good for America and may it be so, should he have the additional opportunity.
Trump brings hope, hope for change, change back, hope for making America great again. It is our duty as American citizens and Christians to pray for Donald Trump. To pray that with the incredible problems and opportunities which his administration will face, he will be guided by divine wisdom and do what is right for WE THE PEOPLE. We should pray that Trump will reestablish our love and respect for our constitution, and rule of law, which especially includes protecting our borders, dealing with illegal immigration and making certain that American citizens are protected, that our police are respected, and that we may, as the Apostle Paul has admonished us, pray for our President and live peaceful lives. May it be so.
Trump comes January 20. May that coming be the beginning of a new, revived, and born-again America. May it be so.
We live, my fellow Americans, in the greatest nation in the history of mankind. There is not, nor has there ever been, a nation like:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Never.
It is a nation conceived in freedom. It treasures and fosters democracy. It is a constitutional nation, and it is a nation where, as Dr. Martin Luther King so well said, if in fact its citizens live up to its constitution, treasure it, believe in it, and enforce it, all men and women who are created equal can live a life to the fullest.
AMERICA. What is America to you? Do you understand your country, your nation, its history, its purpose and meaning, the reality of the:
REAL AMERICA?
Do you? Right-thinking men and women thank God every day, EVERYDAY, for the privilege of living in America and being an American. Do you? Are you a grateful citizen, are you proud to be an American, and since this great country can do so much for you, remember the words of President John F. Kennedy, who admonished us to:
ASK NOT WHAT AMERICA CAN DO FOR YOU
ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR AMERICA!
That in my opinion should be the motto of every real American.
THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION. Please read it. Do your best to understand it. Study anything which helps you understand the incredible rights, privileges, and duties which are yours as a citizen and as an American. Think always about the First Amendment to that Constitution, perhaps the finest words, rights, privileges, opportunities, and expressions of freedom ever written in the history of mankind. The First Amendment of America’s Constitution allows you full and unabridged freedom of:
RELIGION
SPEECH
PRESS
ASSEMBLY
PETITION
These precious freedoms are the very best that can be offered to any human being and they are essential, priorities, GUARANTEED to every man and woman by this Constitution and its very precious First Amendment. Read it, know it, treasure it, and thank God for it.
RULE OF LAW. It is watered down, ignored, or even eliminated in this woke and radical, anti-American day and age. Lawlessness in the end times, says the scripture, prevails and runs rampant. That is happening today. Stand up, my fellow Americans, to lawlessness and insist upon the rule of law, insist upon the concept of:
JUSTICE FOR ALL.
There is risk in so doing, but the reward is well worth the risk.
RIGHT AND WRONG. There are those today that think there is no such thing as right and wrong. There is no absolute truth. This is the day and age of:
THE LIE.
We live in an age which many describe as:
POST TRUTH.
That is, we live in a culture where there is no such thing as absolute truth and consequently, the lie, that which is not truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, is the law of the land. WRONG, dead wrong. There is right and wrong, there is truth, and never forget in this great year 2025, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!
I AM THE TRUTH!
Believe in Him and you will know the truth indeed.
STAND. Stand tall for America. Protect it. Founding Fathers were willing to die for it. Are you? Am I? Are there enough Americans left who are willing to do whatever is required to protect and defend the greatest land in the history of mankind?
So much of the world despises, even hates America. Perhaps that is because we live hypocritically, we do not stand tall for our ideals, our freedoms, and our way of life, and we are not consistent, constantly compromising, and so often not holding individuals and nations accountable for their actions. We the People need to redefine who we are as a nation, make those ideals, values, and standards clear, and stand for them no matter the cost, now more than ever in the great year 2025.
POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. We the People need to be far more politically involved. Especially Christian citizens. We need to be active in government. We need to take positions of authority locally and to make certain our neighborhoods, towns, and
cities, are safe, law-abiding, and true to American ideals, its constitution, rule of law, and way of life. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP! We need to make certain right-thinking and right-acting men and women are elected to office, who will truly represent us, and even more importantly, our Constitution, rule of law, and all that America should be. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT HAPPENS! If not, we need to speak out critically so, aggressively, withhold financing, and our vote, and where necessary, exercise the process of recall and do whatever we can to get elected or appointed officials unworthy of citizen trust out of office and authority. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
WOKE, THE PROGRESSIVE, THE ANTI-AMERICAN. They are everywhere, EVERYWHERE! They are determined to effectuate radical change or even in so many cases, the destruction of the American way of life. They would water down or eliminate much of our Constitution, curtail our freedoms, control family and education, and change the way we live, think, and believe. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN MY FELLOW AMERICANS, DON’T LET IT HAPPEN! Time is short. America needs right-thinking Americans in action now more than ever.
PRIDE. Be proud 2025 to be an American. Be proud to be a citizen of the real America, the constitutional America, with its freedoms, and be proud to stand tall as America beckons, asking you now more than ever to be a soldier in the fight for freedom.
Wear the flag, salute the military, proudly sing, and respect the National Anthem:
STAND UP FOR AMERICA.
Pray that God will bless America, convicted of its wrong doings, and once again make it the city on the hill, the shining light among nations, a country safe and protected for us today and for our descendants tomorrow. Let us proudly sing in 2025:
GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND THAT I LOVE!
"With God, all things are possible. ALL THINGS!"
"Even an event like THE VIRGIN BIRTH.
Some 2,000 years ago, an angel was sent by God to the tiny town of Nazareth in the Galilee area. The area was small, the inhabitants few, and a popular saying of the day was:
CAN ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH?"
"Perhaps not before, but after the visit by the angel Gabriel to an unknown Mary, from Nazareth would come the Savior of the world.
Mary the Virgin was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel Gabriel said to her:
GREETINGS, YOU WHO ARE HIGHLY FAVORED! THE LORD IS WITH YOU."
"Gabriel went on to say:
DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY. YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. YOU
WILL BE WITH CHILD AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON. YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS."
"HE WILL BE GREAT AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH."
"THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID AND HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER. HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END!
And, rightly so, Mary was troubled and she said to the angel:
“How will this come about since I am a virgin?”
To which the angel responded:"
"THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU."
"So the Holy One to be born would be called the SON OF GOD."
"The natural man scoffs at angels but the spiritual man knows that with God all things are possible, including angels.
Mary, now with child, the Holy Ghost having come upon her, went to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives, and when she arrived, Elizabeth knew of this Immaculate Conception and Elizabeth said to Mary:
BLESSED ARE YOU AMONG WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE CHILD YOU WILL BEAR!
Elizabeth knew that Mary would be the mother of her Lord and ours as well. So, the world was about to change because of that event in Nazareth. Jesus of
Nazareth would soon be born in Bethlehem of Judea and this Nazarene, this SON OF
THE MOST HIGH would soon be known as THE SAVIOR, the Prince of Peace, the Christ of Glory.
When Elizabeth had finished, Mary began her very own song of praise:
MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD
AND MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR!
FOR HE HAS BEEN MINDFUL OF THE HUMBLE STATE OF HIS SERVANT. FROM NOW ON ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED
FOR THE MIGHTY ONE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME HOLY IS HIS NAME!
Such powerful praise and adoration this Magnificat of Mary was. Mary, the virgin, so humble in spirit, thought of herself as the HANDMAIDEN of the Lord, perhaps still puzzled as to why she was chosen to bear the King of Kings, but willing and obedient to do the will of God.
