The Birth of the Son of God

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph... The angel said ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son…’ 

Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’  

And the angel answered ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and…the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God..’    Luke 1:26-35

The Book of Luke gives us the best and most unique perspective of Jesus' story. Luke was a Gentile, a physician and the first historian of the early church. 

As a medical doctor, Luke knew the importance of being thorough. He used his skills in observation and analysis in thoroughly investigating the stories of Jesus. His diagnosis? The gospel of Jesus Christ is True! 

You can read Luke's account of Jesus' life with confidence that it was written y a clear thinker and a thoughtful researcher. Because the gospel is founded on historical truth, our spiritual growth must involve careful, disciplined and thorough investigation of God's Word so that we can understand how God has acted in history, if this kind of study is not part of your life, then find a pastor, teacher, preacher, or even a book to help you get started and to guide you in this important part of Christian growth.

Every birth is a miracle, and every child is a gift from God. But nearly 20 centuries ago, the miracle of miracles occurred. A baby was born, but he was the Son of God. 

The Gospels tell of this birth, but Dr. Luke, as though he were the attending physician, provides most of the details surrounding this awesome occasion. With a divine Father and a human mother, Jesus entered history -- God in the flesh.

Mary was young, poor, female -- all characteristics that to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God's service. Don't limit God's choices. He can use you if you trust him.

God's favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain, her peers would ridicule her; her fiancé would come close to leaving her, her sone would be rejected and murdered. But through her son would come the world's only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations as the young girl who "found favor with God." Her submission was part of God's plan to bring about our salvation. If sorrow weighs you down and dims your hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working out His plan.

So why is the Virgin Birth so important?

Jesus was born without the sin that entered the world through Adam. He was born holy, just as Adam was created sinless. In contrast to Adam, who disobeyed God, Jesus obeyed God and was tis able to face sin's consequences in our place and make us acceptable to God (Romans 5: 14-19) Jesus Christ, God's Son, had to be free fro the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. Because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being; but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Because Jesus lived as a man, human beings know that he fully understands their experiences and struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16) Because he is God, he has the power and authority to deliver people from sin (Colossians 2:13-15). People can tell Jesus all their thoughts, feelings, and needs. He has been where they are, and he as the ability to help.

Blessings to all and have a Merry Christmas!

Worship - Why and How?

First, do we all know what the definition of "Worship" is?

According to Merriam-Webster:

: the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god : the act of worshipping God or a god

: excessive admiration for someone

In the context of this blog post, we are going to be talking about Worship as it relates to God. So, I ask again, Is there a Right Way to Worship God?

Or maybe I should define the question further, is there only one right way to worship God?

Where did worship come from? If you look in the bible it starts with men finding a place to build an altar and offer either burnt or fellowship offerings.

Deuteronomy 27:5-7 "Build there an altar to tool upon them. Build the altar of the Lord your God with your God. Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord your God."

The first mention of the word "worship" in the bible appears in Exodus 39:2-7 "They made the ephod of gold, and of blade, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. They hammered out thin sheets of gold and into strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen - the work of a skilled craftsman. They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two if its corners, so it could be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband was like it - of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses. They mounted  the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. Then they fashioned them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses."

The reason for the fancy clothing were intended to show dignity and honor. The elaborate designs served to elevate the priests to a position of stature in the eyes of the people. The garments may also have helped the people esteem the worship of God and an awesome and mysterious privilege.

So, as far as I can tell so far, worshiping consisted of altars and elaborate and fancy clothing of the priests to show the people how much a privilege it was to worship God.

With me so far? I hope so, we haven't even begun yet.

In Deuteronomy, the Bible showed that God commanded an altar be built of plain stone without using tools. It was their simple beauty that became the frame for the awesomeness of our God.

Sacrifice. Fellowship. Rejoicing. All characteristics that are core to who God's people are and how it teaches us that "worship" is vital.

