Fear was Experienced

Scripture: Luke 1:64-65

And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.

Insights: Once again God intervenes in the world and displays His awesome power and might in the world.  For at least nine months Zacharias was mute and after he wrote the name John his tongue was loosed.  He was now able to speak and the very first thing he does is praise the Lord God for His activity and grace.  God is still in this kind of work today.  He still desires to amaze and astonish His children as well as His creation.  Now notice with me how the lost world responded to God’s miraculous involvement in human affairs.  They were gripped with fear and they could not stop talking about all that God had done in the life of Zacharias and Elizabeth.  What a wonderful way for the glory of God to be spread—lost people telling of the works of God.  Beloved, I have been sharing this over the past three weeks, and I state it again today.  When God’s favor is on your life, people are going to notice and they are going to be talking about God and His work.  They are not going to be talking about you, but the Lord.  This truth is a humbling display of God’s glory.  I would encourage you to cry out to the Lord and ask Him to allow His favor to be on your life.  Then, as He prompts your heart, respond in obedience.  The Lord pricked Zacharias and he praised the Lord and people were astounded at his ability to speak after nine months of silence.  All I can truly say in response to God’s work in this part of the Messiah’s history is – WOW!!!  God is truly good all the time and all the time God is good.  Beloved, praise the Lord for His active involvement in your life today.

Questions:

1. Is the work of God in your life so awe inspiring that it is causing the lost around you to experience fear of God’s power?
2. Are you crying out to the Lord for Him to use you in such a mighty way as to generate this awe of His glory?

Prayer: Father, use me in such a fashion that the lost world recognizes Your favor on my life and brings You glory.  Lord, let me continue to live in awe of Your amazing power and might.  Amen.

Fault-finders were Present

Scripture: Luke 1:61-63

And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And they were all astonished.

Insights: Today’s verses point us to one of those truths about life.  If we are God’s children and if we have heard a word from Him, then there will always be those who find fault with what we are doing.  The sad part is that often times these fault-finders are very much alive and well in the church.  In Elizabeth’s life it played out like this: “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name,” but in our modern day life, it goes like this: “We have never done it that way before.”  It is a sad commentary on our lives to put God in a box and declare to the world, “This _____________ (fill in the blank) is the only way God works.”  How many times did He have the nation of Israel march around a city for seven days and on the seventh day march seven times and then shout?  How many times did He make an axe head float?  How many different ways did Jesus heal the blind?  God is a God of infinite creativity.  Just look at His creation.  We are all unique and so is His animal kingdom.  The reason these fault-finders are present is because Satan is attempting to thwart the will and ways of God.  Our adversary is attempting to discourage us and prevent us from walking boldly with our Lord.  Beloved, we must arise to the challenge.  We must put on our spiritual armor and valiantly fight against the enemy and his evil schemes to stop us.  We must with faith oppose the fault-finders and point them to the love, power and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let us be victorious in HIM!!!

Questions:

1. What work has God called you to that you are receiving opposition?
2. Have these fault-finders caught you by surprise and hindered you from obeying the Lord?

Prayer: Father, as difficult as it is to say, “Thank You for the fault-finders.”  I do not always handle their opposition well, but when I know I have heard a clear word from You, then it helps give confirmation that I am walking with You.  Grant me the courage to remain strong in the midst of opposition.  Amen.

Faithfulness was Displayed

Scripture: Luke 1:59-60

And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John."

Insights: Elizabeth’s friends and family were getting ready to name the child after his father.  The custom and tradition of the name would have been right in the keeping with such activity of the people.  The pressure on Elizabeth to conform to societal norms would have been incredibly great.  We often overlook this part of the history surrounding the birth of John the Baptist.  She, however, arose to the challenge and answered the people around her, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”  What a moment of faithful obedience to the Lord.  Remember, she did not see the vision of the angel as Zacharias did.  She is, by faith, believing her husband and the miraculous deeds of God in her pregnancy.  Because of this faith she is bold in her proclamation of God’s command in her life.  The child shall be called John.  Beloved, each and every day we are challenged in the same way.  The Lord continually commands we walk in obedience to His will and His ways.  Because of the spiritual war going on around us, His ways and will are more often than not in contradiction to what our society declares to be normal and acceptable.  I admonish you, children of the King, to humbly walk in obedience with Jesus.  Let His Spirit fill you full.  As you walk in this kind of faithful obedience, He will be brought glory.  Make certain you point people to the reason for your faithful activity.  Let your light shine as Elizabeth let hers.  To God be the glory.

Questions:

1. What is the Lord asking you to do that is hard and possibly goes against conventional wisdom and customs?
2. Will you choose faithfulness or disobedience to the commands of the Father?

Prayer: Father, thank You for speaking to me and revealing Your will.  Grant me the boldness and power to walk obediently with You.  I do not always understand Your ways or Your plans, but I pray You grant me grace to believe You and faithfully obey You.  Amen.

Favor was Noticed

Scripture: Luke 1:57-58

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

Insights: Notice with me that Elizabeth’s neighbors and relatives had heard about the Lord’s great mercy which had been displayed on her.  The Lord’s favor has been a theme over the past three weeks and it is portrayed again in this week’s history of the Christmas event.  One of the things I have mentioned about favor is that when the Lord’s favor is truly on you, people outside of the church (those lost without a Savior), often times begin talking about the Lord’s activity in your life.  Now, when I say those outside of the Lord’s family are talking about His activity within His family, I am in no way suggesting that we do not have to evangelize and tell other people about God’s work in our lives.  What I am saying, however, is in conjunction with our faithful activity of proclamation; the lost world will recognize God’s direct activity in our lives.  When they see His involvement in our affairs, they begin talking about His work.  The reason they talk is because they are amazed and in awe of what God is doing.  It is part of His work in drawing them to a saving relationship with Jesus.  Beloved, this makes me wonder what the Lord is doing in our lives that is so amazing and awe inspiring that people are taking notice of God’s activity.  God has not stopped working in this world.  He is still drawing people to Himself.  He is still a miracle working God.  We must be mindful of what God is doing and point others to His activity.  We must continually ask Him to let His favor fall on our lives.  When His favor is on us we will bear much fruit, but without His favor we can do nothing (John 15:5).  Let us surrender ourselves completely to His will and His ways and bring glory to Him.

