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Room in your heart?
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:1-7 The census of Quirinius was in 6/7AD (Josephus), but Jesus was born in the days of Herod (Luke 1:5), who died in 4BC. Proof, say critics, that Luke made this up. Apparently it depends on how a word is translated: ‘protos’, first or before. N.T. Wright addresses this issue here, and concludes: “I suggest,…
HE>i
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:76-80 Here we see the difference between a prophet and a Messiah. A prophet points the way, the Messiah makes the way. John the Baptist was a prophet, showing people how to be saved, how to be forgiven. Jesus is the Messiah, saving the people, accomplishing their forgiveness. John knew this; when his followers…
Badness defeated, goodness distributed!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 68 When he went up to his place on high, he led a line of prisoners. He received gifts from people, even from those who refused to obey him. The Lord God went up to live on Mount Zion. (Psalm 68:18) This is a victory song sung by people desperate for victory over their enemies….
Living, suffering and dying WITH God!
SCRIPTURE: Job 1-3 “I was born naked. And I’ll leave here naked. You have given, and you have taken away. May your name be praised.” In spite of everything, Job didn’t sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong. (Job 1:21-22) His wife said to him, “Are you still continuing to be faithful to the Lord? Speak evil…
Filled with the Spirit
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:67-75 Filled with the Spirit… what does this mean. On the one hand, this is something that God does to him. But he also opens himself to God, and allows the Spirit to bubble out of him. I have had times when I had praise or prayer stirring within me… During a powerful God…
Why do I find this funny?
Naming our experiences by faith!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:57-66 Zechariah was speechless because he had doubted God (Luke 1:19-20). By choosing the name ‘John’, he was showing he finally believed God. Zechariah chooses to name his blessing, to believe God’s message, to accept God’s promise. There is something powerful in naming our experiences by faith. This crisis is a God-opporunity, this encounter is…
He knows my name!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:46-56 For Mary, the great thing about God is His connection to the little guy. She’s a nobody (humanly speaking), yet God choses her for this special mission. He is not impressed by stars and tycoons and rulers and bigwigs. In fact, His tendency is to bring down the ‘mighty’, while lifting up the…
God’s blessing through difficulty
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:39-45 Is ‘blessed’ the word you would use for Mary? A young unmarried girl divinely impregnated, her life never to be the same. To expect her son to be honoured, yet to see Him mocked, bullied, tortured and shamefully executed. And if Elizabeth knew that her son (John the Baptizer) would also be executed,…