Nikita w/Robby Dilmore Christmas Special

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Nikita Kolov. It's time to man up. And today I come to you with a super special show because it is all about Christmas. And of course, there's lots of things. You know, Christmas has become very commercialized, you might say, and many, you might say, in the sense of the word. But there's way more to Christmas than just opening Christmas presents and eating Christmas dinner and, you know, maybe watching some things on television, Miracle on 34th Street, or any of those other favorite movies that you may watch. And to celebrate Christmas, in the studio with me today is none other than Robbie Dilmore, the Christian car guy.

Robbie, great to have you on this special edition. We're going to be watching Christmas movies year-round. My wife will tell you, if they don't know what else he's going to do, he's going to be watching a Christmas movie.

Or just any of them. Well, my favorite go-to is always going to be It's a Wonderful Life. Okay, with George Bailey, right?

Right, right. And with Donna Reed, which was the wife in the movie. And if you saw my mother and you saw Donna Reed, you would realize that, oh my goodness, I mean, my mother was almost a spitting image of Donna Reed.

One of the same, okay. And so the first time I ever saw the movie was with my mother after I was an adult, like when I was 23 or 24 years old. And I bet she was from that area of New York where Bedford Falls would be. And so, oh my gosh, I mean, this was her era, her movie, and will always be one of my favorite memories. I had just gotten divorced. My mom asked me to come back to New Mexico and spend Christmas with her. Yeah. And we watched It's a Wonderful Life.

Woo! Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Wow, that's a cool memory. I have a memory of that movie, too.

It's a Wonderful Life. I had Kendra and Colby, my two youngest daughters, with me on a road trip to Minnesota. We were headed to Minnesota.

Plenty of snow up there. Oh, for Christmas holiday. And we stopped in Indianapolis. And it just so happened, I'm checking into the hotel, and I specifically chose that hotel because they were little at the time. They had an indoor heated pool. I'm like, this is perfect. We'll get there early.

They can go swimming and have a bunch of fun. And then while I was checking in, there was like an advertisement on the desk about It's a Wonderful Life play, like a play. Wow.

It's a Wonderful Life. And it was like a mile from the hotel. And I'm like, oh my gosh. And I asked, I go, are there like, do you know if there's like still tickets for this thing? I go, oh, I'm sure there are. And sure enough, it was like a dinner play on top of that.

You know, like one of those places where they feed you. So anyway, I got tickets, and the three of us went and had a delicious little meal. They're at this dinner theater, and we got to see a stage play of It's a Wonderful Life.

I don't know that Kendra and Colby had ever really seen the movie prior to that, but this was even cooler, Robbie. We got to Minneapolis, got to my mom's house, and we got the movie. So we saw the stage play.

Yeah. And then we watched the movie while we were there. And what I realized was what an amazing job they did in this stage play to really, it was almost like identical to the movie itself. I don't even know how they did it, but they did it. They captured it.

They captured it. That's brilliant. It's a brilliant movie. And I love stage plays, too.

That was one of the things with my children growing up that I tried to, you know, I wanted them to be exposed to, you know, different arts and, you know, entertainment and culture and those sorts of things. So I took him to things like State, like I took him to Mary Poppins on Broadway, literally on Broadway. Little side story, we're in New York.

I had him with me and I bought tickets to surprise them when we walked by the theater and they're like, oh, Mary Poppins. But we, so we walked by it though. We got about a block and I go, ah, let's go back the other way. And we go back and all of a sudden I go, hey, let's just stop in here.

I need to ask this guy a question. And I pulled the tickets out of my pocket. Just completely, still a memory to the, anyway, but plays and ballets and ice capades and just a lot of different arts and culture. And there's another interesting story about it. It's a wonderful life from my perspective. I don't know if you know, it was a flop at the box office. In fact, Capra almost got kicked out of Hollywood over it because it lost money.

