Verse thirty-seven caught my eye as I was reading.
"And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God. And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren. For no word from God shall be void of power." - Luke 1:34-37 ASV
'The 'rhema' of God nullifies the impossible.' would be an acceptable translation. Elisabeth was part of the Rhema. Mary knew Elisabeth. Mary goes to live with her to sidestep the pressure put on her for having an impossible birth.
"And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house. Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son." - Luke 1:56-57 ASV
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. And his mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him. " - Luke 1:46-50 ASV
Mary saw God's promise working in Elisabeth.
Power isn't what we think it is. God spoke something in private to Elisabeth's husband in the temple. The house they lived in became a special place Then Elisabeth's life became something that verified a dynamic to Mary so she could 'process' the miracle in her life.
I have people in my life that are like this. They verify a dynamic that I can't put my finger on. They are part of sustaining a hope in the power of truth.
It is very easy to look at our life in a faithless way if we are living in a spiritual vacuum. Mary made her great faith confession in front of Elisabeth in part because she saw what was happening with Elisabeth.
Rhema is linked to fellowship.
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Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Thursday, November 9, 2017
A Tree Of Life
This morning I'm doing a simple study on a phrase and meditating on it's meaning...
'tree of life'
"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." - Genesis 2:9 KJV
"And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" - Genesis 3:22 KJV
"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." - Genesis 3:24 KJV
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens." - Proverbs 3:13-19 KJV
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." - Proverbs 11:30 KJV
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12 KJV
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." - Proverbs 15:4 KJV
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." - Revelation 2:7 KJV
My thoughts go to Jesus meeting Mary in the garden after He has conquered death. It mirrors Eve in her garden. Mary is weeping and looking for Jesus. Her hope has died. It has been days. Jesus made a promise again and again that death could not hold Him and she is wandering at the edge of that promise. Then she finds Him.
"Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.''" - John 20:14-17 ESV
He is her tree of life. God banished Adam and Eve from the garden to prevent access. Mary has access but she is told not to 'cling to Him' but points her to an attachment to the Father. She has been adopted. The banishment is over.
Words can be a tree of life. Wholesomeness. Integrity. Organization that has life. Words can kill and 'breach' the spirit but we have a tree of life.
Jesus. He Is our tree of life. He is the 'soul winner' that makes us that way. The organization of His mind can nourish us. Communion is symbolic of this idea isn't it? We eat of the reality that His body was broken for us. We drink in that His blood was shed. The words that convey that truth affect us. They free us. They win us.
We are not cut off anymore. We can't touch Him with our hand but we can live in His life and His Father is our Father because of His sacrifice.
Amazing.
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'tree of life'
"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." - Genesis 2:9 KJV
"And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" - Genesis 3:22 KJV
"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." - Genesis 3:24 KJV
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens." - Proverbs 3:13-19 KJV
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." - Proverbs 11:30 KJV
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12 KJV
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." - Proverbs 15:4 KJV
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." - Revelation 2:7 KJV
My thoughts go to Jesus meeting Mary in the garden after He has conquered death. It mirrors Eve in her garden. Mary is weeping and looking for Jesus. Her hope has died. It has been days. Jesus made a promise again and again that death could not hold Him and she is wandering at the edge of that promise. Then she finds Him.
"Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.''" - John 20:14-17 ESV
He is her tree of life. God banished Adam and Eve from the garden to prevent access. Mary has access but she is told not to 'cling to Him' but points her to an attachment to the Father. She has been adopted. The banishment is over.
Words can be a tree of life. Wholesomeness. Integrity. Organization that has life. Words can kill and 'breach' the spirit but we have a tree of life.
Jesus. He Is our tree of life. He is the 'soul winner' that makes us that way. The organization of His mind can nourish us. Communion is symbolic of this idea isn't it? We eat of the reality that His body was broken for us. We drink in that His blood was shed. The words that convey that truth affect us. They free us. They win us.
We are not cut off anymore. We can't touch Him with our hand but we can live in His life and His Father is our Father because of His sacrifice.
Amazing.
--
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Grace In Luke Chapter One
I'm reading Luke chapter 1 this morning and what a blessing it is. The the angel Gabriel is making visits and speaking to people.
He speaks to an old man who is made mute until he makes a faith decision to act in a window of opportunity but he also speaks to a young woman. That young woman didn't have the stubbornness of the old man but none the less the conversation still caused her trouble.
"In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 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 rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on 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 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 mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.'
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home." - Luke 1:39-56 ESV
Mary made haste to have fellowship with people who could relate to her. She was a pure young girl and her words reflect her purity don't they?
Mary lived for three months in the stubborn mute old man's house.
"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered,
'No; he shall be called John.' And they said to her, 'None of your relatives is called by this name.'
And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.'
And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea," - Luke 1:57-65 ESV
That was no ordinary house. God was doing things there.
Perhaps there is a stubborn old man living in your house. Maybe there is one living deep inside you. A mute relegious person who goes through the motions of serving in the temple but is hesitant to walk by faith.
God may just put a piece of paper in front of you today. What will you write on it?
Or maybe it is Mary that you relate to more in this season of life. You have vision that has yet to be born but the trouble has already begun. Fellowship is what you need. Time with people a little farther along the path.
This morning my soul magnifies the Lord.
I read the words of the account of these people's lives and it is like cold water splashed on my face. It awakens me and cleanses my thinking.
He sent us a Savior and it turned our lives topsy turvey. Thank God He did. We need to get things shaken up so that reality will come into focus.
--
He speaks to an old man who is made mute until he makes a faith decision to act in a window of opportunity but he also speaks to a young woman. That young woman didn't have the stubbornness of the old man but none the less the conversation still caused her trouble.
"In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 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 rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on 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 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 mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.'
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home." - Luke 1:39-56 ESV
Mary made haste to have fellowship with people who could relate to her. She was a pure young girl and her words reflect her purity don't they?
Mary lived for three months in the stubborn mute old man's house.
"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered,
'No; he shall be called John.' And they said to her, 'None of your relatives is called by this name.'
And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.'
And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea," - Luke 1:57-65 ESV
That was no ordinary house. God was doing things there.
Perhaps there is a stubborn old man living in your house. Maybe there is one living deep inside you. A mute relegious person who goes through the motions of serving in the temple but is hesitant to walk by faith.
God may just put a piece of paper in front of you today. What will you write on it?
Or maybe it is Mary that you relate to more in this season of life. You have vision that has yet to be born but the trouble has already begun. Fellowship is what you need. Time with people a little farther along the path.
This morning my soul magnifies the Lord.
I read the words of the account of these people's lives and it is like cold water splashed on my face. It awakens me and cleanses my thinking.
He sent us a Savior and it turned our lives topsy turvey. Thank God He did. We need to get things shaken up so that reality will come into focus.
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