Here and gone in the blink of an eye

"...Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him." Revelation 19:6 

I stopped and took one last look at all the beautiful decorations that filled our house. (Thanks to my mom) and a wave of sadness came over me. Christmas has already come and gone, all in the blink of an eye. The presents have been opened, the story of Jesus has been told, discussed, and celebrated, and now…the decorations and lights have come down. It’s over…or is it?

Only the temporary, the presents, the lights, the decorations, even the Christmas music. But one thing remains, the life of Jesus. His birth was just the beginning…the beginning of great things to come.

As I pondered on that wonderful thought the sadness lifted and joy filled my heart. The Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Son of the Most High God is alive. And He lives within you and me!

Celebrating Christ is 24/7, 365 days a year!

Does yours end when Christmas ends, or does your celebration continue on?

Prayer: My precious Lord and Savior, my heart swells with joy and love as I think of Your greatness. I am so thankful for the life You lived here on earth. From Your birth to Your death and now seated on the throne, You Abba Father rein. Amen  

The Night of His birth

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors." Luke 2:14

DAY 25-I cannot believe it is finally here! It has been an amazing journey to Bethlehem. Today we celebrate the life of our King from His birth to the grave to the throne of Heaven. Our Savior and King He is here indeed. Let’s go out and shout at the top of our lungs to the ends of the earth, the battle has been won!!

Twas the night of His birth and all through the fields

Not a sheep was baaing not even a coyote was howling.

The Shepherds were their guarding with care

When all of a sudden they stood with a stare.

Right where they stood was a vision so clear

It was the angel of the Lord that shook them with fear.

As the Shepherds hearts pounded.

There the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded

Don’t be afraid I bring you great news.

I know it will leave you very amused.

It is of great joy for everyone!

For a baby is born, the one and only Son.

Yes the Messiah, has truly been born

And one day the curtain will be torn.

Here in Bethlehem in this tiny town,

Comes forth the child who will wear the crown

He has come as Holy and Pure

Giving a promise that is forever sure.

You must hurry now and go and see.

For He is placed in a manger as snug as can be.

The mother has wrapped Him in strips of cloth

And one day those men will rip them off.

Before they were off their they saw

A vast host of angels singing a song.

Glory to God, in the highest of heaven,

And peace on earth to all whom God favors.

So off they went to see the wonderful gift

And their in the manger the mother did lift

The Savior who came in human flesh.

Quickly they went to share with all

Everything they had heard and saw.

The people were amazed

And their in her heart Mary did praise.

For our Savior is here

and here to SAVE!

Merry Christmas!!  

Here in Human Flesh!

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)." Matthew 1:23

DAY 24- We have finally made it to Bethlehem, David’s ancient home and soon to be the village where a ruler would be born. Today is the day! Jesus is here!

Mary: The minutes seemed to pass by slower and slower as my labor progressed, and as a distraction I kept recalling the words Gabriel spoke to me in describing my son.

Your son Mary, He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over Israel forever and His Kingdom will never end!

My son, who I am to name Jesus, will be Holy, Pure, and Perfect. My heart began to fill up with so much emotion.  The time was finally here, I, a lowly servant girl am about to give birth to the Son of the Most High.  The very one that would shower mercy upon Israel.

And then…………oh, I can still hear it like it was yesterday, there it was, the sound of His cry. My ears have never heard a better noise!

Then came the moment He was placed upon my chest, the feeling of His little body next to mine was a moment I would capture forever. I gentle wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in the manger. 

Joseph and I could not take our eyes off of Him, here in human flesh, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Son of the Most High! 

"Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me." Luke 1:46-49

He is here, He is here, I want to shout from the mountain tops, our Savior and Redeemer is here.  Oh, Praise the Lord for today is the day of Salvation, today is the beginning of a new life to come.

It would not take long for the news to travel, and oh, just how amazing it would be delivered.

Stay tuned……………………….

A Place of Resemblance!

"O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel." Matthew 2:6

DAY 23- It has been a long couple of days, but we are finally coming into Bethlehem. Today we will hear all about the moments leading up to the birth of Jesus.

Joseph: It was a long trip for Mary and me, we were lucky enough to have found a donkey to carry Mary. It was beginning to get hard for her to walk; she had already walked such a long distance. Finally arriving into Bethlehem we immediately went to register.  We got everything taken care of and headed over to the Village Inn to try and get a room.

On our way Mary started to go into labor and we both knew it would not be very long after.  Things began to get a little rushed, we went in to try and get a room but there were none available and no exceptions were being made.  So we walked around trying to find a place that would be suitable enough for Mary and the baby.

That is when we came across a stable! Our stables back then were not like your stables today. They were caves that were dark, cold, and dirty, but provided some protection from wind and rain. It was the best we found and at that time seemed just fine for Mary and I, and we really didn’t have that much time anyway.

There were no bed’s just hay and feeding troughs (mangers) that had been carved out of the rock wall of the stable used to place food in for the animals. Mary and I talked and decided with some fresh hay, well as fresh as we could find, we would place the baby in one of the troughs (mangers).

It worked for us and we were thankful just to have somewhere to go. Of course just like you we thought we would have had our baby in Nazareth, but the work of the Lord and the timing of Augustus’ decree decided otherwise. 

But the prophecy of long ago "O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel." (Matthew 2:6) would soon be fulfilled.

