MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU - YOUR FAMILY – AND MINISTRY - IN THE WONDERFUL AND PRECIOUS NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST - FROM APOSTLE RONNIE AND TAKAKO BAILEY - ALONG WITH OUR ROCK OF AGES MEDIA MINISTRIES, INTERNATIONAL FAMILY – Let’s Keep Christ in our Christmas Celebration. Without Him, there isn't any reason to celebrate at all. Without His coming, we are lost and will die in our sins. (Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,) – A SIGN FROM THE LORD - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14 - A CHILD IS BORN - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6 - A DESCENDANT OF DAVID - There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. - Isaiah 11:1 - BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING! - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. - Zechariah 9:9 - FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH - But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. - Micah 5:2 - A SAVIOR IS BORN - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1: 21 - EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US - Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. - Matthew 1:23 - THE THREE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST - Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. - Matthew 2:1-2 - GREAT REJOICING - When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. - Matthew 2:10 - CALL HIS NAME JESUS - And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. - Luke 1:30-31 - THE SON OF GOD - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. - Luke 1:35 - GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY - And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. - Luke 2:10 - CHRIST THE LORD - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11 - A BABY IN SWADDLING CLOTHS - And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. - Luke 2:12 - ANGEL AND HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING GOD - And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God... - Luke 2:13-14 - MESSAGE FROM THE ANGEL - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." - Luke 2:14BORN IN BETHLEHEM - And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. - Luke 2:15 - Born In A Manger - And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. - Luke 2:16 - God's Love - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 - PRINCE AND SAVIOUR - Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. - Acts 5:31 - Name Above Every Name - And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth - Philippians 2:8-10 - GIFT OF GOD - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 6:23 - JOY AND PEACE - Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13 - GOD'S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. - 2 Corinthians 9:15 - GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. - James 1:17 – LET'S INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE OF THESE CHRISTMAS BIBLE VERSES IN OUR CHRISTMAS CARDS AND KEEP LET’S KEEP CHRIST IN OUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION. WITHOUT HIM, THERE ISN'T ANY REASON TO CELEBRATE AT ALL. WITHOUT HIS COMING, WE ARE LOST AND WILL DIE IN OUR SINS. (ROMANS 3:23 - FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD,) - - ROCK OF AGES MINISTRIES - As you may already be aware; we have a list of "Biblical Based Videos" - ranging from various "Subjects" – that are available for viewing by your Ministry - located on our Ministries' "Homepage" entitled "Webcast Channels". You are welcomed to view them, and use them to assist in "Biblical Education" for your Ministries, as God directs. Please keep us informed of whether these types of "Video Educational Tools" are beneficial to you and your Ministry. My primary responsibility as an Apostle is to help - in organizing "Outreaches" for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - in addition to - establishing "Leaders"of the Faith; along with the "Local Churches" We look forward to sharing more with you in the near future - as well as to receive from you what God is placing upon your hearts. We'd like to introduce and add you to our "Professional Networks". Our LinkedIn Page is: linkedin.com/pub/ronnie-bailey/34/a09/644 - Our Twitter Page is: twitter.com/rockofagesmins - Our Facebook Pages are: facebook.com/ronnie.bailey.14 - facebook.com/RockOfAgesMinistries - (504)613-7234 or (337) 706-7234 - An Urgent Request for Prayer - The Anti-Christ Spirit and; The Persecution of the Church - The rise of persecution is alarming!- We live in a day when more Christians worldwide fear for their lives than at any time in history! - In more than 40 countries around the globe today, believers are being persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations, it is illegal to own a Bible, to share one’s faith in Christ, and even for parents to teach their children about Jesus Christ. - Christians who try to live by their beliefs face radical opposition, and every day we hear new accounts of discrimination, excessive andunfair fines, denial of humanitarian aid, imprisonment, torture, expulsion from homes, property seizures, churches torched, entire Christian towns destroyed by extremist- and terrorist-led mobs, and mass executions. - “Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you” (Hebrews 13:3) In his letter to the church in Colossi, the imprisoned missionary Paul exhorted fellow believers to “remember my chains” (Colossians4:18) - Sadly, such persecution is often tolerated, sanctioned, or even encouraged by local, regional, or national government officials. - We must all jointogether and "Raise Up A Standard" Against - All Anti-Christian Extremist Groups: "So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him".(Isaiah 59:19) - We are calling upon all God's people to make a stance against - Anti Christian Groups, Church Persecutions and the Like: Yes we will keep those needs lifted up in prayer, as have been requested of us from many parts of the world. - God said in His Word that these things would happen to some of us. “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sentMe." (John 15:18-21)- He also promised that - He would not put upon us more than we could bear. (ICorinthians 10:13) says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”. - Lastly- He said that some of us would face tribulation many days, and that we would receive a crown of life as we stay faithful. (Revelation 2:10)“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crownof life.” - We are standing with you in "Spirit and in Truth". We must "Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ...". (1 Corinth 3:14) “Therefore, my belovedbrethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinth15:8) - In Jesus we remain committed to sharing the Gospel ofJesus Christ around the world, Apostle Ronnie and Takako Bailey, Overseers – Rock Of Ages Ministries, Intn’l - RockOfAgesMins@aol.com - www.ronniebailey.com - (504) 613-7234 or (337) 706-7262