John's Birth Announced to Zechariah

Luke 1:1-25 

Remember how Abraham and Sarah were unable to have children and got very old. But, the Lord said to Sarah, 'Is there anything too hard for the Lord?'. I wonder if God has a surprise for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Let's see. 

Read Luke 1:8-12 in your own Bible. Put yourself in Zechariah s place as he walks into the temple, perhaps the air is heavy with the scent of frankincense and light is filtering through the haze. There is a sense of holiness and of the glory of God is thick. 

Imagine seeing the glory of a real angel from heaven. Usually people are so amazed that they are afraid. How would you feel if an angel came to you with a special message? The angel Gabriel had a joyful message for Zechariah.  

Samuel and the King

I Samuel 1, 16

As we saw yesterday, the Lord said to Sarah "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" With in the year, 90 year old Sarah miraculously had a son. Many years later there was a woman named Hannah who longed to have a son. She went with her husband to Shiloh for a sacrificial meal. During the meal, she got up to pray. She was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly. She made this vow to the Lord: "Oh Lord... if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime..." I Samuel 1:9-12 NLT  The priest Eli was watching her and assumed she was drunk  But Hannah told him how she was praying out of great sorrow. Eli said to her..."May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him." vs 17 The Lord remembered Hannah and when they got back to their home, she got pregnant with a son and named him Samuel. When the little boy was weaned she took him back to Shiloh and gave him to the Lord. He would belong to the Lord for his whole life.

Little Samuel grew up to be a mighty prophet of God. During the time he was born, messages from God were rare. Samuel began hearing from the Lord even as a young child. (I Samuel 3). When Samuel grew up the people of Israel decided they wanted a king. He tried to persuade them not have a king, by telling them all the ways a king would control them, but they wanted a king like the other nations. Samuel told the Lord what the people had said and the Lord replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Samuel found a king for them named Saul and anointed him as the king of Israel.

Abraham's Promised Son

Genesis 15- 22

A long time ago, there live a man named Abram. He had a wife named Sarai. They were disappointed because they did not have any children. Now they we getting very old and Abraham wondered who would inherit his belongings and his blessings from God. Abram cried out to God: 'O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since You have given me no children;... a servant in my household will inherit all my wealth.' And then the Lord said to him, 'No your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.
Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him,

'Look up into the sky, and count the stars if you can. 

That is how many descendants you will have.'
 And Abram believed the Lord, 
and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith." 

Genesis 15:1-6 NLT

Man's Fall

Genesis 2,3 NLT

 After God created man and woman; He placed them in the Garden of Eden and God warned them:

  "You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden - except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.'" 2:7,8, 15-17

"Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame." vs 25  The man and his wife lived a perfect life of beauty and no shame in the garden. They could eat fruit from every tree, except one.

Now here comes trouble:

God Created

Today's Reading: Genesis 1

The story of the coming of Christ is written in the Bible from the very beginning, from the first page to last. There are many places that speak of Jesus being right with God in the very beginning. Look at what Jesus' friend John says. He calls Jesus the Word and says,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 

He was in the beginning with God. 

All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made." 

John 1:1-3 NKJ

So now beginning in Genesis we read:

 "In the beginning God created 

the heavens and the earth. 

The earth was formless and empty, 

and darkness covered the deep waters. 

And the Spirit of God 

was hovering over 
the surface of the waters. 

Then God said 'Let there be light,' 

and there was light. 

And God saw that the light was good. 

Then he separated the light 
from the darkness. 

God called the light 'day' and the darkness 'night'.
  Verses 1-3 NLT

God created the sky, all of space and the earth. He spoke light into existance, plants, the sun, the moon and the stars. And He said that everything was good. In your mind, think about how beautiful is God's creation... the wonder of the universe, a star-lit sky, a full moon casting shadows across your lawn in the middle of the night, the rain pouring down on your roof, a glorious sunrise or sunset. Does this tell us what God is like? Read More:

A Great Light will Shine

Reading: Isaiah 9:2-6

Already people have been scurrying about at the malls shopping for the big day... CHRISTMAS! Thoughts whirling through our minds of Christmas music, yummy food, a Christmas tree, lights, families gathering together to celebrate the big event... the coming of Santa Claus. What? The Coming of Santa Claus? Is Santa what Christmas is all about? Some people don't realize that before  Christmas was celebrated with Santa, that people celebrated Christmas, honoring Jesus Christ by celebrating Advent: which means the coming or the arrival of Jesus.

What is Advent? Advent is a 4 week season just before Christmas to prepare our hearts for the Coming of Christ. Followers of Jesus from all over the world have celebrated Advent for hundreds of years. During Advent we celebrate His first coming as a baby long ago. I love the story of the Coming of Christ as it is written in the Bible through the ages, from beginning to the end. It is my hope to share this joy from the best of my understanding, as an act of worship to Him. It is in His Story that we find the true meaning of Christmas, The Promise of the King.

Tonight is the first Sunday, the first day of the first week of Advent. Many people celebrate Advent by lighting Advent Candles, one for each week of Advent.  For more info on the candles, the advent wreath and other resources see the side bar and pages. Continue by clicking the read more.