Christmas Special w/ Robby Dilmore PT.1

This is the Truth Network. Now, the Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Christmas, a special time of the year. What a special holiday. And many have different views of what Christmas celebrates and what it represents. Christmas is all about good news, but it's not the good news of special gifts.

It's not the good news of a big meal. It's not even the good news of festive music and beautiful lights. Christmas is about the good news of God's love. And with me today to discuss this is none other than the legend himself, Robbie Dilmore of Christian Car Guy.

Robbie, welcome back to the Man Up show. Oh, man, I look forward to 365 days a year. The Christmas special, you know, what a time, what a season, right? For all of us that know Christ, every year is a whole advent of opportunity to grow in that, you know, to see Jesus.

And, you know, again, people from really all around the world, right? So it's not just an American tradition, although it is a tradition in America, but people around the globe celebrate at least this one holiday per year and there may be others, I guess. But we're talking about Christmas today, right?

I mean, isn't it amazing how it's a global celebration? Yeah, I always say, you know, in fact, I say this at church all the time. If it's not fun, it's not church because in his presence is fullness of joy. And so if you're, you should be full of joy and that the idea of Christmas just, you think of fun. Hopefully we think that Jesus is really, really fun because in his presence, like I said, it is. And so it's a neat thing that God always brings his people together and it has through festivals, you know, you think of Passover, the first real party, and it keeps on going. And Jesus's first miracle, it was a party miracle. I mean, it was like he loves for people to get together and celebrate God. One of the things that I guess it's a song, maybe even a scripture in the full, in his presence is the fullness of joy, right? Right, it's the 16th Psalm, it's the last verse. Come on. I knew you'd know it.

This is my first test for Robbie right there. Keep going. Well, actually, you know, just to enter into the last four verses, it says, I place the Lord always before me because I'm at his right hand, I will not slip. And therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, my flesh rests in a secure hope. It says he will not allow us to remain in hell or his holy one to see corruption. You will make known to us the path of life in your presence.

Is fullness a joy at your right hand or pleasures forevermore? That's the end of the 16th Psalm. It's almost like you have that memorized, Robbie. I'm just going to go out on a limb right there. That could be a whole show in and of itself and the memorization of scripture. But, wow, that's powerful, that's powerful, powerful.

And let me say it before we go any further. You know, I mentioned Christmas, Christian Car Guy. And that's just one of many hats that you wear. I mean, you're here with Truth Radio Network, sometimes behind the scenes doing a lot. And then at other times behind the mic. But the Christian Car Guy is just one show you do.

Right, I do Kingdom Pursuits, Mask on Journey. Let's see, Finishing Well. And often I get a chance to do the real show.

The real show. I get to man up with Nikita Kolob. Come on now, just saying, come on, come on. And in addition to that, you're a husband, you're a dad, you're a granddad. You're a pastor. You have a very pastoral heart, as I've come to know you. You come and staff on our man camps. You have your own boot camp. Any comments you'd like to make about all those other hats you wear? Well, it's really an honor.

Again, whenever God gives you an opportunity to share the light he's given you, right, you're just a reflection. And so I get more excited all the time about the things I get to do. And truly, man camp is one of the highlights of my year, and we're fixed to do that here in a few weeks. I don't know when you might be hearing this broadcast, but you know, those things are just like, oh wow.

I know you're going to hear it around Christmas, though, that's my guess. Well, that's true. Well, and we do a man camp every spring and every fall. So just for the record, every spring and every fall.

So yeah, go to mancamp.info for more information on that. I'll just put a shameless website plug right now in there. That's a good thing to do, yeah. So back to centering our gaze and our focus on Christmas. You know, you just, you know, you were praying before we came on air about, you know, just being a, well, the picture I got in my mind was a glass house or, you know, we talk about being a beacon of light, allowing our reflection, Christ living in us and that reflecting out to the rest of the world. And the best way to do that is through transparency, right?

Just being honest and being open, transparent. Like your Christmas light. Like Christmas lights, come on. Right. It's good. It is, right? We're just one of those lights on his tree. Yeah. Just one, one of many. Yeah.

One of many. And well, in the opening, Robbie, I talked about Christmas as being about the good news of God's love. The Bible says every person desperately needs God's love. In fact, you're lost without it. You're directionless.

You are without protection. And we mentioned joy. Really, you're without real joy. Your potential eternal impact upon the world is unrealized without God's love.

Speaking of being a beacon of light, your eternity in heaven isn't secure according to God's word. Would you like to comment on any of that, Robbie? Yeah. If you think about the whole idea of Christmas is God started working on this from the beginning, from before the earth ever started. Before it was ever formed or fashioned, right?

