When the United States appointed General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he accepted his position on national television and told a story. He said, “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for a fellow marine during the Vietnam War.”

Peter Pace continued: “I remember one day when we were in a foxhole. One of my men walked in front of me. At that moment, a bullet hit him and he died right in front of me.”

Pace added, “That bullet was coming straight here,” and he pointed at his head. Even though Peter Pace is a tough military man, he had tears in his eyes as he said, “He died in my place.”

You don’t have to have fought in the military to know that feeling. If you confess Jesus as your Savior, you know what it is to have someone die in your place - because that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross 2000 years ago! Isaiah in the Bible says, “He was pierced for our transgressions.” Jesus took the bullet that we deserved. Through His death, He gave us forgiveness and eternal life!

Share this Good News with someone today. Make it easy for them to understand. Tell someone simply: “Jesus took YOUR bullet so that you can enjoy life forever with Him beginning today and then lead them to the feet of Jesus!”

I have a friend named John who opened his heart to Jesus Christ when he was in high school. John soon began sharing His love for the Lord with his mother, Shirley. Now, Shirley was a lovely lady, but she resisted the Good News for years.

One day my team and I were having a big evangelistic festival on the waterfront near her apartment. When she heard the message of Christ through her apartment window, and our parallel TV telecast, Shirley opened her heart to Christ. And two months to the day, the Lord took her home to be with Himself. I am so glad Shirley is now “at home with the Lord” in heaven, to quote the Bible!

If you’re a Christian, chances are there’s someone in your family who does not know the Lord. Let me encourage you to make the most of this Christmas season and share the Good News with them. Take them to a Christmas Eve service. Afterwards, ask them what they thought of it. Or go to their home and sing carols around the piano and then read the Christmas story from Luke chapter two.

Go shopping, have lunch, and ask leading questions. Shower them with God-given love and, most of all, offer them the opportunity to give their hearts to Christ. Remember the words of the Lord from Isaiah, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

There’s a popular song that says Christmas is the “hap, hap, happiest time of the year!” But, the reality is: The holidays can be a real low point for some people, especially if they have been experiencing troubles in the past year.

Maybe you know someone like this. They have gone through one thing after another and now the holidays are approaching. They need more than reindeer and mistletoe; they need real comfort and guidance. Divine.

Sit down with your friend and tell him or her the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Now there’s a man who went through some tough times! His brothers beat him up and sold him into slavery. Joseph is then wrongly accused by his employer and sent to prison to rot.

It’s a long story, and I’ll let you read it with your friend, but the end result is Joseph trusts in God and becomes the second-in-command in Egypt. God gives him great power and wealth to oversee the people. Joseph even reunites with his family and says to his brothers, “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.”

Pray with your friend and remind them that supernaturally Christ was born of the blessed Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. And later Christ died so we, like Joseph, can have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. God longs to use you, so speak up!

Have you been praying for years that a loved one would believe in Jesus Christ? Does it seem like your prayers aren’t doing any good? Let me encourage you today - don’t give up!

Recently, a very famous man made a decision for the Lord. I’m sure you’ve heard of him - his name was Robert “Evel” Knievel. He was a daredevil. He’d get on a motorbike and jump over anything. But Mr. Knievel was also into women, drinking, and partying.

Robert Knievel shared his conversion story with a church. He said he had refused God for 68 years, but he knew people were praying for him - especially his daughter’s church. Hundreds of people had also written to him, telling him about the Lord.

So prayers were going up for this guy all over, and yet it still took years for Robert to believe in Jesus Christ. But it did happen! He told the church, “I felt Jesus reach out to me, and I repented and I believed in Christ.”

A year later, Mr. Kneievel passed away. And now he’s in the presence of the Lord! Romans 12:12 reminds us: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” So keep praying! Never underestimate the power of God to work through your prayers in miraculous ways!