Wow. And it ended up, it like is by many considered the best movie of all time and has awards out the kazoo, but not the year that it came out. It came out like in 1947, but it flopped and it was almost like the end of his career at one point in time because everybody had these great expectations. But it just goes to show you that sometimes, you know, you do something God knew, no, this thing was awesome, but it may not be the way it's received. You know, it's interesting because it reminds me of a more, a more recent story, a guy named Dallas Jenkins. Oh yeah.

Who, who had a movie, oh, something of the life of Gavin Stone or I think that was the name of the life of Gavin that flopped in the theaters. And it, it just about crushed him and through others encouraging him, you know, he, he didn't give up, he didn't throw in the towel, so to speak. And now there's, there's an amazing series that is transforming not only the Christmas story, but Christ, the story of Christ himself called The Chosen. And I am, I am one of those binge Jesus viewers of The Chosen. Me too. Have you got the tickets for the, it's coming up? I, I, I did. If you haven't seen, in fact, make sure you go and see The Chosen Christmas special.

Find out where that's in your area and, and I'm telling you, it'll blow you away. Not only the episode itself, brand new episode, but all the music artists that, that are performing as part of that, that movie, part of that, oh my goodness. But like for real, I personally, I've never seen a better depiction of, of Jesus and bringing the Bible alive than, than The Chosen series.

So, shout out to Dallas Jenkins if you're listening Dallas and to The Chosen. And, and right now, if you've got The Chosen app, this very moment, there's a, there's a movie that he did before he did The Chosen called The Shepherd. And The Shepherd is the prequel really to what the Christmas special is going to be. So, if you have the app, chances are now the Christmas special for 2021 is there at the app because that's being on December 2nd. So, you can watch The Shepherd first and then watch The Christmas special like, oh my goodness.

And The Shepherd itself is like off the hook. Well, and that was, and he just did that, he just did that little, little movie, I forget what they, they have a title, a name for it. But anyway, he just did that for his church. Right.

And this was after the Gavin Stone flop. And, and man, it went viral, it took off, and of course that led into The Chosen series. He's, you know, and led now into the special Christmas, Christmas movie The Chosen. So, anyway, and so.

We, we digress. It's too exciting. The Chosen is a very exciting thing. So, if you're not even familiar with it, man, go look it up, download the app. It's been watched around, around the world, I don't even know what the, the latest count of how many people since its launch.

They've, they've had two seasons. It has been viewed by over 303,000 people around the world, and their goal is 1 billion for 1 billion people to view. And it's all free.

It's all, it's all free. And so, anyway, moving on, moving on. Well, any other Christmas movie, I mean Miracle on 34th Street, any of the others that came to mind? This one might surprise you, but, you know, the Grinch.

Oh, okay. Because to me, one of the thoughts that resonate this season is Mary Lou Who? Who said, you know, where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you?

Where did you go away? Because that's how I often feel, like, man, this is, this isn't what I feel like it should be because we're looking for the reason for the season. Yeah, and, and, and, or if you're not looking for the real reason for the season, boy, this is the season to do that, right?

And, well, that's good. Yeah, I, of course, there's so many good Christmas movies out there. What, what, what about, what about, do you have a favorite Christmas song, Robbie? All feet agree, Clements Carpet is where you need to be. With carpet, vinyl, tile, and hardwood from the top brands, Clements Carpet does it right from beginning to install. Voted number one by you in the Reader's Choice Awards. Doug, Chad, Benny, Kiwi, and the team at Clements Carpet look forward to seeing and serving you soon. This is Nikita Koloff and I want to thank Clements Carpet for supporting my new show, Man Up, Saturday afternoon at 1230 on the Truth Network. Nikita Koloff here.

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And very moving. So it's on my list actually, Oh Holy Night. I made a little list of some of my go-tos, not in any particular order per se, but White Christmas, Oh Holy Night, Mary Did You Know, Silver Bells, Carol of the Bells, Joy to the World, The Lord Has Come. I just turned off some, hey stay dialed in, don't tune me off just because of that. Little drummer boy.

