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John 11:53-5753 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn't he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.John 12:1-1112 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

"These verses tell of some of the exploits that the special corps of David’s army carried out. There were two elite groups of men: 'the Thirty' and 'the Three.' To become a member of such a group a man had to show unparalleled courage in battle as well as wisdom in leadership. 'The Three' was the most elite group." (Life Application Bible) 2 Samuel 23:13-17 (NLT) – [13] Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. [14] David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. [15] David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” [16] So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. [17] “The LORD forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. 1. Mighty men and women don’t start out that way. 1 Samuel 22:1-2 (NIV) – [1] David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. [2] All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV) – [26] Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, [29] so that no one may boast before him. 2. Satan is our ultimate enemy. Genesis 10:13-14 (NIV) – [13] Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, [14] Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) – [8] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [9] Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 3. We often long for what we cannot have. 1 Samuel 30:3-6 (NIV) – [3] When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. [4] So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. [5] David's two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. [6] David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 4. True commitment is willing to take great personal risk. “Those in trouble, in debt, or discontented joined David, who himself was an outlaw. These people were outcasts themselves and could only improve their lot by helping David become king. David’s control over this band of men again shows his resourcefulness and ability to lead and motivate others. It is difficult enough to build an army out of good men, but it takes even greater leadership to build one out of the kind of men that followed David. This group eventually formed the core of his military leadership and produced his ‘mightiest men.’” (Life Application Bible) 5. No sacrifice is too great for God. John 12:1-8 (NIV) – [1] Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. [2] Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. [3] Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, [5] “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” [6] He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. [7] “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. [8] You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

"These verses tell of some of the exploits that the special corps of David’s army carried out. There were two elite groups of men: 'the Thirty' and 'the Three.' To become a member of such a group a man had to show unparalleled courage in battle as well as wisdom in leadership. 'The Three' was the most elite group." (Life Application Bible) 2 Samuel 23:13-17 (NLT) – [13] Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. [14] David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. [15] David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” [16] So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. [17] “The LORD forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. 1. Mighty men and women don’t start out that way. 1 Samuel 22:1-2 (NIV) – [1] David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. [2] All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV) – [26] Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, [29] so that no one may boast before him. 2. Satan is our ultimate enemy. Genesis 10:13-14 (NIV) – [13] Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, [14] Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) – [8] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [9] Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 3. We often long for what we cannot have. 1 Samuel 30:3-6 (NIV) – [3] When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. [4] So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. [5] David's two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. [6] David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 4. True commitment is willing to take great personal risk. “Those in trouble, in debt, or discontented joined David, who himself was an outlaw. These people were outcasts themselves and could only improve their lot by helping David become king. David’s control over this band of men again shows his resourcefulness and ability to lead and motivate others. It is difficult enough to build an army out of good men, but it takes even greater leadership to build one out of the kind of men that followed David. This group eventually formed the core of his military leadership and produced his ‘mightiest men.’” (Life Application Bible) 5. No sacrifice is too great for God. John 12:1-8 (NIV) – [1] Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. [2] Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. [3] Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, [5] “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” [6] He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. [7] “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. [8] You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Luke Proctor preaches from John 12:1-8 on Sunday April 25, 2021. How much is Jesus worth to you? JOHN 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" JOHN 11:45-48 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” JOHN 11:49-53 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 1 PETER 2:24 "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross... 1 PETER 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. JOHN 1:29 "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" JOHN 11:56-57 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. JOHN 12:1-3 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. JOHN 12:4-8 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” LEVEL 1: An Example of Worship Humiliating Worship Responsive Worship Costly Worship ROMANS 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. LEVEL 2: A Pointer to the Cross REVELATION 5:12 "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" JOHN 12:3 ...the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Connect with us! Facebook: www.facebook.com/plainfieldchristian Instagram: www.instagram.com/plainfieldchristian Plan Your Visit: www.plainfieldchristian.com Next Steps: mypcc.info

Prof. Tom Rank was preacher for this service. John 12: 1-6: Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 336 - of My Life the Life, O Jesus: vv. 1-3 - John 12: 1-6: Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 336 - of My Life the Life, O Jesus: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Prof. Tom Rank (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist)

The devotion for today, Monday, March 29 was written by Jonathan McClellan and is narrated by Dana Goodenow. Today's Words of Inspiration come from John 12.1-3: Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

Today, Tom Joustra and John Wood read and reflect on Luke 1:26-38. For the full VP Bible Reading Plan, head to https://victorypoint.org/resources/daily-scripture. For more on the context of today's passage go to https://thebibleproject.com/explore/luke. To find out more about VictoryPoint Church go to victorypoint.org. If you have comments on this episode or podcast send us an email at info@victorypoint.org. And be sure to subscribe to this podcast! Here's the full text from today's scripture: 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 1:28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 1:29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 1:30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 1:31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 1:34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 1:35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 1:36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 1:38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblereadingplanvp/message

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord's servant. Let it be with me just as you have said” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/disciplingtogether/message

Is there an acceptable amount of extravagance? Join Mike and Chad as they discuss this week. John 12:1-11 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. ” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/roguetabletalks/message

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name bringan offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 1 Chronicles 16 reveals that giving is an act of worship. We may forget that at times and putting our tithes and offerings in the plate becomes something of a routine. Today, Kingdom Advisors President Rob West shares the proper way to view our giving then it’s your calls and questions at 800-525-7000. The National Christian Foundation has a great article on today’s topic, Giving Is Worship. Matthew 6:21, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.- the late Larry Burkett often paraphrased that by saying, Show me your checkbook register and I’ll show you your spiritual condition. The article mentioned opens with the story of the disciple Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in Bethany. In John 12 we read,Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. The oil that Mary used to anoint Jesus’ feet may have been the most expensive thing Mary ever owned, but she gave it freely in an act of utter worship even going on to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair. Jesus defends Mary when Judas objects to the gift. That shows us that Godrecognizes our giving and knows when we are offering our best to Him when we are offering our hearts to him. God doesn’t need anything from us, but he wants our hearts. The Old Testament sites many examples of giving the firstborn of the flock, the first fruits of the harvest. In the New Testament, we have the example of Christ praising a woman who gave her last two copper coins in the Temple. Mark 12:43-44 reads,Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everythingall she had to live on. Tithing is only the training wheels of giving. When we give sacrificially and joyfully God recognizes that our hearts are aligning with His. The article points out that giving shows our gratitude for the past and our trust in God for the future.Our gifts point to the past because they acknowledge that everything we have comes from God. Our gifts show our gratitude.But they also point to the future, indicating our willingness totrust God. In Malachi 3:10 we read,Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Read the National Christian Foundation’s article, Giving Is Worship,here. Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program: I have mutual funds and some savings. I have heard of the coin shortage and the value of the dollar going down. Should I purchase gold? If so, how do you utilize it? I bought a home through a private individual. I would like to refinance, but the lean holder doesn’t want me to do it. Advice? I am 71 years old. I owe 15K on my home. I am receiving 85K from an insurance claim. What should I do with this money? I have a home that I sold, will I need to pay capital gains tax on this profit? My husband and I have 100K in savings, but it is not earning money. We thought we’d take 25K and put it towards our mortgage or one of our vehicles. Advice? Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them toQuestions@MoneyWise.org. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app. Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” Then Mary said, “ Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her. Luke 1:36‭-‬38 AMP --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pastor-lucy-paynter/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pastor-lucy-paynter/support

We don't know what they do when it snows where you from, but in Chicago, we have DIBS! If you don't know what that is, then you'll have to listen to Jason explain it. Then Mary talk about a crazy confrontation some people had with their neighbors. And finally Jason The Therapist helps out Mary and her issues with Game of Thrones.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name bringan offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 1 Chronicles 16 reveals that giving is an act of worship. We may forget that at times and putting our tithes and offerings in the plate becomes something of a routine. Today, Kingdom Advisors President Rob West shares the proper way to view our giving then it’s your calls and questions at 800-525-7000. The National Christian Foundation has a great article on today’s topic, Giving Is Worship. Matthew 6:21, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.- the late Larry Burkett often paraphrased that by saying, Show me your checkbook register and I’ll show you your spiritual condition. The article mentioned opens with the story of the disciple Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in Bethany. In John 12 we read,Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. The oil that Mary used to anoint Jesus’ feet may have been the most expensive thing Mary ever owned, but she gave it freely in an act of utter worship even going on to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair. Jesus defends Mary when Judas objects to the gift. That shows us that Godrecognizes our giving and knows when we are offering our best to Him when we are offering our hearts to him. God doesn’t need anything from us, but he wants our hearts. The Old Testament sites many examples of giving the firstborn of the flock, the first fruits of the harvest. In the New Testament, we have the example of Christ praising a woman who gave her last two copper coins in the Temple. Mark 12:43-44 reads,Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everythingall she had to live on. Tithing is only the training wheels of giving. When we give sacrificially and joyfully God recognizes that our hearts are aligning with His. The article points out that giving shows our gratitude for the past and our trust in God for the future.Our gifts point to the past because they acknowledge that everything we have comes from God. Our gifts show our gratitude.But they also point to the future, indicating our willingness totrust God. In Malachi 3:10 we read,Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Read the National Christian Foundation’s article, Giving Is Worship,here. Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program: I have mutual funds and some savings. I have heard of the coin shortage and the value of the dollar going down. Should I purchase gold? If so, how do you utilize it? I bought a home through a private individual. I would like to refinance, but the lean holder doesn’t want me to do it. Advice? I am 71 years old. I owe 15K on my home. I am receiving 85K from an insurance claim. What should I do with this money? I have a home that I sold, will I need to pay capital gains tax on this profit? My husband and I have 100K in savings, but it is not earning money. We thought we’d take 25K and put it towards our mortgage or one of our vehicles. Advice? Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them toQuestions@MoneyWise.org. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app. Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 1:38 Image: The Annunciation, Francisco Goya, 1785, --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bob-johnson9/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bob-johnson9/support

The motive behind your actions is the spirit behind your actions John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfum 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,(H) he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.(I) 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c](J) but you will not always have me.” John 2:23-25 23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person's heart. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pastor-esther-birungi/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pastor-esther-birungi/support

Luke 1:26-38The Birth of Jesus ForetoldIn the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.Support the show (https://www.eservicepayments.com/cgi-bin/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=Fi1giPL8kwX_Oe1AO50jRsnTqfuD7ImZ7-sV_WSWFu9EOVZpPcIw91FrYieK2rA42EvVVAEjqawDomKT1pboues_SJBTR7Eq65qlUR-dSmo=&ver=3)

Pastor Erik continues our Advent Series, The Way Home, with a teaching on the announcement of Mary's pregnancy.   Text: Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

