Tuesday, December 25, 2012
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Two and a half feet of snow had just left a million people without power, and we were there! Wouldn't you know, I had picked my time to be up there in New England when that happened. Well, we checked into the motel before the storm, but now as I stood at the front desk, that phone was ringing incessantly. I kind of felt bad, because the lady gave the same answer every time, "Sorry, no room." Hey, those are tough words to hear.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Closed Doors at Christmas."
Well, you know, Jesus knows that feeling. And as we celebrate this Christmas Day, let's remember that the night He came, the inn keeper told His dad, "No room," and shut the door. Of course it wasn't the last time Jesus got shut out. You know, a lot of us are so busy and running around in our own life, so stressed, we're basically saying, "Jesus, I like you, but I really don't have any room for you."
That happened to Jesus even when He came here. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus said, "I have longed to gather you together, but you were not willing." And that tragedy continues today as Jesus tries to get into a life that He came for that first Christmas; that He died for on Good Friday - maybe yours. He paid such a high price for you. He loves you so much He doesn't want to lose you. He died to pay for the sin that would cause you to be shut out of Heaven.
Actually there is in Luke 13 a disturbing picture of what happens to people because they would not open the door to the only One who could bring them to heaven. It says this: "Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, ‘I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you'll say, ‘Well, we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'" These are people who hung out with Jesus; they knew a lot about Jesus. But He will reply, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from Me! There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," and maybe a mom or a dad, or people you love that went ahead to heaven because they asked Jesus to be their Savior, "but you yourselves thrown out."
You don't want to be, and it's not what Jesus wants for anybody. That's why He paid the price for you to be in heaven with Him. And this Christmas Day He reaches out to you with this word for today from the Word of God, John 1:12. "To all those who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God." That could happen for you this Christmas Day. If you open the door to the man who died for you, you can be sure He'll open the door of heaven to you.
If you're ready to belong to Jesus, please go visit our website, and take just a very short time and find there, whether you want to read it or see it by way of video, you can find out there exactly how to be sure you belong to the Christ of Christmas. YoursForLife.net.
Because this Christmas, no room for Jesus means no chance of heaven.