In this special Christmas edition, Pastor Jack takes a poignant look at the promises held within Scripture regarding Christ’s return, and the reassurance it brings to believers. He explores how love, often misunderstood in today’s world, finds its true definition in the life and message of Jesus. This edition challenges and enriches your faith journey with the truth that love is about sacrifice and commitment, pointing to the remarkable way Jesus embodied this through his life, death, and ongoing promise of a triumphant return.
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Today on Real Life Radio. But Jesus will come back and sit on the throne of David, verse 32, and here it is, and he, verse 33, will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end, and all God’s people said, amen.
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This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s Word, the Bible.
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Hey friends, first of all, Merry Christmas. And like we do every year, we go through the Bible in a year. That’s how we keep a big church family together, by going through the Word of God together. Well, this year we’re throwing you a curve ball that you can hit. This is a brand new one. This is different. This is the Dr. Charles Stanley Life Principle Daily Bible. This Bible has got not only the daily reading, it’s got insights by none other than Dr. Charles Stanley. We encourage you to get a copy of this for yourself. And listen, we also want you to be aware of the fact that we have a devotion watching, waiting. It’s a 40-day devotion, and it’s all about scripture verses that excite you and encourage you about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you.
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Visit jackhibbs.com to get your December Book of the Month double feature, the One Year Bible, and Pastor Jack’s brand new devotional, Watching Waiting. They’re available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. Again, that’s jackhibbs.com. On today’s edition of Real Life Radio, we’re going to take a break from 1 Samuel to bring you a special Christmas series called His Return. The return of Jesus was a promise from God, and it’s deeper than we can ever imagine. Now, Genesis 3.15 is the very first Christmas verse. God’s plan of redemption was already in motion after Adam and Eve sinned, and their relationship with God was broken. So today, in this special Christmas message, Pastor Jack teaches that Christ’s return has a forever ending. There is a heaven, and Christ is the only way to get there. Eternal life is promised to those who believe in his birth, receive his message of salvation, and look forward to the promise of his return. Now, with his special Christmas series called His Return, Part 1, here’s pastorate Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.
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It’s known as an American hymn, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, by the way. It says in the Battle Hymn of the Republic that we most often associate with the Civil War, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, as he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. That’s one of the most beautiful statements you could make. We’re all about love, love. And by the way, this is what we’re not about. I was gonna say stupid, but some people write me and say, don’t say stupid. I’m training my kid not to say stupid. I’m sorry. The dumbest thing. Dumb, dumb, dumb thing to say is, vain philosophy and words of deceit. Love is love. You ever heard that before? Love is love. Seriously. Has anyone stopped to say, can you unpack that for me? Can you define that? That’s a big statement. What does that mean? Friends, the fact of the matter is, love, according to the definition of love, gives your life for the one you love. Love is love. Love is not love. Laying down your life for someone is love. Loving God is love. Knowing that God loves you is love. Loving truth is love. Listen, loving him, loving one another, loving our enemies is love. Loving those who hate us is love. Love is love my foot. Well, it has just about the same amount of logic and reason in it. No, the truth of the matter is, number two, in our second point, it’s purpose that has a forever ending. I hope I don’t confuse you with this, but we have as believers a forever ending. And you say, what? Well, I’ll have to explain it, and it may be a crummy analogy, but it’s a purpose that has a forever ending. This gospel, this life, this Christmas event. There are many varying emotions when you hear the word the end or… It’s ending, or we’ve come to the end. It depends on the context, right? You might be at a movie and you can’t wait for it to end. You’re like, man, when’s this thing gonna end? And for you, that’s the good news. Somebody might say, oh, it’s ending. Oh, it ended. What a great experience. That’s fantastic. And the ending is actually wonderful because you can’t live like that in a sustained state. It’s enjoyed in seasons. And it’s like, you know, like the Rose Bowl parade. Thank God it only goes on for one day. Can you imagine every day? If it went on for every day, nobody would go there. Oh, look, here it is. It’s the end. And it’s like, that was awesome. Think about, listen, because of the Christmas message is true, the end for us is a forever ending, meaning that was great. What does that mean? When you and I come to the end of our lives in this world and we transition into his world, we’re gonna say, we will really say about this life lived here, that was great. In fact, according to the Bible, are we not supposed to have that attitude even now, if you think about it? All the stuff that’s going wrong in this life, yes, there’s horrible things happening, but Abraham said it this way, shall not the Lord of all the earth do right? Even in evil, God will use it. He says that in the end, I will glorify my name through evil. The sickness, the cancer, the pain, the breakup. God says, just hang on to me. Oh my goodness, friends, the worst thing you can do in the sickness, in the pain, in the cancer, in the breakup is to let go of God. That’s suicide. Don’t do that. If everybody’s turned on you, turn to him. He’ll never leave you or forsake you. In most cases in life, many times the ending can be very sad. It depends. It depends on choices. Do you remember when Jesus said, I guess I sum it up this way, do you remember when Jesus went to the cross, in his seven statements, there’s seven I am statements from the cross, and Jesus, in one of those statements, Jesus makes his declaration, totelestai, Jesus