That's cool. And last but not least, Silent Night, Holy Night. Every time, man, I don't care who's singing that song, and there's certain artists out there that sing that. Man, it just tears me up every time, Robbie.

I'm like, oh give me some tissue. It's that way, it takes you there. Like songs can get to your heart like nothing else, you know, right?

Yeah, for real. And I think the Lord knows that, and of course music, music's been used unfortunately for other reasons, unfortunate reasons. But if used for the right reason, and the artists out there just have that heart, of course obviously that heart for God. And that's not to say that secular songs or those sorts of things can't, I mean songs just in general, music in general will move people, right?

Will move people. But yeah, I forgot I had this list too, but I'm just looking, of course, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown Christmas, there's a classic right there. And what about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Had a very shiny nose, and if you have a son That's the song we're going to be singing, man.

You would even say it glows, all of the sea reindeer. Anyway, how about Frosty the Snowman? Do you remember who played that, like one of the original Frosty Snowmans, who the voice was, do you remember? I'm thinking Burl Ives. Burl Ives, yes!

And right now somebody's going, what? Who? Burl who? Burl Ives, go Google it, go duck, duck, go it, come on son. Just saying.

Well, reminiscing about movies and music here, and of course a favorite moment with Robbie and his mom, a favorite moment with my mom, and Kendra and Colby. But I wrote down Robbie a few other things too, you know, the last couple, really kind of over the last couple hundred years, Christmas has been more celebrated, of course, by Christians and Jesus followers. And it was interesting, up until the 1800s, it was really kind of a pagan celebration, set apart for drunkenness and riding in the streets, in the research that I did.

Now that's interesting. It's scary, that one carol, we wish you a Merry Christmas, you can hear it, bring us some figgy pudding and bring it right here. That was the original trick or treat from what I understand, like they would hurt you if you didn't come out with a figgy pudding. Right, yes, if you really think about those where you're like, yeah, that was like a threat, like hey, you better give us something or we'll take it or something like that. I do remember that though. In fact, yeah, it included that, bring us some figgy pudding and we won't go until we get some.

Give it to us or else. You're like, wow, that just sounds like a threat. But it did, it generally meant that the riders would not leave until they got what they wanted. So for many, for many, Christmas was a day to be feared, not celebrated, but that's interesting. Oh, it is. So very interesting, but, and then, you know, something else, 1822, a minister, educator named Clement Clark Moore, ever heard of him?

No. Wrote a poem called A Visit from St. Nicholas, who would go on to become known as the famed, twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Hey, you know what I do? I don't know if you do this, Robbie, and so my daughters, Taryn's 39, Tawny's 35, I hope I get that right, Kendra's 29, and Colby's 25. I think I got, I'm close anyway, come on, I got four children and nine grandchildren, another one on the way, hard to remember all these birthdays. But you know what I do, and I still do this every Christmas Eve, so I have twas the night before Christmas, and they all know, hey, when dad calls on Christmas Eve, don't answer the phone, because I might actually read the story, because, you know, they're kind of, when they're little, we're all together, and I'm reading it every Christmas Eve. Now I still read it, I leave it on each one of their voicemails, and they have told me, you know, it puts them in tears to hear it, but I don't think I've missed a meeting, a meeting, a phone call, from the oldest at 39 down to the youngest at 25, and they look forward to it every Christmas Eve.

Anything like that, any memory like that, with reading that story or anything, with your children or anything? We have tons of things that, you know, actually from, for whatever reason, Thanksgiving night, it is a tradition in the Dilmore home that we will watch Elf, and we will watch it again, it opens the holiday season, you know, how they do this. Of course, you know, for us, like I'm sure many Christians, we like to read Luke chapter two, and in fact, a couple of my daughters have memorized it over the years, and so we give them a chance to, you know, share that part of the Christmas story, which is absolutely beautiful, or we read it, or some part of that is a big part of our deal. Well, and in fact, speaking of stories, 1843, Charles Dickens wrote a story.

