Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. . . . Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”—Luke 2:8, 10

If you are a parent, then you can remember the first people you called after you became one. You gave them the weight and length of the baby and the actual time when he or she was born. You shared the news with those who were closest to you.

When God announced the birth of His Son, whom did He tell first? It seems likely that he would have started with Caesar Augustus. He could have sent the angel Gabriel to appear in Caesar’s court and announce, “Check this out, buddy. You are not God! The Savior of the world has arrived!”

Or He might have had Gabriel appear to the religious leaders and say, “Wake up! The Messiah has been born! The One you talk about, the One you pray for—He is here!”

But that didn’t happen. Instead, God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. We tend to romanticize the shepherds along with everyone else in the Christmas story, but we don’t understand who they were. In this culture, shepherds lived at the bottom of the social ladder. Shepherds were so despised that their testimonies were not even allowed in a court of law. Shepherds did the work that no one else wanted to do. They worked hard, but they were perceived as unclean because they could not observe the ceremonial hand washings. They were the outcasts, the nobodies.

The only people less-regarded than shepherds were those who were suffering from leprosy. Yet God decided to announce His news to some shepherds in the fields as they kept watch over their flocks at night. This was the modus operandi of Jesus, from birth to death. He always appealed to the outcast, to the common, to the ordinary. And that should give hope to ordinary people like us.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”—Proverbs 14:30

I remember a Christmas from years ago. I was a little boy living in an apartment. I had a friend that I grew up with, and we were showing each other our presents.

I was happy with what I got for Christmas until I saw what he got. I can remember it to this day. It was a little plastic scuba diver. Basically, you wound it up and it sank to the bottom of the pool, with little bubbles coming out. This was 1960s technology, and pretty lame by today’s standards.

But I’d never seen anything like it. I thought it was the coolest toy ever. Was it really better than the toy I had? No. But he had it and I didn’t. As a result, I wasn’t happy with what I had anymore. It sounds childish, I know. But do we really outgrow that attitude?

My neighbors are doing a room addition.

My friend got a raise.

That couple I see on Facebook are always going somewhere wonderful.

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. The only person you hurt when you allow envy into your heart is yourself. I hate to break it to you, but the person you are envying probably has no idea how you feel, and most likely couldn’t care less. It’s really all about you suffering because of a bad attitude.

I heard about a crab fisherman who would carry the crabs he had caught in an open bucket. Someone said, “Why don’t you put a lid on that bucket? Aren’t you afraid your crabs will get out?” “No,” he replied. “The moment one of them climbs out the other ones reach up and pull him back down.”

Don’t we do that sometimes? How dare you succeed? How dare you do well? You come back down here with the rest of us where you belong!

We would all do well to heed what the Bible says about this: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6–8).

The great thing about the gospel is that it’s for everyone. We don’t have to envy our neighbor’s forgiveness, because God offers us our own! Let’s share that message of forgiveness—along with salvation, meaning, and eternal life—this coming March 6 at Harvest America. You can participate by praying for the event, attending in person or online, or hosting it in your home. Pray about that, will you?

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.—Matthew 2:10–11

The wise men, these followers of the stars, met the Lord Jesus Christ who created the stars. They were occultists, yet God reached into their dark world with a star to bring them to their Creator.

Matthew’s gospel tells us, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11).

Everyone worships at Christmas. There are no exceptions to this. Christians worship. Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone worships God at Christmas. Some worship material things, which they never seem to have enough of. Others worship their bodies. Others worship their families. But everyone worships something or someone.

The wise men worshiped Jesus. And what does it mean to worship? Our modern word worship comes from the old English word worthship. We worship the One who is worthy. A god of our own making isn’t worthy of our worship, but the true God is worthy of our praise.

Two words often are used in the Scriptures to define worship. One word means to bow down and do homage, which speaks of reverence and respect. The other means to kiss toward, which speaks of intimacy and friendship. So when we put these two words together, we get an idea of what worship actually is. To worship is to bow down and have reverence, and it is also to have tender intimacy.

Jesus was born, He died, and He rose from the dead so that you and I could come into a relationship with Him and become God’s adopted children. Simply put, we should worship the Lord because He deserves it—every day of the year.

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. —Matthew 2:7

King Herod was the man who tried to stop Christmas. With all his wealth and power, he came to complete ruin. Historical writings tell us that in the final year of his life, his body was infected with disease.