December 20, 2020. Have you ever had a moment when you realized that your whole life was changing, that something was emerging that you couldn’t quite see yet? This year, of all years, we really need to know that there is something much bigger than us going on, that there is order in this chaos that we are living. Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-56 *** Transcript *** Have you ever had a moment when you realized that your whole life was changing, that something was emerging that you couldn’t quite see yet? I can think of several times when I knew that transformation and mystery was happening — and fear, even terror. When I first said out loud that I was gay. When I moved into my first apartment, living on my own for the first time. When I made the decision to leave my job of nine years and go back to school full time. And when I got the phone call from the Call Committee here at Christ Lutheran, one Sunday morning just about a year ago. My pastor at my home congregation describes me as having a look of shock and wonder and disbelief as I shared the news with her a year ago. I'm not much of an astronomer, but my wife knows enough to be able to point out Mars and Venus and Jupiter in the sky at night, and I can usually spot them when she does. And I do enjoy looking at the stars, even if I can’t find any constellation besides the Big Dipper. There is something about the stars that, like the ocean, takes me out of the minutiae of my daily life, and reminds me just how big this world is, and just how small I am. The wise people knew far more about the night sky than I do. And although Jesus hadn’t been born yet, and they had no idea what it meant, they knew because of what they saw that something was up. The wise people probably didn’t suddenly see the star after Jesus’ birth, and begin their journey after he had been born. They had been watching the sky for years, and the unique star that they saw probably caught their eyes months prior to that sacred night in the stable in Bethlehem. And when they saw it, they knew that the world was about to change. They knew that something was about to happen that was worth traveling for days or weeks or months, worth lying to King Herod, worth giving up their treasure for. And soon, the wise people will be greeting a child whose birth was revealed to them by the stars they watched at night — the child whose birth, as insignificant as it might have seemed, would change everything. Jesus hasn’t been born yet, but the wise people already see it coming. They are living, as we Lutherans do, in a world that is, and is not yet. Mary sang of it in our gospel today, and in our opening hymn from Holden. After hearing from the angel what was going to happen and traveling to see Elizabeth. Mary’s song is really quite remarkable, as Debie Thomas points out in her blog this week. The angel brought Mary news that would shake any unmarried teenager — she is pregnant, with no good way to explain how that happened, and by tradition and law could be easily punished, beaten, ostracized, even killed. And yet, when she greets Elizabeth, her first words are ones of deep joy: “My spirit rejoices in God.” I can only imagine that her journey to Elizabeth must have been quite a wrestling — with herself, with God, reconciling and trying to understand what has just happened to her. Mary goes on to say that God has seen her in her humanness — poor; female in a world that didn’t value women; living in a brutal, occupied land; young, not yet married. God saw her just as she was, and was mindful of her. Somehow, out of all the people in the world, out of all the people in Nazareth, God saw and knew Mary intimately. And he was mindful of her. Then Mary the prophet, who was living in a broken world, full of injustice and hunger and poverty, saw and claimed the vision of God’s promise already at work. God has not only seen Mary, but all who are on the edge, as the hungry are filled and the marginalized and forgotten and abused ones are lifted up. The strong and the powerful, it seems, are already taken care of in this world, so God is especially mindful of those who have been pushed aside. And in the middle of the world still bound with injustice and pain, Mary sang of the world she knew God was bringing into being. “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” As Mary sings, she echoes the faith and the hope of many who came before her — Hannah, and Hagar, and the psalmist, and all the prophets, who proclaimed the hope and promise that is now, but not quite yet. Jesus hasn’t been born yet, but the wise people are on their way, following signs in the world our God created that pointed to things much bigger than themselves. And this year of all years, a year of pandemics and fires and elections and racial tensions, so much chaos, we really need to know that there is something much bigger than us going on, that there is order in this chaos that we are living. And in our time, that transformation that Mary speaks of, that the wise people saw coming, continues. Christmas isn’t here yet, but we know Christ is coming. And our world is in just as much need of transformation, healing, and re-creation, as the world the wise people traveled 2000 years ago. The prophets of today are claiming the promise anew, like Kelly Brown Douglas claiming that God is freedom, William Barber II declaring that people on the margins are seeking transformation and justice and healing and not a return to a disparate normal, Valarie Kauer’s revelation that the chaos we are living in is the darkness of the womb, not the darkness of the tomb, and that it will bring new life and not death. Jupiter and Saturn are close to aligning, and tomorrow they will come together to show us a sign. Astronomers today think that what we will be seeing in the sky if we venture out tomorrow evening after sunset is perhaps the same sign the wise ones saw so many years ago, the star that gave a glimpse of the promises of God to come that led the wise people to Bethlehem. The very same star that showed them that something new, something world-changing, was about to happen. In this time of COVID-19, as we have stayed away from our church building for a time, we have learned what Nathan tried to tell David so long ago — God is building a house, has been building it for millennia, a house not of brick and mortar but of people, of us. And Christ Lutheran family, God is still building us up, inspiring us, breathing new life, healing, and transformation into this broken world. We can look to the skies as the wise people did, and know that Christ is coming. We have just a few days left — I bet some of the kids could tell us even how many hours we have left — and in this moment we join all the people who for millennia have been claiming and proclaiming the promise. This was not a one-time event that happened 2000 years ago and was complete, but a movement of the Spirit of God that began with creation and continues on today. We are not alone. We can see the star, hear the words of the angel Gabriel, and know that something new is happening. With the prophets of yesterday and today, we can embrace all the change and fear and grief and wonder that that brings. And then, we can join Mary in joy, promise, and hope, and sing with her as our spirits rejoice in the promise coming to us in Christ. Thanks be to God. *** Keywords *** 2020, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Pastor Meagan McLaughlin, 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-56, COVID-19, coronavirus

Icon by Ivanka Demcheck - The Annunciation Apologies for the sound quality. The recorder wasn't properly plugged in from the board to the recorder. Let's call it, human error. Fourth Sunday of Advent Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen 2Samuel 7:4,8-16 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. Romans 16:25-27 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith — to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen. Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

The Birth of Jesus Foretold Fourth Sunday of Advent, 12/20/20  Online Links: https://linktr.ee/PisgahLutheran Online Donations: https://www.PisgahGives.com  First Reading: 2 Samuel 7 : 1 - 11, 16 Second: Romans 16 : 25 - 27 Gospel: Luke 1 : 26 - 38 (https://tinyurl.com/y94oe7zc)  Full reading of Luke 1 : 26 - 38 THE BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.  ----------  Pastor Stephen Mims Pisgah Lutheran Church 1350 Pisgah Church Rd, Lexington, SC 29072 www.pisgahlutheran.org @pisgahlutheran https://linktr.ee/pisgahlutheran 803-359-2223 We Share Our Gifts to Show God's Love 

Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called theSon of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

We hope you enjoy this week's video/sermon Prepare the Way at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. We encourage anyone to join us on Sundays at 10:00am! We’ll welcome you whether you are young or old, tall or short or anything else in between! Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Fr. Rob uses the angel's greeting to Mary as a starting point to describe what it means for unlikely recipients like us to be full of God's grace.Luke 1:26-38: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Support the show (https://www.episcopalcathedral.org)

On this 4th Sunday of Advent the sermon "Will You Carry Me?" by the Rev. Peter Moore was given from the pulpit at Greenfield Presbyterian Church, Berkley, MI. The scripture lessons are Luke 1:26-40, 46-56 New Revised Standard Version The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Mary Visits Elizabeth 39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Footnotes [a] Luke 1:28 Other ancient authorities add Blessed are you among women [b] Luke 1:34 Gk I do not know a man [c] Luke 1:35 Other ancient authorities add of you Luke 1:46-56 New Revised Standard Version Mary’s Song of Praise 46 And Mary[a] said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. Footnotes [a] Luke 1:46 Other ancient authorities read Elizabeth

"Brendan McClenahan and Nadine Sluis read and reflect on Luke 1:26-38. Please make sure to subscribe to this podcast! For the full Bible Reading Plan, head to victorypoint.org. To find out more about the context of Luke 1:26-38 head to https://thebibleproject.com/explore/luke. We would love to include your input on this podcast. Send us an email at brendanmcclenahan@victorypoint.org or leave a voice message by clicking the link below. There is more going on at VictoryPoint! (head to victorypoint.org for more trainings, events, worship gatherings, discipleship opportunities, giving, and ways to get connected). Here's the full text from today's scripture: 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 1:28 And he came to her and said, ""Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."" 1:29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 1:30 The angel said to her, ""Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 1:31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."" 1:34 Mary said to the angel, ""How can this be, since I am a virgin?"" 1:35 The angel said to her, ""The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 1:36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God."" 1:38 Then Mary said, ""Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."" Then the angel departed from her." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblereadingplanvp/message

Luke 1:26-38 (CEB)26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” 29 She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

1.  Faith in God's Grace and Favor is Crucial for Any VictoryLk 1:28,30,38 The angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Then Mary said, “Let it be to me according to your word” Highly favored (He has made us) this statement must be received Grace is a free gift, it's unearned and undeserved, favor, blessing, ability, wisdom, joy and strength from God2 Chron 20:20 Believe in the LORD, and you shall be establishedFaith is what connects us to the blessings of God including grace Rom 5:2 We have access by faith into this grace  2 Cor 4:13-14,16-18 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal The spirit of faith speaks the grace train is headed my way Keeping a strong spirit of faith is not God's responsibility, it is oursPs 41:11 By this I know that you have favored me, because my enemy does not triumph in victory over me1 Pet 5:6-11 God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But  may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you 2 Cor 12:9-10 My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 for when I am weak, then am I strong.2. Giving to the Will of God Releases Greater Grace in Our Lives2 Cor 8:6-7 We appealed to Titus, since he was the one who got you started and encouraged you to give, so he could help you complete this generous undertaking on your behalf. You do well and excel in every respect in unstoppable faith, in powerful preaching, in revelation knowledge, in your passionate devotion, and in sharing the love we have shown to you. So make sure that you also excel in grace-filled generosityEx 36:5 The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the LORD commanded to be doneBy grace we will finish the project the Lord has placed before us The same miracle Freedom received is the same season you're entering 2 Chron 20:20 Believe His prophets, and you shall prosperBe established in the prophet and you will push forward and prosper Zack 4:6-9 This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the Lord of hosts.” Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the final stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:  “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you”

Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior begins in our hearts. I pray that you let the joy, peace and hope of Jesus lead and guide you this Christmas.

GOSPEL POWER - DECEMBER 8, 2020 - SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (PATRONESS OF THE PHILIPPINES) Gospel: Lk 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. REFLECTION T he God of Israel is the God of limitless possibilities and has shown this by rendering Mary “full of grace” and untouched by sin from the moment of her conception. But in involving her in his project, God's omnipotence respects her freedom and does not overwhelm it or limit its expression. Rather, God's omnipotence proposes and awaits a response. This is what the annunciation of the birth of Jesus is all about. God stoops down to ask the cooperation of his creature in the fulfillment of his saving plan. The true greatness of Mary lies in her total surrender in faith. By this, she allows the God of limitless possibilities to achieve the impossible not only in her life but in the whole of creation. Mary's being “full of grace” is her unique and exclusive privilege. But what she offers us for imitation is her faith and obedience, so that the God of limitless possibilities can continue to accomplish his plans in the world. PRAYER Lord Jesus, may your mother be our guide and counselor as we strive to walk the path of faith and obedience that you have marked out for us. Amen.

Luke 1:26-38 NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

In our final spooky season episode, we discuss classic parody movies and Mary & Will reflect on their favorite Pokemon characters. Then Mary gives some sage Pokemon financial advice and Bridget turns into a drunk robot. And last, but not least, we finally review Beetlejuice (which is the whole reason we're here in the first place).  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Download this Podcast John 12:1–3—Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. The post Mary Anointed Jesus appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

John 12:1-8 1 Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. 3 Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus' feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, 5 “This perfume was worth a year's wages! Why wasn't it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.) 7 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you won't always have me.”