And the Babe of Bethlehem grew within her. Fiancé Joseph, of the lineage of David, sought to put her away but again, an angelic message explained to him what had happened, foretold the birth of this Son and the instructions to him that His name would be Jesus. Thereafter, Mary would be wife and mother for Joseph. It is incredibly difficult to imagine how this man 2,000 years ago would react. Nothing like this in human history had ever happened before. He, Joseph was chosen to supervise and support the birth of the Savior of the world. That would be impossible for any man to comprehend but Joseph, obedient like Mary, accepted the angelic explanation and this divine drama proceeded.
Surely, Joseph could see the remarkable changes in Mary. For those precious months,
Mary’s soul glorified the Lord. She told all that her spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Surely that glorifying and rejoicing was well noticed, even participated in by Joseph."
"Mary, the humble servant of the Lord knew what great things God had done for her and she was perhaps the first to live in a brand new, revolutionary state of praise and worship. Soon, that would be available to all mankind.
Then came the decree from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Joseph, who belonged to the house and lineage of David therefore went to Bethlehem of Judea to register with Mary, since Bethlehem was the City of David. But the town was full and there was no room in the inn so that Mary and Joseph slept in a manger. And there, in that manger, Mary gave birth to a son and as a proud and loving mother, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Such were the humble circumstances of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior of the world.
AND THAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS! That birth of the Savior of the world is what we celebrate at Christmas! This rabidly secular world of ours wishes to de-spiritualize this event and take CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS. We who believe must never let that happen but rather band together in glorious praise and worship to the Babe and especially to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let not, my fellow Christians, the secularists abandon the Christ of Christmas.
So, Christ was born and there began the spreading of the Word:
AND THERE WERE SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELDS KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT
AND LO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO THEM AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE ROUND ABOUT THEM
AND THEY WERE SORE AFRAID BUT THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM DO NOT BE AFRAID
I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY THAT WILL BE FOR ALL PEOPLE THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID
A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU HE IS CHRIST THE LORD
THIS WILL BE A SIGN UNTO YOU
YOU WILL FIND THE BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES AND LYING IN A MANGER
AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGELS A HEAVENLY HOST OF ANGELS
PRAISING GOD AND SAYING GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST
AND ON EARTH PEACE AND GOODWILL TO ALL MANKIND
How interesting that shepherds were chosen as the first to hear this angelic enunciation. Shepherds were watchmen, observant, especially at night as they made certain to protect their sheep. They knew the heavens, the stars and their movements. They were familiar with the night and they could, like wise men and kings, identify and follow the STAR OF WONDER, the star which shone brightly that night over the City of
David, the blessed Bethlehem of Judea, where the Prince of Peace was born."
"And those shepherds left immediately and they found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen him, they were the very first evangelists, spreading the word of this miraculous and marvelous birth, the message they had been told by the angel about this Babe. And that was the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From then on, the shepherds glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen even as we who believe do so today. We well say today as the shepherds and angels did then:
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST
AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MANKIND"
"Men and women search today for truth even as the shepherds did. The search is everywhere but the truth, the ultimate truth was revealed to mankind in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Wise men and women, who truly seek him, will find him there. Those who scoff, mock a virgin birth, the concept of angels, and the creation of a God–man will never, ever know that:
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
Nothing.
But to find HIM is a most joyous, wondrous discovery. It is an epiphany like no other. The finding of the Babe is the finding of the world’s greatest treasure. The power, the love, and the understanding which results from finding HIM is life–changing then and forevermore. That finding allows us to become as a little child, open and transparent, filled with love and compassion, fully understanding the GRACE of God and that gracious gift which changed the world 2,000 years ago. That faith in the Babe of Bethlehem is the key to entering the Kingdom of God, humbly trusting and believing even as Mary did of old. Women become handmaidens of the Lord as Mary did. Men become servants of the Lord as the shepherds did.
So that, on Christmas Day, we discover the greatest present, the greatest gift one could ever find:
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM"
"The gifts we give to others at Christmastime can never begin to equal the gift of God to us. We should celebrate that gift FIRST and wherever possible, give the love of that gift to others. That is what Christmas is all about and that should never change.
