Monday 12/8/14 The Big Trip 1

Dear Father in Heaven:  I love You.  Please forgive me of my sins.  All glory and honor to You, dear Lord.  As I get started on this series, I ask for Your help daily to bring this story out so all who read it will know and understand it better than they do now.  This would also include me.  Thanks, dear Lord, and also please help me to get it dispatched.  I also need Your help with my computers as they are under attack again.  Please block Satan and his evil forces from this machine.  Also, Lord, please bring calm to the streets in the United States and protect our police officers.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, God willing I will be writing now to Christmas about the events leading up to Christmas and then beyond.  I have written like this before, but I do not have past copies so it will be a fresh look.  Over the years I travel along on this journey and have invited you to go with me.  One year we went by motor coach, one year we went by motorcycle, one year I did it from the eyes of a donkey.  I called myself Mr. Don Key.  So what will it be this year?  You know, I was not sure until right this minute, but God just gave me my vehicle right now.  So if we are ready, I invite you to climb on board School Bus number 36 and travel with me for awhile.  Why school bus number 36?  This in memory of my dear friend David Cernugel, who went home to be with the Lord this past year.  David drove bus number 36 for Central Dauphin School District and I had the privilege of being his supervisor for awhile.  This is a big bus, and if three sit in a seat we can get 84 on board with me.  For this ride, of course, we can put all of you inside.  So welcome aboard, let's get started.

Monday:  December 8, 2014:  The Big Trip (Day One)

Luke 1:26 - In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you."  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you to follow along in your Bibles, and in most cases I will be using my NIV Study Bible and be working from the book of Luke.

As we pull bus 36 up on our fist stop, we find the Angel Gabriel talking to the Virgin Mary.  Now this happened when Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy carrying "John," who we came to know as "John the Baptist."  While we are parked here I want to take time to tell you that when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, Elizabeth's husband, he was told this.

Luke 1:14 - He will be a joy and a 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)

I wanted to bring this out to show you that right from the start John was going to be filled with the Holy Ghost and also that he should be raised to never take wine or other booze (my term) that can cause one to be drunk.  I also want to point out that John is older than Jesus by six months.

Okay, let's go back to Gabriel appearing to Mary.  Now picture this, you are standing there, you are a young girl, when this angel appears to you and says "Greetings."  How high would you jump?  I mean you are scared, right?  Then the angel says, "You are highly favored!  The Lord is with you."  What are you thinking?  How would you act?  What would you be thinking?

Luke 1:29 - Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of a greeting this might be.  30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a Son and you are to give Him the name Jesus.  (NIV)

So we see the angel telling her not to be afraid.  And also that God has found favor with her.  As we sit here in our bus, let me run the engine and put the heat on a tad.  Let's talk about this.  Put yourself in the shoes of Mary right now.  "Do not be afraid."  I think this would have scared me a lot.  Would you have been afraid?  Here is the question I want you to think about until tomorrow.  If God were to come right now, could He find favor in you?  Had Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever sinned?  What would your answer be to that?  Did Mary sin?  You might be surprised at my answer, but for now, just relax in the bus, or stretch your legs as this is where we are parking our ride for now.

Now go forth and share your blessings.  And please pray and really pray hard for peace here on our streets in America.  Pray for our police for the pot is being stirred and I fear for the lives of our police officers.  Okay, I love ya.  Please pass on my love to others.

Pastor Dan