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! 

He will have such qualities as these….

Day 2- I am so glad you all came back to embark on our 25 day journey to Bethlehem.

We continue our journey in Judea, as Zechariah continues his wonderful story of how the Lord blessed him and his family.

Zechariah: I am so glad you are here! Yesterday I spoke of a day that went from ordinary to extraordinary. It was a day that I was offering incense to the Lord in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared before me. In shock and complete fear of the presence of the angel I listened as he told me the message the Lord had sent, and it was that my wife Elizabeth would bear me a son.

Today I am so excited to tell you about my son, his amazing qualities and characteristics all given to him from the Lord and that my son would be the very one who would precede the coming of Christ.

….So as I stood there in the sanctuary in the presence of an angel I listened as he began describing all the characteristics my son would obtain.

-I hope you will be able to vision this next moment as we hear the qualities of this child, I know for you and I it is qualities we hope our own children will possess.

The angel spoke “Zechariah the son that you will have is to be named John. He will bring you and others great joy (and that he did) and he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. (And that he was) Not only that but John will be filled with the Holy Spirit before his birth, and he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord. He will be a man just like Elijah with spirit and power. He will change hearts and disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom. Most of all he will prepare people for the arrival of the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17)

All I could think was WOW! My wife and I are old in age and now we will bear a son and he will do great and mighty things for our Lord. This is just half of the qualities and characteristics our son John would possess. The rest will come later on. It is a lot to take in; so much it left me questioning his sincerity.

Now as I look back, it was a true honor that God wanted to bless me and Elizabeth. But it was a greater honor that He found favor in us to give us a son in our old age and that our son would lead the way for the Lord.

I again must stop here for now, as I must go and do the work the Lord has called for me to do today.  I can’t wait to meet with you again so I can share the moment of speechlessness the good news left me in.

We do not have to be an Elizabeth or a Zechariah or have a child like John. But we should desire to acquire the same qualities, loving and serving God wholeheartedly. God wants us to be exactly who He made us to be, and he wants our children to be exactly who He made them to be. Unique children of God, created in His image, covered in His blood, and faithful followers of Him. God can and will use us to share the word of God with the world. We all have a purpose, we all have a message to share, and we all are here to glorify the Lord.

No ordinary day!

“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John.” Luke 1:13

Saddle your camels, gather the livestock, and grab the family as we head out on our 25 day journey to Bethlehem.

Let’s get going we have a lot of roads to travel and only 25 days to get there. We don’t want to miss one day of what the Lord has in store for us. I promise our journey and the place of destination will change lives.

Day 1-Our journey begins on the road to Judea. Here we will meet a couple that had a love for the Lord, who were faithful followers and who carefully obeyed the commandments and regulations of the Lord. They were old in age and had no children. Though they desired to raise a family they could not because the woman was barren.

It began as an ordinary day for us. I, Zechariah am a Jewish priest and was on duty for the week serving God in the Temple. My wife Elizabeth was at home fulfilling her duties. I loved my job and never took my calling lightly. But little did I know that this ordinary day would be a day that would change my family’s life forever, and literally leave me speechless.

To God it was NO ordinary day, it was a day He would set His plan of love into motion, and He would begin it in the lives of my wife and me. (Can’t you just hear John as his daddy tells this story; you know that he loves hearing it)

As a part of my duty at the Temple I was to enter the sanctuary and burn incense in the Lord’s presence, so as usual I did what was asked of me and entered the sanctuary and began burning the incense. As I was standing there, an angel of the Lord appeared before me. It was bright and beautiful and left me in fear and shock feeling as though I was seeing things. Standing there with my mouth wide open the angel said, “Zechariah don’t be afraid the Lord has heard you and Elizabeth’s prayers and today your wife will become pregnant and bear you a son, and you are to name him John.” You can only imagine the look on my face. I mean I was a little older at the time so to hear that my wife and I would become parents was a little overwhelming.

Anyway, I know I have just begun, but I really need to stop here for now because I have some work to get done before dark but please come back tomorrow I can’t wait to tell you about my son.

Today might be another ordinary day to you, but to God it is an extraordinary day. One He wants to use you for to share and show His love to anyone who needs it and to show them of His great and mighty power.

I really hope you will come back as we continue our journey to Bethlehem. We will meet wonderful people along the way that will bless us tremendously. Not only that but as we travel this journey together I hope each of us will be able see the distinct detail, plan, and love of God. 