And we, like the shepherds should spread the news, the Good News. That is true evangelism and we who believe must never let that message die not only at Christmas but every day. The wise men of old found Him and the wise men and women of today, the truly wise who search will find Him. For in Him, it is all that God is. And that, as the angels well said, are indeed the glad tidings and the great joy for all.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son to all humankind so that those who believe could have life abundant here and life eternal there. For those who"
"received this gift of God, there comes the power of God making them sons of God and daughters, life all brand new. Women praise the Lord like Mary of old. Men glorify the Lord as the shepherds of old. And that, and only that can bring peace to the world.
The message of that Babe is the only message which can spread the goodwill of God and transform the lives of all mankind. May it be yours.
We the Crawford Broadcasting Company, all of us, wish you a very happy, merry, blessed Christmas centered around the Babe of Bethlehem, and may the love of God in Jesus Christ be your very special gift this Christmas season. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill for all.
CHRIST IS BORN!"
SPEAKER 01 :
The Crawford Stand, as the president of Crawford Media Group, Don Crawford, brings the third of three Advent messages. This week, the greatest love story ever told. The story of how God's miraculous power brought light to a dark world.
SPEAKER 03 :
With God, all things are possible. All things. Even an event like the virgin birth. Some 2,000 years ago, an angel was sent by God to the tiny town of Nazareth in the Galilee area of Israel. The area was small, the inhabitants few, and a popular saying of the day was, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Perhaps not. Perhaps not before, but after the visit by the angel Gabriel to an unknown Mary, from Nazareth would come the Savior, the Savior God. of the world Mary the Virgin was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph a descendant of David the angel Gabriel said to her greetings greetings Mary you who are highly favored the Lord the Lord is with you and don't be afraid Mary you have found favor with God you will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus Jesus. He will be great, he will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end. Wow! Can you believe that kind of message? Isn't that incredible? Can you imagine the reaction of Mary? Mary was troubled, and she said to the angel, How will this come about, since I am a virgin? I'm a virgin. To which the angel responded, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born would be called the Son of God. Well, I'll tell you what, it takes a whole lot of faith to believe in that, but to believe it is probably the most wonderful commitment any human being can make.
SPEAKER 02 :
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
SPEAKER 03 :
The natural man scoffs at angels, but the spiritual man knows that with God, with God, all things are possible, all things, including angels. So Mary, now with child, the Holy Ghost having come upon her, went to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth. relatives of hers. And when she arrived, Elizabeth knew of this immaculate conception, and Elizabeth said to Mary, wonderful, wonderful words, Blessed are you, Mary, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb through the Holy Spirit, Jesus. Elizabeth knew that Mary would be the mother of her Lord and ours as well. So the world was about to change because of that event in Nazareth. Jesus of Nazareth would soon be born in Bethlehem of Judea, and this Nazarene, this Son of the Most High, would soon be known as the Savior, the Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, the Christ of Glory. And when Elizabeth had finished, Mary began her very own song of praise, the Magnificat. Mary's Magnificat.