says, it’s finished. Did you hear him? He said, it’s finished. He didn’t say, you’re finished. He didn’t say, I’m finished. He said, it’s finished. The end had come. The end of what? The end of sin reigning over a human’s life has been broken. It’s finished. No longer does sin have to pull the strings in your life. It’s finished. He broke the bond that Satan had on humanity what Adam and Eve plunged us into, Jesus redeemed us from. And when he said that from the cross, totelestai, it means as we get the word telemetry or teleonomic, I am sending this message. Here it goes. Boom, it’s finished. I paid for the sin of all mankind and I send mankind my righteousness. And he dismissed his spirit, the Bible says, and he died there on the cross. What a God. His purpose gives answers. And he’s awesome. Beautiful. John 7, verse 37. Excuse me, John 5, verse 37. John 5, 37. And the Father himself who sent me has testified of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. But you do not have his word abiding in you. He’s speaking to the religious Pharisees. Because whom he sent, you do not believe. You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life. So you’re a scholar, PhD, masters in divinity. Big deal, Jesus is saying. So you belong to some sect, some group, some religious movement. Big deal. You search the scriptures and you think in them you have eternal life. But look what he says. These are they which do testify of me. But you’re not willing to come to me that you may have life. What a statement. Everything you read about the Bible is about the Christmas Christ. His return 2,000 years ago was to redeem mankind. And then thirdly, under point number two today, is the purpose of his return. It’s a purpose that cannot be altered. Jeremiah chapter 31. You guys okay? Yeah. Jeremiah 31 says, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days. By the way, I’d like to insert this just for CNN’s sake. Jeremiah, so we’re talking like 2,700 years ago. And we’re reading about Israel 2,700 years ago. Just for the record. Okay. Just for CNN. And Newsweek. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, that I will put my law in their minds and I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor. This is cool. Every man, his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they all will know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more. Thus says the Lord, who gives the son, watch this, This is for all the replacement theology knuckleheads that are out there today that have become very popular all of a sudden on the news circuit. This is what God’s word says to them. Thus says the Lord who gives the sun for a light by day and ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night. who disturbs the sea and its waves roaring. The Lord of hosts is his name. If those ordinances depart from me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me forever. Forever. In other words, with what’s going on right now in the news, Israel will never cease from being a nation again, no matter what the UN decides or anybody else. Israel, God says, when I bring them back, they’re not gonna go away.
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You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. And now let’s get back to today’s message. Once again, here’s Pastor Jack.
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Genesis 9, verse 9. Was that political? Genesis 9, verse 9. And as for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you. That’s a long time. Isaiah chapter 54, verse 10. Isaiah 54, 10. For the mountain shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy upon you. Church, third and final point is this. It’s the proclamation of his return. It’s the proclamation of his return. I’ve already given you a hint, by the way, earlier. And it’s kind of a trick question. It kind of goes like this. When was the first time the gospel was ever preached? Remember what I said? You’re an expert in this now. It’s Genesis 3.15. And that predates, by the way, watch this. It’s kind of cool. Watch. God speaks to Moses by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God gives Moses the first five books called the Pentateuch. Five, the first five books of the Bible. Within the first five books of the Bible, God speaks to Moses from the moment of creation, Genesis chapter one, verse one, all the way through on out to Joshua or to the end of Genesis. Check this out. God is giving the message about redemption in Genesis 3.15. Later on comes Abraham. Abraham. Did Abraham and Moses ever meet each other? Not a once. In fact, you know what, I wrote it down. They were separated by 437 years. And God declared Abraham righteous by his faith. God told Abraham he was righteous before he was circumcised. God told Abraham he was righteous before Moses was ever born. 80 years later, after Moses’ birth, the Ten Commandments is given. Do you see? If you put legalism in front of salvation, you’re messed up. But if you put salvation in front of legalism, you’ll understand rightly. The law is to drive you to Christ. Salvation is available to all who respond to the proclamation of the gospel. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that if you would believe on him, you would not perish, but you would have everlasting life. Absolutely awesome. It’s incredible. The promises of God predate Moses’ authorship. Believe, trust, a proclamation that there’s a heaven. In Luke chapter two, verse four, Luke two, four, Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, the house of bread. Of course, the house of bread. Jesus is the bread of life. He’s got to be born in Bethlehem, the house of bread. Because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes. We read this a moment ago. And laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. We read that a moment ago. Listen to this. When it announces in verse 10, do not be afraid, the angel said, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, for there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. This announcement, church family, is the proclamation, the announcement, that what transpired 2,000 years ago in the fields of Bethlehem was heaven’s deposit. It was, so to speak, the ladder that led down to earth that you and I might have access. Secondly, it’s the message. It’s a proclamation that there’s a message that you and I have to proclaim. Matthew 1, verse 18. Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary, by the way, Matthew’s a Jew. This is important. Matthew Levi, or Levi, is his name. Mary was betrothed to Joseph or engaged before they came together. She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. Engagements had to be divorced. You could only break an engagement then through divorcement. And if you were immoral during the engagement, you were stoned to death. Joseph loves her, knows that she’s pregnant, doesn’t understand how this happened, doesn’t believe, doesn’t know. And so he’s trying to get her out of town without her being murdered or executed for breaking the moral law. Man, what a place for him to be in also. But while he thought about these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins. You know, he’d love to do that today, right? Not only you, but the Jewish people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which is spoken of by the Lord through the prophet saying, Behold, the virgin shall conceive a child and bear a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took him to his wife and did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name. This is amazing. Joseph called his name Jesus. Jesus. God is our salvation. Finally, right here. It’s a proclamation of his return and the proclamation. There’s a way. What you and I are going to do in wishing people a Merry Christmas or a Happy Christmas, we need to push the envelope this year, friends. Every time, every time, push it a little bit more. Let’s get to the point. In the business world, let’s close the deal. What do you mean? This is what we’re gonna do. You know, that kind of thing. Here’s what we’ve been skating around the whole time. We’ve been flirting out and about the circle. Let’s go to the middle of it all. Let’s land this plane. The proclamation is all about a way. In Luke 1, verse 1, it says, and as much as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in orderly account most excellent Theophilus, this is the guy that hired him to write this out, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. Now in the sixth month of the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. Is there a Galilee? Is there a city called Nazareth? To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. Was there a Joseph of the house of David? Was there a David? The virgin’s name was Mary. Was there ever a Mary? And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. When she saw him, she was troubled at the saying and considered what manner of greeting this was. So polite. What probably happened was, What? But you know, King James is like, She pondered, considered the meaning of it. Then the angel said to her, see, watch. The angel, he’s going to back me up on this. Don’t be afraid. Why? Because she was afraid. Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the son of the highest. Yikes. Wow. And the Lord God will give him the throne of of his father David. Friends and family, listen carefully. That’s never happened. Did you know that? He’s never sat on the throne of David. Jesus right now is not sitting on the throne of David. Ask yourself, when in the New Testament do you find Jesus sitting on the throne of David? It’s never happened. Don’t worry about it. His return is when it happens. He has to sit on the, where’s the throne of David? Jerusalem. Where’s that? Israel. Why do you think it’s in the headlines all the time? Satan hates it. Satan’s not stupid. He can read the Bible. He knows the Bible better than we do. He knows if there’s an Israel, then there’s going to be a Jerusalem. And if there’s a Jerusalem, then there’s the place and the point where the Messiah returns to. Can’t have that. So let’s make the U.N. No, really. Come on. I can prove it. Here’s your homework. What nation has been condemned by the United Nations more than any other nation on the face of the earth in all of history? Because Satan works there. It’s Satan’s place. That’s his church. The UN stands for the United Nothing or the Unnecessary. But not to Satan. It’s a big tool for him. It’s a fantastic thing. And don’t worry about it. You’re paying for it all. You guys, we pay for like 80% of it. It’s a tragedy. It’s a mess. But Jesus will come back and sit on the throne of David, verse 32. And here it is. And he, verse 33, will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom, there will be no end. And all God’s people said, amen. Let’s stand, church. Let’s stand. Father, wow. Lord, I know we’re here right now. I know you came back then, and you walked in the cool of the garden with Adam and with Eve. They threw away your authority, tried it on their own, didn’t go so well. Then you came to be like us, without sin, to qualify in human skin to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. You die on the cross, you’re resurrected from the dead for our salvation and justification, and it’s up to us now, at this time anyway, for the last 2,000 years, to proclaim the everlasting gospel truth. That if you repent of your sins, that is change your mind about your life and admit the fact that you need God, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved. If you believe that, then you can look forward with anticipation, his coming again. Oh my friends, Christmas is about his coming to save the world. And he’s coming back just as he came before. Be ready to meet him. Could be any day now. But regardless of when, know him now. By calling out to him, he will hear your cry. And all of God’s people cried out and said, amen. God bless you guys. Merry Christmas.
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pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio with his special Christmas series called His Return. Thanks for listening today and Merry Christmas from Pastor Jack and all of us here at Real Life Radio. You know, our prayer for you this Christmas is that your 2026 be filled with contentment and joy that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
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So as you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you’d like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com slash know God. That’s K-N-O-W, God. And there you’ll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you’ll find in knowing God. Don’t miss out. That’s the Know God tab at jackhibbs.com.
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Daniel Cohen here from Israel. If you love Pastor Jack Hibbs’ fearless approach to teaching God’s Word, you’ll love The Real Life Network. It’s built for warriors who want the truth, God’s truth. On The Daniel Cohen Show, we bring you stories the mainstream media downplays. It’s time to start getting your news from people you trust, and it’s totally free. Sign up now at reallifenetwork.com.
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This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.