A Contrast of ValuesJohn | Week 10July 19, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 11:35 NIV Jesus wept. John 11:44 NIV The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”John 11:57 NIV The chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.A Contrast of ValuesJohn 12:1–3 NIV Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.John 12:4–6 NIV But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.John 12:7–8 NIV “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”What is Jesus worth to me?Philippians 3:7–8 NIV But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

John 11:53-5753 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.John 12:1-1112 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

St Mary of Egypt On the 6th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Mary of Egypt.She began her life as a young woman who followed the passions of the body, running away from her parents at the age twelve, to the city of Alexandria. There she lived as a harlot for seventeen years, refusing money from the men that she copulated with, instead living by begging and spinning flax.One day, however, she met a group of young men heading toward the sea to sail to Jerusalem for the veneration of the Holy Cross. Mary went along for the ride, seducing the men as they traveled for the fun of it. But when the group reached Jerusalem and actually went towards the church, Mary was prohibited from entering by an unseen force. After three such attempts, she remained outside on the church patio, where she looked up and saw an icon of the Holy Theotokos. She began to weep and prayed with all her might that the Holy Mother might allow her to see the True Cross; afterwards, she promised, she would renounce her worldly desires and go wherever the St Mary may lead her. After this heart-felt conversion at the doors of the church, she fled into the desert to live as an ascetic. She survived for years on only three loaves of bread and thereafter on scarce herbs of the land. For another seventeen years, Mary was tormented by "wild beasts, mad desires and passions." After these years of temptation, however, she overcame them and was led by the Theotokos in all things. Following 47 years in solitude, she met the priest St. Zosima in the desert, who pleaded with her to tell him of her life. She recounted her story with great humility while also demonstrating her gift of clairvoyance; she knew who Zosima was and his life story despite never having met him before. Finally, she asked Zosima to meet her again the following year at sunset on Holy Thursday by the banks of the Jordan. Zosima did exactly this, though he began to doubt his experience as the sun began to go that night. Then Mary appeared on the opposite side of the Jordan; crossing herself, she miraculously walked across the water and met Zosima. When he attempted to bow, she rebuked him, saying that as a priest he was far superior, and furthermore, he was holding the Holy Mysteries. Mary then received communion and walked back across the Jordan after giving Zosima instructions about his monastery and that he should return to where they first met exactly a year later. When he did so, he found Mary's body with a message written on the sand asking him for burial and revealing that she had died immediately after receiving the Holy Mysteries the year before (and thus had been miraculously transported to the spot where she now lay). So Zosima, amazed, began to dig, but soon tired. A lion approached and began to help him, that is, after Zosima had recovered from his fear of the creature. Thus St. Mary of Egypt was buried. Zosima returned to the monastery, told all he had seen, and improved the faults of the monks and abbot there. He died at almost a hundred years old in the same monastery. Lessons from this storyA valuable lesson from this story is the truth that before God all are worthy, all are important and all are His chosen loved ones. Our roads in this life lead us far and wide, but the narrow gate to return is only through our heart’s desire to be with Christ, to serve Christ and to live as Christ.St Mary of Egypt lived naked in the desert wearing only the skin God gave her, nothing else. Hold this truth; you are loved deeply by the Lord Jesus Christ. And what the world will call suffering (the ascetic life of a monk in the harsh conditions of the desert) are in truth freedom to the soul that feeds on the loving kindness of Christ. Ask yourself, what is easier? The constant demands of this life pulling you in every direction at the same time from passion to the next? Or a simple life with Christ serving in His name? St Mary tasted both lives and found the one with Christ the sweeter.PrayerLord, help us see past the vile disguise of this world for what it is, empty and worthless without you. Help us see the importance of a life with you is eternal not temporary as this world is. Open our eyes each day that we may receive your daily bread and forgive us when we fall. Through the prayers of St Mary of Egypt be with us all, amen.

KIB 251 – Pandemic, Passover, and 2020 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing   In this episode, Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake examine some of the news about the current pandemic and call for wisdom and common sense for all believers.  Passover is just around the corner.  The Lakes first share some interesting insights from the Word of God. Then Mary shares how she has prepared for Passover:  providing ideas and suggestions for your family to follow as we remember what Messiah has accomplished for us.   Dr. Michael Lake is the Chancellor and Founder of Biblical Life College and Seminary and is the author of the best-selling books, The Shinar Directive:  Preparing the Way for the Son of Perdition, and The Sheeriyth Imperative:  Empowering the Remnant to Overcome the Gates of Hell.  Dr. Lake is a popular speaker at national Christian conferences and is a frequent guest on many Christian TV and radio/podcast programs in North America.   Mary Lou Lake has worked side by side with her husband in ministry for over 30 years and is the author of the book, What Witches Don't Want Christians to Know - Expanded Edition.

Kaitlyn is joined today by founder and face of the influential fashion blog Happily Grey, Mary Lawless Lee! Mary tells Kaitlyn about how she got into fashion, her incredible blog and her how she decided to get into retail by opening a store. Then Mary talks about how difficult it is to be a working mother and the guilt that moms can feel when they go back to work after leave. Later they discuss how Mary certified her dog Miles in therapy before finishing up with some confessions! CRATE & BARREL – Create your Crate & Barrel registry at crateandbarrel.com or at a store near you. GEICO - Go to geico.com, and in fifteen minutes you could be saving fifteen percent or more on car insurance HULU – Hulu has the reality TV that you love so start your free trial today at Hulu.com PERSONNA – Right now you can get 25% off your first order with code VINESHOW. Feel the difference with Personna razors today! DUNKIN – America Runs on Dunkin’

'Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”' John 12:1-8

What will you do that will outlive you? Psalm 112:5-6  //  Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. Living & Giving Am I generous? John 12:1-8  //  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” The enemy of generosity is selfishness. Extravagance - more than you have. Extravagance - all that I have. Three levels of giving: Intentional - Tithes Sacrificial - Offerings Extravagant - Extravagant Giving Hebrews 11:6  //  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Mark 14:9  //  Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.

John 12:1-8 (NKJV) 1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

By Pastor Eben Eddy Scriptures (All NKJV) - Luke 1:26-34 - Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”   - Matthew 1:18-21 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”   - Luke 2:8-12 - Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”   - Matthew 2:1-2 - Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”   - Luke 2:36-38 - Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Message Points (The Child Chose The . . . ) Confused (Mary) Hurting (Joseph) Overlooked (Sheperds) Searching (Wise Men) Eager (Simeon) Needy (Anna) - You have been C.H.O.S.E.N to have relationship with Jesus!

Luke 1:26-45 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Mary Visits Elizabeth 39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[d] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” www.LivingInChristStore.com www.ChamesEntertainment.com

Luke 1:26-38In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.I like to refer to John the Baptist as a “seasonal employee of the church” because he only shows up on church radars around this time of year; but he’s not the only one. The same can be said of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She’s not a figure that figures much in the lives of the typical non-Catholic Christians. Mary only makes a liturgical appearance at Jesus’ birth and at his crucifixion. But there is so much more to be said about the mother of Jesus beyond that she was there at the beginning and end of Jesus’ earthly life.In fact, Trinity Lutheran Seminary professor Mark Allen Powell says that Mary is “the model for Christian discipleship, the person who all people, men and women alike should emulate, especially if they wish to follow her son.”Mary is selected by God for an important task of literally and figuratively bearing the good news to the world. She is picked because God has found favor in her...but we are not told why. She was not wealthy or famous, so those could not have been the reasons God picked her. There’s nothing to indicate her favor with God was due to her attractiveness, work ethic, intelligence, artistic skill, or her ability to work a room and charm the socks off everyone. Whatever standard we think makes for a successful person today is not attributed to Mary. So, apparently those are not the attributes God looks for in a disciple. All we know is that Mary believed God’s word and said “yes” to God. God is always the first impulse and the first actor. That is what we mean by grace. God makes the first move. But the powerful stuff happens when we say “yes” to God.” Notably, she is not blessed because she is going to be the physical mother of Jesus, but because she believed God's word. So, whatever blessing Mary enjoys is one we all can share, if we emulate her. We cannot all be physical parents of Jesus, but we can believe God's word will be fulfilled.”This is a matter of profound practical importance for us today. God is constantly communicating God’s will, much like the invisible radio waves and satellite signals that saturate our atmosphere. Our invitation is to tune our spiritual devices so that we pick up on God’s signal. Blessing comes from our will being in sync with God’s will. It means tuning in and saying yes.Mary, of course, was not the first person to tune into God’s communication channel. Scripture is full of people’s “call stories” -- those times and spaces where regular people were struck with spiritual inspiration that changed the course of their life and through which the good news was manifest on earth. Moses and Isaiah are two notable examples. And when their call stories are held up alongside Mary’s we notice a pattern that holds true for our lives today.The pattern goes like this: There’s a greeting (1:28), a startled reaction (1:29), an exhortation not to fear (1:30), a divine commission (1:31-33), an objection (1:34), a reassuring word (1:35), and the offer of a confirming sign (1:36-37). So how do we know when we have tuned into God’s communication channel? We will encounter God in scripture, worship, study, prayer, or mindfulness and be startled. As quickly as we are startled, we will feel a sense of calm. We will be given an idea that we feel wholly ill-equipped to tackle. God will promise that no task of faith is impossible. And once we say yes, we will find encouragement along the journey. That’s a pattern I hope you will recognize in your life. If you don’t, it is not too late to adjust the dial or change the channel. Mary exemplifies discipleship in the way she listens and believes. This is not a way of life for the proud or powerful, the self-sufficient or the sanctimonious. As Jesus will later state, the gate is narrow and few will enter. But for those who set themselves to the work of listening to God and saying “yes” to God’s invitations, there are blessings in abundance that the whole world will enjoy. May you, along with Mary, be bold in your yesses. And may you, along with Mary, be led to proclaim:“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-56)Amen.

