When you know Jesus is at work

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Sunday December 19

On our way to church Avery says, " I have asked Jesus to live in my heart."

Mommy: What does that mean Avery?

Avery: It means now I need to go get baptized and go to heaven.

Mommy and daddy....

When you know they get it

 "People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

December 20, 2011

Avery sitting at the bar eating says, " I just heard God talk to me."

Daddy replies, "What did He say?"

Avery: He said Avery. And I said yes God I am listening."

Daddy: what else did He say?

Avery that's all! 

T'was 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!!

T’was 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 the very one that SAVES!

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!

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.

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 become very hard for her to walk such long distance.  Finally arriving into Bethlehem we went right away to register.  We got everything taken care of and headed over to the Village Inn to try and get a room.

At this point Mary had 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 that we just had some where 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, Mercy, Forgiveness…

“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 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

Lord it is truly the celebration of Your Son’s death. It is what He took on for all of us, it was our sins he carried. It is the very purpose He came to earth in human flesh. How amazing is Your grace!   

Oh, my sweet friends that you would truly grasp the importance of His death that made His birth so incredible, the selfless love of our Father to send His Son to deliver us.

I pray you will see the nature of our Father and His divine plan for each of us.  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 will meet you here early tomorrow morning we must get to Bethlehem in time to register. 

All for YOU

“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. 

Today I must share with you the message from our friend Isaiah. The importance of his words, of the event he describes is what makes the arrival of our Son so significant. Let’s put it this way the significance of His birth is the importance 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 gift of life. 

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.

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 importance 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 they 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 upon Himself, our sin 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.

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.

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 stopped to let all of this sink in? The timing of this is amazing.  Apparently Mary was getting close to delivering and God knew exactly where He wanted His Son to be born. I mean what impeccable timing for Augustus to send out a decree. God’s amazing timing!

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 brother though hard to understand at times, is always perfect and fitting in the end.

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 according to His will. Why would we choose to live according to our will and not His?

In the end when our eyes are opened, we will see how perfect His plan for us was and is.

Have you experienced God’s perfect timing and plan in your life?

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!

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 these 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. 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 God 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 enjoy each day that we get to spend as a family hearing and learning about Jesus?  I hope you have been blessed and filled with more of God’s love on this journey.  Today we get to continue hearing the praises of Zechariah.

Isn’t God so good?  My wife and I cannot tell you enough how wonderful it is having all of you here with us. Didn’t you enjoy yesterday hearing how wonderful God is? Well today I want to continue sharing with you the praises of our God and of 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, and you did, even before you were born. It is the call to help prepare others for the return of Christ. It is a call to share the Good 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 friends, 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 before anything. Do you ever just go into your conversation with God asking for yourself before you praise Him for who He is?  Man I have so many times and through all of this I have learned that He should be praised, honored, and adored before a single word is spoken for me or anyone else.  

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.

Yesterday I shared with you 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 that above all things, God deserves our praises first, before any other word is spoken.

Have you praised God today, have you lifted your voice to Him with praise and worship?  If you have not done that today would you 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 even more to come.  

We have enjoyed being with you over these last 15 days.  We hope you have been as blessed as we have. We look forward to 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 learning more about our incredible Heavenly Father. As we continue to travel, I hope you are seeing the importance of each story. It is these stories that lead up to our destination in Bethlehem.

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

The moment everyone heard words come out of my mouth, 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 the power and control of our Mighty God.  “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

It is 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 this was the beginning of just how special our son would be, and how influential he was going to be on the world. God’s purpose and reason for giving us John was so he could 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 the return of Jesus. What a special privilege!  Make each day a special day, a day devoted to preparing for His return.  Most of all remember the words of our friend Isaiah and rest assured that when the Spirit speaks through you, 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. Here is 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, and 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 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 can’t 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 trust fully in the Lord, His power, Word, 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.

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!  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 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 our hearts were both completely full. I have to say that Elizabeth and I thought we knew what love was, but this type of love, a parent’s love, it cannot be described.

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 favor in Elizabeth and I and we were there first hand to see His promises being fulfilled. 