My friends upon hearing this story I hope you leave here today with a heart of thankfulness, a heart that will reflect on the place your Savior would be born. We should not be so consumed with the things of this world that will only perish, but with the very things of Jesus. We should be thankful for the warmth of our homes, and beds, and the clothes we have. But most of all my friends remember this. This place, this very cave that was dark and dirty would represent the world, a dark, dirty place full of sin in desperate need of a Savior that would bring light, hope, and warmth.

Deliverance

"I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death." Isaiah 53:12

DAY 22-Today will be our last day here in Jerusalem and then we will be heading on to Bethlehem.  I hope that you have had time to let the words of Isaiah absorb within you.

I want to finish sharing with you the words from our friend Isaiah.

“But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins-that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s plan will prosper in his hands.  When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins……He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners."  Isaiah 53:8-12

How magnificent is Your plan O’ Lord. How Mighty is Your name. Your presence alone O’ Lord is greater than a single breath. Your unfailing love spreads from generation to generation. You gave up Your one and only Son for each of us.  O’ Lord how we praise You for the greatest sacrifice ever made.

Lord today we jump ahead and celebrate the death and sacrifice of Your Son. It is because of Him, His birth and His death our sins have been set free and life is ours to keep. O’ Lord how amazing is Your grace?    

I know all of this seems out of order but it will all come full circle within the next few days. In the meantime I pray that you will see the nature of our Father and His divine plan for each of us.  And remember this journey is not just about the amazing detail of Jesus’ birth but about the amazing detail of His death-the very death that gave you and me life!!!

We must stop here for now I have a meeting and some errands to attend to before we head out tomorrow morning. Meet Mary and I back here first thing in the morning, we must get onto Bethlehem in time to register.

The importance...the significance

"There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." Isaiah 53:2

DAY 21- It has been a long two days of traveling and we are almost to Bethlehem. We are coming into Jerusalem today and we must stop here. There is something very important that I must share with you before we arrive in Bethlehem. 

Joseph: I have a message to share with you from our friend Isaiah. Please listen closely for the importance of his words and the event he describes is what makes the arrival of our son so significant. Let’s put it this way the importance of His birth is the significance of His death.

"He was despised and rejected-a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.  Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death." Isaiah 53:3-8

My brothers and sisters you must store these words in your heart. Let them penetrate to the core of your soul. For this, though just a part of the prophecy, is what makes this journey, it is what makes the reason of our son’s birth so special. This is the reason we should celebrate, no not what He endured, but what He sacrificed. Today my friends we celebrate the life of Jesus’ death, because from His death we have received life! 

We will stay here in Jerusalem tonight and tomorrow we will continue hearing more from Isaiah.  As we depart from one another I ask that you lift your hearts up to the Lord and praise Him for the ultimate sacrifice.

Life given-Life taken

"See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted." Isaiah 52:13

DAY 20- It will be a long journey to Bethlehem my friends, but we have much to discuss.  Today the Lord is leading us in a different direction, a direction that will lead us to the cross. It is the cross and the death that makes the birth so magnificent.

Joseph: There are many things we celebrate, but there are two very significant celebrations that will and have changed the lives of many forever, the birth of our Son and the death of our Son.  I know this comes at a very unusual time, but it is so important that you understand just how amazing LIFE is! It is what will make the birth of our son so much greater to each of you.

Over the next couple of days we will be hearing from our friend Isaiah and the prophecy He gave long ago about the prominence of our Son’s life.

We must keep traveling, but I want to begin sharing with you a story that still impacts Mary and me so much, a story that brings bittersweet feelings to our heart. We hope that by the time we reach Bethlehem you will have a deeper understanding of just how amazing the arrival of our Son is.

"See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. Many were amazed when they saw him-beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what hey had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about." Isaiah 52:13-15

Please pardon us for being so emotional, it still humbles us every time we share this story.  You see this servant, the one who would be highly exalted, the one who would be beaten and bloodied, so disfigured He could not be recognized, would also be the one that was placed in the womb of my wife Mary. He would be the Savior that would take on our death for us so we could receive life.

So today, today we are celebrating life-life given and life taken. Do you celebrate the gift of true life?

His amazing timing!

“All returned to their own towns to register for this census.” Luke 2:3

DAY 19- We have made it to Nazareth! God has been so good and faithful; He led us here safely.  Today we are going to meet up with Mary and Joseph some things are going on and I am not sure how long we will stay here.  Let’s get going they are waiting.

Joseph: We are so glad you made it, we saw the Lord leading you and we knew you would make it. You are just in time, we are getting ready to leave, a census has been decreed and we must return back to our home towns.

Let me start from the beginning I see some of you with puzzled looks on your face.

Augustus, the Roman emperor has just sent out a decree that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. So we all must return to our home towns to register for the census. Since I am a descendant of King David we must go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. (Luke 2:1-4)

So we have no time to spare we have a 70 mile journey ahead of us, we need to get going.  We will visit on the way.

Have you ever truly stopped and let all of this absorb within your mind.  It is so amazing the timing of all of this.  Apparently Mary was getting close to delivering and God knew exactly where He wanted His son to be. I mean what impeccable timing for Augustus to send out a decree. Oh, the absolute amazing plan our God had.

I think we seem to forget just how planned out our lives really are. What timing for Mary to have to travel, and ladies you know what I am talking about, 9 months pregnant, could you imagine traveling by foot, camel or donkey 70 miles. Augustus could have sent out the decree months before or after. His timing, His timing!

