Monday, December 21, 2009

Bekahs' thoughts on Christmas :)

Luke 1:39-45
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you![d]”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel[e] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.[f]”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

I read this part of the Christmas story and think about how it be like if an angel came to me and told me this.Would I replied like Mary or said no way Jose?I tend to wonder how Mary was feeling.God has this planned out for her which reassures me that he has a plan for me also.Even if I don't see it God knows exactly what he is doing. When God calls you to do something what do you say? Is your response the same as Mary's or different?
Luke 2:1-7
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancĂ©e, who was now obviously pregnant.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

God choose to have his song born in a manger.I love this thought.Also he choose ordinary people to raise Christ.God chooses ordinary people for great things.Like mission work or Christian service.God uses anyone willing.I know I feel pretty ordinary myself.Anyone can do extraordinary things for God.So this Christmas when you are unwrapping gifts,eating or doing whatever else don't forget about Christ and how you can serve others.