This sermon was given at Greenfield Presbyterian Church, Berkley, MI by the Rev. Peter Moore. It is the first in the series: "Focus on the Family." Scripture is Luke 1:26-38 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Footnotes: [a] Luke 1:28 Other ancient authorities add Blessed are you among women [b] Luke 1:34 Gk I do not know a man [c] Luke 1:35 Other ancient authorities add of you

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [a]blessed are you among women!” 29 But [b]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [c]do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Mary Visits Elizabeth 39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who [d]believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” The Song of Mary 46 And Mary said: “My soul [e]magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. John 12:1-6 NKJV 1. THE ENEMY OF GENEROSITY This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. John 12:6 NKJV Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him. John 6:70-71 SUCCESS IS CONFRONTING OUR WEAKNESSES AND OVERCOMING THEM! Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 2. THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF GENEROSITY And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction 1 Chronicles 29:3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 1 Kings 3:3-4 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke 21:1-4 EXTRAVAGANCE IS NOT THE AMOUNT, BUT THE ATTITUDE BEHIND IT! She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. Mark 14:8 They exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord. 2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT THING YOU CAN GIVE GOD IS YOUR HEART. 3. THE REWARD OF GENEROSITY  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed. Mark 14:9 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”; “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”;  Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:32;39-40;43-44 GENEROSITY IS A REFLECTION OF GRATITUDE But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6   Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6   I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 NIV   The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:7

Luke 1:26-38 New King James Version (NKJV) Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

this morning Pastor Brad starts a new series he calls Unwrapping Christmas. He has titled his first sermon A Scary Christmas. Pastor's Notes: Luke 1:26-38 NKJV Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, (27) to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. (28) And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (29) But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. (30) Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God. (31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. (32) He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (33) And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." (34) Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (35) And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (36) Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. (37) For with God nothing will be impossible." (38) Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. INTRODUCTIONGood morning, every body! I’m so refreshed to be back after a great week, and I can’t wait to get started on this brand new series entitled “Unwrapping Christmas”.While the commercialism of our day wants to focus on Santa, elves, and Rudolph, I want to refocus us this month on the true purpose of the season, which is the birth of ChristToday, I’m going to look at Mary, and how this first Christmas was a scary one.You don’t think Christmas is scary? You should totally go to Wal Mart on a Christmas Eve sometime!TRANSITIONThis morning, we are going to look at Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Bible is really not concrete about Mary’s lineage, other than she is Elizabeth’s cousin. He was a Jewess of the tribe of Judah, engaged to a carpenter, and both of them appeared to be poor in the world’s eyes.When approaching the person of Mary, people either do one of two things:1. Ignore her2. Worship her to almost the same status as Jesus.While we don’t need to ignore her, we also need to make certain we don’t exalt her. APPLICATION1. She was chosen by God (vs.28)a. Mary was selected as being with favor in God’s eyes.b. We know that Mary wasn’t perfect, because the Scripture says that “all have sinned”. Mary also referred to Jesus as “savior”. Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, (47) And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.c. God chooses the most of unlikely. She was young. She was a virgin.2. She was surprised by the message (vs. 29-30)a. She would be pregnant.b. She would be a teenage mom, c. She would have the son of God d. That’s enough to be scary.3. She sincerely had questions (vs. 34)a. How will these things be?- I’ve never been a mom. It doesn’t make logistical sense. - I’ve never been intimate. It doesn’t make physical sense.b. What about the unasked questions? - What are people going to say?c. Have we all not have had questions when God wants to use us?4. She surrendered to the plan (vs. 38)a. She submitted to the plan of God.b. She received the word of the Lord. CONCLUSIONBecause she wasn’t scared and said yes, she opened up the way of salvation to us.

Luke 1:26-38 NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called nthe Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

THE CHRISTMAS STORY: WHEN THE HEAVENS APPEAR SILENT Bible Study Verses: Genesis 15:13-14, Numbers 23:19, II Peter 3:9, Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Luke 2:1-7, Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:5-17, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:1-4, Isaiah 60:3, Luke 2:25-32. "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. † “...you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." Luke1.31+ NKJV What does Genesis 15 have to do with the Christmas story? What are at least 8-actions by Our Creator when He is about to fulfill His promises? What can we know about God when it appears that He has forgotten His promise? What are at least 4-reasons why God choose unusual characters to fulfill the Christmas story? Pastor Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounter Radio Podcast originally aired on November 30th, 2019 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible. † https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/754464-the-son-of-god-became-a-man-to-enable-menFERP191130 Episode #97 COVER ART CREDIT: Photo by NASA*, art direction by gil on his mac. *The Hubble Deep Field (HDF) is an image of a small region in the constellation Ursa Major, constructed from a series of observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. It covers an area about 2.6 arcminutes on a side, about one 24-millionth of the whole sky...The field is so small that only a few foreground stars in the Milky Way lie within it; thus, almost all of the 3,000 objects in the image are galaxies...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Deep_FieldThis Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it’s mission through prayer and support. Thank you.GOT191130 ep97 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for [a]three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; [b]she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” www.ChamesEntertainment.com www.LivingInChristStore.com

Hearts That Praise Luke 1:46-56 Exegetical Main Point: At Elizabeth’s blessing, Mary’s soul turns from wonder to praise. God’s personal care for Mary and for His people causes joyful praise to erupt from her heart. Main Point of the Sermon: When we see God and self rightly, we will praise greatly. Me: Have you ever wondered why Christians sing so much? Why do we make singing such a large part of our gatherings? While I always enjoyed the singing that I grew up around in church it took a while before it really clicked for me. I would watch people who had no sense of pitch sing, if you can call it that, at the top of their lungs to God. I didn’t think it was beautiful. I thought it was comical. My brothers and I would sometimes sit behind those individuals purposefully just to get a good laugh during service. Sometimes my mom would get caught up in the fun too, and I’d see my dad nudging my mom to stop, if he wasn’t up on stage leading. I was telling some of the guys this morning about the churches that I grew up in – sometimes I’d even see people take off running down the aisles because they were so overcome by joy in the Lord. I’ve been a lot of different denominations worship services. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen people laugh, cry, lay on their faces, shout, dance, wave flags, pray and sing in spontaneous tongues, you name it. While I liked it, I didn’t always get it. But it clicked for me as a teenager. At the revelation of my sin and God’s grace that swallowed it all up, I couldn’t help but sing. My heart became like a geyser ready to explode out of my lips. In fact, at times it felt like my body would lift off of the ground because of joy my soul felt. Minus the flag waving – I’ve experienced all of these forms of worship, whether private or in public worship. When you see God and self rightly, you cannot help but praise. We: Whether you can relate with singing or dancing, every human can relate to this in life generally. When you see something spectacular, like the grand canyon, or an amazing sunset, or a gorgeous bride coming down the aisle, what do you do? You talk about! You tell others. Humans cannot help but overflow with praise for the things that we love. We cannot help but respond when we see beauty. The Bible tells us that similar responses come from humans when we see something amazing not with our eyes, but with our spirit. Remember Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, where he prayed “that the eyes of [their] hearts would be enlightened…?” When we come to see with our spiritual eyes how great God is and how much he has given to us, our souls cannot help but erupt in praise to God. When we see God and self rightly, we will praise greatly. So, let me ask you today, does the Gospel cause your heart to overflow in praise? Is your praise weak and small? Do you find more joy at a Vikings game or over that video game, or… fill in the blank? If this is true, it’s quite possible that your view of God is small. What he’s done and will do doesn’t impress you. If that’s you today how do we move from a place of stagnation to joyful and expressive praise? Today’s text gives us some powerful clues on how. Text: Context: In the previous weeks, we’ve unpacked Luke’s telling of the infancy narrative. First, John’s birth was prophesied. Then Mary received news from Gabriel that she would have a child who would be king. And last week we read that Mary went to visit Elizabeth. When she got there she found Elizabeth pregnant just as the angel had said. And at Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed blessing over her and her child, even calling her newly conceived child “my Lord”. For her own baby had leaped with joy at the approach of Mary and her child. As Elizabeth spoke these words over Mary, Mary’s wonder, perhaps fear, over all that had been told to her concerning her son turned suddenly into a song of praise erupting from her soul! Mary’s sight of God’s grace caused praise 46-47 Luke records her song. Let’s look together: 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Mary’s praise sounds like the Psalms. Psalm 69:30 reads, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.” This word “magnifies” in the original language means “to make great”. That is, Mary is praising God’s greatness. She is rejoicing in her Savior. I love the way John Piper talks about magnifying God. He writes, “There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is. When David [or Mary] says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.” We are not called to be microscopes. We are called to be telescopes…”[1] I think Mary’s song magnifies God like a telescope. Seeing God’s enormous grace given to her, a lowly teenage girl causes her to talk about God’s true greatness. She knows she is a sinner in need of a Savior, but sees an incredible God who brings her and all the world salvation through her newly conceived child, Jesus. When Mary sees God and self rightly, she cannot help praise greatly. Hannah’s Song: Mary’s is most likely drawing from Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2, another woman who praised God’s greatness when she saw him intervene in her life. Listen to the opening lines of Hannah’s song: “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Out of teenage Mary’s heart flowed praises from the Scriptures. Is that how you praise God, teens? Is that how you praise God, church? Remembering God’s faithfulness to others in the stories of old is perhaps the best way to deepen our faith in God’s goodness to us. This is why it’s so important that we memorize and internalize the Bible. Praise like Mary’s, like Hannah’s, comes from spiritual sight, birthed out of meditation on God’s present, past, even future faithfulness. This is why Mary says “my soul” praises, “my spirit” rejoices. Having encountered God, her whole being, spirit and body, is erupting with praise to God. Transition: Mary is beginning to understand all that God had done and would do for her. And when she came to understand, she didn’t stay silent. She didn’t keep meditating. She spoke! She sang! She couldn’t help but praise God. And hear me on this: she praised God for specific things. Do you praise God for specific things that he has done? 1) Mary praised God for his personal care 2) and for God’s care for her people, Israel. Let’s see it. Verse 48 Praises for God’s Personal Care 48-49 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, When you see the word “for” at the beginning of a sentence in Scripture, it is usually grounding a statement that has come before it. It answers the question “why is your soul praising God” with the reason, with the “because”. She praises becauseGod has seen her and visited her with abundant grace! Because even the “mighty” God knows the lowly. He knew the poor virgin teenager and gave her such a great gift: to bear and mother the Son of God. As a result of this child all generations would call her blessed, as indeed we do today! Mary’s heart overflows in praise because she sees that such a mighty God, the creator, the ruler of the universe chose her. This understanding of God should make us praise just like it did Mary. Do you know how mighty God is. Yet, he knows you. He chose you for his family, for his mission. If this doesn’t make you praise than you may not know just how much grace has been shown to you. Mary adds at the end of verse 49, “and holy is his name.” Like Hannah, Mary grounds God’s kindness toward her in his character. Why has God been so good to Mary? Because his name is holy. God’s “name” represents his being, his character. Holiness is one of many aspects of God’s character. God’s holiness usually makes us think of his moral perfection, but holiness here should not be limited to that. It is so much more! God’s holiness doesn’t leave him separate from the world on his throne looking down saying, “you pitiful sinners”. His holiness moves him to act on behalf of the lowly and against the unrighteous according to his covenant promises.[2] Because God is holy he cannot lie. He cannot go against his promises to save his people and to judge the ungodly. God’s holiness is the reason hell exists. His holiness is the reason you and I can be assured of our salvation if we are trusting Jesus alone for it. Why does God care for me and for you? Because his name is holy. Perhaps you are struggling today to believe that God actually does care for you. God obviously did something great for Mary, but what has he done for me, Daniel? Oh friend, if you are a follower of Christ then you are God’s beloved child, if you don’t see his care for you even in your poverty, in your loneliness, in your pain, can’t you see what he has done? In coming to Mary in this way, as a baby, God was getting into your skin, into your pain, into your poverty, into your loneliness. In coming to Mary, a lowly peasant girl, God is proving his steadfast love to all of us – especially the meek and broken. I pray now that God will give you spiritual sight to see and believe this. In coming to Mary, he has come to you. Who is like our God? This should cause us to praise greatly! Amen? Transition: Mary praises God for his personal care for her. Now let’s look at her praises for God’s care for his people. Let’s look at verse 50. Praise for God’s Care for His People 50-55 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. Steadfast Love: Mary’s praise turns from first person pronouns to third person. His mercy is for “those” who fear God. This passage parallels Psalm 103:17 closely, which says, “The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children… This word “mercy” in verse 50 could be translated steadfast love, coming from the Hebrew word hesed, which denotes the covenant faithfulness of God. God’s steadfast love and mercy never ceasesfor the one who is in relationship with God. Those who bow in reverence to God like Mary, those who know the grace that has been poured out on them, can be sure that God will never fail them, never leave them. It’s hard to compare this faithfulness to anything on earth, but the best I can do is to compare it to a mother, who’s compassion for their child, keeps them coming at their call even when they are disobeying, when their fears are irrational, when they are overreacting, when there is nothing actually wrong. Oh Church, do you see the steadfastness of God’s love for you and for his people? This is a reason that our souls should praise him. Who is like our God? Let’s continue in verse 51 with Mary’s praises for God’s corporate care for Israel. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; Second Exodus: Mary, here, speaks of what God has done in having the Messiah be born by a lowly teenage girl. And whether she knows it or not, she is prophesying of what Jesus would bring about in his rule. This language about God’s strong biceps resembles Old Testament descriptions of God’s saving power displayed at the Exodus. Listen to how God described the coming deliverance of Israel to Moses in Exodus:“Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” What’s amazing about this statement by Mary is that she is attributing the same powerful personal rescue that God brought about in the Exodus to the coming birth of the Savior, Jesus! God would bring about judgment on Israel’s enemies. He would scatter “the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.” What she didn’t yet understand is how he would do this. Yes, Jesus would scatter Israel’s enemies like he did at the Exodus, but he would in fact start within the hearts of his own people. Jesus would lead a second exodus, setting people free from slavery to sin – setting us free from our own fleshly desires that keep us from God! God came near to Israel in Egypt and Pharaoh and all of his wise man and armies were no match for him. God comes near to humanity in the person of Jesus and the darkness of our sin is no match for the light of his presence. Make no mistake, while Jesus’s coming does mean mercy for the repentant, his presence will always shine light on pride in our hearts, on sin in our hearts. Today, Jesus’s message goes into all the earth and Scripture tells us that we will know who are enemies or friends of God based on their response to Jesus. Friends, God knows your thoughts. He knows whether you are rejecting him in thought or deed. God tests the heart of man. He knows what we are truly made of and he will judge accordingly (Jn 10:16). Verse 52 illustrates this point: 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. We have already seen this taking place in God’s description of John the Baptist and Jesus as great in contrast to King Herod “the great”. God decides who will be great. It would be easy to misinterpret this passage, and much of the Gospel of Luke for that matter, by thinking that God somehow hates the rich and loves the poor inevitably, like he is utterly opposed to someone taking a high position of leadership or ever growing in wealth. No, but what God hates is the pride that often comes with power, with wealth. What God hates is the oppressive leadership of the proud found throughout history. So why do we keep craving the power and wealth of the world? When we read in the sermon on the plain later in Luke, “blessed are the poor”, Luke is getting at much more than social and political realities, though they are also included. He is talking about the spiritually poor (the humble) and the spiritually rich (the proud). So where are you? Can you be categorized as the poor in spirit? If so, Jesus says you are blessed! Oh, but if this is not true of you, I urge you to repent before the Lord. Humble yourself before him before he brings you low in another way. Verse 54 continues the praises: 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Verse 54 tells us that God sent his Son in “remembrance” of his promises to Abraham. That promise was that all the world would be blessed through his offspring! Galatians tells us that Jesus is that offspring. He is the salvation of the world! Israel waited for thousands of years for the Messiah. In the birth of Jesus, God has helped his servant Israel! In the birth of Jesus he has helped us! He will surely finish what he started. Who is like our God? Gospel Call: If you do not yet know Christ I hope you are beginning to see your need for help? I hope you are beginning to see that help comes through Jesus? He is the help you need! It’s just that simple. God knows what you need, sinner. God knows what you need, sufferer. You need a Savior. You need a perfect life, you need a substitute for the death you deserve for your sins against God. You need life to overcome death. You need Jesus Christ, who lived perfectly, died that death you deserved, and rose again. God sent his Son out of great love for us so that all who would believe on him would be saved – saved from sin, from Satan, and from the world. Find your help today in Jesus. Turn to him today if you do not know him and find help. Be baptized and join a family that will help you grow in your faith. Forgotten? If you think that your sin, your circumstances, your life is too far gone, that you are too far from God, hear me today: God doesn’t forget you. If he can rescue a nation, even the world, he can rescue you today. Doubt God’s love for you no more. He is not a God who will fall through on his promises. He is not one to go back on what he says, or fail to finish what he started. Oh church, take your eyes off yourself and look to the faithful God. If you have been joined to Christ through faith, you must know that even when you are faithless God is faithful. He cannot deny himself! (2 Tim 2:13). This is reason for us to praise God! Amen? Mary saw God clearly and recognized the amazing grace shown to her and to her people Israel, and as a result she couldn’t help but praise. So what about us? You: Church, don’t you see that God has shown you incredible grace and mercy? He has come so low for you, even being born in this weak flesh, bearing the weight of the world, its temptations and suffering, and dying the death that you deserve. Don’t you see that he is risen and reigning, preparing a place for you, indwelling you by his Spirit, interceding for you daily. Don’t you see God’s covenant faithfulness to you? You have a reason to sing! You have a reason to sing with joy and dancing and celebration! Allow me to finish the quote I started above from John Piper: The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God. This is what it means for a Christian to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget. Therefore, our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God. So we pray to God, “Open the eyes of my heart!” (Ephesians 1:18), and we preach to our souls, “Soul, forget not all his benefits!” (Psalm 103:2).”[3] We preach this glorious Gospel so that the eyes of your heart would be opened by the Spirit to see his greatness, so that you would not forget all his benefits in the midst of the trials of life, and so that your heart will respond in worship of our gracious and merciful God. Singing with heavy hearts: And church, if your heart is heavy, if you feel like you cannot rejoice today because you are still in the waiting season, you failed in that sin again this week, because you struggle to live without that loved one, or in this depression, cling to Jesus. He knows how to sympathize with you in your weakness. At Jesus’s last meal with his disciples, after revealing to Judas and Peter that they would betray him, after telling his disciples that he was about to be deserted by all and killed, Matthew’s Gospel reveals these words: 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus had a reason not to sing, he had just eaten his last meal and was headed for death. His soul was in such anguish that he would sweat drops of blood a short time later in the garden of Gethsemane. But his soul knew better. His heart knew that God was worthy of praise. His lips could not contain the Psalms of praise stored away in his heart. Even at the cross, they would come from his bloody and swollen lips. He knew God’s faithfulness, God’s goodness, and on your behalf, he sang to God the Father in faith. This Jesus lives in you, sufferer, to empower faith-filled praise in the face of evil. You don’t have to pretend you are happy, but Jesus invites you to come and sing to him in trust that he will comfort and restore you. We: This is why we gather throughout the week, to remind one another of these truths, in song, in word, in the Lord’s supper. We remember all that God has done while we wait for his second coming. Jesus Conclusion: Church, Jesus is surely coming back! And on that day we will join the heavenly chorus, with the angels, with Mary, with all the saints of old, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come… (Rev 19:6-8). Let your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your class-mates and roommates see the greatness of God this week in the way that you praise him, even if in a song of lament. In faith filled expectation, let’s magnify his name together! We have a reason to praise! For he who is mighty has done great things for you and me! And holy is his name! Amen? [1]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-magnify-god [2]Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke(Vol. 24, p. 92). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. [3]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-magnify-god