And how wonderful for us, that we are getting to see first hand the work of the Lord.  It is all in His timing and how He wants all things to be done. Why would we choose to live according to our will and not His? The next time you question the timing of things, just remember God is at work and is preparing or placing you there for a very specific reason, so just trust and obey, praise and give thanks, and find the joy and positive despite what your flesh says.

Because in the end when our eyes are opened we will see just how good and perfect His plan for us was and is. And at the end of this incredible journey we are going to see just how awesome our God is.  I am so excited!!

A Prayer for your journey

"You both precede me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head." Psalm 139:5

DAY 18- Pack up camp, gather the family, we are headed to the village of Nazareth. There we will meet up with Joseph and Mary.  Oh my goodness we are getting close! If everyone is ready let’s head out!

Zechariah: Lord we praise You, we praise Your mighty name.  You are and will forever be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  We stand in awe of Your holiness.  Thank You for the wonderful privilege of being Your children.

Father thank you so much for all of our sweet friends and family that have gathered together over theses last 18 days to hear the stories of Your greatness.  As they leave us to begin their journey to Bethlehem we ask that You both proceed and follow them.

Lord we ask that as they travel You will begin to do a work within them. That You will prepare their hearts for what they will hear and see over the next 7 days. We ask that You remove any and all distractions so they can put all their attention on You.

Go with them now Lord as they leave us to meet up with Mary and Joseph. Bless their time together Lord and again thank You thank You for the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful journey. In Jesus name, Amen.

We have enjoyed each and every one of you so much. Elizabeth and I will continue to pray for you as you journey the rest of the way. Give Joseph and Mary our love.  Just follow the light that precedes you it is Jesus leading the way.

He deserves more than leftovers!

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord." Luke 1:76

DAY 17-Don’t you just enjoy each day that we get to spend as a family hearing and learning about Jesus?  I hope you have been blessed thus far. Today we get to continue hearing the praises of Zechariah.

Zechariah: Isn’t God so good?  My wife and I can not tell you enough how wonderful it is having all of you here with us. Didn’t you enjoy hearing yesterday how wonderful our God is? Today I want to continue sharing with you how great our God is and the blessings that poured out from within about our son John.

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." Luke 1:76-79

Could you imagine having such a call on your life even before you were born? Well guess what, you do have a call on your life, and you did even before you were born. It is the call to help prepare the return for Christ. It is a call to share the Great News of the Savior that has come to redeem and save us. It is a call to join with other believers and lift your voices in shouts of praise to our Heavenly Father. And that my friend is a great enough call to praise God about, because it is an honor to be a child of the Son of God.

I want to leave you with one last thing today; God should be praised and come before anything or anyone.  He does not deserve our leftovers and He does not deserve to be put off until it convenience's us. He deserves the very best we have to offer and He deserves the very first part of our day and time. Think about how you feel when someone chooses to take the best and leave you with the leftovers, though you might be thankful, you are still prone to want the very best yourself. Or how about when someone you love puts you off until it convenience's them or until they have time for you. It stinks doesn't it, it even gets old after a while and can make you become bitter and harden your heart towards them because of the lack of love, time, and attention that we all desire and want. It's not fun is it? How do you think God feels when we do it to Him?

Let me ask you something. How many times do you begin your conversation with God asking Him for what YOU want and need? Then once you finished making your "Self" requests you close with 30 seconds of thanks and praise.  I have done that so many times, but through all of this I am learning that He should be praised, honored, and adored before a single word is spoken for me or anyone else.  I am also beginning to see and experience the benefits and joy that fills my spirit when I praise Him first, because it takes the focus off of me and puts the focus on Him, where it should be in the first place. 

Have you praised God today?

Have you praised God today?

"Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy."  Luke 1:67

DAY 16- Today we have the wonderful privilege of hearing the praises lifted to the Lord through Zechariah.

Zechariah: Yesterday I shared the importance of the Holy Spirit; I hope that you recall all we discussed so that you will see the significance of these words.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant with them, the covenant he gave to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever." Luke 1:68-75

Notice the very first words spoken through me were praises to God for all that He had and was going to do.  He was going to send us a Savior, a Savior that would redeem us and save us. That in its self was enough to celebrate. 

I want you to let these words resonate in your heart as we start getting closer to Bethlehem for the birth of a very special baby.

The importance of today is for you to be reminded to make your first words spoken be words of praise to the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am.  

Have you praised God today, have you lifted your voice to Him with praise and worship?  If you have not done so today would you stop and take a moment to praise God for sending His Son to redeem and save you! 

Send it on down!

"Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy." Luke 1:67

DAY 15- Wow! We are 15 days into our journey, can you believe it?  It is going by so fast.  There have been so many wonderful stories shared and so many more to come.

Zechariah: We have enjoyed being with you over these last 15 days.  We hope you have been as blessed as we have. We look forward and are thankful for each new day the Lord gives us to share of His amazing grace and love.

Yesterday we shared of the great news that spread throughout Judea. Our son’s name and my restored speech! Upon my ability to speak again I became filled with the Holy Spirit. There is so much importance in the Holy Spirit that I find it necessary to share with you just how He works.

In the book of John 14:10 “The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me." Jesus was saying when I speak it is the words of my Father in me not my own. And just as you and I speak on behalf of our Father it is not our words but the words of our Father that lives within us.

