Is America asking for Jesus this Christmas?
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Most of us work hard to give Christmas gifts that others will want. I hope the gifts under my own Christmas tree will give joy and happiness to the people I love. I love the Lord and what the Christmas holiday represents for his children. I’m sad for the people who try to celebrate Christmas without the indwelling joy of Christ. If I could give a gift to America, I would give the gift God chose to give that first Christmas.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus is the most valuable Christmas gift ever given, a gift all of us can freely give. The only catch is that we must receive the gift ourselves before giving it away.
A recent article that Christians should know about
The Wall Street Journal published an important article on December 1 of this year. The article was titled Sales of Bibles Are Booming, Fueled by First-Time Buyers and New Versions.
The article stated that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan.” I founded and now serve the Foundations brand of the Denison Ministries. This brand is focused on teaching biblical truth and helping others to learn how to study and apply God’s word to their lives. Needless to say, the Wall Street Journal article caught my eye!
The article quoted Jeff Crosby, president of the Christian Publishers Association, who explained the increase in Bible sales, saying, “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren. It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.” The article also stated, “The demand for Bibles is rising despite evidence that the country is growing increasingly secularized.”
Is the country growing increasingly secularized, or are America’s citizens increasingly coming to realize they need God?
What causes people to seek God’s word?
America has been through a season of stress this past year. Regardless of which side you take in our political system, this year’s election campaigns were filled with angst, threats of disaster, and a sense that if your candidate didn’t win, the future looked disastrous. Americans have learned to question and doubt the news reports we see on television.
Are Americans looking for truth in the midst of doubts and stress? The Bible is known as a book of truth. Jesus described himself as “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Last September, we watched the news footage of the horrible storms that hit places like North Carolina. A U.S. News article said, “The Carolinas braced for a storm that forecasters warned could bring heavy rain — as much as 6 to 8 inches in some spots. But one narrow band got a ‘firehose’ that dumped as much as 20 inches in a so-called 1,000-year flood that shocked many with its intensity.” Psalm 107:28 says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”
Some television news reported that people weren’t getting the help they needed, and other stations reported all that would be done to care for people, many of whom had lost everything they owned and someone or something they loved. While the reporters were arguing about the truth, groups like The Samaritan’s Purse jumped in to be the truth and bring immediate, much-needed help. Compassion for people in need led to increased funds that were used, and are still being used, to help America’s citizens physically and spiritually. I don’t think we can overestimate Franklin Graham’s influence on our nation as he spoke God’s truth on our national news programs.
The election sent a clear message to everyone on both sides of the political war, as did the news footage about the terrible storm. Anyone who watched the news wanted something different because the people of our country deserve the help they need. Christians understand the government will never provide for a person’s greatest need. That is the real purpose of this blog post.
Christians know what America needs most this Christmas
Increased Bible sales point to an increased interest in God’s message to the world. When people realize they need truth, they look for truth. It’s our job as Christians to be watchful and ready to help them find the biblical truth that Jesus was born to provide.
The baby in the manger was and is God Incarnate. He was and is Immanuel, God with us. I like the way William Barclay described Jesus. He said, “God was always like Jesus.” I’ve often said that the baby in the manger was God, with skin on him. People often struggle to understand the God of the Old Testament. They simply need to understand that God has always been the Jesus they see in the New Testament.
Our country has bought a lot more Bibles this year, but will they read them? Will the average American understand the rich, eternal teaching of the words they are reading? Will they read the word of God and then live with biblical choices?
God’s word is powerful truth, but that truth is more likely gained through study, not simply reading. That’s why I wanted to start the Foundations brand at Denison Ministries. Before I ever owned the promise of my salvation in Christ, I owned a few Bibles. God’s word is written to help people know God. God’s creation speaks to his reality every moment of every day. Paul said God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). Paul goes on to say that’s why people are “without excuse” for not knowing there is a God.
If you read this blog post, you probably know that God exists, and you probably want to know God as well as you possibly can. Sanctification requires a willing heart and careful study of God’s word. Even Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
My “end of year” request
Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesdays this year. This blog post is the last lengthy post I will write this year. I believe America is seeking to know the God whom the apostle Paul wanted to know and the Lord Jesus whom God gave to a world he so loved more than two thousand years ago. I pray all of us will look for the chance to give the gift that matters most this Christmas and continue to give that gift throughout the new year to come.
It’s difficult to know what we should expect in 2025, but every Christian should look at the increase in Bible sales and recognize the felt need in our country today. We can all share the gospel message with the people God brings across our path. Will you “count everything as loss” compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” as Lord?
I promise to commit our work at the Foundations ministry for that very purpose. I’ll send some wishes in the next two weeks, but this week, I wanted to answer my own question and say, “Yes, America is asking for Jesus this Christmas.” We at the Foundations brand want to help people know that the baby in the manger was the God of the universe and still is today.
We would be truly grateful if you helped us continue to help others know Jesus and study biblical truth. Thank you for caring, giving, and helping us provide God’s word of truth to the people of this world.