By Pastor Brandon Dirmann Part One Notes Scriptures - Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV) - Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”   34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.   - Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT) - “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. 11 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 it will prosper everywhere I send it. Message Points "When God Speaks..." New Life Begins. You Have To Make A Choice. Your Heart Gets Tested.     Part Two Notes Scriptures (All NKJV) - John 16:13-15 - However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.   - Hebrews 1:1-3 - God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,   -Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Message Points Through the Holy Spirit Through the person of Jesus Through His Word Through the church

In today's episode, Dr. Siohvaughn Funches concludes the series, “From Barren to Bearing” (as in bearing much fruit). Dr. Funches recaps last week's message and strongly recommends that you take the time to listen to the last four weeks' messages to understand this week's message better.Dr. Funches recaps the messages from previous weeks. Dr. Funches reviews John 15 showing that it is God's will that we bear much fruit that remains. Dr. Funches reviews the accounts of Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth and Zacharias, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elkanah and Hannah,  each bearing much fruit against their circumstances, through God's blessings. Today's message will focus on fruit remaining. It is the perfect will of God that we bear fruit in every area. Dr. Funches goes into this week's message with an exploration of the blessings of God to the notable woman of Shunem by the Prophet Elisha, and some of the ways in which God fulfills every promise to you.   Listen in to hear how God has prepared all things to take the New Covenant believer from barren to bearing fruit.   KEY BIBLE VERSES [3:44] John 15, NKJV (Entire chapter) [6:21] Genesis 17–21, NKJV (Entire chapters) [12:13] Luke 1:5–17, 57, 58 NKJV 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. [12:26] Luke 1:26–38, NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. [15:22] 1 Samuel 1:1–20, 2:21 NKJV 1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 2:21, NKJV 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. [18:33] Psalm 127:3–5, NKJV 3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. [20:27] 2 Kings 4:8–37, NKJV 8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.” 11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!” 17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her. 18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.” 23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! 26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'” And she answered, “It is well.” 27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” 28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me'?” 29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.” 30 And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out. [34:36] Psalm 121:4, NKJV 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. [36:29] 2 Timothy 2:13, NKJV 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE You Gotta Let God Finish, by Siohvaughn L. Funches Please visit DrFunches.com for books, blogs, and more helpful resources from Dr. Funches and for ways to get involved with this ministry, A Woman's Worth Foundation.

In today's episode, Dr. Siohvaughn Funches continues the series, “From Barren to Bearing” (as in bearing much fruit). Dr. Funches picks up from last week's message and invites you to take the time to listen to last week's message to understand this week's message better. Dr. Funches recaps the message from last week, talking about Elizabeth and seeing the heart and hand of God in her life. God is not a respecter of persons. He will bless us as He blessed Elizabeth and Zacharias.  Dr. Funches returns to the account of Elizabeth and Zacharias from last week's message. Barrenness is not just the inability to conceive a child physically. God is calling us to give birth to spiritual things. Dr. Funches goes into this week's message with further exploration of the blessings of God to Elizabeth and Zacharias, and how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was blessed by God's grace and by hearing from the angel how Elizabeth had been blessed to be in the sixth month of carrying a child, whom we now know was John, the Baptist. God doesn't need our help to bless us or to turn us from barrenness to bearing. Dr. Funches looks forward to continuing this series with you next week.   Listen in to hear how God has prepared all things to take the New Covenant believer from barren to bearing fruit.   KEY BIBLE VERSES [7:09] Luke 1:36, 37, NKJV 36 “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” [9:43] Psalm 127:1, NKJV 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. [12:40] Proverbs 25:2, NKJV 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. [17:50] 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [28:43] Isaiah 54:9, NKJV 9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.” [30:02] Isaiah 52:12, NKJV 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. [30:21] John 19:30, NKJV 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. [35:37] Luke 1:26–38, NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Please visit DrFunches.com for books, blogs, and more helpful resources from Dr. Funches and for ways to get involved with this ministry, A Woman's Worth Foundation.  