Oh yeah, changed everything. Called The Christmas Carol. It stressed the true meaning of Christmas and the essence of Christmas in spreading hope, joy, helping the needy, and serving as Christ did. And so, A Christmas Carol, that'd be a great one to share Christmas with, with your children or grandchildren this year.

In the United States, Christmas was established as a federal holiday, June 26, 1870. Little factoid there for the listeners, and then it would just evolve really from there into the holiday as we really kind of know it now and celebrate it now, you know, it's just right. But, as much as, you know, it's been pretty commercialized, and some criticize the commercialization of Christmas, right?

And in many cases, rightfully so. But, it's interesting that, you know, when you think about Santa Claus, think about Scrooge, and kind of put that aside for the moment, and we get to the real meaning of Christmas, it really comes down to what, Robbie? Well, you know, you're going to be at our boot camp here in a week or so, you know, and we have been teaching this for some time that Christmas is a miraculous event that the author of the story actually comes into the story as the main character.

He actually comes to Earth, and that the way that we depict that for men, because this is a masculine journey boot camp, is we show the scene from Saving Private Ryan where they land on the beach, because when Jesus came to Earth, it wasn't Jesus meek and mild as much as this was. This was the kingdom that was coming, and there were a lot of people that were going to die. A lot of people don't realize that, oh my goodness, I mean, all those boys under the age of three were murdered. There was blood in the streets as a result of the original Christmas. In other words, there was a battle that was on as a result of Jesus coming in to establish a beachhead that's absolutely unbelievable.

And then, obviously, to face his own death. It's a love story, it's an unbelievably beautiful, unbelievably gorgeous love story, but it's set in the midst of a horrible battle. Yeah, yes, I 100% agree about that.

I made a couple notes here. Christmas is all about, really, when you get down to it, it's all about good news. It's all about good news. And it's not the good news of special gifts, it's not the good news of a big meal, the good news of festive music and beautiful lights, although we enjoy all of those things, right?

We enjoy all those things. Christmas is about the good news of God's love when you boil it all down. That's really what it's about. The Bible says every person desperately needs God's love. In fact, you're lost without it. You're directionless, I'll say it that way, without protection, without real joy, and your potential, your eternal, your potential eternal impact upon the world is unrealized.

Your eternity in heaven isn't secure. So the good news of Christmas, Robbie, is that God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost, right? That is exactly, you couldn't say it better, that here he came under unbelievable, you know, considering here's a guy that left heaven, had it made, and came into his dirt suit, as you call it, and wow. Came into, yeah, into an environment that was less than receptive. Is that a good way to say that? Oh yeah, there was no room for him at the inn, and you know, for 33 years there weren't many people that got his message that really understood what he was doing, but oh my goodness, it changed everything.

It's a marker, right? I mean, it changed the calendar for those of us who are, you know, 2021 AD, right? I mean, so his birth, for our modern day calendar, and we know the Jews have a different calendar, but for our modern day calendar, it set the precedence for everything, right? And you know, the Bible says there's one God, and Christ Jesus, he's the one and only son who can bring us to God. So when you think about Christmas this year, maybe this helps put it maybe in a different perspective.

Again, not that we don't want you to enjoy all those other things, we do, but at the foundation of it all, right? We want you to understand, it's Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, right Robbie?

Truly human, he gave himself to really as a ransom for us all, right? Yeah, the original Christmas present was wrapped in swaddling clothes, right? What a wrapping! And you know, to find what Mary Lou Who was looking for, right? It is that relationship that changes the whole way the holiday feels to you. So I hope this is your first Christmas, maybe you accepted Christ this year sometime, and you're just really trying to get at the heart of, what does this mean that God came to earth to save me? But maybe you don't know, and maybe you're missing that joy, and you're saying, where are you Christmas? Well, man, no greater Christmas present could you have, right Nikita? You're right, and we did an interview with a friend recently who said, you know, many know Christmas, but they don't know the Christ of Christmas.