Right. According to his word. And according to Luke, when it was time, the exact moment that it had to be that Jesus came, that the author literally steps into the story for the greatest rescue of all time. We think of D-Day as being a big rescue, certainly for World War II victims and stuff like that. That was nothing compared to what the kingdom of heaven advancing onto the earth in the form of Jesus Christ that day, so much that we fail to see that all those children in Bethlehem were slaughtered.

There was a war on, and God was making a beachhead, and he made it that day where Jesus came to earth. You know, I'm just – I'm making notes here. Something you said that I really – I don't know if I've ever heard it really said that way before, where the author steps into the story, which is interesting because, in fact, you were instrumental in helping me take my own story, you know, Ring of Redemption. Oh, yeah. And transfer that in my own voice, so kind of stepping into my own story in a way and making that available, you know, for people to listen to in case some who just don't like reading the hard copy, right? Right, right.

And so that's – what a perspective that the author steps into the story, which kind of leads into this thought. The good news of Christmas is that God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost. The Bible says there's only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God, right?

Right, right. That's exactly what it says, you know, that I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And a lot of people think that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, but what is he? He's the way to the Father, and that's a significant issue in a fatherless society that we don't realize. And actually Jesus himself said the Father is greater than I later in that chapter. And so, you know, Jesus is saying, I'm God, but it gets even better than this. And that's in that whole idea of he's the way to the Father, which was set about by Christmas.

And so I'm looking at some of my notes here. Jesus was truly human, gave himself to rescue all of us. You've put that word rescue out there a couple times now. Right, yeah. And was it – is it John 14, 6? I have the way that – is that what you were quoting, John?

Right, right. For I am the way, the truth, and the life, and nobody comes to the Father except through me. You know, it took me a long time. Speaking of fathers, it took me a long time. Even after surrendering my heart to Jesus in 1993, in fact, it was the restoration of my relationship with my earthly father that eventually happened that helped me have a better grip on or a better view of my heavenly father.

And I remember sitting on a bus bench in Waterloo, Iowa with my dad up in the hotel room and kind of chuckling to myself. I'm like, I had an aha moment with God, Robbie. I'm like, I see what you're doing here, God.

I see what you're up to. You restored my relationship that I'd never had for over 40, about 45 years with my earthly dad to show me how I could love him and receive his love and, in turn, learn how to love you and receive your love. And, of course, that's essentially Jesus really rocked the boat, right, when he started referring to God as his father and modeling that, right, what it looked like to submit to the Father and to love the Father unconditionally. And then to receive words from the Father, this is my son in whom I am well pleased, right? Right, that is baptism. You know, absolutely one of the most amazing things that ever happens is right there at Jesus' baptism, which is a little after Christmas but still so spectacular, that the Trinity steps onto the page of the Bible very few times all together. Yes, yes.

And here's one of them. God speaks, the dove descends, and Jesus is in the water with John the Baptist being baptized. Wow, get that picture out there right now, folks, okay? God speaks, the dove descends, the Holy Spirit, represent the Holy Spirit, right? The dove descends, John the Baptist witnesses it, and he's got the Son of God, the Son of Man in front of him. Right, right, it's all right there. All at once.

Wow. A spectacular moment. That only took place, obviously, because he so loved the world that he visited, right, he gave his Son, and here he came to be despised, to be spit on. That leads me right into the word salvation, right? If we spend any time in church at all, if anybody has spent any time in church at all, then they certainly probably many times have heard the word salvation. But yet I found, Robbie, in my time, whether it's at Man Camp or conferences or preaching in church, and I know you as a pastor and many conversations with others here, part of Truth Radio Network, that some still don't necessarily know what that means, what that word salvation means, right? It's like, I picture it like this, it's like a diamond. You look at it, you can look at it from many different angles and still discover new facets about it.

Is that an interesting illustration or an interesting perspective? Yeah, and not to mention it's his name. I mean, Yeshua, it means salvation. And it really is a spectacular word that actually when you see rescue or salvation in the Old Testament, it's literally Jesus' name every time. So I've been waiting on your Yeshua, and so many times like that, it's completely that. And oh, the rescue it is, but it's fascinating, I had no idea what I was being rescued from. And I think so few do understand how horrible hell is, what it would be like to have.

Yeah. And I've heard some of those discussions like, so what are you telling me I need to be rescued from? I mean, I've got a pretty good life.

Things are going well, I'm making money, got a family, right? So people can get sidetracked or distracted with everything the world offers, right? And to hone in more on that point, Jesus comes to rescue. You can't solve your problems on your own.

