August 22, 2012
The Birth of Jesus—An account most of us can recite by memory. What stood out in my mind today is the same thing I wrote about at the end of Mark, and that is how the Holy Spirit/God specifically directs people on what to do, down to the smallest detail.
The Shepherds—The angels appear to them to tell them their Savior was born. The angels tell them what—the birth; they tell them where—town of David; they tell them who—Christ the Lord. They tell them, "This is how you will know..." There will be a baby; he will be wrapped in cloth; he will be lying in a manger. Then the angels praised God. The shepherds said, "Let's go... let's see." They went; they saw; and they praised God. They found everything exactly as they had been told.
Simeon—The Holy Spirit told Simeon he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the Temple to be presented to God as was the custom for firstborn sons. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms, he praised God and said, "With my own eyes I have seen..." Simeon blessed them saying, "God has chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept so that the thoughts of many will be made known. And the things that will happen will make your heart sad too."
Rise and fall because some will refuse to surrender. Truth will be revealed. It will be sad to see.
Anna—A widow who never left the Temple but worshiped God, going without food and praying day and night, "and she coming in that instant" also praised God and spoke of Jesus to all who were looking and waiting for God to free Jerusalem.
Those who sought God KNEW what would happen and what was happening. They were led by the Holy Spirit to KNOW. Immanuel—God with us.
Next Entry: Luke 3:1–38
The Birth of Jesus—An account most of us can recite by memory. What stood out in my mind today is the same thing I wrote about at the end of Mark, and that is how the Holy Spirit/God specifically directs people on what to do, down to the smallest detail.
The Shepherds—The angels appear to them to tell them their Savior was born. The angels tell them what—the birth; they tell them where—town of David; they tell them who—Christ the Lord. They tell them, "This is how you will know..." There will be a baby; he will be wrapped in cloth; he will be lying in a manger. Then the angels praised God. The shepherds said, "Let's go... let's see." They went; they saw; and they praised God. They found everything exactly as they had been told.
Simeon—The Holy Spirit told Simeon he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the Temple to be presented to God as was the custom for firstborn sons. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms, he praised God and said, "With my own eyes I have seen..." Simeon blessed them saying, "God has chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept so that the thoughts of many will be made known. And the things that will happen will make your heart sad too."
Rise and fall because some will refuse to surrender. Truth will be revealed. It will be sad to see.
Anna—A widow who never left the Temple but worshiped God, going without food and praying day and night, "and she coming in that instant" also praised God and spoke of Jesus to all who were looking and waiting for God to free Jerusalem.
Those who sought God KNEW what would happen and what was happening. They were led by the Holy Spirit to KNOW. Immanuel—God with us.
"Most incredible, however, are the times we know He is with us in the midst of our daily routine lives. In the middle of cleaning the house or driving somewhere in the pickup, He stops us... in our tracks and makes His presence known. Often it's in the middle of the most mundane task that He lets us know He is there with us. We realize, then, that there can be no "ordinary" moments for people who live their lives with Jesus... We focus so much on the fact that Jesus died for us, we sometimes forget that He also lived for us and lives for us still." ~ From Immanuel by Michael CardThis is what I experienced on July 27, 2012, while doing the simple task of vacuuming. It turned out to be the first important step in the NEW BEGINNING. "Why is that stuff still in here?" See The New Beginning: Out With the Old written on July 30, 2012.
Next Entry: Luke 3:1–38
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