SPEAKER 02 :
Listen to these words. And Mary said, He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Ah, such powerful, powerful praise and adoration this Magnificat of Mary was! Mary the Virgin, so humble in spirit, thought of herself as the handmaiden of the Lord, perhaps still puzzled as to why she was chosen to bear the King of Kings, but willing and obedient to do the will of God. and the babe of Bethlehem grew within her. Fiancé Joseph, of the lineage of David, sought to put her away, but again an angelic message explained to him what had happened, foretold the birth of this son, and the instructions to him that his name would be Jesus. Thereafter, Mary would be wife and mother for Joseph, but only thereafter. It really is incredibly difficult to imagine how this man 2,000 years ago would react. How would you as a man react to that news? Nothing like this in human history had ever happened before, ever. He, Joseph, was chosen to supervise and support the birth of the Savior of the world. That would be impossible for any man to comprehend. But Joseph, obedient like Mary, accepted the angelic explanation, and this divine drama proceeded. Surely Joseph could see the remarkable changes in Mary. For those precious months, Mary's soul glorified the Lord. She told all that her spirit rejoices in God, in God my Savior. Surely that glorifying and rejoicing was well noticed, even participated in by Joseph. I hope so. Mary, the humble servant of the Lord, knew what great things God had done for her, and she was perhaps the first to live in a brand new revolutionary state of praise and worship. And soon, soon, my fellow Americans, soon that would be available to all mankind. to you and me. And then came the decree from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Joseph, who belonged to the house and lineage of David, therefore went to Bethlehem of Judea to register with Mary, since Bethlehem was the city of David. But the town was full, full, and there was no room in the inn, no room in the inn, so that Mary and Joseph slept in a manger." And there, there, in that manger, Mary gave birth to a son, and as a proud and loving mother, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and she laid Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, in a manger. Such were the humble circumstances of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior of the world. And that, That is the real meaning of Christmas. That birth of the Savior of the world is what we celebrate at Christmas, or we should. This rabidly secular world of ours wishes to de-spiritualize this event and take Christ out of Christmas. And boy, are they doing a good job of that. We who believe, we who believe in this miracle, for again, all things with God are possible, we who believe must never let that happen, but rather band together in glorious praise and worship to the babe, and especially to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let not, my fellow Christians, let not the secularists abandon the Christ of Christmas. Don't let it happen. So, Christ was born. And there began the spreading of this marvelous message.
SPEAKER 02 :
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
SPEAKER 03 :
I find it so interesting that shepherds were chosen as the first to hear this angelic enunciation. Shepherds were watchmen, observant, especially at night, as they made certain to protect their sheep. and they knew the heavens and the stars and their movements. They were familiar with the night, and they could, like wise men and kings, identify and follow the star of wonder, the star so bright, the star with royal beauty bright, the star which shone brightly that night over the city of David, the blessed Bethlehem of Judea, where the Prince of Peace was born, our Lord. And those shepherds left immediately, and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen him, when they had seen him, they were the very first evangelists. They spread the word of this miraculous and marvelous birth, the message they had been told by the angel about this babe. And that, that was the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. From then on, the shepherds glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen, even as we who believe do so today. And we do so today, never having seen him like the shepherds did. And we will say today as the shepherds and angels did then. Glory to God in the highest. Glory, glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace and goodwill toward all mankind. Men and women search for truth, even as the shepherds did. They do that today. We all do. The search is everywhere. But the truth, the ultimate truth, was revealed to mankind in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Wise men and wise women who truly seek him will find him there and here and now. Those who scoff, mock at a virgin birth, the concept of angels, and the creation of a God-man will never ever know that nothing, but nothing, is impossible with God. nothing but to find him as a most joyous, wondrous discovery. It is an epiphany like no other. The finding of the babe is the finding of the world's greatest treasure. The power, the love, the understanding which results from finding him is life-changing then and forevermore. That finding allows us to become, as a little child, open and transparent, filled with love and compassion, fully understanding the grace of God and that gracious gift which changed the world 2,000 years ago. That faith in the babe of Bethlehem is the key, the key, to entering the kingdom of God, humbly trusting and believing even as Mary did of old. Women become handmaidens of the Lord like Mary did. Men, believers, become servants of the Lord as the shepherds did. So that on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day, on such a wonderful day, we discover the greatest present, the greatest gift one could ever find, the babe, the babe of Bethlehem, the Savior of the world. The gifts we give to others at Christmastime can never begin to equal the gift of God to us. We should celebrate that gift first, and wherever possible, give the love of that gift to others. That is what Christmas is all about. And that, that must never change. it must never change. And we, like the shepherds of old, should spread the good news of the gospel, of the birth of Jesus Christ, the good news that is true evangelism. And we who believe must never let that message die, not only at Christmas, but every day of the year. The wise men of old found him, and the wise men and women of today they do the same. The truly wise who search will find him. For in him it is all that God is. And that, as the angels well said, is indeed the glad tidings and the great joy for all mankind. Have you found that? Have you experienced the joy, the love, the forgiveness, the salvation offered by the babe of Bethlehem? I hope and pray you have. For God so loved the world, He so loved the world, that He gave His only Son to all mankind, so that those who believe could have life abundant here and life eternal there. For those who received this gift of God, there comes the power of God, making them sons and daughters of God. Life all brand new. Do you have it? Women praise the Lord like Mary of old. Men glorify the Lord as the shepherds of old. And that, and only that, can bring peace to the world. The message of that babe is the only message which can spread the goodwill of God and transform the lives of all mankind. Oh, I hope and pray at this wonderful season that this gift may be yours. We, the Crawford Broadcasting Company, all of us, wish you a very happy, merry, blessed Christmas centered around the Babe of Bethlehem. And may the love of God in Jesus Christ be your very special gift this Christmas season. And I say, glory to God, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill for all, like the angels of old. Christ, Christ is born.
