The Mary Miracle! Let's look at this this Christmas season:
1. Mary was a virgin
Mary's virginity represents the impossibility, humanly speaking, of life coming forth. We need to see her virginity as the hopelessness of the situation. Can you see yourself in Mary's situation? There is a dark pocket in your life, as with here womb, where life has never entered. The Mary Miracle is something that is available to each of us.
2. The Angel Came @ An Appointed Time | Luke 1:26-27
Just as God had an appointed time to send his son into the word...God has an appointed time for each of us. God has an appointed time to enter the darkness of the world around us to bring his light.
3. The Angel Came to an Appointed Place
The Angel of the Lord came at an appointed time to and appointed place...
I want to encourage you that God knows your address!
4. The Angel Came to an Appointed Person
5. The Angel Said Mary was Highly Favored | Luke 1:28
The word used for highly favored here in this verse is only found two times in the New Testament. Once in this discourse of the Angel with Mary and once in Ephesians when Paul is addressing the saints "...the accepted ones in Christ."
We are highly favored, highly accepted! Every single one of us. The same thing said of Mary is also said of us.
6. The Angel made a Pronouncement | Luke 1:31-33
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Anger Management? What about forgiveness?
I just finished reading a great booked called Island of Saints. Island of Saints is a parable style book written to paint the picture of what forgiveness is. Here is what I extracted from the book as the secrets to forgiveness:
1. For you to forgive another person, it is not required that he/she asks for your forgiveness.
2. For you to forgive another person, it is not required that he/she deserves your forgiveness.
3. For you to forgive another person, it is not even required that he/she is aware that he/she has been forgiven.
There is not a shred of evidence from the Bible that demands a person ask for, deserve, or be cognizant of the process before you can forgive him/her. Forgiveness, as it turns out, is a gift that means more to the giver than it does to the reciever.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
1. For you to forgive another person, it is not required that he/she asks for your forgiveness.
2. For you to forgive another person, it is not required that he/she deserves your forgiveness.
3. For you to forgive another person, it is not even required that he/she is aware that he/she has been forgiven.
There is not a shred of evidence from the Bible that demands a person ask for, deserve, or be cognizant of the process before you can forgive him/her. Forgiveness, as it turns out, is a gift that means more to the giver than it does to the reciever.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
The Power of the Nativity
What does our nativity set teach us?
1. The Star ::: God provides a travel guide for seekers ::: be a star for someone this year!
* be bright
* be compelling
2. The Stable ::: God sent Jesus to live in the real world ::: Jesus was born into a real family...worked a real construction job...lived in a real neighborhood...had real friends...he suffered just like the rest of us...died a cruel death for crimes he didn't commit!
* He Understands - He's been there
* The Stable represents the deliberately unsheltered life of Jesus
3. The manger ::: the ordinary becomes extraordinary ::: a feed trough for cattle becomes a cradle for the King of Kings
* What can God transform us into if we allow him to enter our lives?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
1. The Star ::: God provides a travel guide for seekers ::: be a star for someone this year!
* be bright
* be compelling
2. The Stable ::: God sent Jesus to live in the real world ::: Jesus was born into a real family...worked a real construction job...lived in a real neighborhood...had real friends...he suffered just like the rest of us...died a cruel death for crimes he didn't commit!
* He Understands - He's been there
* The Stable represents the deliberately unsheltered life of Jesus
3. The manger ::: the ordinary becomes extraordinary ::: a feed trough for cattle becomes a cradle for the King of Kings
* What can God transform us into if we allow him to enter our lives?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What will you find this Christmas?
You will find this Christmas what you are looking for!
Three things I believe you can find this Christmas if you are looking for them:
1. This Christmas you can find Forgiveness ::: "Today a Savior was born...His name is Christ, the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
I saw a Christmas card the other day that read, "If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need would have been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so he sent us a Savior.
2. This Christmas you can find Peace of Mind! ::: "Those who love your teachings will find true peace." (Ps. 119:165)
What is real peace?
::: Real peace is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, and becoming friends with God.
::: Real peace is knowing that no matter what I do. God will never stop loving me.
::: Real peace is knowing that no matter what happens, God will never leave me alone. He'll always be with me.
::: Real peace means that no matter what happens in the New Year, or in the years to come, I know that God is going to give me the strength the handle it.
::: Real peace is living by God's Word, the Bible, so I can avoid a lot of needless hang-ups and hurts and habits that mess up my life.
::: Real peace is teaching my children the Word as a foundation for life.
Three things that can rob us of REAL PEACE
* Guilt
* Grief
* Grudges
3. This Christmas you can find Eternal Life
Here are the facts of life
* We are all going to die someday.
* We are going to spend more of our life on that side of eternity than we're going to spend on this side.
You see Christmas is really the celebration of an invasion. It is a close encounter of a God kind!
The miracle of Christmas is not on 34th Street; it's Bethlehem.
You can find Jesus if you are looking for him. When you find him you find forgiveness, peace and eternal life!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
Three things I believe you can find this Christmas if you are looking for them:
1. This Christmas you can find Forgiveness ::: "Today a Savior was born...His name is Christ, the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
I saw a Christmas card the other day that read, "If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need would have been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so he sent us a Savior.
2. This Christmas you can find Peace of Mind! ::: "Those who love your teachings will find true peace." (Ps. 119:165)
What is real peace?
::: Real peace is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, and becoming friends with God.
::: Real peace is knowing that no matter what I do. God will never stop loving me.
::: Real peace is knowing that no matter what happens, God will never leave me alone. He'll always be with me.
::: Real peace means that no matter what happens in the New Year, or in the years to come, I know that God is going to give me the strength the handle it.
::: Real peace is living by God's Word, the Bible, so I can avoid a lot of needless hang-ups and hurts and habits that mess up my life.
::: Real peace is teaching my children the Word as a foundation for life.
Three things that can rob us of REAL PEACE
* Guilt
* Grief
* Grudges
3. This Christmas you can find Eternal Life
Here are the facts of life
* We are all going to die someday.
* We are going to spend more of our life on that side of eternity than we're going to spend on this side.
You see Christmas is really the celebration of an invasion. It is a close encounter of a God kind!
The miracle of Christmas is not on 34th Street; it's Bethlehem.
You can find Jesus if you are looking for him. When you find him you find forgiveness, peace and eternal life!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
Follow a star...only to end up at a stable....
There are times we follow a star to only wind up at a stable. What the wise will do when your star turns into a stable:
1. When wise men find a stable they look for God.
2. When wise men find a stable they offer there very best to God.
3. When wise men find a stable they change their direction.
When you wind up in a situation that is different than once thought...be wise!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
1. When wise men find a stable they look for God.
2. When wise men find a stable they offer there very best to God.
3. When wise men find a stable they change their direction.
When you wind up in a situation that is different than once thought...be wise!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad ::: Visit Mark's website at: www.markzministries.com
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