In Jeremiah 1:9 "Then the Lord touched my mouth and said, "See, I have put my words in your mouth!"  It is the Spirit that allows the Word of God to be in us.

When my wife was greeted by Mary she was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that gave her the words to speak to Mary. It was the Holy Spirit who would fill our son John even before his birth, and it would be the Holy Spirit that would speak through him in the wilderness.

And the day I regained my speech I was filled with the Holy Spirit and began praising God.  I say all this in hopes that tomorrow as I share the words of praise with you that you will understand it is the words of my Father in me. It is all about Him, it is by His power alone that any of us can share the Good News. The most important of all, the conception of Jesus was from the Holy Spirit.

I want to close today with this scripture for you to think about until we meet again. It is from the book of John "If you love me obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." John 14:15

The word spread and the wonder fell.

“I wonder what this child will turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord is surely upon him in a special way.” Luke 1:66

DAY 14-Goodness can you believe it is day 14? I hope you are seeing and learning so much about our incredible Heavenly Father. I hope with each new day you are seeing the importance of each story. It is these stories that lead up to our destination in Bethlehem.

Zechariah: Yesterday I shared with you the day of John’s circumcision ceremony and the moment I regained by speech. Today I want to share with you the news that spread throughout Judea.

It was the moment everyone heard words come out of my mouth that their jaws dropped and their eyes widened. “Wonder fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked. “I wonder what this child will turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord is surely upon him in a special way.” Luke 1:65-66

I want to share with you what our friend Isaiah says in chapter 55:10-11-it will help you see how much control and ho mighty our God is.  “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to and will prosper everywhere I send it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

Wow, isn’t it awesome to see how that really does happen. It was my speechlessness; my son receiving the name John, and it was the moment I could speak again that sent people out spreading the news. I believe that this was the beginning of just how special our son would be, and how influential he was going to be on the world. That is the reason he was born to prepare the way for the one to come.

Did you know that you are very similar to my son John, each and everyone of you? At your birth the news spread and people rejoiced. You were brought into this world to do just as our son John did-he prepared the way for Jesus-You are here to prepare people for the return of Jesus. That is such a special privilege!  Make each day a special day, a day devoted to preparing for His return.  And most of all remember the words of our friend Isaiah and rest assured that when the Spirit speaks through you that God will take it and accomplish all HE wants it to and it will prosper everywhere HE sends it.

He is coming, yes He is coming, oh thank you Jesus, we await your coming!

Keep my lips sealed!

“Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.” Luke 1:64

DAY 13-Today we will be gathered by family and friends of Zechariah and Elizabeth as they join in the story of this great day, the day of John’s circumcision ceremony.

Thank you for coming, thank you for being faithful followers of our Lord.  I am elated all of our family and friends could be here as we share and remember one amazing day.

Our baby was already eight days old! As Jews we have a law that every male is to be circumcised on the eighth day and will also receive their name on that day. A little history on the importance of these ceremonies;

           

It was a covenant made between God and Abraham. Abraham was to serve God faithfully and live a blameless life, upon doing so God would make him the father of many nations. Abraham’s other part of the agreement was to have every male among him be circumcised; the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off, thus bearing a sign that they accepted the covenant. It would also be a mark they would bear of God’s everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17)

Elizabeth: All our family and friends gathered for this exciting day, and wanted to name our baby Zechariah after his father. Family names were very big to us! But I knew what the Lord wanted so I said, “NO! His name is John!” You can imagine the commotion that comes next.  The whispering and outburst of questions began. “Elizabeth, what are you saying? There is no one in our family with that name.” So of course they all turned to Zechariah.

Zechariah: Remember I could not speak or hear. So there I was watching everyone when I saw all eyes turn to me and hands and arms flying around as everyone was trying to gesture to me for a name! I motioned for a writing tablet and wrote “His name is John!” And in that instant I could speak and I began praising God.

It reminds me of a verse in the book of Psalm “Take control of what I say O’Lord, keep my lips sealed.” Psalm 141:3 He did just that to me. I spoke words of doubt that day in the sanctuary and from that day on He sealed my lips.  Wow, our God is amazing.

I cant’ help but to wonder if there are days we speak words of doubt, hate, anger, etc that should result in our lips being sealed. Let’s just trust fully in the Lord and His power, words, and authority, and pray that in all situations He will take control of our words and keep our lips sealed. 

Complete Fulfillment

“You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth.” Luke 1:14

Day 12- Today is a very exciting day for all of us, today is the arrival of John also known as John the Baptist. So take off your shoes, come on in, and find your place in the living room, the baby will be here soon.

Elizabeth: It had been a very interesting nine months I must say, being old in age sure made things a little more difficult. I did not get around as easy as the younger mothers did. I had a lot of discomfort with my pregnancy. When Mary came to visit me I was in my sixth month. She stayed with me for three months before returning home.  She was of great help and though pregnant herself she took good care of me.

I remember them saying Elizabeth it’s time are you ready?  I had never been more ready for anything.  It all went as I expected and I will never forget that moment.  He was here; our baby boy was finally here.  It was the first sound of his cry that made my heart flood with joy. He was beautiful and healthy and made in the image of our God. 

Zechariah: The day of John’s birth was truly a special day. It was a day our faith went from just faith to complete fulfilled faith. It was a day that the words spoken through Gabriel were fulfilled, and it was a day as new parents our hearts were filled.