Questions:

1. Are you experiencing the favor of the Lord in your life?
2. Have you been crying out to Him and asking Him to grant you His favor?

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your grace and favor in my life.  May You continually increase Your favor on me daily.  As Your love is displayed on and in me, may I point others to You and Your glory.  Amen.

God Still Performs Miracles

Scripture: Luke 1:35-38

The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. "For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Insights: If you are facing a crisis, an issue, or even an obstacle, then you are a candidate for a miracle.  We still worship and serve a miracle working God.  Just as He performed a miracle in Mary’s life and conceived Jesus within her, so He is able to perform a miracle in your life.  I also want you to notice that age is not a factor in God’s activity.  The next verse reminds us that Elizabeth is already six months pregnant.  God opened her barren womb and allowed her the joy of giving birth to John the Baptist.  Often times, however, when God offers us a miracle, there is a catch.  In other words, sometimes God states, “If you will do _________(fill in the blank), then I will do __________ (fill in the blank).”  Even though the angel did not speak an if/then clause, the implication is there.  The final verse reveals to us Mary’s response to the angel.  She calls herself a bondslave of the Lord.  She further goes on to say, “May it be done to me according to your word.”  Mary chose obedience and that is the same option we have if we are God’s children.  Beloved, I do not know what you are presently facing, but I do know the One who is able to work miraculously in your life.  I know He is a loving Father who deeply cares about you more than you could ever imagine.  He desires to intervene in your life and draw you into an abiding love relationship with His Triune community.  Choose this day to obediently surrender to the Lord’s will and watch in amazement as He “wows” you.  May He be brought glory as He works in your life.

Questions:

1. What miracle has God performed for you lately?
2. Have you responded in obedience to Him as a result of His activity in your life?

Prayer: Father, thank You that You still work, care and love me.  Help me to obediently answer,”Yes,” to any request You have of me.  You involvement in my life is overwhelming and help me never take it for granted.  Amen.

God Sees the Heart

Scripture: Luke 1:34

Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

Insights: Notice Mary’s question is not that much different from Zacharias question found in verse eighteen.  Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."  In the New American Standard Bible the words for certain were italicized.  The reason was because the translators added those.  In this case, the King James Version is a more literal word-for-word translation.  It reads, “And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”  The English Standard Version states, “And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”  Here is my point: Zacharias asked a how question and then gave his reasoning behind his doubt with a statement about his age.  Mary asked a how question and then gave her reasoning about her virginity.  Why was Zacharias punished and Mary commended when they both asked a how question?  The answer is because God SEES the HEART.  Zacharias asked with a heart of doubt and did not actually believe God was capable of making this birth of his son come to pass. Mary, however, asked with a heart of faith and she actually did believe God was capable.  Mary just wanted to know how it was going to happen because she believed it was going to come to pass.  Beloved, the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows the truth of our heart.  I want you to notice one more thing as well.  Mary did question God.  It is alright to ask the Lord questions.  You can ask Him the why and how questions you face in this world.  He is a very large God and He can handle it.  What is important in those questions is the sincerity of the heart.  God knows the truth behind the question as He examines you.  Ask all the questions you need to, but do it from the vantage point of faith.

Questions:

1. When you have questions for the Lord are they from faith or doubt?
2. Are you aware the Lord sees the motive and intent of the heart?

Prayer: Father, You know me better than I know myself.  You know my every anxious thought and know the truth of my heart.  Increase my faith Lord and allow me to respond in obediently as Mary did.  Amen.

God's Messiah and His Kingdom are Announced

Scripture: Luke 1:31-33

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

Insights: Today’s verses give us the actual announcement of the Messiah and His kingdom. Jesus Christ came to usher in a kingdom that would have no end.  He is the King of that kingdom and we all have the opportunity to have our citizenship in that kingdom.  All we have to do is receive the free gift found in Jesus’ work on the cross and in His resurrection.  In other words, Jesus was born for the express purpose of dying.  He came to announce His kingdom and tell the world that we can join this kingdom if we will but receive His gift of love.  Once we have received this gift of salvation we are then commissioned to be ambassadors for our new home and tell this world about Jesus’ love and sacrifice.  Beloved, Jesus’ kingdom has no end.  We will either spend eternity there with Him or in the Lake of Fire separated from Him.  In fact, every person ever born is going to fall into one of these two places.  It is my prayer that you will enter into Jesus’ kingdom by receiving Him as your Lord and Savior.  It is also my prayer that you will arise and boldly tell others of His great love for them.  Ask the Lord to change your heart and to see the world as He does and to respond to this world as He does as well.  If we live our lives like this, we will bring Him glory and many will come to know Him as Savior and Lord.  Serve Him well this day!

Questions:

1. Have you come to know the Messiah personally in your life?
2. If you have, are you intentionally out there announcing to the world of His second coming and their need for Him now?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the salvation I do have in Jesus. Grow me in Your love and let me be a bold witness of Your love to a world desperate for a Savior.  Amen.