May you have a blessed and merry Christmas

[Ron Tyler]

May you have a blessed and merry Christmas

Greetings Folks,

In the last 8 days, two trips to ER, two office visits, and now two antibiotics. I see the doc again Monday. Started as a medicine reaction to too much sunlight, and now is diverticulitis. Great life if you don't weaken. Thanks for the prayers and may you and your loved ones be richly blessed in Jesus during this Christmas season. Sad to see how little there is of Christ in this year's Christmas. It really gets to me when people deliberately and intentionally reject "Merry Christmas" and and insist on "Happy Holidays!"

Well did Jesus describe them:

"19 And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat

 Luke 1:46 And Mary said,

    "My soul magnifies the Lord,

 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.

   For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for He who is mighty has done great things for me,

   and holy is His name.

50 And His mercy is for those who reverently fear Him

   from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with His arm;

    He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones

    and exalted those of humble estate;

53 He has filled the hungry with good things,

   and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

55 as He spoke to our fathers,

    to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

Zechariah’s Prophecy

 67 And his [John's] father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

 68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

   for He has visited and redeemed His people

69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of His servant David,

70 as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, 

71 that we should be saved from our enemies

   and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers

   and to remember His holy covenant,

73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve Him without fear,

 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

   for you will go before the Lord [Jesus] to prepare His ways,

77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people

    in the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

   whereby the Sunrise shall visit us from on high

79 to give Light to those who sit in darkness and in the              shadow of death,

   to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

 14 "Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!"

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

 29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

    according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a Light for revelation to the Gentiles,

   and for glory to your people Israel."

Having been made in God's likeness, we shouldn't think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, or an image fashioned by human art and imagination.  Therefore, having overlooked  the times of our ignorance,  Jehovah now commands all people everywhere to repent,  because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world  in righteousness by the Man, Jesus Christ, who He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ may have eternal life. For Jehovah-God so compassionately loved all people that He gave His only Son, Jesus born of woman, that whoever believes in and relies on Him alone to be made right with Jehovah God shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn people, but to save people through Him. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe Him stands condemned already because of failing to believe in the nature and character of God's only Son, Jesus born of woman.