And I thought, oh wow, right? Because Christ is Christ's mass, right? Christmas, Christ's mass, salvation. And maybe you're hearing about that for the very first time, salvation, what's that word mean? Jesus came really, again, for all of us, all of mankind, all of humanity, to solve all of our problems, starting with a personal relationship with Him.

And, you know, many can be trapped in their expectations, or, you know, trapped in the approval of peers, or trapped in addictions, you know, just trying to change on their own. And they just don't have the power to do that, to escape from all of that, but Jesus came to give us that power, right? That by surrendering our heart to Him, He came to recover those who need to be recovered, to restore those who need to be restored, reconnect those who've lost their way. I mean, there's so many things we can look at when we look at Christ and what He can do for each and every one of us, right? Yeah, I think of, I've told you about that Pastor Quartz, when you looked in his eyes, you knew immediately that this man, you were his favorite, right? And that's what the word grace means. And so wouldn't it be nice to look in God's eyes and see that you are absolutely God's favorite?

You could be walking in the fog, Megidda. Walking in the fog, which for those who don't know that acronym, the favor of God. Go look up Luke 2-52. And so, yeah, I mean, so I hope, you know, even talking about a little bit of the history of Christmas today and even some of our Christmas movies and music, and amidst all the festivities that you're going to be soon experiencing, family gathering together and the opening of presents, the unwrapping of presents, right? You know, more than anything, our hope is, Robbie and I, our hope is that this Christmas season, that you have established that personal relationship with Jesus. You've experienced salvation and invited Jesus into your heart.

And just understand, it is by grace that you will have been saved through faith. It's not of yourselves, it's a gift. It's the greatest gift, right, Robbie?

It's the greatest gift you could ever receive. Not by works, Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. And so if you haven't trusted Jesus and committed to Him, Robbie, how can they do that?

They just need to confess that He is the Son of God and believe, right? Admit, believe, confess, and pray and ask God, look, I want this relationship with you. I want to turn my life over to you.

In fact, we can do that right now. If you don't just, don't pull over to the side of the road if you're driving, but Jesus, thank you for coming. I believe that you are God's Son. I believe that you died so that I could be reconciled to the Father. I believe that you can make it possible for me to have a relationship. And I turn my life over to you. And Lord, show me how to get connected with other Christians and other people so that I can begin my new walk in life with you. And I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Man, it's no more complicated than that, folks. I mean, if you're out there listening anywhere around the world on Truth Radio Network, man, would you message me? Koloff.net. Just go to my website, koloff.net, and just say, hey, I listened to your show and I made a decision for the very first time and surrendered my life to Jesus. Or perhaps you got off the narrow path somehow, some way, into a ditch and we say, rededicated or recommitted your life. I'd love to hear about it.

You can message me. And Merry Christmas. Ho, ho, ho.

Right, Robbie? What a gift. Merry Christmas. Thank you for dialing into our special edition Christmas with Koloff.

God bless you. Tune in again. If you've enjoyed the Man Up radio show and or the Man Up podcast, well, guess what? It's time to Man Up TV style. That's right. You heard me. 2022, the Man Up TV show, the Man Up show on MorningStarTV.com.

That's right. Tune in. Dial in to Man Up on MorningStarTV.com. Nikita Koloff, the Russian nightmare here for Crescent Automotive. If buying a car is a nightmare for you, my friends Brian and Jamie Johnson at Crescent Automotive make it simple to find your pre-owned dream car with no hassle, affordable windshield pricing. No matter where you live, they will get your American dream car to you, baby. DriveCrescent.com is all you need to know. Their whole inventory is right there with the right price. Everybody drives a Crescent you should too. DriveCrescent.com. Visit www.koloff.net and donate today.