December 14, 2008

Luke 1: 39-80

Praise God!

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Do You Hear What I Hear?



Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,

"Do you hear what I hear?

Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,

Do you hear what I hear?

A song, a song high above the trees

With a voice as big as the the sea,

With a voice as big as the the sea."

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LUKE 

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived.  She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.  At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclamied to 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!  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."

Mary responded, 

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 had 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." 

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

Now it was time for Elizabeth's baby to be born, and it was a boy.  The word spread quickly to her neighbors and relatives that the Lord had been very kind to her and everyone rejoiced with her.

When the baby was eight days old, all the relatives and friends came for the circumcision ceremony.  They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.  But Elizabeth said, "No!  His name is John!"

"What ?" they exclamined.  "There is no one in all our family by that name."  So they asked the baby's father, communicating to him by making gestures.  He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is John!"  Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

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."

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them.  He has sent us a might 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.

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."

John grew up and became strong in spirit.  Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.     

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Thoughts...

Praise God! 

Did you hear him?  Did you listen?  Do you believe that the Lord will do what he says?  If you do, you are you blessed!  Has he done great things for you?  Have you felt his mercy?  Have you been exalted?  Has he satisfied your hunger with good things?  Has he helped you?  He has done tremendous things!

Praise God!

Has he visited you?  You have been redeemed...from your enemies and from all who hate you.  He will be with you forever....if you continue to let him.  You can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness, if you will.  He wants you to.  Do.

Praise God!

Prepare the way for the Lord.  Tell all how to find salvation through forgiveness of sins.  Receive God's tender mercy and allow the light from heaven to break upon you.   Let it give light to you who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide you to the path of peace.

Praise God.....Praise God!                

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Let Us Pray

Praise the Lord I tell myself, let all the earth praise the Lord!  Dear heavenly Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, thank you.  Thank you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart and pulling out all the undesireable things you find there.  And for letting your love and light shine there once again.  I am so grateful.  Help me now, in my gratitude, to tell all I meet about who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are.  Let me show them the way of the cross...to forgiveness, salvation, and beyond...into your loving arms at the end of our days of life...into eternal life with you.  Your mercy goes on forever.  I do so love you, and, I am grateful for Mary answering your call in being willing to receive all that you had to give her...my Lord and Savior...as she trusted and believed...and honored you, God.  I am grateful for Zechariah and Elizabeth continuing to trust and believe in you, God.  I am grateful for John...their son, the baptizer...for having answered your call and preparing the way for the Lord....our Lord....my Lord.  I am grateful to Luke and others like him who were willing to write a history so profound so as to change the world.  So that many can know....all can know....if they choose...about your saving grace.  Your love.  Your life.  So they can have, as I do now, your salvation.  You in me...a blessed oneness.  A gentle boldness like never before....in and with you.  Real love.  Real living...even after death here on earth.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Praise the Lord!    Amen. 

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"Do you hear what I hear?

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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