Dear Congress,
Today is Christmas, the day that followers of Jesus Christ celebrate His birth to a virgin mother over 2,000 years ago. The Christian faith remains all these years later, arguably stronger than at any other time in modernity, for one simple reason: It's the Truth:
Luke 1:28-37: "The angel appeared to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!'
'How can this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel replied, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God."
God is perfect. He condone or be around sin. We are sinful and worldly. All of us.
Romans 3:10-18: As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves their tongues practice deceit. The venom of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
He could have abandoned us, started over, or come up with something way better. Our sin separates us from God -- but He loves us. He wants us to come to Him, freely and without coercion. So, He made a way for us:
John 3:16: “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 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Because God is perfect, and we are not, we humans might have been eternally separated from Him. Instead, because He made a way, all you have to do is believe. Call on the Name of the Lord to be saved. Accept the free gift of Grace...
The thing is, though, it's an exclusive invitation:
Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Or, ostensibly, power.)
If you claim to know the Truth, as many of you do, but you use the Truth to build your own kingdom, instead of God's Kingdom, then you have not only violated your oath, but your covenant with Him. Despite all the horror you've put the nation through, God wants that none should perish and true Christians (attempt to) honor that desire. Thus, you're in our prayers.
We wish you a very Merry Christmas, a time of rest and meditation on what is right, and good, and just. Meditation on your path and position, and how you were chosen for such a time as this.
Ephesians 4:1-3: "As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Ephesians 4:25-32: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need. Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
God bless you, and Merry Christmas!
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