I can truly say that day was a great day. We all have been blessed! There are two days approaching that will be the greatest days for you and I. Days that will bring absolute fulfillment. We can’t wait!

I pray today will be a day you receive Jesus. I pray today will be a day that if you have already received Jesus that your heart will be filled with love and thankfulness. I pray your eyes will be open to see that Christ gave us the ultimate gift, and it is that gift that promises life.  If you are searching for hope, if you are seeking 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.”

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.

Thank you for allowing us to come and join you at your camp today. I want to share with you something so important, that I find it to be extremely necessary at this point of your journey. 

It is something we all have, but just think of in many different ways. What is it? Faith! I believe that it is your faith in Christ that you are on this journey today. Only the Lord knows the strength of your faith, as He did mine that day in the sanctuary.

Up to that day I was sure of my faith, it was God who saw my faith in Him, that He chose for me to be a Jewish priest; it was by faith that the Lord found approval and blessed me with my son John. But there was that one moment when I heard that my wife and I would bear a child in our old age that revealed a truth about my faith. I doubted! I doubted and struggled with believing that it could even be possible. It revealed that I allowed my human flesh and the situation to seem greater than the Lord, of whom I have faith in.

I want to share with you a very famous 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.”

In every story you hear, they are stories of faith, they show God’s righteousness, power and complete control. Our faith should be not that of man or the world, but of God, the one who sent His Son, and whose Son will one day return. Our faith should come from the promises God gives us from His Word.  God wants us to ask all things and in asking He expects us to believe He will answer. He also wants us to understand that it is His timing and His way.

I believe, like in my situation, when I doubted, it was because I couldn’t see how we could have a child in our old age. He showed me just how unhappy it makes Him when we doubt His authority, and power. It was not about what I thought; it was about Him putting His plan into motion. All I needed to do was have faith in the Lord and believe He could do big things. I did not need to question, I just needed to accept. Now I see that His timing in all of this was for the purpose of His Son. His timing was so John could prepare the way for Jesus. It is through our faith that the Lord shows His righteousness.

We need to understand just how important faith is. Further down in chapter 11 verse 6 the writers go on to say” 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.”  Our job is to have faith in Him who created us.

God will reveal to us what He wants us to know and understand. He wants our faith to be BIG and in Him no matter what.  When you face moments that seem impossible remember they are possible with God and all He requires is faith.

I hope your faith is strengthened in knowing God is in control of all things, and He understands everything. Every situation, every obstacle, every tear, every smile, every laugh, every sickness, every diagnosis, every battle, every struggle, every addiction, every decision, every thought, every prayer, everything!

So trust in Him, believe in His promises, and cling to His Word.

  

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 you anticipate and look forward to each new day.  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 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.

Leaped and Filled

“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 will be lots of knowledge and wisdom poured out. Along with that will be lots of 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 couples.  Let’s envision the meeting of these two women.

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

Elizabeth:  OH MY!

Mary:  Elizabeth are you okay?

Elizabeth:  Laughing. 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: (Nodding her head up and down.) 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 everything she was told, was true) They hug while laughing and crying all at the same time. (Yes brothers it is possible to do both)

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 your about to be covered in some knowledge.

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 the Holy Spirit is present and full of power.

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)

Third, 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 brethren, there is power in the Holy Spirit- Don’t you love the flow, the truth, and the authority of God’s Word? 

Words cannot describe how great it 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.

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 how possible it is with 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 born to me would be holy and would be called the Son of God. He then continues 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 and He would be glorified. No, I never expected to be used in such a big way, but I truly felt what my heart poured out.  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.

It is our hope and prayer that each day you leave, you take more knowledge of God with you and that you will choose to make yourselves available to the Lord. We hope your thoughts are on Him and His work, majesty, and love. We want each story you hear and have heard to bring Him glory and show His indescribable love. We also want you to know that no matter how impossible you find a situation, it is not impossible to the Lord. He can do ALL things. He can turn bad to good, sorrow to joy, hurt and sickness to healing and hope, anger and hate to love and peace. He can make brokenness whole and He can provide protection and comfort in the time of deepest despair and fear. All we have to do is choose Jesus, look to Him and 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!