In today's episode, Dr. Siohvaughn Funches finishes the series, “Provision in Peculiar Places.” Dr. Funches recaps the last two week's messages. For the most part, the new born-again believer understands that God is our Provider. Some believers struggle with God's unorthodox ways of providing. God provides in what we believe are unorthodox ways. The enemy may try to convince us that God isn't providing or is oblivious to our needs. This is certainly untrue. God is unchanging and unfailing. If you haven't listened to the two previous episodes, Dr. Funches invites you to listen to them and hear the foundation in the word for today's message.   Dr. Funches reviews the Lord's provision for the people of Israel in Exodus 17 from last week's message and discusses the rod of Moses. The rod that Moses had held up in Egypt to turn the river to blood, God told him to strike against a rock in Horeb to bring forth water from the rock. God provided water from the rock for the people in the desert.   Dr. Funches delves into the message this week with the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary, the virgin, and also to Mary's relative, Elizabeth, announcing Jesus Christ to Mary and John the Baptist to Elizabeth. Dr. Funches also explores how God provided for Elijah by ravens as he stayed by the Brook Cherith. When the brook dried up, the word of the Lord came to him to go to a widow in Zarephath who would provide for him. Listen in to hear how God will provide in His peculiar way, for the New Covenant believers who believe Jesus.   KEY BIBLE VERSES [6:16] Exodus 17:1–7, NKJV 1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” [10:35] Psalm 23:4, NKJV 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. [16:33] Luke 1:26, NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. [26:19] 1 Kings 17:1–7, NKJV 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. [33:38] 1 Kings 17:8–15, NKJV 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.'” 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. [35:28] Psalm 121:1–2, NKJV 1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Please visit DrFunches.com for books, blogs, and more helpful resources from Dr. Funches and for ways to get involved with this ministry, A Woman's Worth Foundation.

2019/9/8 Pastor Richard Welsh 韋日卓牧師 Categories: Video: https://hongkong.mylifehouse.com/tv/message/extravagant-generosity Extravagant generosity 極級慷慨 John 12:1-6 NKJV [1] Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. [2] There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. [3] Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. [4] But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, [5] "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" [6] This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 約翰福音 12:1-6 CCB 逾越節前六天，耶穌來到伯大尼，就是祂叫拉撒路從死裡復活的村子。 2 村裡有人為耶穌預備了晚飯，拉撒路也與耶穌同席，瑪大在旁邊伺候。 3 瑪麗亞拿出一瓶珍貴的純哪噠香膏來抹耶穌的腳，又用自己的頭髮去擦，屋裡頓時充滿了香氣。 4 有一個門徒，就是將要出賣耶穌的加略人猶大說： 5 「為什麼不把香膏賣三百個銀幣去賙濟窮人呢？」 6 他這樣說不是因為他真的關心窮人，其實他是個賊，常常藉管錢的機會中飽私囊。 1 - The extravagance of generosity 奢華的慷慨 John 3:16 NIV [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 約翰福音 3:16 CNV “神愛世人，甚至把他的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信他的，不至滅亡，反得永生。 3 levels of giving 施予的三個層次 - Tithes 十一奉獻 - Offerings 奉獻 - Extravagant offerings 極級慷慨的奉獻 2 - The reward of generosity 慷慨的賞賜 Mark 14:9 NKJV [9] Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her." 馬可福音 14:9 CCB 我實在告訴你們，無論福音傳到世界哪個角落，人們都會傳揚這女人的事蹟，紀念她。」 Hebrews 11:6 NKJV [6] But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 希伯來書 11:6 CNV 沒有信，就不能得到　神的喜悅；因為來到　神面前的人，必須信　神存在，並且信他會賞賜那些尋求他的人。

Episode Thirteen - This week's Kind of Sober is all about music! Albums and bands can affect us in so many ways: Whether it be pure nostalgia, or a perfect seasonal background, music has this unique way of enhancing our moods. Lots of music recommendations on this episode. Then Mary shakes it all up with a great Hot Take.

John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

07/Apr/2019: Mary Udale-Smith speaks from John 12.1-8 and Phil 3.4-14 on God's invitation for us to abide like Mary of Bethany: 'Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.'

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)    Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.”    THE ANCIENT LESSON Deuteronomy 15:7-11 Now if there are some poor persons among you, say one of your fellow Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, don’t be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward your poor fellow Israelites. To the contrary! Open your hand wide to them. You must generously lend them whatever they need. But watch yourself! Make sure no wicked thought crosses your mind, such as, The seventh year is coming—the year of debt cancellation—so that you resent your poor fellow Israelites and don’t give them anything. If you do that, they will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. No, give generously to needy persons. Don’t resent giving to them because it is this very thing that will lead to the Lord your God’s blessing you in all you do and work at. Poor persons will never disappear from the earth. That’s why I’m giving you this command: you must open your hand generously to your fellow Israelites, to the needy among you, and to the poor who live with you in your land.   I think you have probably guessed that the figure of Judas fascinates me, not only because I am did a two-part sermon series back in 2013, but because I mention him almost every time we do communion in this church. This wasn’t always the case—I don’t think I gave Judas much thought over last 10 years or so, to be honest. During that time I began clarifying for myself what I believed about God’s grace and God’s mercy, and to what lengths God will go to in order to bring us to God’s own self, to bring us in, to bring us home. And so as I have had to articulate what I’ve come to believe, that God ultimately brings us all home, whoever we are whatever we have done – or not done. I have thought of Judas often because he symbolizes such a seemingly lost soul. You probably know of the medieval story about Judas that I’ve often shared here, the legend where Jesus is said to have reconvened his disciples from that last super around some heavenly table, though there were only 11 disciples there because Judas was absent. Suddenly though the door comes the missing disciple Judas, seemingly startled to see his Master and his old friends around that table. The legend goes that Jesus cries out with joy, “Judas, we have been waiting for thee!”   That legend so captures for me the grace of God, that goodness, that mercy that will ultimately include us all. Still, we all know the pain of being betrayed by a friend, a colleague, a spouse, we know that it is one of the most painful of human experiences. There seems to be nothing worse than realizing that our trust in someone was not merited, was not deserved on our part. I once worked at a church where one clergy colleague betrayed another colleague and though I wasn’t either the betrayer or the betrayed on this large pastoral staff, that act of deception, of duplicity, absolutely changed the dynamic among the rest of the clergy, and we were never quite the same again as a team. This clergy leader betrayed our trust in him, and we fellow clergy, numbering 8 or so, never quite knew where we stood with him, because he had criticized the preaching of one of us anonymously, rather than deal with it directly. Probably we have been on both sides of that equation at some point, the liar and the lied to, the betrayer and the betrayed, and that is other side of this dilemma, because it points to this unsettling truth: people rarely, and I mean rarely, are either all good or all evil, either all light or all darkness. Judas wasn’t just some hanger who attached himself to the disciples. He was specifically chosen by Jesus to be one of his disciples, and though that choice carries all sorts of questions with it, one of the things that it clearly does say is that there was a lot of goodness that Jesus saw in Judas, so much so that he brought him into his inner circle, the people that he trusted most. But, of course, that is what most of us did with the friends, the family, the spouse or lover, the colleagues that ended up betraying us, or what we did with those who we ultimately betrayed. That is the human dilemma, that people aren’t all light or all shadow, and that is where so much from where so much pain comes from when we are betrayed, that it was by someone so close to us whom we loved for their light – we often chose them and they often chose us because of what we loved in them, and they in us.   And so this Sunday, I wanted us to look at one of the few stories we have in the canonical Gospels about Judas Iscariot, and what might have caused him to handle himself so poorly in this story, that might have caused him to betray Jesus. This story is actually similar to one found in the Gospel of Mark (14:3-9), but Judas is not explicitly mentioned as the one bringing up the objections about the perfume. That probably has to do with the fact that the Gospel of John is likely the last canonical Gospel written, whereas the Gospel of Mark is the first—the figure of Judas is more fleshed out by the time John was written, and thus Judas is, frankly, made a bit more sinister and menacing in this new telling of Mark’s earlier story about this incident. Still, the story doesn’t actually focus on Judas, but on the anointing of Jesus with that costly perfume, and as probably you have heard before from other preachers, in this moment so many seemingly strict boundaries are crossed. Men and women did not touch in this ancient culture, and it’s hard not to note the oddly sensual nature of the moment, even if it was not meant to be read this way. The typical way of interpreting this moment is following the lead Jesus gives here right in this text—that Mary prepares him for his death, for that will be another moment when perfume and strong spices will be massaged into his flesh, though that flesh will be cold to the touch. And yet, I also think it can be understood as a celebration of the good things in life, things like fragrances, perfumes, food, friendship, love, appreciation—even, even when as we, as Jesus’ disciples, strive to relieve the suffering of the poor, and the least of these amongst us. Life is the worth the living of it and there is joy to be found in this broken but still beautiful world.   And yet this line by Jesus about always having the poor among us is often used as an excuse to ignore the poor, dismiss the poor, and as justification for not tending to the poor. It often is used to justify selfishness among us Christians, as if Jesus was saying, “well, I mean, really, there is no reason to give generously or change policies to help the poor, because, you know, no matter what you do there will always be poor people, so what’s the point?” Just live extravagantly, live big, enjoy our wealth, and don’t give much thought to those have so little in comparison to usBut as you see in the Ancient Lesson, Jesus is actually referring to a passage in the Jewish law that actually says the opposite. In the midst of a portion of the Law that gives instruction on the need to forgive all debts every seven years, the write warns that just because one knows that the forgiveness of debt is coming soon, that seventh year is approaching soon, one shouldn’t be tightfisted with the poor, the assumption being that the poor may get some relief from the forgiveness of debt. Leave behind resentment for the poor – something that you see so often by so many, as if somehow the presence of those in need is an affront to us, causing us to confronted by our much in contrast to their little. Wendell Berry captures this truth in last few verses of his poem “The Guest,” about a man who ask the poet for help. My stranger waits, his hand held out like something to read, as though its emptiness is an accomplishment. I give him a smoke and the price of a meal, no more –not sufficient kindness or believable sham. I paid him to remain strange to my threshold and table, to permit me to forget him– knowing I won’t. He’s the guest of my knowing, though not asked. Instead of being tightfisted, the writer of Deuteronomy says, we should be open handed, ready to help without judgment or resentment, words that Jesus echoes here in John 12. I’m often asked for help by some through the Helping Hand Fund we have here at church, and my mind always tries to evaluate the truthfulness of the asker and whether or not the need is real, but in the end, it doesn’t matter whether or not I am fooled by the person who is asking – you and I will be judged by our generosity, and not on whether or not we were fooled by some soul. Intention on our part is what matters here, something that concerns the writer of this text from Deuteronomy as well.   But let’s go back Judas role here to perhaps explain why some of us, including me, have a hard time being as generous as we know God wants us to be. Here the writer diagnosed greed as Judas’ problem, the reason for his betrayal, for those thirty pieces of silver. But in the Gospel of Luke and also in the Gospel of John, the writer says that Satan entered into him, that he allowed himself to be occupied by a demonic spirit, and that was at least part of the reason he became a betrayer. In Matthew’s Gospel there also seems to be hints that the betrayal was meant to fulfill ancient prophecies about Jesus. Others have wondered whether or not Judas began his campaign of betrayal the moment he realized that Jesus was not going to lead an armed insurrection against the Romans, and so he no longer had use for him—no military leader, no need for him, might have been the mindset. And some have even argued that Judas betrayed Jesus because, like the priests in the temple, he felt it was better for Jesus to die rather than the whole Jewish people to perish in a reprisal if the Roman authorities felt threatened by Jesus and the Messianic murmurings heard about him.   So, clearly we don’t quite know exactly why Judas did what he did, and though each of the Gospels try to help us figure it out in their own way, I want to actually go a bit deeper into Judas’ motives, and to do so by trying to tease out what caused Judas to react so badly to Mary’s gesture with the perfume here in this story, and how that might give us a deeper clue as to why Judas betrayed the Lord and why we are so often resistant to being generous as we could be. I actually want us to look at the last part of Judas’ name, Iscariot, a word that has baffled scholars for centuries. There has been speculation that it might refer to a family name, or to a region of Judah, or that might refer to the sicarii, which were a group of Jewish rebels that were active a few years after Jesus’ death. Other possibilities have been offered, including the idea that the name might refer to red color or even “to deliver” in Aramaic, Jesus’ own tongue, or it might mean “the liar,” which might have been derived from the Hebrew language. But when I was researching Judas, I stumbled upon the work of Joan E. Taylor who has argued that the word Iscariot was perhaps a descriptive name given to Judas by Jesus, much like Peter was named “the Rock” by Jesus, and that the word might be derived from Greek-Aramaic hybrid that denotes “chokiness” or “constriction”   Now, perhaps that “chokiness,” that “constriction,” refers to one of the Gospels description of how Judas died, suicide by hanging, but I think it also might point to something else as well, to this idea that Jesus saw in Judas, a spirit of anxiety, that he saw him as someone who was overwhelmed by personal anxiety, constantly emotionally on guard, fearful. In family systems theory, which is a theory offered by the therapist Murray Bowen and brought to us preacher types for use in our congregations by the Rabbi Edwin Friedman, in family systems theory anxiety is one of the most fundamental characteristics of what it means to be human—we all are anxious, to a lesser or greater degree, most of which we can and should control, lest it control us. But some people are chronically anxious, always fearful, and for these folks, they carry a constant sense of being threatened with them—in fact, someone has said that you can measure your sense of personal anxiety by the degree of threat you carry within you, and how comfortable or uncomfortable you are in this world. My personal definition and measuring stick when I teach my class on systems theory at churches is to ask the this question: to what degree do you feel the universe is for you and what degree do you feel the universe is against you—how safe do you feel in this world, in general?   To be clear, anxiety is not to be confused with a panic attack, because anxiety in our definition is that its imprecise and free floating and most of the time it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what is causing us to live in a constant state of anxiety. But the connection I personally made to Judas, to Judas’ name, is actually found in the Latin roots for our word “anxiety” and those Latin roots are found in other words that denote “to choke” or “to narrow.” If Joan Taylor is right, and Iscariot’s name was given to him by Jesus, and that it was a play on the words “chokiness” and “constriction,” well, you can see the obvious connection – he was an obviously anxious person. Judas’ anxiety is centered around he and the disciples not having enough, and it forms the heart of his objection to the use of the perfume on Jesus. You see, I think the root of the problem for poor Judas is that he is a man absolutely riddled with chronic anxiety, nervous, unsure, untrusting, fearful, and so he attaches to things like the money purse, thinking that if we the disciples have enough in it, we’ll be alright, I’ll be alright, but he then tries to disguise that anxiety as being really a concern for the poor, which is interesting here, since Jesus is all about the poor and their needs.   Because Judas cannot manage his fear, which is manifested in his anxiety, there can then be a million reasons for betraying Jesus—fear for his country at the hands of the Roman if they feel threatened by Jesus; fear that he won’t have enough when the gig is finally up with Jesus, and thus leading to his need to cash out as soon as possible, for thirty pieces of silver. I said earlier that my personal way of defining anxiety is asking people to think about the way they either trust the universe, or distrust the universe, how much they think the universe is for them or against them, but the real question I am asking as a Christian is this: how much do I trust God, and how much, frankly, do I distrust God? There won’t be enough, there is never enough, anxious Judas has come to feel in his bones, something many of us also carry within in our bones – if I am too generous, too kind, I won’t have enough, or enough to make me feel safe. But,of course, having much stuff really never does make us feel safe because we then start to fear losing what we now have. In that text from Deuteronomy, God is said to bless those who give much, in all that they do. Do we believe it, do we trust the God who gave us everything in the first place, to give away at least of what were first given by God? I don’t know if I do yet – and I stand humbled by that reality, that truth, that I cannot always model for you what I know to be true, which is the hard dilemma for any minister. But this is all about trusting God, as Judas should have trusted in Jesus, and that is the work before me, before us – to trust God with everything, and trust that we can give away some of it, for those may be in need of our help. May I – and we – gamble on this truth, this truth that Judas could never allow himself to believe, that God is worthy of our trust, and always will be. Amen.