Spread the word…

I hope this week has been one of many victories for you and that you have been able to conquer some strongholds, fears and have overcome any doubts you might have had in the Lord. If you feel led to share I would love to hear of your victories, whether they happened this week or years prior. It is always wonderful to hear of God’s amazing work in the lives of others.

Okay I am so excited about this upcoming month for Godly Gossip. Starting tomorrow we will be blessed by some special guests so I hope you will check out the blog to read the stories of these amazing people.

And don’t forget to spread the word!

Prayer: Lord I cannot praise You or thank You enough for Your word. I pray it will continue to spread from person to person. Thank You for allowing me the opportunity to share my love for You with others. May You receive the utmost honor and glory forever and ever. Be with all those who read the words spoken by our guests this next month. May there be lives changed, hearts softened, and souls saved. Amen

The Promise Land awaits You.

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

For the last three years the Lord has blessed Garrett and I with the opportunity to teach the college Sunday school class at out church. And I have fallen in love with theses precious babies. I love them, I love them! 

They each have impacted my life in more ways than they will ever know. They teach me something new every Sunday.

I love their zest and willingness to grow and become more Christ-like every day. Their perspective on God’s word opens my eyes to just how incredible the Lord is. He teaches and speaks to each of us so differently and I love that. I am thankful that He does it that way.

He shows us this very thing in our study of Scripture this week. Out of the twelve men who went to scout, only two were willing to speak up and share their perspective, heart, and thoughts. I giggle at this thought because my college babies started out the same way, not talking! But now…now laughter and nonstop conversation fills every square inch of our room. I LOVE IT!

They are willing to express their thoughts, their opinions, their hearts, their questions and concerns freely without fear. They debate, they listen, and they teach.

They are beginning to do the very things Caleb and Joshua did. They are growing more confident in Christ and their willingness to speak up for Christ. Which is my prayer and one of my deepest desires for them. I believe that is God’s desire for us, to share the name of Jesus with everyone no matter who agrees, listens or believes. That is what makes this story of the Israelites so superb. It shows us the benefits and reward of speaking up and believing, through the faith of Caleb and Joshua. Because they believed in the power of God and remembered all that God had done for them thus far, they would be the only two that would enter the land God swore to them. (Numbers 14:29-30) The rest of that generation would die in the wilderness.

With that, this brings up my last point. Not only did the Israelites pay for their lack of faith and complaining by having to wonder the wilderness but so did their children.

“But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.” Number 14: 32-33

As I look at my college babies even my own babies I pray they will become men and women who are so faithful! I pray they will grow in boldness, wisdom and knowledge of Christ, His power and deliverance. I hope they find the promise land soon and do not have to wonder in the wilderness because of the faithlessness and complaining of their family.

I hope they know that is what makes Jesus so special. It is through a relationship with Him that they are able to receive the inheritance. They can make the decision for themselves and so can you.

Turn to Christ today and let Him lead you to the promise land.

Prayer: Lord bless every college student on every campus all across the world. Lord begin a radical change within them, filling them with more faith than ever before. Lord I pray for those who have grown up or are living in a home where You have and are absent. Lord do what You do and reveal Yourself to them, changing their life and the life of their entire family. Lord may they walk in the confidence of You and may they believe no matter how impossible it seems, You are able to conquer it. Amen

A New Perspective

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

As many of you know my husband is a football coach along with his younger brother Ryan who coaches for Longview, and his older brother Chris who coaches for the Oakland Raiders.

Well having married into a football family you learn a lot, sometimes very quickly and sometimes not so quickly. For me it has taken a good six years of learning, of adjusting, of understanding and of even appreciating what these three men do.

For a long time especially on my bad days I would find coaching to be a pretty selfish job, and I feel as though I have the right to say that being I was a coach for six years. And the time I spent coaching left little room for anything or anyone. This was the very reason I got out of coaching when I met Garrett.

I knew if we were going to begin a family and put into that family what we both wanted, we could not do it if we were both coaching. And well I really was not that crazy about coaching, but that is a whole other story.

Anyway, I do have a point to all of this! Sometimes our perspective on things needs to be changed. For instance, I have often wondered why Garrett puts in so many hours that he does (I mean we all know these guys don’t get paid overtime). I have even wondered and have asked on occasions if those kids he is coaching even realize and appreciate how much he puts into them. I wonder if it ever crosses their minds that he is a daddy who has two boys of his own at home. I even wonder if those fans yelling the things they do ever stop to think about the time he puts into his job.

