I was listening to a sermon last Sunday about Mary's encounter with the
Angel Gabriel recorded in Luke chapter 1. (see the verse above) It suddenly occurred
to me that her experience followed the same realities taught in Experiencing
God. Martie and I had just finished teaching Experiencing God for third time
since we returned from Haiti in 2015. We taught it in Haiti and several times
before our time in Haiti. The study has been instrumental in our understanding
of how God is at work in this world through the Saints and, of course through
Martie and me. The study teaches seven (7) Spiritual Realities, which
I refer to as principles. A principle is a fundamental truth or proposition
that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain
of reasoning. As is the nature of all principles these Spiritual principles are
immutable, constant. They don't change no matter what context you find them in.
Whether it be the age in history, ethnicity or the culture. Much like the
character of God who is immutable,
unchanging, ever present throughout the course of time.
I have tended to think of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah as
exceptions in the course of human events – and their faith and obedience was exceptional, but they were regular people like you and me. In my mind, they
are in the same category as Moses, Abraham, King David and the major prophets in terms of how God used them. The fact is that the same God who called them
and used them for His glory is the very same God that invites you and me to join Him in
what He is doing today. Over 2000 years later. And so, as we enter the Advent
season, I thought it might be good to share the stories of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth,
and Zechariah but in the context of the seven realities. My goal being to help you understand that the
spiritual principles at work in their lives have not changed but are exactly
the same as the ones at work in our lives today. It should not be surprising after all, to quote Rick
Warren, Purpose Driven Life, “It is not about us!” It’s about God.
People like us.
Mary: Mary was a 1st century Galilean Jewish teenaged woman of Nazareth.
Her exact lineage is unknown, meaning that it is not explicit in the Bible. She
was a virgin. Tradition tells us that Mary was from the tribe of Judah, but the Bible is not explicit in that regard.
Joseph: A carpenter from Nazareth, of the house of David. Betrothed to
Mary. Betrothal in ancient Jewish culture was a legally binding stage of
marriage that preceded the actual wedding ceremony.
Elizabeth: The wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist, and a cousin
to Mary the mother of Jesus. Like her husband, Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron, the first
high priest of Israel, and therefore a member of the Levitical priesthood. She
was an elderly woman. She was childless until she gave birth to John the Baptist.
Zechariah: He was a priest who served in the Temple. A descendent of Aaron and member of the Levitical
priesthood. The husband of Elizabeth.
The point here is that they were people of no real significance in the eyes of men. Perhaps the
most significant among them was Zechariah, but even then, he did not hold a high position
in the Temple.
And so it is today. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things
for His Glory and other’s good.
As we walk through the spiritual principles in the next few days, I hope that you will see how God was and is at work.
That each of us has the amazing opportunity to be used by God in ways that we
could not or would not have imagined. My hope is that you will understand not what you might do for God but what God might do in
you and through you.
You might even see the Advent in a different way.
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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