Advent - Spiritual Reality - God Speaks

 Reality Four. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways. 

For 400 years before the birth of Jesus, God no longer spoke through the prophets. But at the right time, God spoke to Mary, Joseph and Zechariah through an Angel, and to Mary through her cousin, Elizabeth.

To Hear God Speak – Your Heart Must Be Right Before God.

Zechariah and Elizabeth

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” – Luke1:5-6 

They were righteous before God because of their faith in God

Mary

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:26-30

Mary found favor with God because of her faith in God.

Joseph

"And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” Matthew 1:19

Joseph was just before God by his faith in God.

Then God Spoke

Zechariah - Gabriel

"And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” – Luke 1:11-19

Elizabeth - Circumstances

"After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” – Luke 1:24-25

Mary - Gabriel

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” – Luke 1:26-30

Mary - Elizabeth

"In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” – Luke 1:39-45

Joseph – An Angel (Gabriel?)

"But as he [Joseph] considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” – Matthew 1:20-23

And Today God Speaks

How God Speaks To Us Today

God will speak to us and we will hear Him if our hearts are right. We live in the time after the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah – Jesus. To be a Helper in our spiritual lives, God, the Father, sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in every Believer – sealing us as His children for eternity. Anointing us as He did the prophets to enable spiritually. Today God speaks to us by His Spirit through the Word of God, prayer, circumstances, and other Christians. God very often speaks to us in more than one of those four ways. You may not be expecting it when it happens. What He says will always lead you to a Crisis of Belief. Do you believe that God would speak to you?

Are you listening?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

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