That day in the sanctuary I remember Gabriel saying, “You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth.” Luke 1:14 and that is exactly what happened.

Upon the arrival of John the word spread quickly to our neighbors and relatives that the Lord had been very kind to us, and everyone rejoiced with Elizabeth. (Luke 1:58) It was just as Gabriel said it would be.  It was truly an honor that the Lord found approval in Elizabeth and I and that we were there first hand to see His promises being fulfilled. 

I can truly say that day was a great day, and we all have great days that we receive wonderful blessings, but there are two days approaching that will be the greatest days for you and I. Days that will bring absolute fulfillment.

I pray today will be the day you receive Jesus, I pray if you have already received Him will be the day your heart is filled with fulfillment, love, and thankfulness. I pray your eyes will be open to see the ultimate gift God gave us, Christ and it is the gift of Christ, His sacrifice, and blood that promises life.  If you are searching for hope, to fill a void or to be fulfilled by something or someone, let it be Jesus! He always stays true to His word and will always fulfill His promises.

Confident Assurance

“So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Day 11- We have set up camp here in Judea as we wait on the arrival of John, the baby boy of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Today we will stay around camp, Elizabeth and Zechariah will join us here.

Zechariah: Thank you for allowing us to come and join you at your camp today. Today I want to share with you something so important; actually, I find it to be extremely necessary at this point of your journey. Because if you want to receive the greatest blessing that awaits you in Bethlehem than you must make sure you… 

Have faith! We all have faith, but unfortunately not all of us have faith in the one for whom it should be-Christ Jesus.

I believe God has placed each of you on this journey in order for your faith in His Son to develop, grow, and strengthen, just as He did for me that day in the sanctuary.

I always thought my faith in God was strong, but the Lord revealed something to me I didn’t quite expect. An area of doubt, and it came out when I questioned His ability to give Elizabeth and me a child in our old age. Through this situation I realized two things. 1. I allowed my human flesh to take over. 2. I placed more attention on my age instead of on the power and ability of God. (Have any of you ever looked at your problem rather than God’s power and ability?)

I want to share with you a passage in the book of Hebrews that I believe will help you understand faith a little better. It is Hebrews 11:1-3 “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

Every story in God’s word is a story of faith, and each story of faith shows God’s righteousness, power and complete control. God does not want or like when we put our faith in man or in the world. Instead He wants us to put our faith in the one whom He sent-Jesus. Our faith should be based on the promises of God which are given to us from His word.  God wants us to ask all things, yet He expects us to believe He will answer. He also wants us to understand that it is His timing and His way, not ours.

When we doubt or waiver in our faith, we are saying we don’t trust God’s power or ability. That is displeasing to the Lord, and He showed me and you that when He took away my ability to speak. Honestly brethren it is not about what we think. It is about God’s purpose being fulfilled and in this case it was about God putting His plan into motion. It was not for me to question, but to accept. For me one of God’s greatest purposes that day was to strengthen my faith, your faith, and to show us His timing and reason for all things, which is to bring Him glory, thus the purpose of my son John. It would be John’s faith in God that would allow him to prepare the way for Jesus.

It is through our faith the Lord’s righteousness is revealed and that allows us to prepare the way for Jesus' return.

The blessing that awaits you in Bethlehem can only be given through faith. Look at what the later part of Hebrews 11 says about the importance of faith.  “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”  Hebrews 11:6

God will reveal to us what He wants us to know and understand. All He wants from us is a steadfast and obedient faith. The more we know the Lord and study His word the stronger our faith in Him becomes. I don’t know about you but if God is able to SPEAK this world and everything in it into existence, don’t you think He is able to accomplish and do ANYTHING? When you face moments that seem impossible just look up and look in the word and know they are possible with God, so just have faith.

Go in faith your reward awaits you.

  

The sweetest aroma!

“For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me.” Luke 1:49

DAY 10- We are ten days into our journey to Bethlehem. I hope with each new day you get more and more excited.  I hope you have enjoyed the time we have spent with Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph. We will be camping here in Judea for awhile as we prepare for the arrival of Elizabeth and Zechariah’s baby.  So let’s set up camp, turn the livestock out to graze, and send the children to play.

Mary: I will be leaving soon to return to Nazareth but before I leave Elizabeth and I have a few more stories to share with you. If you recall Elizabeth had just been filled with the Holy Spirit, upon my greeting, and from that these were the words that were spoken.

“You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed.  What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”  Luke 1:42-45

Mary: My heart was full and excitement does not even do justice for how I felt. So this is the best way I could describe just how honored I felt to be used by God.  The Sweetest aroma to the Lord is true praise and worship.

“Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Might One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him. His mighty arm does tremendous things! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. For he promised our ancestors-Abraham and his children-to be merciful to them forever.” Luke 1:46-55

Has the Lord done things for you that make your cup runeth over? If you stop and think, he does something for you every day. He showers His mercy and grace upon you; He supplies all your needs for the day. He loves you unconditionally, He promises you life everlasting. He gives you hope through His word and He provides healing for the sick. These are just a few but far more than what we deserve. Do you know what He is doing for you today? He is offering salvation!

At some point today would you lift your voice up in song and praise? Thank God for what He has done for you and those around you.  Maybe even right a song of praise, but let today be the day you lift your heart up to the Lord and offer Him the sweet aroma of worship.

