Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Luke the physician gives an interesting account of the birth of Jesus. In the run up to the announcement of the miraculous birth of Jesus the angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah as he was offering up incense to the Lord in the holies of holies. His fellow believers were outside praying whilst he was also praying and making the offering. The angel of the Lord, Gabriel appeared to him and declared to him that what he was praying for would come to pass (Luke 1:8ff). That is, his wife would give birth to a child and that he was to be called John.  This is a real lesson for us for as we shall see. Although Zachariah had been praying for years for a child to succeed him, he really did not believe that God would come through for him as he was now an old man. Nevertheless he remained faithful serving God in his capacity as a priest in the house of the Lord. When he heard the good news, he questioned the angel and explained to him all reasons why this could not happen. I am old and my wife is old. She had been barren for a long time. Not since the time of Sarah has anything like this happened. Well Zac, the God of Abraham is still the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. And as he told Moses, he is the ‘I am’, not the ‘I was’ or the ‘I will be’. He is the’ I am’, the God of the now.  As a sign for his unbelief Zachariah was struck dumb until the prophetic word was fulfilled and Elizabeth his wife had given birth to the baby boy, John.

On the contrary, when Mary was told by Gabriel that as a virgin she would have a baby boy, her response was, “OK Lord, be it unto me according to your word” and so it was (Luke 1:38).  My encouragement to you is this, if God has given you a promise through his messenger, a man from God, believe him and do not circumvent it with the words of your mouth. For as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, it may seem impossible to you, but with God all things are possible (Luke 2:37 paraphrased). Read Luke 1:1-38.