Lenten series: The ScentScripture:John 12:1-812 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”Sermon Notes:1. The motivation of _________ 2. The motivation of _________ 3. Her perfume gave everyone ______ ______________4. It is time to choose ________ _______ _________ Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. Dr. Timothy Schmeling was preacher for this service. Luke 1:26-38: Now in the sixth month 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, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “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, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 540 - Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones: vv. 1, 2, & 4 - Luke 1:26-38: Now in the sixth month 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, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “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, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 268 - On Mary, Virgin Undefiled: vv. 1 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Dr. Timothy Schmeling (Preacher), Nathan Madson (Organist)

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.7 ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,‘Hosanna!’‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written:15 ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;see, your king is coming,seated on a donkey’s colt.’16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realise that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’

MagnificatLuke 1:46-55 Dec 16, 2018 (1713)I. Introduction:A. Dan Bellamy will be here this Wednesday night, for our MV Kids ChristmasParty, from 6:30PM- 8:30PM! There will be hotdogs, chips, cupcakes and thenstoryteller Dan Bellamy sharing the gospel in a unique way that will absolutelyimpact your littles ones and how they see life with Christ. This night is foreveryone, young and old, kids or not, we want you to come out and enjoy thenight!B. As we continue today to look at the Christmas story through the eyes of Mary, theMother of Jesus, we will see her response to the announcement from the AngelGabriel that she will be the mother of the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ,Jesus!1. This section has been called the Magnificat, which comes from the first wordof the first line in the Latin version of the Bible, the vulgate of Mary’sdeclaration of praise. (“Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” or “My soulmagnifies the Lord.”)C. The setting of this praise was that after Gabriel told Mary the news of Jesus’ birththrough her that she went to visit her relative Elizabeth, the old barren womannow six months pregnant with the forerunner of the King, John the Baptist.1. When Mary arrived and the two greeted each other, Elizabeth was filled withthe Holy Spirit, listen to what she said.a) And note as I read that two times she will call Mary blessed.b) Read v42-45 Emphasize blessed in both placesD. And now we come to this morning’s passage, the response of Mary to whatElizabeth said and what the Angel told her, the Magnificat!E. Before I read it, let me tell you a bit about this section of Scripture.1. In this section Mary tells us that she is exalting or magnifying, lifting up thegreatness of God and rejoicing in God who is her Savior!2. It is loaded with OT allusions, which tells us that Mary, even at a young age ,most likely in her teens between 15-17, knew her Bible well, the OldTestament and the promises it had made especially about the coming Kingand Savior, the Messiah!3. Also this Psalm of praise is broken up into three sections:a) What God has done for Maryb) What He does for all who fear him and are humblec) What He has and will do for Israel4. Finally the driving theme of this passage is God’s mercya) Mercy is simply an inward concern for someone in serious need andbringing the outward help that they need.b) We see this idea as the word mercy is used two times and a thirdreference to mercy in the word regard which means to take special noticeof someone with the implication of concerning oneself with the one youare noticing.c) I believe that the thrust of this praise is the fact that God is merciful tothe humble by doing great things for them and merciful to Israe. byremembering His promises to them. Simply God is merciful to thehumble and to Israel!5. Watch for all of this as I Read v46-55• Let’s start by looking at the first section aboutII. God is merciful to the humble by doing great things for themA. Read 48a. God has taken notice of Mary who was not someone of high positionor importance in the community. She was just another one of the young girls, oneof humble state.1. She recognized that from then on every generation would consider her asblessed, just like Elizabeth just did for being the mother of the Lord andbelieving His word!2. Then she states that the Mighty One, the Holy One, has done great things forher, the one who is of a humble state!3. Listen as I read v48b-49 “for….”B. Then Mary continues her praise of God’s mercy by extending beyond just herselfas a person of a humble state and expands it to God’s mercy to everyone who ishumble, those who fear Him. To them also the Mighty One has done mightydeeds!1. Basically she is saying it’s not just me that God is merciful to and does greatthings for everyone who is humble, everyone who fears Him, He does greatthings.2. And here is the good news – that means what we read in the Magnificatincludes you and me who are humble before the Lord and fear Him!3. Watch as I read v50-53 for how God shows His mercy to the humble byexalting them and doing great things for them while he brings down theproud.C. The proud, the powerful and the wealthy she is referring to here are those who donot know God, or in our day we could say they are lost people who do not knowJesus.1. While God is always down on pride, there is a big difference between a lostperson who is so proud they have no need for Jesus and can do it allthemselves versus a believer who may struggle with pride.2. Also the Bible shows us many examples of wealthy and powerful people wholove God are Humble and have had His blessing.D. And we also know many lost people who are proud, have high positions andmany possessions who are not empty handed, and at the same time manyChristians whose lives do not seem so exalted and filled.1. Even the Psalmist was very troubled when he considered the prosperity andease of the wicked while he was being stricken all day long. But all thatchanged when he went into the presence of God and perceived their end!2. I think that Ps 107:8-9 gives us some perspective here.a) The wonders, the mighty deeds God does for the humble are things inthe spirit and soul and in the future. Things that are a part of the unseeninternal world and future world rather than the things we see right now!(1) We need to get our eyes off the two second life here and put themupon the big one!b) God scatters the lost proud and brings them down and sends them awayempty handed regarding the things that really matter, the things thatmoney cannot buy, the things that are eternal, the things of the soul andspirit!c) Makes me think of the picture I saw around Thanksgiving of a homelessman on his knees in the middle of the street thanking God.(1) Listen to what He said when he was asked why a homeless manwith nothing would be thanking God?(2) He replied: “God will never forsake me and though I might nothave much in material things, I have the greatest gift of all –salvation… thanks to Jesus Christ”! He said, “My riches don’tcome from man and money, but from our heavenly Father”!• So we learn in the first two-thirds of this psalm of praise that God is merciful to thehumble by doing great things for them! In the last third of this psalm of praise we seeIII. God is Merciful to Israel by remembering His promises to themA. Watch for this as I read v54-55B. God in His covenant with Abraham promised him many things which they hadbeen looking forward to the fulfilment of these for centuries! God promised Hewould:1. Bless Abraham and his descendants,2. That God would be their God,3. Save them from their enemies,4. Give them a land forever,5. Through Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed.C. This is all part of the larger story of redemption we will look at on Christmas Eve,but by the way we are in on these blessings and promises as well because thosepromises were spoken to Abraham and His seed Jesus, and because of ourrelationship with Jesus we are in on all these promises and blessings!IV. So what can we take away from all of this?V. Final ApplicationA. First “God is attracted to and blesses the humble!”1. Listen to what 1 Pet 5:5 saysa) There is a greater experience of God’s grace when a believer is humblebecause we see throughout Scripture that God blesses the humble!2. The Pharisees were a great picture of pride.a) They did deeds to be noticed and admired by men,b) They loved to be seated at the place of honor at banquets and religiousgatherings,c) They loved the respectful greetings they got in the market placed) And loved being called teacher,e) Basically they wanted to be seen by others as impressive, important andsuccessful.3. Listen to what Jesus said to them after confronting them about these things.Read Mt 23:124. Even believers struggle with wanting to be around people who areimpressive, important and successful so we can feel significant and looksignificant to others.5. If this is the case for your own benefit and the blessing of others and theglory of God, you need to confess your sin of pride, seek God to build intoyou a spirit of humility like Mary’s.B. Secondly, do you need mercy today? Prayer is one of the greatest forms ofhumility as we put everything else aside and turn to God to do for us what wecannot do for ourselves – Heb 4:16C. Finally when we consider worship, John Piper says, “The only people whose soulcan truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary—people whoacknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the condescension of themerciful God.