SPEAKER 01 :
Let him know you appreciate his daily visits here on the Crawford Stand. His email address again is stand at CrawfordMediaGroup.net. When you want to review what you hear, go to our website, CrawfordMediaGroup.net. The Crawford Stand is a public affairs presentation of Crawford Media Group and this station, serving God and country. I'm Bill McCormick.
Christians believe they should share biblical solutions to America’s cultural issues.
Rightly so, for our Lord told us as true believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel, PREACH IT! Jesus of Nazareth went even further. He said when you do so:
I WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!
When, He said, there is that God-given opportunity to profess your faith, don’t be afraid, don’t be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for that saving gospel is the power of God unto salvation, available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. Be bold, be strong, do not be afraid.
But many of us are afraid. We are easily intimidated, especially when confronted by strong, secular, even anti-Christian personalities. Radical secularists know just what questions to ask, what issues to pose, what statements to make, for in so many ways, they are the same over and again. No matter, when so many of us are confronted, we become insecure, defensive, even ashamed to admit the greatest fact in life, that we have been saved by grace and born again. In those ultimate confrontational moments, we soon forget the promise of the master:
I WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!
That is, of course, if you are a believer, a true believer and you have in fact been saved by grace.
So, the question then becomes:
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU BELIEVE?
Are you a real Christian? A true Christian? A bible-Jesus Christ-believing Christian with a belief from all of your heart, are you? Or are you an intellectual Christian? You know all about Christianity, and Jesus, and you have wrestled intellectually, mentally, with the propositions. You are therefore a Christian who can talk the talk whether or not you walk the walk. Intellectual, philosophic Christianity goes nowhere spiritually, no where at all. Therefore, the words that our Lord would give to that person mean nothing and in fact are not even heard. The intellectual Christian is only concerned with using his own words.
There are those who are social Christians. They go to church, attend Christian functions, socialize with Christian people, and purport to live a Christian life, but with little or nothing inside. They can be called cultural Christians but not born-again Christians. In fact, they really don’t want to be called born-again, saved by grace Christians. They are proud to be called denominational Christians (I am a Baptist). They have Christian trappings, like the Pharisees of old, but inside they are as Jesus said, like whited sepulchers, empty and devoid of the truth. They argue well, but they ignore the words of the Lord. It is really easy to identify those who talk the Christian talk but do not have within them the heart of love which salvation brings.
When it comes to Christian witness, many of us hold back because of the:
FEAR OF REJECTION.
Avowed secularists think nothing of ridiculing us, our testimony, and our faith. When that happens, we withdraw, not wishing to be emotionally hurt and no witness, no stand for the Lord occurs. Far too many of WE THE CHRISTIANS cannot endure ridicule, ridicule of ourselves or our faith.