I just had a wonderful friend say to me words that were so sweet and true.  “Christmas is about Jesus, it is about being adopted into His family. It is about being in need of a Savior and He is that Savior! Christmas is about Jesus and what He did. It should be a holiday not of gift giving but of Christ giving.”  Do you know someone that needs a Savior today, let that be your gift, introduce them to Jesus.

Keep up it’s about to get deep!

“At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:41

DAY 9-We are heading to Judea to meet back up with Elizabeth and Zechariah.  I hope you are prepared we are moving right along and over the next couple of days there is going to be so much wisdom, praise and excitement.  So saddle up folks we have some traveling to do. 

Today I want us to put ourselves in the place of these two couples.  Let’s envision the meeting of these two women.

Mary: Knock, Knock-Elizabeth it’s me Mary.

Elizabeth:  ohhhhh

Mary:  Elizabeth are you okay?

Elizabeth:  Laughing, Oh, yes my baby just jumped within me at the sound of your voice.

The two hug and giggle. **At that moment Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41)**

Elizabeth: (Her eyes filled with tears and her heart overflowing with Joy) - Oh Mary, “You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me!” (Luke 1:42-43)

Mary: You know? (Remember Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit-of who is giving her insight)

Elizabeth: Oh, yes and when you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (Luke 1:44-45)

Mary: (Crying, with joy and praise), Elizabeth I do believe, I do believe and God has worked all things out, for all of us!  (Mary just received confirmation that all that was said is true) They hug as they start laughing and crying!

I have to stop here because there is one major thing I do not want us to overlook-the Holy Spirit! Stay with me everyone it is about to get deep!!

In Luke 1:41 when Mary entered and greeted Elizabeth, just from the sound of her voice the child leaped and Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Spirit.

 First of all we have to recall how Jesus was conceived, by the Holy Spirit.  So you know that there alone is power, and that the Holy Spirit is present!

Second, we have to remember what the angel of the Lord said to Zechariah that day in the sanctuary about his son “And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.” (Luke 1:15)

Thirdly, I want you to notice the words Elizabeth speaks to Mary in Luke 1:42-45

“You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Her heart was filled with love, joy, humility, and kindness, she felt honored to be in the presence of the mother of the Son of God. She had nothing but fruit pour out of her mouth.  She was controlled by the Holy Spirit. This just re-confirms what Galatians 5:22-23 says “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Wow, isn’t that amazing? Power people there is power in the Holy Spirit- Don’t you love the flow, the truth, and the authority of God’s word? 

Words can not describe how great the feeling is when God open’s your eyes and your heart and reveals His word to you! I hope that you will allow Him to do that for you today.  Would you surrender to the Lord and let the Holy Spirit control you?

The impossible just came possible

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke1:37

DAY 8- We finish our day in Nazareth and tomorrow we will be heading back to Judea with Mary to visit Elizabeth. Don’t worry, with God there is no back tracking only moving forward.

Mary: Hello all of our sweet brothers and sisters. Can’t you just feel the love of the Lord upon us today?  These last few days we have shared with you what we thought to be impossible but just how possible it all came through the mighty hands of God.

Yesterday Joseph shared his story of guidance and wisdom the Lord had given him through a dream.  Today I want to finish sharing with you the rest of the news I received from Gabriel the angel of the Lord.

Gabriel had just finished telling me the baby to be born would be holy and called the Son of God. He then continued to say, “What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:36-37)

There at that moment full of so much emotion I told Gabriel "I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then he left.

You see for me it was easy, because I loved the Lord with all of my heart, and I knew that by choosing to make myself available to Him I would be used. No, I never expected to be used in such a big way, but I truly felt what my heart poured out. That I was willing to accept whatever He wanted, no matter the outcome. And later on you will hear the outcome of my son’s life.

We hope you leave here each day filled with more knowledge of God than you did the day before. Today we hope you will choose to make yourselves available to the Lord. We pray that your thoughts will be on Him, His work, majesty, and love. We want each story you hear and have heard to bring Him glory and show His indescribable love. Remember this is not about us but about our Heavenly Father.

We will meet back here at our house tomorrow and will head out for Judea.  We have spoken to Zechariah and Elizabeth and they have everything ready for our arrival. May you be completely consumed with Jesus today!

What will he think?

“Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly so as not to disgrace her publicly.” Matthew 1:18

Day 7- We are seven days in! How great this is, I hope you are enjoying being in the home of Mary and Joseph and learning so much from their story. 

Mary: It is a beautiful day today, and Joseph and I have been praying for each of you. We hope you are enjoying your stay here in Nazareth. Just as we have been blessed, we know you too will be blessed for choosing to follow the Lord.

We must begin because we have so much to discuss.

I had just found out I would become pregnant with the Child of God. And this would all happen while I was a virgin and still engaged to be married to Joseph. I wondered how Joseph would take the news. “How will he react to this? What will he do, what will he say?” I had so many thoughts running through my mind. But little did I know at the time God was already working it all out and I am glad because I love Joseph so much.

You see, in our day, for a man to marry a woman already pregnant would be shameful and humiliating.  So you can only imagine what was going through his head when he heard the news…so you think!

Joseph being a man of great integrity is sensitive to God’s guidance and is always willing to do God’s will no matter what. Therefore he did not react in the way most men would. Instead he reacted quite differently. So different it confirmed to me God’s love and plan and Joseph’s love for God and me. I could go on and on telling you how wonderful Joseph is but I am going to let him share with you his part of the story.

