December 3, 2017

 

The Gap

Luke 1:5-38

The Glorious Report

• And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.—Luke 1:11-14
• Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings” favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 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 bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.—Luke 1:26-31

The Ambivalent Responses

• Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid . . . Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” —Luke 1:12-13, 18
• But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary . . . Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” . . . And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”—Luke 1:29-30, 34, 38

The Precursory Results

• “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”—Luke 1:16-17
• “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”—Luke 1:32-33
• So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”    —Acts 1:6-8
• And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”—Acts 1:9-11

November 26, 2017

Give Thanks

 

To God Alone

• Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. —Psalm 100:4

For His Protection

• The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.—Psalm 121:7

For the Perfect Gift

• Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.—James 1:17

To God for All Things

• Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father—Ephesians 5:20

The Mercies –

His Indescribable Gift

• Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!—2 Cor. 9:15

His Unfailing Grace

• But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Cor. 15:57

His Comforting Presence

• The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.—Psalm 34:18

The Afflictions –

• He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”—Job 1:21

 

Because they are not as dreadful as we have deserved

• The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”—Ezekiel 9:13

 

Because they are really spiritual mercies

• And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. —Romans 8:28

 

• For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.—Hebrews 12:10-11