Let’s just say for a long time I had a negative perspective and I admit I still do at times but…

The more God changes me the more and more I begin to understand. Today I understand that Garrett chooses to do what he does and I can either accept that or not.  I can sit and think about all the hours he is away from home and let it make me angry-which it has and does at times. Or I can look at it from a positive stand point just as Caleb did that day he returned from scouting the land of Canaan for 40 days.

“The land we explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is please with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey, and he will give it to us! Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” Numbers 14:7-9

I have had to be willing to allow God to minister to me and to change me. I have also had to learn a lot of things the hard way because of my negative perspective on my husband’s job. It has not been easy, there are days that are a lot harder than others, but for the most part I am beginning to look at his job from a new perspective. One that is positive, God pleasing, and was ordained by God Himself.

I have only been able to do this because of my faith in Christ and because of His call on Garrett’s life to lead young men and coaches to a deeper relationship with Christ. When I fix my thoughts on Garrett’s goal as a coach which is to be the hands and feet of Christ, a daddy to the daddy-less, and a Christ-like leader, my perspective of his job changes tremendously this in return allows me to conquer the negative perspective and turn it into a God-like perspective.

I don’t know what life is like for you right now but I do know if your perspective on it is that of the ten complainers, maybe you too need a perspective change, one that will place you in agreement with Caleb-believing in God and His power to conquer anything and everything.

Prayer: Lord help me to keep my perspective on that which is positive, pure, holy, and true. Amen

Victory in Jesus

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

Do you have some things in your life that need to be conquered?

Addiction	Self	Illness
Anger	Jealousy	Bitterness
Obesity	Laziness	Negativity
Debt	Fear	Doubt
Pride	Workaholic	Sexual Immorality
Obsession with money	Broken Marriage	Satan’s Stronghold

                     

Whatever it is-YOU AND I CAN CERTAINLY CONQUER IT!

How? Through Jesus, His grace,  the work of the Holy Spirit, meditation on His word, a positive outlook, perseverance, willingness, and endurance to go the distance.

In other words Brethren our victory is in Jesus, from Jesus and for Jesus.

So are you willing to conquer it for the sake of Christ Jesus?

He sure was willing to conquer death for you and me!

Prayer: Jesus thank You for going the distance so I might have life everlasting. It is because of Your willingness, love, mercy and grace that I am able to overcome sin. It is through Your shed blood that has set me free from the bondage. Praise You Jesus-thank You I am forever grateful. Help me to keep persevering and fighting the fight, always keeping my eyes on You and the victory that awaits me. Amen

Praying beyond Victory

"We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

Well Brethren today the battle begins and as Avery, Dax, and I suit up in our warmest armor (and I mean our warmest 30 degree weather armor) and head out to help lift the arms of daddy I must say I am a little nervous. Though we have been suiting up for battles every Friday this particular game seems different.

Of course different in the fact that if we lose we are done, but different in the fact that I want something so astounding to come from this battle just as it did for the Israelites when they defeated the Amalekites and then again when the walls of Jericho came crashing down.

And I am not talking about the victory. Yes the victory was AMAZING and is amazing, but beyond victory, beyond winning came something even greater for them and I hope for us. It was what they learned, what they experienced, and how they saw God in the midst of the battle that was the greatest. And that is the different I want for this battle. I want it to go way past a win, even a loss and straight to the heart.

I pray this battle tonight whether through a conversation, an action, or just God being His amazing self and showing up through something as ordinary as a cheer, a toss of the football, or the crisp fall breeze will leave a lasting impression on the life of someone in such a way they will come to know Jesus our Precious Lord and Savior in a more personal and intimate way.

So if it be one fan, one player, one coach, or everyone in attendance, I pray for something so different, so astonishing to come over them that they leave changed, changed for the better, changed victoriously, changed new, and changed beyond the win or loss of a football game. Changed for Jesus Christ!

Really in all honesty I pray it makes such an impact that the eyes of every person in attendance will look to Christ.