Joseph: I love Mary, what can I say. I mean look at her, she is covered in the beauty of Christ. Anyway, upon hearing the news I decided it would be best if I quietly broke off the engagement so I would not disgrace Mary in anyway. (Like I said I loved her-which made all of this extremely difficult.) (Matthew 1:19)

Having been mentally worn out that day from hearing of all this, I went to bed early. As I was lying down I began considering the decision I would make hoping for some guidance and direction from the Lord. And that I got. After having laid there for a while I finally fell asleep and it was in my sleep I would receive what I had hoped for; guidance, direction, and a better understanding of what was going on. It all happened through a dream when an angel of the Lord appeared to me.  “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-22) How about that for clarity? God knew exactly what He wanted, He knew exactly how it needed to be done and He knew it would open my eyes to see Mary in a whole new way.

God is just good like that. When I woke up the next morning I felt a since of peace with in me. One that reassured me it would all be okay. I also realized very quickly that once Mary became my wife I would become  the earthly father of the Son of God.  No pressure! 

So I jumped up and followed the Lord in obedience and made Mary my wife.

Yes our situation is completely different from any other, but God’s direction for all of us is the same.  When we depend upon the Lord and look to Him, He will give us clarity, understanding, guidance, and wisdom to know exactly what to do, in the big and small decisions.  We should always be seeking His over our own or anyone else’s. Solomon said it best, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

He did for me!

The Only Way!

“For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20

Day 6- We have been on our journey for six days now and I hope you are enjoying each day and each story you hear as we travel to Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph continue to welcome us into their home in Nazareth (a village in Galilee) as they share their story of God’s love.

I hope your journey has been pleasant and that you are growing and learning more about the magnitude of our God. As always, we love to share our story with all who want to hear.  We are at a very important part of our story today, a part that I hope will open your eyes, your heart, and your mind to absorb and see just how BIG our God is. So thank you again for coming, here is Mary.

Mary: If you don’t mind I would like to pray with you before we begin.

Prayer: Jesus our precious Savior, Father, and Lord, we praise You for allowing us the ability to come to You directly in prayer.  Jesus I ask that before we begin that You will reach down and open up hearts, clear any hindrances and distractions so that we can take in all of what You want to speak to us today.  We hope that on this journey we will see You and Your amazing work, love, and plan for our lives. Jesus may You the Son of God receive all the praise honor and glory. Amen

Yesterday we left hearing the news that I, a virgin, would become pregnant and carry the Son of the Most High. Today as I share with you how this amazing conception would take place, I want you to understand the significance and importance of why it was to be done this way.

This child, the baby boy I would carry would be the Son of God. He would be perfect, pure, holy, and everlasting. So in order for him to come into this world as human, He would be placed in the womb of a human woman and conceived by…..well let’s listen as Gabriel tells me.

Gabriel the angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

This baby of who was to be named Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. His conception was that of no other and is what made it so historic.  It is still so breathe taking, so surreal, so astounding. It is actually hard to really grasp, and even wrap your mind around.  But it is real, true, and actually shows just how big of a God we serve. It shows how meticulous, how planned out, and how all-knowing, all-powerful, and in control our God is. 

Thank you so much for being here with us, we hope you will come back tomorrow. We leave here today praying that you will think of what you have heard, and that you will understand just how wonderful this news and conception was for all of us. I close with this; this child who would be called the Son of God would be placed in the womb of a human conceived by the Holy Spirit, thus allowing him to enter the world in human form, but be the only perfect human to live! 

How can this be?

"You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus." Luke 1:31

Day 5-Today is such an exciting day! It is day 5 and our journey has led us to Nazareth a village in Galilee.  It is the home of Mary and Joseph, relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Today an announcement is made to Mary that will change not only her life, but our lives.

Joseph: We are so excited the Lord has allowed us another day to share our story with you. We know you will be blessed as Mary continues to share her story. She left off yesterday sharing the first part of Gabriel’s message. Today she will share’s the rest of the news, and by far my favorite part! I still marvel at the work of the Lord.

Mary: I too just like Joseph love to share this story with all who will listen. I am so excited to be apart of this remarkable journey you are on, and am so happy we get to come along with you.

Yesterday, I told you about Gabriel an angel of the Lord appearing before me telling me God had decided to bless me. Thinking I was already so blessed I learned the difference between being loved and being blessed. It is being loved by God that blesses me. And because of God’s love for me this is the blessing I received. One I must say that still to this day I am completely unworthy of.  Let me explain.

Gabriel proceeded to say, “Mary, you will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Joseph is now smiling from ear to ear and shouting “hallelujah” and clapping, Mary begins laughing, he does this every time.

At this point my mind was spinning, “Okay, whoa, whoa, let’s start at the beginning! Gabriel how can this be, how can I have a baby? I am a virgin! I am going to have a child and not just any child, the Son of God? Me an ordinary woman made of flesh?”

Guys, this is how BIG our God is, this is how LOVED we are, you see on this day it was not just me that was going to be blessed, it was all of mankind.  It is all who will receive the good news.  I want to stop and let you ponder on the news you have just heard. The news that a child would be placed within me that would carry the name of Jesus that would be called the Most High, He would reign forever, and His Kingdom would never end!  I pray as we leave each other today, you will be able to grasp the greatness of God and His power.

Come back tomorrow, it will be another very exciting day as I share with you how I would become pregnant. I promise it will blow your socks off!

