Tag: Mary

The Boy who Changed – and Is Still Changing – the World

Luke 2

Luke 2 final

“Do not be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Luke 2:10-12

 

Today, we are reading through Luke chapter 2 which contains one of the most popular accounts written in the Bible—which is the birth of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Regardless of our religious affiliation or background, we are familiar with the story line. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem to be registered under Caesar Augustus’s decree. While there, it comes time for Mary to give birth. Because there is no room in any inn, she must give birth in a stable.

 

For us, this narrative is important because it is the beginning of the story of a man who turned (and is still turning) the world upside down. We can skip forward and see how much of an impact Jesus had on so many, and we can also see how he works in our lives today.

 

But imagine being in the shoes of Mary, Joseph, and even the shepherds. They weren’t able to skip ahead, they had to live it out. For Mary and Joseph, they had to trust in God that he would see them through. They had to have strong enough faith that God would do what he said he would do. For the shepherds, imagine going from a normal day to having an angel tell you that the Son of God has been born. The Messiah is here! It is even written that they were terrified (Luke 2:9).

 

Why does this matter? I just think it’s important for us to realize that these heroes we read about in the Bible were more than just characters. They were real people. They didn’t get the luxury of knowing what was written on the next page. They had fears, and they weren’t perfect. They had to trust in God and his purpose. They had to believe that God was going to hold their hand through everything. Imagine the trust! Imagine the faith!

 

So as you read today, place yourself in their shoes. Because if we can understand what Mary and Joseph went through, maybe we can learn to emulate their faith in our own lives.

 

-Leslie Jones

 

 

God Even Thinks of the Little Things

Luke 1

 

Fuel Blog post 1 final

Today we are reading through Luke Chapter 1, which begins with the prediction of John’s birth to Zechariah and Elizabeth, followed by the prediction of Jesus’s birth, and ends with the birth of John.

 

It is easy to look at this section of scripture and focus on the major events that occurred—which might I add—are incredible. Imagine being in Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, or Zechariah’s shoes. In one moment, your life has completely been turned upside down. What a brave faith each of these individuals had.

 

But there is something important in this passage that I think could easily go unnoticed because of the power that the main story line holds. That is the fact that God thought of the smallest things.

 

To start from the beginning, we learn in Luke 1:7 that Elizabeth and Zechariah had been unable to conceive a child. In their time, it was a disgrace for a woman to not give birth. With both Elizabeth and Zechariah being older, I cannot imagine the shame that Elizabeth endured for years before conceiving John. She expresses this in Luke 1:25. Later, we find out that Elizabeth and Mary are related. Mary is also told that she, though a virgin, will conceive Jesus. Luke makes a point to draw the connection between Elizabeth and Mary in Luke 1:36.

 

Why am I bringing this up? Because God has the ability to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, with whoever he wants. He could have chosen ANYONE to carry Jesus and John, so why Mary and Elizabeth?

 

By choosing Elizabeth to carry John, a faithful servant of God no longer had to be frowned upon for being infertile. He gave Elizabeth a beautiful gift and miracle that I am sure had been prayed for by both Elizabeth and Zechariah for years. God could have accomplished what he needed done without this, but he did it anyway.

 

Furthermore, God chose Mary to carry his Son. That in and of itself is miraculous, but what is so cool is that God gave Mary Elizabeth. He knew that Mary would struggle and need someone to comfort and be there for her. Not only was Elizabeth faithful to God, but she also had just conceived the miracle of John. Mary had someone that understood what she was going through, and Mary also had concrete belief that the prophecy was true because Elizabeth experienced something similar.

 

What is so crazy to me is that God did not have to do any of that! He could have chosen people hundreds of miles apart with no relation to one another to carry these two powerful men. He could have chosen someone to carry John who already had many children as well, but he didn’t!

 

Simply put, God thought (and still does) think of the little things.

 

This resonates because it proves that God will not call us on a mission without all of the correct supplies. We, as Christians, are called to big things whether we may realize it or not. A lot of these callings may be out of our comfort zone and force us to jump into territory that we might not understand completely.

 

But the beautiful thing is that God sees it all. So, the next time he calls, answer. Take the jump. Start running. Because, no matter what, God won’t let you jump out of a plane without a parachute.

 

-Leslie Jones

Fear NOT

Luke 1

Luke_1_30_37_praise_image_scripture_image, with_God_nothing_is_impossible

Saturday, May 13

What are some fears that impact you? Spiders? Snakes? Heights? Public speaking? We have many fears that may consume us. Some of these fears protect us physically, other fears may protect us socially. We should take time to evaluate our fears and see if it is something that is actually a danger or just a perceived danger. One of my daughters is afraid of crickets…is the cricket that makes her scream really going to do her any harm? No, however the snake she found in the yard as a toddler could have been poisonous and a real danger (Thankfully it was not). Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference in these fears. In the moment, the fear is powerful regardless of actual danger levels.

 

In Luke 1 we find fear mentioned when Zacharias (Zechariah) encounters the angel Gabriel and again when he appears to Mary. It says in verse twelve that Zacharias was “troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.” It says Mary “was very perplexed … and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.” I can only imagine what it would have been like for either of these individuals, to be in the presence of “one who stands in the presence of God and {has} been sent to speak to you.” That would be quite the intimidating situation. This would, by far, rival the fears we face on a daily basis.

 

I am drawn in by Gabriel’s response to both Mary and Zacharias. He says to them, “Do not be afraid …” It is obvious from his statements that he is there to be God’s messenger and that these messages are meant for the good of God’s people, yet there is still fear instilled when he appears. Gabriel had to deal with this fear before he continued to share God’s Good News. We must learn to deal with the fears in our hearts before we can effectively share the gospel message with those around us. God tells us, “Do NOT fear!” He is with us, He has given us hope, He has placed a message in our hearts and in our mouths. We MUST share that message and FEAR NOT!!!

-Bill Dunn

(Photo Credit: Photo by Eric Valentine – http://praisephotography.com/2010/12/19/overwhelmed-with-joy/)