Ironically, Herod pretended to be a worshiper. He said to the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8). Yet Herod was a false worshiper. There are people like him today. They say they believe in God, but they live a life that contradicts what the Scriptures teach.

Herod wanted to be the king of his own life, but he really was a slave. He ended up being not the King of the Jews but the king of fools. Herod ended up on the ash heap of history like dictators before and after him, reminding us that those who live wicked lives eventually will reap what they sow. Adolf Hitler went into his bunker and shot himself as his nation crumbled around him. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole and was eventually executed by his own people. Moammar Gadhafi was hunted down by his own people, beaten, and shot to death.

All those who blaspheme God, fight with God, or try to stop the work of God eventually will fail. Yet God’s Word ultimately will prevail. Philippians 2:9–10 says, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

One day, everyone—every man, every woman, every believer, and every nonbeliever—will bow before Jesus Christ.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”—Jeremiah 29:13

The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem would have created quite a stir. These were strange men with a strange question, asking for the King of the Jews. They couldn’t have said a worse thing to King Herod. In effect, they were saying, “We’re looking for the King of the Jews—and clearly you’re not him.”

This is why we’re told in Matthew 2:3, “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” The word troubled used here could be translated “to shake violently”—like a washing machine in the spin phase. That was Herod. And when Herod was agitated, everyone was agitated. When he was mad, everyone was afraid of what could happen next.

So Herod called in the scribes, men who had committed themselves to studying the Scriptures. Without missing a beat, they went right to Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

There was no question the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Of course, Herod wanted to stop this Child from coming and wanted to destroy Him.

God used these wise men to get Herod’s attention. These were pagan men who were steeped in the occult. Yet God reached them in a way that they understood. He came to them by a star.

The Lord says that those who seek Him will find Him. To educated men and women, He will come to them in a way they can understand. To little children, He will appear in a way they can understand.

I believe that if people are truly seeking God, He will reveal Himself to them.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. —Colossians 1:19–20

Red is the color of Christmas—not because Santa suits are red or because we wrap packages in red. Red is the color of Christmas because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed.

We see a battle being played out in our culture today that is actually the battle of the gods. It is the God of the Bible, the true and living God, versus all contenders. This battle goes back to the first Messianic verse in the Bible when, after Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God said to him, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). Thus, Satan wanted to stop Christ from coming.

The cradle was pointing to the Cross. The Incarnation was for the purpose of atonement. The purpose behind the birth of Jesus was the death of Jesus. This is New Testament Christianity. It’s the division between light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness, good and evil, and right and wrong.

Interestingly, it’s actually through conflict that we can find real peace. For example, when someone walks into a dark place and turns on a bright light, it changes the entire dynamic. Through this conflict, through this disagreement, the ultimate unity will come. Why? Because as a Christian, you make people aware of their sin—and they don’t like it one bit. You don’t even have to say anything, really. You’re just being you as a Christian.

So don’t be upset because there is a little conflict. Just hold your ground and keep praying. This division can result in people thinking about their souls, considering the claims of Christ, and then ultimately turning their lives over to the Lord.

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”—Galatians 4:4–5

I’m sure you’ve seen countless depictions of the manger scene before—Christmas cards, nativity sets, lawn ornaments, wrapping paper—you name it. There’s Mary in her blue outfit (why is it always blue?) tenderly gazing with motherly affection. There’s Joseph, the proud father, leaning over to catch a glimpse of his Son. There’s the baby Jesus, cooing and yawing, complete with a tiny halo. Don’t forget the shepherds in the background with the lambs draped over their shoulders.

It’s a quaint, cozy, humble scene.

If the world had its way, it would leave God right there . . . in the manger. As an infant, Jesus isn’t too threatening. He’s not convicting us of sin or making us uncomfortable. We can look on Him in His swaddling clothes, say “Isn’t that precious?” and then go about living our own lives.

But God didn’t send His Son to remain a Baby. No, Jesus was sent to earth on a mission—a rescue mission. He was born to die.

Only through the death of Jesus could God redeem man. Only through His blood can we find forgiveness and healing and reconciliation with God. The purpose of the incarnation was for our atonement.

I want to tell people that Jesus is not the, small, frail, helpless being that the world says He is. He’s not a Baby anymore. He’s the King of kings and Lord of Lords, and He offers salvation to everyone who would put their faith in Him.

