UNLIKE YOU THINK, God still visits people. He came to Moses in the burning bush. (Exod. 3:2-4)
When Elijah was angry for the wrong reasons, he spoke to him in a still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-13)
There is no doubt in my mind that God is in this place, and I did not even know it said Jacob. (Gen. 28:16)
Nebuchadnezzar saw him as the fourth man in the fire. (Dan. 3:25)
Joshua saw him as the Lord of host outside Jericho. (Josh. 5:13-14) And the shepherds saw an angel of the Lord. (Luke 2:18-14)
God is visiting you this season.
FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS, everything was silent. So, when the angel of the Lord visited Mary, she was frightened.
Don't be afraid, Mary. You have found favour with God.
You will become pregnant, give birth to a son and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man. He will be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
Your Son will be king of Jacob's people forever, and his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:26-38)
God gave Mary the grace to bear the Son of God through the power of His Spirit.
And God can make all grace abound to you. (2 Cor. 9:8)
MARY was engaged to marry Joseph when this visit occurred.
And when he learnt that she was pregnant, Joseph wanted to put her away quietly and save her from embarrassment because he was a kind and righteous man.
He did not want to be complicit in the matter. And as he had decided to act on his instincts, the angel of the Lord came to him.
Do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else.
Rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit.
She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means "the Lord saves," because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin. (Matt. 1:20-23)
JOSEPH needed an understanding, and God visited him.
While the angel talked to him, the grace to walk in obedience was in waiting. All he needed to do was accept it.
Obedience never walks alone. It walks with the grace of God. So Paul said: I am what I am by the grace of God. (1 Cor. 15:10)
GOD does not need our input in choosing who to use or not. Neither does he subject his selection to a vote.
Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Ps. 115:3)
Mary and Joseph did not choose themselves. Instead, they were chosen by God.
SOMEONE had written that if our greatest need were education, God would have sent us an educator.
He would have sent us a scientist if our greatest need were technology.
He would have sent us an economist if our greatest need had been money.
He would have sent us an entertainer if our greatest need had been pleasure. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.
TODAY, the word saviour carries a different meaning. And many people distance themselves from it because they think they can solve their problems.
But if all were well, we wouldn't need a Saviour.
GOD knew we couldn't go up, so he came down and never left. He is Emmanuel, God with us! (Matt. 1:23)
For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life—this is the Christmas story!
It's only necessary to enjoy Christmas music by giving thought to the lyrics.
Jesus is the reason for the season; give your life to Him.
Merry Christmas!