We can try, and we do, and I have tried solving my problems on my own. Without Jesus, you're trapped in the expectations of others. Without Jesus, you're trapped into the expectations of others, you're trapped in living for the approval of your peers, and you're trapped in addictions that you may try to change, but you don't have the power needed to escape. And I know you've seen this over and over again, and I know too many personal now friends and or stories of people who were trapped in these things, but Jesus came to give them the power to overcome that, right?

Exactly. If you would like to support Kolah for Christ Ministries, for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration. For a gift of $50, Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success. And for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption.

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Go to eyeassociates.com for more information. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. You know, when you actually watch it happen where somebody's fought their whole life and sometimes in their 70s or 80s all of a sudden receive Christ and overcome something that they totally thought and I think about my own addictions. I just assumed this is the way, I'll never fix this. And that's true, I never did. But Jesus did. Yeah, with his help and through his power, right?

Exactly. And that brings me to another word, recover. Recover. So Jesus comes to rescue, Jesus comes to recover, people belong. I view it this way, Robbie, all people long to recover parts of their lives that have been lost and I think any one of us out there listening to the audience, certainly Robbie and I sitting here in front of these microphones today can look at parts of our life that have been lost. Without Christ, you long to recover your strength, your confidence, your reputation, your innocence, Robbie, your relationship with God and only Jesus can do that. Right, right.

It's a fascinating thing. Innocence is very difficult because when it came to that one, I was guilty. I gave up my innocence. I made those choices that took it away and I would have – Or gave it away, right? Gave it away, completely gave it away.

Right. And I would have told you there's no way in the world. In fact, I told Jesus that to his face. It's like I'm guilty, you don't understand. And he had to look at me and say, Robbie, didn't I pay enough? My sacrifice on the cross, right?

The shedding of my blood, right? And he actually offered me in that particular conversation that time and it was actually over an addiction to pornography. He actually was speaking of transparency but he offered me my innocence card and I said, you don't understand.

I'm guilty, guilty, guilty. And he goes, do you want this? Didn't I pay enough, Robbie? And when he gave it to me, I can tell you, I honestly to this day have never fallen into that particular addiction again and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I hold that innocence card but he paid for it. Paid for it on the cross, right?

Near and dear. And so rescue, recovery and the other word to focus on in this Christmas holiday season today is the word reconnect. And so Jesus comes to rescue Robbie.

He comes to recover and he comes to reconnect. Many people think God will scold them, right? When you're saying, God, I'm not worthy. You were saying, God, I'm not worthy of having my innocence restored to me, right?

And recover the innocence I willfully gave up. Many people think God will scold them if they come to him or come back to him, come back to him. But God isn't – here's what I want people to know, Robbie. God's not mad at any – he's not mad at – you're out there listening. God's not mad at you. It doesn't matter what you've done. He's not mad at you.

If you heard more of Robbie's story, you'd understand why he's where he's at. He's mad about you. He's not mad at you. He's mad about you. Receive that this Christmas.

Let that be your biggest gift you receive maybe this Christmas season. He's mad about you. In other words, his love for you is immeasurable. Jesus came to earth on that first Christmas to reconcile you to his Father, reconcile you to God, give you harmony with him, restoration, recovery, rescue, to reconnect.

So thoughts on reconnecting? All sorts of – I mean, wonderfully, wonderfully, it's his blood that actually allows us to be back into that relationship with a father. But as a result of that, I know you experienced a restoration relationship with your father. But one of my favorite passages comes to the end of the Old Testament where it says he's going to restore the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to their children. And it actually says that the spirit of Elijah is going to do that, which a lot of people would say, well, that's John the Baptist. Well, how did John the Baptist restore the hearts of the children to their fathers and the fathers to their children?

Well, right? What did John the Baptist do? He baptized people into the name of Father and Son. In other words, it's all – and by the way, I wrote an article on – I've written two articles on that Christian card.

It's the most downloaded article I've ever written. That's how many people long, long, long, long to be restored to their children. Long, long, long to be restored to their parents. And here's the rescue, which ends up to the – like you talked about, the restoration.

But now we're going to get reconnected. And believe me, he's going to make all things new. That's what he does. He makes all things new. So as you look around this Christmas season, you're going to see plenty of good in the Christmas season.

You will. You'll see lots of festivities and lights and even perhaps parades and – Music. And music and meals and gifts and presents under the tree and all those sorts of things, which, hey, okay, that's a part of Christmas.

But what I want to leave you with today is to perhaps look at Christmas in a different perspective than you have before. As you hear Robby and I discussing the words like rescue and recovery and reconnection. And if you've never experienced those things – rescue, recovery, reconnection with God – you don't have to try to earn God's love. You can't work your way into heaven. Right, Robby? It's just a matter of opening your heart and God's grace. Right?

Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. It's a gift. It's a gift. His grace through faith is a gift, not of yourself. You can't earn it.

You can't work for it so that you can't boast about it. You just receive it. Like you're going to receive gifts this Christmas season. Here's the greatest gift you'll ever receive. Right, Robby?

Yeah. And the idea of light to a great extent comes from faith. In the 119th Psalm, the beginning of the nun section, it says, The high word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Well, when you think about the order of those things, you've got a lamp and then you've got a light.

And the fascinating thing that if you study that word lamp, it's actually perhaps a better translated candle. And the most important idea of that is faith. Without faith, if you don't believe, then you're not really getting anything anyway. It's impossible to please him without faith.

Right. And Abraham believed him and it counted to him his righteousness. So if you don't believe that Jesus was the Son of God or you don't believe that he died on the cross for you personally, you don't believe that he really can cleanse you. In other words, all that becomes your light. And when you believe it and when you share that belief, then that's when you're the city on the hill. And people see it in your life because they go, that guy isn't rammed by all this.

That guy seems like he's happy in spite of all that's going on in his life. You become that Christmas light, right? Yeah. But the thing of it is, all you are is the lamp.

You're reflecting light. You got it and now you get a chance to reflect it and hopefully point the way. To others.

For others to take that trip. And I might suggest to you out there, that's not a, I wouldn't roll the dice on that one. In other words, personally, I wouldn't take the chance on that one because there's no promise to tomorrow you could breathe your last breath today while you're listening to this broadcast actually. And so if you haven't trusted in Jesus, committed your life to following him, I want to challenge you, why wait any longer? If you're ready to step across that line, make that decision, believe in Jesus Christ, follow him, then as simple as just a sincere prayer from your heart. Romans 10, 9 says, confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and you will be saved. And so really want to encourage you to consider that, think that over and maybe this Christmas season, that'll be the greatest gift you'll receive ever for any Christmas holiday.

Right, Robbie? And it's a gift that keeps on giving. Because as your life is changed by the living God, right, you're going to change generations. And with the gift that's there as you push into it should come a thirst for his word. Right, because you're going to find that, oh man, I need to find out more about God.

Well, he provided a book on that. Right there for you to read, Discover the Truth. And if you just read the very first verse of John, it says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God. Well, there you go, Jesus is the word.

So there's a living thing you can read all about it. And the more you read it, the thirstier you're going to get and you'll get to Luke chapter 2. And then all you've got to do is ask the Holy Spirit because he provided a helper. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you and I assure you he will. If you sincerely ask those questions and on that sincere journey to find the truth, I assure you God, the God of the universe who created you will reveal it to you. So kind of summarizing our conversation, our discussion today, Robbie, I want to challenge our listeners out there in these different facets of salvation that we talked about, rescue, recovery, reconnection, that what's most important in your relationship with God?

When you think about those facets of salvation, rescue, recovery, reconnection, what's most important in your relationship with God and why? I want you to ponder all that today. Closing thoughts, Robbie? Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas. And we wish you a Merry Christmas.

We do. But I love the idea of what am I going to give Jesus this year? Right? And that's a wonderful thing to like, Jesus, what's on your wish list for me? What can I give you this year? I don't know if you thought about that one, but it's really fun to figure out, God, Jesus, what can I give you this year? You know, that reminds me of something I heard years ago when a former president said, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

So to put a spiritual overtone on that, ask not what your God, your Jesus can do for you, but maybe this Christmas season, what can you do for your Jesus? Man, that's good, Robbie. Robbie Dilmore, Christian Kargai.

Man, how can people tune in and hear more from Robbie Dilmore? I know they want to. The same place they can find you, the Truth Network app, amazing. All those, the Christian Kargai man up all that stuff. It's all right there.

Truth Network. So Robbie Dilmore, and hey, thank you. In all sincerity, I hope you go out this Christmas season and do have the best Christmas you've ever had.

And perhaps our discussion was not anything you thought this Christmas holiday special would be, but it's prompted you to consider or think about Christmas in a much different light than you ever have before. Robbie, you're amazing. I love you, my friend. I appreciate you being a part of the show. Oh, you're the same.

Like our friendship means well. So, and thank all of you each and every week being so faithful to tune in, dial into The Man Up Show, and hey, it is time to man up. Until next time, go out and live a God-filled and have a God-blessed day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions.

Go to coloff.net and donate today. If you are enjoying The Man Up Show, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe, and leave a comment. Ah, Nikita Koloff.

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