MOTHERS DAY 2018
Luke 1: Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you 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, 15for 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.[b] 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
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."29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
Listen to Zachariah’s response to the angel
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 said to him, “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 their appointed time.”
Think about the fact that God has not spoken or done anything powerful for 400 years. These women have never experienced the supernatural power of God. They have never experienced anything except religion. That’s all they know. And into that silence God speaks.
Women have a great ability to believe, to have great faith.
You could hardly get two different women. One is a teenager, the other is an older woman. God gives a promise to a woman that doesn’t really know God and he speaks to a woman who is disappointed with God.
I don’t believe we will see the kind of impact that we could see, until the women rise up. God’s plan for his New Testament was a plan that involved women in a great way.
You see it’s one thing to be told God wants to use you. It’s one thing to have a vision like Mary did, it’s one thing to hear the voice of God speak to you but it’s completely another thing to BELIEVE IT. To accept it. To embrace it. To prepare yourself for it, to be bold and say what Mary said.
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
It takes one thing to hear, it takes another thing to believe. To believe that your child will change the world. To believe that you are part of the answer. To believe that God hasn’t overlooked you or that God would in fact want to use you.
On the other hand, sometimes the call by God results in seclusion
24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
Sometimes preparing for the future, means not being seen. You are serving faithfully but no one can see you. You are in seclusion being prepared for the great outing of your destiny. Realize the seclusion is preparation for the celebration.
I want to pray for you today Ladies that this is the season God shows up. Don’t abandon your focus. Don’t be tempted to get cynical or leave or run. Stay in the pocket. Stay planted and allow God to give you a word about what he’s about to do inside you that will change the world.
Coming up at Influencers....