In Women Opening the Word Living Stones Casandra Martin defines worship this way, "Worship begins with God. The first steps into worship begin with awareness. ... Worship begins by opening our eyes and hearts to the truth that we are entering the presence of God. He created the pathway to worship. He opened its door, covering the way with the blood of His Son and inviting us to draw near to Him. In worship, we meet God." To Casandra, "That is the most defining, amazing thing about worship. It is the place where we come to heart-to-heart with our Savior."

What do you think? Does worship begin with God and offer us an opportunity to have a one-on-one with our Lord?

Do you think that is the right way to worship?

Being aware of God's presence, to me, means that I'm close to God. That we are communing together in an intimate way. That it's a personal association I have with God that I have with no other.

By being personal, I think that it brings in a uniqueness to my worship. My worship is unique.
Your worship is unique. Someone else may worship entirely differently. We are all unique and in being so have unique relationships with our Lord and God.

So,  must be be joined together in some type of union to worship God? Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Does God only listen to our worshiping when we are with others? I don't think so, I think whether we worship on our own or with others, God promises to hear and answer our prayers in line with His will.

However, according to Jesus, in 1 John 5:14-15 we can find a special sense of His presence and power during times of united prayer. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know what we have what we asked of Him."

So, what happens when we truly worship?

Should we expect to be changed?

How so?

By surrendering. Casandra Martin says, "Every time we come into worship, we should expect to walk out different from how we arrived. Within that expectation is a challenge. Are we willing to be changed? Surrender is the deep call of worship."

God wants to work in our lives. He uses our worship time to do so. God is always on the look out for ways to transform us. Transforming us so that we are more like Jesus.

And, guess what? The more we look and act like Jesus, the richer our worship experience becomes.

When we worship, our eyes are opened to who God is and who we are. With God's help, we are becoming more like Jesus. God thinks that's the greatest gift we could ever give Him.

What do you think?

By worshiping, truly worshiping, we can strip away all the masks we use on a daily basis that hide us from each other and from God and we can delight in God's grace. With God's grace on us, we have the power to transform into the likeness of Jesus.

By surrendering to God, we give up the ordinary path we've traversed, with so much difficulty, and take on God's sense of direction and pace. We now follow God's lead. We are His.

Wouldn't you much rather go on a journey where you know God is leading, than anyone or anything else?

So, I'll ask you this question: Why do you come to worship?

Have you surrendered yourself to the power of worship?

Reference: Women Opening the Word - Living Stones by Casandra Martin

Image credit: gelpi / 123RF Stock Photo

Whatever your Gift, Give it to God

If you look deep enough, we all have a gift. Some of us can carry a tune an sing like and angel. Others can draw, paint, and create masterpieces. You may have a crafty side. Someone else may be able to sew, while another bakes. All awesome gifts.

Someone can lead. Another can be good with numbers and be a financial wizard. One of you can teach while another can create outstanding programs with computer language.

If you look hard enough, some of us have more than one gift.

And, where did these gifts come from?

Why, God, of course. He is the true giver of all gifts. And I thank God so very much for my gift to write.

Do any of you know the truest and greatest gift anyone can offer God?

I'll give you a few seconds.

tick. tick. tick. tick.

Give up?

Okay, you in the back, bouncing up and down like a kangaroo. I bet you know the answer, right?

Love.

Well, you're pretty darn close, thank you playing, you can pick up your consolation prize when you leave.

The truest and greatest gift anyone can offer God is WORSHIP.

"Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made from pure Nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus' feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume fill the whole house." John 12:3

Mary's actions sprang from her heart, and the above scripture is a message of God's greatest desire and a woman's greatest gift to him all in one.

Joyous and sacrificial worship comes in many forms. Whatever your gift, give it to God, and let the fragrance of worship refresh him and strengthen your heart.

Image credit: vadmary / 123RF Stock Photo

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My gift to you!

Merry Christmas!

--

Vicki