Thursday: Mothers (4)

"Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. God is good, He has me up very, very early working for Him today. The last two days I had early morning doctors appointments and did the Lord's work later in the day. Shame on me, I should have got up early like today and did His work first. Now I know this, and in life we so often put off the Lord's work to work on other things or to take care of other things. Since these were scheduled appointments, I surely could have gotten to God's work first. Forgive me Lord, and forgive me brothers and sisters, I am still a child when it comes to God and I am still on the learning curve.

It is Thursday and that means it is family day ... So please pray for families today and remember regardless if you like what our president is doing, please pray for his family. Also today please pray for Tim Beitzel, the young man with that golden bass/baritone voice who sings for The Couriers. Tim is on a road trip with The Couriers and has landed a big old toothache. Oh how they hurt, and no sleep for two days. Last report he found a dentist, no idea on how good or how much. So we pray and put our Doctor Jesus (DDS) on the scene. Yes, we could line up all those letters behind the name of Jesus. Prayers also for my dear wife Dolores, who is having problems, and needs the healing hand of our Lord Jesus.

Mothers (4): Luke 1: 11 - Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John." (NIV)

This is the story about Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. This story is really good because it tells of how our Lord God picked Zechariah and Elizabeth to bear the man who will become the one who goes ahead of our Lord Jesus telling all that the Kingdom of God is near. Last week I wrote on faith and I want you to listen to this ... Old Zack and I do mean old, did not really want to believe Gab, I mean Gabriel, the Angel of the Lord who talked to Zechariah about his future son. Listen to this ...

Luke 1: 18 - Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. 19 The Angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at the their proper time." (NIV)

My dear brothers and sisters, when the Lord speaks to you directly or if an Angel of the Lord would call on you, and please don't tell me that this could not happen today, for our Lord is still the same ... When God talks to you and you don't listen you might just be given some punishment from God. And if you don't think that God hands out some punishment you better be thinking again, but that is a lesson for another day. Let's talk a little bit about Elizabeth and how at an age described as "well along in years ... Ladies, put yourself in the shoes of Elizabeth and think of what you would think if you were told by the Lord that you are going to have a child and you are, well maybe just turning 50. Men, picture yourself as maybe 70 or 75 when you are told that your wife is in the motherly way. I know right now most of the old men reading the line would think, I am going to go out and brag to my friends, but then it hits. I am going to have a child at this age, gosh I will be just shy of a hundred when my child gets through school. And your wife, who is well along in years, might be thinking, was this a blessing or a curse? But remember, you are working for the Lord. I don't know how I would handle this one if it happened to me. Would I be like old Zack and not believe, and then be made so I could not speak for nine months? (That might please a few people.) But here is this lady, well up in years, about to become one of the most famous mothers in all of history ... and do you remember what made the unborn baby in the womb of Elizabeth jump for joy? Tomorrow I will give you that answer if you don't remember.

It is so much fun looking back at some of the mothers in the Bible, and folks, please take time to look back at your very own mother. Some of us lost our mothers at a young age, others have had their mothers for a long, long time. Folks, regardless if your mamma is living or has passed, look back at the good things and remember and give thanks... and if there were bad things, then forgive her, and move on with your life, trying to keep only the good memories ... Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, Thanks again for mothers and thanks for Elizabeth, the mother of John, who we know as John the Baptist. Thanks for the families that always need mothers and fathers, and we ask Your touch on each and every family that reads this line. We ask Your touch in the family that lives in the White House, and I ask Your touch on my family and my online family and my family at the Bridges. God, please bless families around the world, and help the men learn that they are to lead their families in a way that pleases You. And Lord, please bless mothers, all mothers, and let them know that they are indeed in my opinion Your second best gift, the first one being Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Now go forth sharing and caring for others ... remember this Saturday we are in concert at 2.00 PM at The Bridges and you are welcome to attend ... love ya, dan.