Favored Indeed

“Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28

Day 4- Saddle your camels, grab the fam, we are heading out!  Today we will be saying goodbye to Zechariah and Elizabeth only for awhile, we will return for the birth of their son John. In the meantime another couple awaits us to share their remarkable story.  So let’s head out, we are leaving for Nazareth a village in Galilee. 

Zechariah:  I pray for travel mercies as you leave.  Elizabeth and I have enjoyed our time with you and will see you soon.  We send you off to Galilee to meet some relatives of ours that will bless you with their Story of God’s love.  They are expecting your arrival!

Hello brothers and sisters, we have been waiting on you and are so glad the Lord has delivered you here safely, please do come in. We hope that you have enjoyed your time with Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Just like them we too have a marvelous story of God’s greatness.

For those of you unfamiliar with who we are my name is Joseph I am a descendant of King David and a carpenter here in Nazareth.  Mary, my wife, oh where do I begin, she is an extraordinary woman of God who knows her Scripture. She still to this day makes herself available to God.  She is a joyous woman loved by all and has been blessed beyond words. She is the best homemaker and mother and I am blessed to be her husband. I could go on and on but for now we have so much to share.

It was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and God sent His angel Gabriel (the one that appeared to Zechariah in the sanctuary) here to Nazareth a village in Galilee to visit my wife Mary a virgin. Mary and I were engaged to be married when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. You know what better yet friends I will let Mary tell you, honey why don’t you take over?

Mary: Thank you! It was a day I will never forget. I was tending to my daily duties when Gabriel an angel of the Lord approached me, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28 I don’t know if I dropped the dishes, the food, my broom or what but I was completely confused and disturbed and had no idea what he meant.  Gabriel, being sent from God knew my reaction and said. “Don’t be frightened, for God has decided to bless you!” Luke 1:30 Bless me, I thought, I was already blessed, God has taken care of me and my family, I am engaged to an amazing man, we are healthy and happy, He wants to bless me?  Oh if I may say I was confused, I thought I was already blessed, more so I was loved by the Father (of which I still am) but that day I learned the true meaning of blessed!

I want to leave you here at this part of our story today, because I want you to really understand how loved and blessed you are.  You see our Father He loves us unconditionally always thinking of us.  His love is what sets blessings into motion.

His love is what covers us with blessings and makes us all favored!  You are not only favored but you are loved and blessed because you were created by Him and for Him and you received the MOST amazing gift-The blood of Christ.  Wow, would you just think about that today? Would you go and share that with someone today?  Let them know that because of our Father’s love they too are blessed!  

Speechless!

“I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!” Luke 1:19

Day 3- We are three days into our journey to Bethlehem and so far it has been great! We are still in Judea with Zechariah, Elizabeth and soon to be John.  Today our meeting with Zechariah continues as he shares more of his amazing testimony of God’s love!

Zechariah: Thank you so much for being faithful followers of Jesus and for taking this 25 day journey with family and friends. I hope by the end of your quest you will be filled with more understanding and love for Jesus. Remember I told you yesterday that the news would leave me speechless?  I was serious!

There I was standing in the sanctuary in the presence of the Angel of the Lord, when my true humanness took over. Hearing all that the Angel had said I began looking at this situation as almost impossible. I think we all at some point maybe even on many occasions have experienced moments and thoughts such as these.

I had so many questions running through my mind; how could this be, are you sure my ears do not deceive me, we are old, is it even possible? And through all these thoughts this is what came out of my mouth (heart). “How can I know this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Luke 1:18 It was just a little doubt, understandable right? NO and this is why.

The angel responded “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! And now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you won’t be able to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly come true at the proper time.” Luke 1:19-20 Now do you see why?  It was God that sent the angel to tell me the good news, the very creator, the one that has no impossibilities! Yeah not a good moment! Right then instantly because of my doubt, because I looked at the situation greater than God-BAM speechless!

Back outside as the people were waiting for me to come out and announce the blessing that would be upon them (Numbers 6:24-26) they began to wonder what was taking so long. The angel left so I gathered my composure walked outside opened my mouth and nothing. So I did the next thing I could think of, I began gesturing to the people. It was then they realized I must have seen a vision. Oh, and did I, but it was not only the vision it was also the news I received! (Luke 1:21-22)

So as Jewish priest’s do we stay at the Temple until our week of duty is through and then we return home, and I did just that, speechless and all.

My week was over and I returned home to Elizabeth. I walked in the door and to her surprise I could not speak! Soon after my return and things settled Elizabeth did indeed become pregnant just as the angel of the Lord had said.

I remember my wife saying, “How kind the Lord is! He has taken away my disgrace of having no children!” Luke 1:25.In our day and time to be childless was seen as a curse, so to know the favor He had upon us was great.

You see we should never doubt God’s promises. They are true, real, everlasting, and they come from the Creator Himself.  We should instead live in complete assurance of His promises.  Are you struggling with doubt?  Are you looking at your situation as bigger than God? Are you listening to your thoughts instead of clinging to the promises of God?  That is what I did, and I became speechless. We should find great joy in what He promises us, because He is the ONLY one that keeps them. 

What does He promise? One of the greatest is what He spoke through my friend Jeremiah when He said “For I know the plans I have for you, “says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look at me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you.” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:11) He also promises us the greatest gift of all-Life through His son Jesus.  You have no life until you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. These are just a few-the word of God is full of promises.

Let’s go now together and share the promises of God with all who will hear!