OPINION
America Has Many Needs For Christmas, Christians Can Help
It's no secret that America is in deep trouble.
We are a nation mired in family breakdown and sexual anarchy.
Our nation’s political life is riven by rancor and deep divisions. Chaos reigns across our culture. Domestic tranquility is just a memory.
Our broken southern border makes a mockery of what it means to be a nation.
We now face a heightened terror threat as military age men troop into our country.
Our woke military is weak and ill-prepared to take on the rising threat of communist China. And we are drowning in debt.
Add to all that our nation's love affair with death.
Tiny preborn people made in God's image are dehumanized as so-called "products of conception" and disposed of as mere "medical waste."
So what can you and I do this Christmas to help save our nation?
How can we act redemptively to be salt and light where we live and with those on whom we have an influence? Here are 12 things you and every follower of Jesus can do:
Share the Gospel — It's the power of God unto salvation. And that's true for men and nations. One easy way to start the conversation is to invite a friend or stranger to church. And Christmas is the perfect time to do so.
You can also hand someone a tract — a written presentation of the gospel. I like "Do You Know?" available from Evangelism Explosion. It opens by asking: "Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in heaven?"
That’s a great question to ask as you talk with others.
Pray for Revival. America has a long history of revival rooted in the proclamation of the gospel and concerted prayer.
The 1857 laymen's revival began in New York City when Jeremy Lamphier convened a noon prayer gathering for businessmen.
Revival spread and multiplied thousands turned from their sins and trusted Jesus in cities across America. Ask God to do it again.
Display an Outdoor Nativity Scene. Christmas is cluttered with commercialism, Santa, reindeer, elves, and piles of presents. A simple nativity scene refocuses hearts and minds on the birth of Jesus--the one who came "to save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Give Christian Resources. You can make an eternal impact when you give family, friends, and neighbors thoughtful gifts that honor Christ.
Bible story books for children, biographies of Christian heroes like William Wilberforce, or the works of Christian thinkers like C.S. Lewis can be bread crumbs on someone's path to Jesus.
Host a Viewing Party. Invite friends and family to watch a classic Christmas movie with redemptive themes, ala "It's a Wonderful Life," or "The Ultimate Gift."
It's a great way to form relationships and open the door to deeper conversations about Christmas and Christ.
Take Your Faith Public. Become active in local government to promote the biblical values and godly principles on which this country was founded.
Join or start a civic concerns group at your church. Join a political party. Volunteer for a campaign. Write letters to the editor.
Sponsor a Child's Christian Education. There’s a world of difference between public school—which assumes God is irrelevant at best, and Christian education which puts God at the center of all things.
If you have the means, this can be life-changing for a child whose parents cannot afford Christian school tuition. For me, attending Westminster Academy — the Christian school in Fort Lauderdale that Dr. D. James Kennedy founded — was absolutely pivotal to my path in life.
Volunteer at Your Church. The opportunities are endless.
You can impact the lives of others and enrich your own when you give of your time as a Sunday school teacher, as a helper in your church's youth group, an usher, greeter, or many other roles.
This Christmas, consider visiting a nearby nursing homes to visit with residents. Or gather friends from church to go caroling, bringing Christmas cheer and the warmth of God's love to both residents and staff.
Help a Local Family in Need. Share hope by giving a needy family a gift card to help with Christmas presents and groceries, even taking someone on a shopping spree.
And it doesn’t have to cost money.
Giving the gift of your time can make an enduring difference. Volunteer to babysit, do light repairs, wash windows, etc.
Your help can be a Christmas gift that will not be forgotten.
Reach Out to People Alone This Christmas. Let them know you care and that you’re praying for them. A simple phone call, a Christmas card, an invitation to have coffee or do lunch can rekindle hope in the life of someone bruised by life.
Host a Christmas Party. Open your home to those you know and love — and those you hardly know. Bring them all into the circle of your hospitality and friendship, giving others a taste of God’s love and the true meaning of Christmas.
Make Sure you Know Jesus. It’s one thing to know about Jesus . . . and something else entirely to know Jesus Himself. Which is why, as my mentor, the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, often said, some people miss heaven by 18 inches—the distance between head and heart.
Acknowledge your sin to God, trust in Jesus alone for your salvation, and commit to follow Him as your Lord and Savior.
Christmas, we’re told, is the most wonderful time of the year.
You can make that true in your own life — and in the life of someone else — by reaching out in love to share Jesus, your time and your treasure with others. As you do so . . . and as thousands more join you, your community, state and nation will change. And by God’s grace, be saved!
Dr. Robert J. Pacienza is president and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries, and senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.