Untitled Sermon (8)

Look at what God can do!

some folk would say “he made a way out of no way”! Others would surely agree that what Mary experienced was indeed a miracle and then others would still as I am shaking my head and trembling…that something so miraculous and awesome could occur leaving the world in tears of JOY.

WHAT A STORY —TO TELL YOUR GRANDBABIES…GOD FOUND FAVOR WITH ME.

Mary’s story must have been so frightening that she ran off to her cousin Elizabeth’s for spiritual comfort and advice.

For just a few moments maybe we can unpack how the Angel Gabriel was able to remove fear and doubt…for fear in of itself -is very frightening.

And depending on the circumstances…fear can be deadly.

I remember a trip that I took to my brother and his wife’s home in Junction City, Kansas. That trip was without words…I traveled on a commercial airline and then had to transfer to a small private plane to reach my family. The fear of traveling alone, the fear of being harmed didn’t bother me -I was young and adventurous.

It wasn’t until after I ARRIVED-settled in and went out to his backyard the next morning to do my devotions that I heard some concern in his voice when he called me to please come back in. You see, Kansas is flat. Kansas is dry and he lived in a very rural area miles from the closest big city Kansas City. Morton and Verna were retired from the military and I suppose they like all that peace and quiet. But my fear came when he cautioned me not to be out in the sun reading.

Why? because there in his backyard were snakes…not just garden snakes but, Copper Heads and Rattle snakes. Sadly, with my fear of snakes and the horror of traveling that far to visit him alone, I never went back. My brothers gone now.

What if Mary’s fear and doubt would have left her with such a scar. What if Joseph would have carried out his plan or worse, what if she didn’t believe and took matters in her own hands and aborted?

Today, we are all glad that she didn’t…today we are all able to join with all of Christendom and agree

“Blessed is the fruit of her womb, Blessed -favored of God above all other women are you”

My friends we have come this far by faith:

Our road trip, our journey to Bethlehem commences next Friday.

In less than 7 days we will gather here to worship and to sing about the Hope, Joy, the Peace and love that came to us at Christmas through the birth of Jesus.

Gabriel must have had the majestic power to allay Mary’s fears, convince and convey to her all that she will experience -from being Blessed of God.

Gabriel reminded Mary that she had found GRACE.

FREEDOM, SOMETHING SO SPONTANEOUS AND SO ABSOLUTE, FAVOR

AND GOD’S LOVING KINDNESS…THIS CHILD WILL BE GREAT.

EMINENT, AND CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH -THE LORD GOD WITH US-

EMMANUEL. THE LORD OUR GOD WILL GIVE TO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FORE FATHER DAVID.

AND HE SHALL REIGN…OVER THE HOSE OF JACOB…THROUGHOUT THE AGES AND OF HIS REIGN THERE WILL BE NO END.

THIS IS HOPE-A HOPE MODELED IN JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MESSAGE-TO PREPARE THE WAY-OF HIS COMING!

WE TOOK TO THE ROAD…NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT-BUT WE WENT ANYWAY. THE LANDSCAPE CHANGED WEEKLY-MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED-SOME TOOK IT MORE SERIOUSLY THAN OTHERS. YET THERE REMAINS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO QUESTION WHETHER THIS EVENT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, OR CANNOT FIND IT IN THEIR HEARTS TO BELIEVE.

MY HOPE AND PRAYER IS THAT WE REACH THAT POPULACE AND TEACH BY EXAMPLE WHAT IT MEANS TO GET ON BOARD-THE GLORY TRAIN WHILE IT IS STILL PARKED AT THE DEPOT. I BELIEVE OUR LORD’S SACRIFICE CALLS FOR BOLD EVANGELISM…JOY DID COME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS, I SAW IT FOR MYSELF.

MY FAMILIES FACES WERE LIT UP WITH SMILES AS WE GATHERED YEARLY TO MOM’S HOUSE FOR A GRAND FEAST. I’M SURE YOU HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES

WE WERE 8 STRONG, MOM AND DAD-OUR AGES WERE, 8-16-18, 26-27-28.

WHAT A JOYOUS TIME…I’M TRYING TO COPY THOSE DAYS AS BEST I A CAN. YET WITH THEM GONE -MY BEST EFFORTS ARE TO COOK A GREAT DINNER, BUY THOUGHTFUL GIFTS AND INCLUDE AS MANY FAMILY MEMBERS NEAR AND FAR AT MY TABLE.

MARY’S BABY TOUCHED OUR LIVES WITH A MIRACLE OF LIFE IN GIA.

WE TREASURE HAVING HER AS I’M SURE ALL OF YOU DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN.

I INVITE YOU TO DO SOMETHING MORE —THIS CHRISTMAS-IF YOU WILL

SEND A PIECE OF HOPE, JOY AND LOVE TO SOMEONE UNEXPECTED.

I HAVE A DEAR FRIEND NAME VIOLA, SHE’S A REGISTERED NURSE AND HAS BEEN MY YOUNG FRIEND FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS OR SO. VIOLA WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY-SHE ONLY LEARNED RECENTLY WHEN HER MOM PASSED THAT SHE WAS ADOPTED. VIOLA IS A GIFT-A TRUE GIFT TO ME. I AM HAVING A GATHERING AT MY HOUSE WITH MY YADAH YADAH SISTERS AND WE WILL CELEBRATE VIOLA. SINCE HER MOM PASSED AWAY -I HAVE ADOPTED HER.

SHE REMINDS ME OF THE PRICELESS JOY—THE WONDER OF XMAS AND THE LOVE THAT JESUS BESTOWED WHEN HE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE BY DYING ON THE CROSS. EVERY WOMAN CAN BE A MOTHER EVEN WHEN SHE MAY NOT HAVE CARRIED THE BABY TO TERM…VIOLA’S ADOPTED MOTHER PROVED THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

MAY THIS WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS CARRY YOU TO AND FRO -HERE AND THERE ARRIVING AT THE PLACE WHERE I AM…SO YOU CAN SAY WITH NO REMORSE

YES, WE ALL ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION-SAFE AND SOUND—FREE FROM ALL HURT, HARM AND DANGER…AND WHAT A JOYOUS TIME WE HAD. ALL PRAISE AND HONOR GOES TO OUR GOD…JEHOVA RAPHA OUR PROVIDER. AMEN.