That’s why we’re doing Harvest America on March 6. To proclaim the gospel message to as many as will listen. It’s the largest undertaking we ever attempted and we need your prayers as we draw closer to this important outreach.

I’d also like you to think and pray about hosting it in your home or church. Together, let’s tell the world that Jesus was born to die, so that we might live. Find out more about Harvest America, and how you can help, at harvestamerica.com.

“Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!”—Luke 12:51

This may come as a shock to you, but the real Christmas story is not about love, peace, harmony, and gathering with family around a crackling fire. The real Christmas story is actually about conflict. It always has been, and it always will be.

One of the unexpected passages in the Bible that deals with the subject of Christmas is found in Revelation 12, where we have the picture of a woman being pursued by a powerful dragon who seeks her death. As she is preparing to give birth to a child, the dragon hovers over her, wanting to destroy the baby. The woman is a picture of Israel, the child is Jesus Christ, and the dragon is Satan.

That is Christmas from a heavenly perspective, and it gives us the big picture of what was really happening when God sent His Son into the world. The Devil opposed it and wanted to stop His birth. And really, you can take that story and see how it is still in play today.

Hostility toward Christmas seems to escalate a little more every year. More nativity scenes are being removed from public places, Christmas carols have been prohibited in many places, and atheists have put up billboards attacking the Christian faith. What’s more, many today don’t even want the word Christmas used. These are all symptomatic of the conflict of Christmas.

Jesus did not come to bring a mind-numbing peace on Earth that is devoid of truth. The message to the shepherds on the night Christ was born was, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

What does that mean? It means the only way we will have peace on Earth is when we are pleasing to God.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” —Luke 2:10

When the angel delivered his heavenly announcement to the shepherds, he started with, “Do not be afraid.” But the shepherds, along with all of Israel, lived in frightening times. They were under the reign of King Herod, who was a tyrant. Their land was under Roman occupation. There was fear about the future. Would Rome ever leave? Would they ever be free? Would the Messiah ever come?

Then suddenly there were angels announcing to the shepherds that the Messiah had come: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Having angels appear was frightening in itself. Angels were awe-inspiring beings. That is why, when we read of angelic appearances in the Bible, we often see them starting with, “Fear not.”

The message of Christmas is fear not. Have joy. As commentator Ray Stedman said, “The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy.”

Yet it can be difficult for us to have joy because we are surrounded by sadness. With all the tragedies in the world, all the acts of terrorism, and all the problems we have, how can we have good tidings of great joy? The answer is this: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

No matter what happens in life, remember this: You have a Savior. As a Christian, you have been saved from death. You have been saved from eternal punishment and hell. You have the hope that when you die, you will go straight to heaven. That is the most important thing about the Christian life. There is a Heaven waiting for you. You have a Savior.

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”—Ephesians 5:18

Is it acceptable for a Christian to drink?

The Bible tells us the story of John the Baptist, who was set apart by God from the time he was in his mother’s womb. In Luke 1:15, the angel said of John, “He will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (NKJV).

John gives us a good model for life: he drank neither wine nor strong drink. Personally, I don’t drink at all. That is due, to some degree, to coming from an alcoholic home and seeing the devastation that drinking can bring. I can’t think of a single good thing that comes from drinking, but I can think of many bad things that come from it: broken homes, violence, accidents, people killed on the road by drunk drivers, addiction, destroying your health . . . the list goes on.

Drinking will never make anything better, only worse. Every illustration of drunkenness in the Bible is a disaster:

Noah became drunk, and in his nakedness, he acted shamelessly.

Lot became drunk and his daughters committed incest with him.

Belshazzar, in Daniel 5, had a drunken feast and worshipped his false gods. He lost his kingdom that night.

Many a kingdom, family, career, ministry, and life have been lost through drinking.

“But I have the liberty to drink, Greg!” some would say. I would not completely dispute that. I personally drink as much as I want to, but I don’t want to drink! As Paul told the Corinthian believers, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV). I don’t want to be under the power of anyone or anything but Jesus Christ!

Here’s a revolutionary thought: If you don’t drink, you will never get drunk. If you do drink, you may get drunk. Is it worth the risk?

But here’s another question for you: Could your so-called liberty ever cause another believer to stumble in their faith? 1 Corinthians 8:9 says, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

John never touched alcohol, but was instead “filled with the Spirit.” The Bible says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NLT). It’s better to be filled with the Spirit than with the spirits.

Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. —Matthew 1:19

Joseph is the unsung hero of the Christmas story. For the most part, there are no Christmas songs about Joseph. Yet he really is a hero. The Bible tells us that Joseph was a “good man” (Matthew 1:19). Deeply in love with Mary, he was no doubt jolted by the news that she was pregnant.

Joseph and Mary were engaged, which, in their culture, was like being married. Once a couple entered into this engagement, or espousal, period, it was like being married, although they lived in separate houses. It was during this time that Mary became pregnant.

Yet Joseph loved Mary, and the Bible tells us that he “did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly” (Matthew 1:19). In other words, Joseph was thinking, I’m going to say that I can’t marry her now, but I’m certainly not going to publicly shame Mary, either.

While he was pondering this, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (verses 20–21).

That was all Joseph needed to hear. He could have walked away, even after he knew the truth. But he stood by Mary. And just as surely as God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, he chose Joseph to be a father figure on Earth for Jesus.

When God uses a person, there is a sacrifice to make. It won’t be an easy path, but it will be a fruitful one—and you will look back later in life and be glad that you took it.

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.—Luke 1:38

Many times we wonder what the will of God is for our lives. Let me suggest that you simply say, “Lord, I am willing to obey, even though I don’t completely understand what it is that You’re asking me to do.”

That is what Mary did. She didn’t fully understand what the angel Gabriel was telling her, but she obeyed just the same. She took a leap of faith. This is the attitude God looks for in His servants: childlike faith and obedience.

The Bible gives us great direction for knowing God’s will:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1–2)

Notice this passage begins with presenting ourselves to God. It doesn’t say, “Find out first what God’s will is, and then determine if you want to obey it.” Rather, we are to commit ourselves to God. As the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good.”

First commit yourself to Him. Then you will know the will of God. We should never be afraid to commit an unknown future to a known God. The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart.

Maybe the reason we don’t know God’s will is because we haven’t said, “I accept it, and I will obey it.” Have you said that to God?

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this as.

—Luke 1:29

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she was honestly surprised that God would select someone like her.

Though Mary was a virtuous woman, she was not a sinless woman. Mary was a sinner just like us. Privileged? Yes. Called by God? Yes. Sinful? Again, yes. Later, in what has been called the Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, she said, “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47). Even Mary needed a Savior.

When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They will not speak of what they have done for God. Rather, they will always speak of what God has done for them. That is why John described himself in his gospel as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John boasted of God’s love for him rather than his love for God.

Had Mary been like many other young women of her time, she would have married a poor man, given birth to numerous children, and wouldn’t have traveled more than a few miles from her home. Then she would have died like thousands of others before her, another person who entered and left the human stage. But God chose her, despite the fact that Mary was a nobody living in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.

Mary was handpicked to fulfill prophecy: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). I seriously doubt that Mary, in her wildest dreams, ever read that verse and thought, That is me. I’m going to be the virgin Isaiah spoke of. I’m going to be the mother of the Messiah.

God can use you where you are.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.—Luke 1:26

It’s interesting how cities are known for certain things. Rome is known as the Eternal City. Paris is called the City of Lights. New York is the City that Never Sleeps. And Las Vegas has been nicknamed Sin City.

Nazareth, too, could have been called Sin City in the first century. Overrun by Roman soldiers, it was one of those places you went through on the way to another place. Nazareth also was known for its sin. One commentator described it as a hotbed of corruption. This is why, when Nathanael heard that Jesus was from Nazareth, he asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

Imagine if Jesus were born today. We might expect Him to be born in Jerusalem, or maybe in Rome, London, or Paris. But what if He were born in Las Vegas? The Savior has arrived: Jesus of Las Vegas. That’s what it would have been like to use the term Jesus of Nazareth.

In that wicked city, however, lived a young woman of royal blood. Living in an impure world, Mary was pure. She showed it is possible to live a holy life in an unholy place. We often blame our wicked culture for the way we are, but the fact is that it’s our job as followers of Jesus to permeate and affect our culture.

Here’s a question to ask yourself: Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer is affected by its surroundings. Depending on the temperature, it goes up or down. In contrast, a thermostat affects its surroundings. Unlike the thermometer, it controls the environment around it.

Do you merely react to what is happening around you, or do you have some kind of impact on it? Are you changing the culture, or is the culture changing you?