Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - Dec. 25, 2009, Greg Laurie Daily Devotions - Watch Greg Laurie Sermons -TV Videos Online

Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - Dec. 25, 2009

December 25, 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009-Christmas Day

God Is with Us

"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people."
—Luke 1:68

Immanuel: God is with us—God came to us. What a staggering thought. It is really the essence of the Christian faith and the Christian life. All other religious ideologies essentially tell you that you must do something: Do this, and you will find inner peace. . . . Do this, and you will reach nirvana. . . . Do this, and maybe you will make it to heaven. But Christianity says it is done—done for you at the Cross, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Being a Christian is not merely following a creed; it is having Christ himself live in you and through you, giving you the strength to be the man or woman He has called you to be. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) and "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

The message of Christmas is God with us. That is important to know, especially during those times when we are going through great difficulty. The psalmist said, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9-10). It is great to know that God is with you wherever you go.

The Bible never teaches that we will have problem-free lives as followers of Christ. But the Bible does teach that we never will be alone. And because of that, we don't have to be afraid. As Ray Stedman said, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy."

That is the message that this sin-sick world needs to hear: Immanuel—God is with us.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
to listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com, click here.

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About Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship with campuses in California and Hawaii. Today, Harvest is one of the largest churches in America with over 15,000 attendees. Greg Laurie is also the founder of the evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades with over nine million attendees and over half a million professions of faith. In addition, Greg’s daily nationally syndicated radio program, A New Beginning which is heard on over 1000 radio stations.

Greg Laurie is the author of over 70 books including Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon and Lost Boy amongst others. He has also produced several award-winning films including A Rush of Hope which saw millions tune in for the first-ever cinematic crusade. Greg is married to Cathe Laurie and has two sons and five grandchildren.

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