This is probably our most serious and important episode as we discuss Fair Fight with martial arts instructor Mary Stevens. Fair Fight is an organization that empowers and educates vulnerable girls in India, many of whom have been rescued from child prostitution. We also discuss the broken educational system in the US and UK. Then Mary explains to us what she considers to be a well-rounded martial artist—not only someone who can defend themselves, but also someone who works hard at school, has knowledge of law, first aid, nutrition & health, survival skills, teaching skills, and empathy. Much of martial arts centers around the individual but a true martial artist should be committed to society. Then we get into Mary's upcoming martial arts children's books (rather than martial arts tournament based Lord of the Flies, it's about working together as a group).If you'd like to support some of these causes or get more information, here are some helpful links:actandhelp.orgfairfight.nlRead Mary's project blog here: fairfightvaranasi.wordpress.comYou can find more about Mary and her karate school at schoolofmartialarts.com

Now in the sixth month 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, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "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, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)

Now in the sixth month 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, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "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, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)

Narrator:  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, Commentator:  Nazareth? God sent an angel to the podunk, insignificant, nothing of a town called Nazareth? Narrator:  Yes, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Angel:  “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Narrator:  But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Commentator:  What kind of greeting is that Mary? Had you ever been called favored before? Mary. They are all called Mary aren’t they? Mary the sister of Lazarus, Mary from Magdala, That other Mary and Mary the mother of Jesus. So common a name. Almost as though when the writers couldn’t remember a woman’s name they just automatically called her Mary. Like Jane Doe- it’s just this side of forgettable Mary. So common but yet now angelically deemed “favored one”. What kind of perplexing greeting is this calling a common Mary “favored one”. Did you look behind you to see if someone else named Mary was standing behind you? Mary; common and favored. Narrator:  The angel said to her, Angel:  “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." Commentator:  You found favor with God? Like you were looking for favor everywhere until bang! You find it with God? Or was it more like it is with God that you are the favored one though not so much favored elsewhere. We aren’t given a litany of all the things you did and personality traits you inhabited that made you favor-able. Perhaps it is the fact that you are chosen by God that makes you favored not that your favorableness made you chooseable. Angel:  "And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Commentator:  Mary, you are a marginalized young Jewish girl living in the midst of an occupied land.  But, you now hear these words “throne …reign … kingdom.” This is nothing less than cultural, political, religious and spiritual insurrection for the common to be favored and the favored to be common. Narrator:  Mary said to the angel, Mary:   “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”   Narrator:  The angel said to her, Angel:  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Commentator:  Elizabeth – barren and pregnant. One of God’s favorite ways to prove that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God’s ways are not our ways…continually challenging and even violating our polite family values. Elizabeth – barren and pregnant. Mary - common and favored. This is the invasive fruitfulness of God. Willing life where there is no life. Making a way where there is no way. Messing with all of us in the way that only true mercy can do. Narrator:  Then Mary said, Mary:  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Narrator:  Then the angel departed from her. Commentator:  Here I am you say …just like Isaiah after the coal touched his mouth. Here I am you say. Send me. Did it burn you too, like Isaiah’s own lips? Let it be with me according to your word you said. “Here I am, the Servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word”. So beautiful. We try and domesticate you Mary like a trinket of docile, submissive womanhood but you are bolder than that, more defiant almost. Some try to hide from their calling (Moses, Jonah, Elisha) but you said “Here I am.  Sign me up.”  Did you know what this word was going to mean for you? Narrator:  And Mary said, (Magnificat is sung as psalm chant by Mary) My soul proclaims the greatness of | the Lord, my spirit rejoices in | God my Savior, for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your | lowly servant. From this day all generations will | call me blessed; Commentator:  Is that what being blessed looks like? We usually use that word a bit differently.  You know, like, “You’re so blessed to have that new boat.” So, Mary, how exactly are you using that word? Did you feel blessed as your unwed belly grew under the gaze of disapproving others?   Did you feel blessed when laboring and giving birth amongst sheep and straw? Mary, common and favored…Did you feel blessed when your heart dropped realizing you left your 12 year old son in Jerusalem?  At his arrest did you feel blessed seeing rope dig into the wrists of both God made flesh and the flesh of your flesh? Did you feel blessed when they lifted him up on a cross?  No one else was his mother. Just you.  Blessed are you among women.  Common and favored.  And blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. God and Man. “We hail Mary, Queen of Heaven,” proclaims Martin Luther, “because in her we come to know that ours is the God who comes nearest to us in our brokenness.” (Mary continues psalm chant) you, the Almighty, have done great | things for me, and holy | is your name. You have mercy on | those who fear you, from generation to | generation. You have shown strength | with your arm; and scattered the proud in | their conceit, casting down the mighty | from their thrones and lifting | up the lowly. You have filled the hungry | with good things, and sent the rich | away empty. You have come to the aid of your | servant Israel, to remember the prom- | ise of mercy, the promise made | to our forebears, to Abraham and his chil- | dren forever. Commentator:  There’s nothing like a song about upturning the whole social order to warm the heart. That or scare the be-jesus out of you. ………….  Hmmm…..  So maybe that’s what God is up to here. Transgressing the boundaries of human society.  The podunk town of Nazareth becomes a Jerusalem. The favored become common and the common become favored. The barren are pregnant. The hungry filled. The rich, hungry. The proud leveled and the downtrodden lifted up until it’s all blurred past distinction. The prophet Mary sings in the new inverted reality of God’s kingdom on earth and this is it’s fight song. It’s your song, all of you. A song of this God who entered so fully into this muck of human existence and upturned our expectations and religiosity and self loathing and self satisfaction enough to usher in a new reality. And this reality is that God became one of us so that we might become children of God. Gregory of Nyssa writes, “What was achieved in the body of Mary will happen in the soul of everyone who receives the Word.” You, all of you, each and every one of you, are blessed and full of grace. So, may the God through whom nothing is impossible help you to be Marys….carrying the gospel into this hurt and broken and beautiful world. May it be with you all according to God’s Word.

In this 3rd week of Advent the candle of "Love" is lit. The sermon "Unto Us a Child is Born" by the Rev. Peter Moore was given at Greenfield Presbyterian Church, Berkley, MI. Based on Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible. First Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-3 3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Footnotes: [a] 1 John 3:2 Or it Second Scripture Reading Luke 1:26-38 The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Footnotes: [a] Luke 1:28 Other ancient authorities add Blessed are you among women [b] Luke 1:34 Gk I do not know a man [c] Luke 1:35 Other ancient authorities add of you

Luke 1:29 But when she saw the Angel Gabriel, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”Then Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 38 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth42 Then Elizabeth spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb for behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”And Mary said:“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; From henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, putting them in mind of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months… One person of Faith can turn the world upside down (change the current order – or restore God’s order Acts 17:6) (It is always God appointed - time, place, opportunity and voice – 1Timothy 2:1) Changing the current order is often referred to as Activism (social, political, religious/spiritual). This is mostly self appointed (but God permitted) where a person or group defines themselves as THE ones who can bring about change, without regard to the activity of thousands of non-activists. It can be delusional and disruptive but can also be temporarily effective. It can involve Totalitarianism, Despotism (Pharaoh, Herod) and Passivism (Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.). A.W. TOZER – The root of the Righteous)A real Christian is an odd number, anyway.He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen;talks familiarly every day to that someone he cannot see;He expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another; empties himself in order to be full;admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up;is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest; happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so that he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep;sees the invisible; hears the inaudible; and knows that which passes knowledge.              

How To Have A “Mary” ChristmasLuke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.• 01. Have The Right Perception Of Yourself Because of Jesus Christ, you are highly favored.Ephesians 1:6 accepted in the Beloved.accepted = highly favoredBecause you have received Jesus who is God’s Beloved, you are found in Him so you are God’s beloved son or daughter, deeply loved and highly favored by Him! • 02 See Your Purpose In God’s PlanLuke 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”God Always Works Through PeopleLuke 1:34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” nothing = no declaration from God’s mouth. Luke 1:37 (AMPC) For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.• 03 Understand The Power In God’s WordsEverything God says in His word has the possibility and power of fulfillmentFor God’s power to be released God’s declaration has to be accepted!Luke 1:38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”What God says is fulfilled when we believe it!Luke 1:36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son • 04 Surround Yourself With Pillar People&l

12/2/18   An angel told Mary that she was ‘favored’ by God. Then Mary’s life immediately got more difficult. The question isn’t only - How do we see grace in the midst of hardship? The question is - How can we see my hardship as God’s grace?

Luke 1:31-35 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.31-35

On Wednesday night's show, hours before Amanda Simard announced she would leave the PC Party to sit as an independent, I was explaining what was happening. I had talked about Simard likely couldn't stay in caucus after not only voting with the NDP motion on French services but more importantly, she had voted against the government's fall economic statement - a confidence vote. Then Mary called in. A Francophone woman who lives in Simard's riding, Mary was not impressed. I think she will be less impressed today after the announcement.

My guest in this episode is Mary Schiller. Mary lived with the quite extreme symptoms of PTSD for 30 years. She was diagnosed dozens of times and told by prominent psychologists that she was "unhelpable". Then Mary came across The Three Principles and this New Paradigm and within 6 weeks, her symptoms were vanishing. What about "PTSD"? Where did it go? What about being unhelpable? Listen in as Mary shares her story. You can learn more about Mary and her work at https://www.maryschiller.com

Mary and remuneration expert Geoff Summers discuss a controversial issue from the last segment about employer contributions to KiwiSaver - a practice called total remuneration. Then Mary turns to a survey on KiwiSaver.

John 12:1-8Jesus anointed at Bethany1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.7 ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’

She Is ChosenScripture:Luke 1:26-386 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Sermon Notes:1. God __________________ Mary2. Mary ___________________ God’s choice3. God has chosen ____________ Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Then Mary said, "Truly I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me."

Pastor Dan preaches a powerful message on the response of Mary. Luke 1:38 - Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Join us this week for the final part in our summer series, Proverbs. Lead Pastor Shane Frazier challenges us to review our level of generosity in comparison to Christs. We hope you enjoy. The Evidence of a Generous Person:   1.    Compassionate   (Proverbs 11:24) One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.   (Proverbs 11:25) A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.   (Proverbs 22:9) The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.     2.    Extravagant   (John 12:3) Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.   (Ephesians 5:1-2) Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.   3.    Driven by Eternity   (Ecclesiastes 3:11) “…He has planted eternity in the human heart”.   (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.   (2 Corinthians 6:9) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.   (Genesis 4:2-5) …Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.  And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,  but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.   How much faith does it take to bring the leftovers?    How much faith does it require for us to bring our best and first?    If generosity were a crime would there be enough evidence to convict you?