Prayer: Jesus do something remarkable tonight in the life of one of the thousands of people who too have suited up for the battle. Jesus maybe You will go even beyond remarkable and come riding down on the clouds to take us to be with You for eternity. O’ Jesus would You do something tonight that only You can. Something that will place the eyes of all people on You. Whatever You do Lord, I know it is going to be wonderful and whether I get to be a part of it or not, I believe a life will be changed for Your glory and for that Lord I praise You. It is not about the 99 it is about the one that is lost, broken, and wandering searching for the one thing that can only be found in You. Amen

The Sincere heart

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

There is no greater expression of love and thankfulness than the one that comes from a sincere heart. So as you gather around the table with family and friends reflect upon the scars of our Savior and let that bring your heart to a place of humbleness, thankfulness and praise.

Remember how gracious, loving, and merciful the Lord has been. Let the words of David resonate in your heart as you reflect upon God’s goodness. May these words bring healing to the hearts of those who gather with one less loved one. May these words bring hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, comfort to the broken, strength to the weak and weary and pure joy to all of us as we reflect on the faithfulness of the one and only Jesus.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
            His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
            His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
            His love endures forever.

 ⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
            His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
            His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
            His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—
            His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
            His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
            His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them
            His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea^[a] asunder
            His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it,
            His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,
            His love endures forever.
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings—
            His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites
            His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan—
            His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
            His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel.
            His love endures forever.

 ²³ He remembered us in our low estate
            His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies.
            His love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature.
            His love endures forever.

 ²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
            His love endures forever.

Prayer: Lord as we gather around the table, may we feast not on the food before us, but on Your every word. May we celebrate our freedom, our salvation, and You. Thank You Jesus for Your mercy, grace, and precious blood that covers us daily. Amen

The Scouting Report

"We can certainly conqueror it.” Numbers 13:30

Yesterday I mentioned to you that the team we are facing up against is going to be a very tough team. One of the tougher teams we have faced all year, which makes me nervous, especially since I have the awesome opportunity of holding my husband’s arms up and watching from the top of the hill (the stands) the battle as it is played. Even though I have faith in my husband and the kids, I still precede to ask my husband EVERY single day, “So sugar, what do you think? Are your kiddos ready? Are you ready? Are we going to be able to stop them?”  And he always says the same thing. “Yes we are ready, I will be ready, they are good, but we are better.”

Let’s just say his scouting report is like Caleb and my scouting report, well…it tends to be like the other ten.

After 40 days of scouting the land of Canaan the 12 men return with their scouting report.

“We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country-a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof. But the people living there are powerful, and their cities and towns are fortified and very large. We also saw the descendants of Anak who are living there! The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley. But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses, ‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’ But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, ‘We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are! So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites: ‘The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that’s what we looked like to them!” Numbers 13:27-33

Sometimes we have a tendency to let our fears, lack of faith, and our negative attitude spill out onto others when it comes to our problems, trials, and or upcoming battles. And though we might be just stating the facts of what we see, hear, or are up against, we are still to have the attitude of Caleb. “We can certainly conqueror it!” That would be the attitude of Garrett-he sees what his kids are going to be up against, and he believes in them, in God, and in the game plan he and the other coaches have come up with.

Garrett is not only that way in football, but he is that way about everything in life. When our boys are sick, when I am sick, when he is sick, if we are facing a difficult situation, in an argument, or facing a big decision for our family-Garrett’s mentality-“We can certainly conqueror it!”

Me on the other admitting to you right now-am often like the ten men who allowed their fear, lack of faith, and just negative mind spill out. I have to admit to you and am only able to do so because I want the Lord to receive all the glory, have been that way for so long –negative, fearful, and have lacked true faith that my God is all-powerful and capable of doing anything. Let’s just say my mentality has not been that of Caleb or Garrett’s –We can certainly conqueror it.

The Lord in His greatness has been opening my eyes to this area for some time now and has really shown me that this has been displeasing to Him. He has also been pulling this root up which HURTS, is embarrassing, shameful, but extremely humbling and freeing.

My part in all of this is letting go of the fear and negativity and just obeying and believing, which I have been failing at miserably lately.

The Holy Spirit has been going back where the roots have been pulled and has been placing thankfulness, positivity, and the mindset that everything about Jesus is positive and no matter what “We certainly can conqueror it!”

Prayer: Father You are ever so faithful to reveal areas in our lives that are displeasing to You and I am so thankful that You love me enough to continue to work in my life making me become Christ-like than the day before. Lord as painful as it is, as much pride as I have had to swallow, as mad as I get I ask that You continue to search me and know my heart, test me and know my thoughts I ask that You point out anything in me that is displeasing to You and that You will lead me along the path of everlasting life. Lord because of You I am certainly able to conqueror this. Amen