Monday 11/19/12 The Story

Dear Father in Heaven, Thank You for another day, and thanks for all You do for us each and every day.  Sometimes we forget to say Thank You, and we confess, I confess, I need to do better at giving You glory.  Thanks for watching over our children and thanks for watching over Matthew.  He is in Your hands, Lord, please take care of him.  Help me now as I get started writing The Christmas Story, please give it to me word by word each day.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is that time of year again when I like to get started on the Christmas story, and each year I pray that Jesus will give me a new look at the old, old story and the real reason for the season and the real reason we have Christmas.  This year, I would love to write this story in the eyes of Old Santa Claus.  One year I wrote it in the eyes of the Donkey, sort of made a donkey of myself, so to speak.  (I did not want to use the other word for donkey.)  Please pray today for the President of the United States.  Yesterday I heard on the live news that he said he needs prayer, even if the prayers are put through Buddha. I just cannot believe that our president said that, but I saw it on the live news.  My Bible tells me that the only way to get to The Father is through His Son Jesus.  To me that means for prayer or anything you want to get to the Father in Heaven, including we who want to go to heaven.  Pray also for our homeland, Israel, and for our Jewish brothers and sisters.  Let me get to the Story.

Luke 1:5 - In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.  6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.  7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.  8 Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by log, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.  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 a son, and you are to give him the name John.  14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.  He is never to take wine or other fermented drink and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth."  (NIV)

Dear brothers and sisters, as I start the story this year, I am starting it with the birth of John, John The Baptist, as we call him.  John's father, Zechariah, and his mother, Elizabeth, were well up in years, about 100.  Okay, ladies, how would you like to be way up in years and find out that you were going to have a child?  At a time in life when one should be enjoying grandchildren or even great-grandchildren, here is a couple being blessed by God with a child ... A forerunner of our Lord Jesus.

I love reading in the Bible about an angel of the Lord showing us, and some of their first words are "Do not be afraid."  I also love the news that the angels of the Lord bring.  Please note they do not bring bad news.  How would you like it if on this Thanksgiving Day you and your family would be sitting around your table with a big feast and about the time you are ready to pray an angel of the Lord would appear and say something like this:  Do not be afraid, my name is Gabriel, how is your dinner?  Then he might go on to talk to you about going out to work for our Lord Jesus, maybe even tell you whee God wants you to go.  I for one think it would be thrilling to hear from God this way.  Hey, Pastor Dan, do not be afraid, I bring you good tidings and great joy, and I want you to keep working for God until the day He calls you home.  Brothers and sisters, if you pray and pray in faith, our Lord Jesus will speak to you directly, and that to me is even more thrilling.  We also have the Holy Spirit covering over us, and that is also thrilling.  Brothers and sisters, if we walk daily, and I mean if we walk daily with Jesus, we will be blessed with all of these things.

We are not going to talk much about Zechariah, Elizabeth, or even John, although we will bring Elizabeth back in, in the near future.  Tomorrow we are going to see who the angel talks to next.  Who do you think the angel of the Lord will be talking to next?

Dear Father in Heaven, please forgive me, forgive us of our sins, and wash us white as snow.  Thanks for placing this story on my mind, and thanks for helping me share it with others.  Be with our President and I pray today for his soul.  Please be with our brothers and sisters in Israel and keep them safe.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings and please keep your faith and talk to our Father in Heaven in all things you do.  Before you do anything, talk it over with God.  It works much better that way.

Love ya, Pastor Dan