Nor can we abide rejection. We wish to be accepted, well thought of, a good person, and to keep that image, we cannot be offensive. But that ignores the firm Christian-biblical statement that:
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS AN OFFENSE TO THE NATURAL MAN!
To be a Christian, to witness, in any way by word or deed is to produce word or action which is an OFFENSE to the natural man, the man ready for verbal battle. It seems this poll says that only one out of four of true believers can withstand the verbal assault of the secularist.
But, true believers, remember these words. Our Lord Jesus Christ told us the following:
MAN OR WOMAN WHO WILL CONFESS ME BEFORE MEN, HIM OR
HER WILL I ALSO CONFESS AS MY FOLLOWER, MY TRUE BELIEVER
BEFORE MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. BUT HE OR SHE DENIES ME
BEFORE MEN, HIM OR HER WILL I ALSO DENY BEFORE MY FATHER
WHO IS IN HEAVEN.
So that, the ultimate testimony is that of our Lord before the Father IN OUR BEHALF. That will only happen if we confess our faith, stand for our Lord, and refuse to be intimidated, ridiculed, or rejected by the aggressive anti-Christian.
But it should not be that difficult to confess our faith. What is difficult, in fact virtually impossible, is when we try to be something we are not, communicate what we really do not understand, or think that we have a burden, a duty, to hit the spiritual verbal home run every time we speak about our Lord. Go back, fellow Christian, to that time of conversion, to that time when you really met Jesus Christ. Go back to your commitment, whatever it was, however it occurred, YOUR COMMITMENT, not somebody else’s. That life-changing event which meant so much to you. NO ONE UNDERSTOOD THAT MORE THAN YOU, NO ONE! You had that one and only conversion moment, individual, unique, one of a kind, your very own saving, forgiving, encounter with Jesus Christ, YOURS AND YOURS ALONE! If you really believe, if it was really worthwhile to you, life-changing, an event, occurrence and encounter which had then and still does now life-changing value, that should be easy, EASY to explain in a grateful loving way. There is nothing better than the unique, one and only conversion moment of any one individual. And that, my fellow Christian, is the most powerful Christian witness you could possibly offer. That is the testimony which our Lord will honor. That is real, loving, lasting, and there is no anti-Christian, non-believer anywhere in the world who can offer an argument against that.
And that is all you need to say, nothing more. You can witness to your faith, as it has grown, as it occurs in your everyday life, as it grows in meaning, as it produces the total love of your heart. It is that faith which produces the works, the deeds (by their fruits ye shall know them) which clearly display the love of Jesus Christ which lives within your heart. YOU DON’T NEED TO DO OR SAY ANYTHING ELSE!
In fact, you really shouldn’t because then you are discussing something about which you know little or nothing, someone else’s ideas, perhaps trying to be more intelligent about your faith than you really are, and it waters down your testimony. There is, for example, no greater testimony against abortion than a father or mother in love with Jesus Christ, testifying of their love for their child which God has given them.
The world hungers for real Christianity, REAL! There is so much hypocrisy, irrelevancy, in the church and Christianity today. Far better, far more meaningful, more real than anything are the real words, deeds, experiences of a Christian man or woman in love with Jesus Christ. The Apostle John tells us that we will be known, that is, our testimony will be sure by the love we have for one another. Not only for our family and friends, but all humankind, in all of our life’s experiences, and associations. There is no greater testimony than that of a life of a loving believer who knows that even well beyond faith itself, or the hope which Christianity brings, is the love, the love of God in Jesus Christ. THAT SHOULD BE YOUR TESTIMONY! You do not need to do or say anything more, nothing more. If you never graduated high school, that testimony would be more powerful than any theological treatise.
The only real witness you would ever have, lasting, meaningful, and again, REAL, would be the love and gratitude you profess for Jesus Christ WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES! You don’t need to stand on a street corner and pass out tracts. Our Lord will lead you when it is time to witness. HE will reveal the opportunity, and when He sends you into battle to represent him:
HE WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!