11 Days to Christmas
I don’t know but Christmas just makes me happy. I love love Christmas.๐ฒ๐ฒ Maybe it’s because Jesus’ birth is celebrated at Christmas and His birth means all the world to me… Whatever it is I am just always so happy…not because my life is perfect or because I always have all I want …as a matter of fact a few years ago my daughter was on admission in the hospital on Christmas day (a story for another day๐) but even that Christmas I was happy……. So this Christmas I thought it would be nice to take a look at some of the things that happened some days just before the first ever Christmas and reflect on them.
Here we go…
10 Days to Christmas๐ฒ๐ฒ
The 1st scene of the 1st Christmas story opens up in Luke Chapter 1..with the announcement of The birth of Jesus’ cousin-John the Baptist. His parents were “both righteous and blameless before God” yet they couldn’t have babies…until……
Did you enjoy any blessings this year 2019? Well maybe “just a few” of your goals were met?
I’ll like you to know it’s a privilege from God. It’s not because you’re good or righteous or so intelligent or so wealthy or so….whatever. You are only a product of God’s providence and goodness. Can you take a moment NOW to say thank you to Him for all He’s done for you this year?
9 Days to Christmas ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
So an๐งโโ๏ธ angel had to take a journey to inform Priest Zach and his wife Mama Liz that they were about to become Daddy and Mummy….after soooooooo many years of trying and failing. . .
Wow! That baby must be someone so great to have an angel be the announcer of his coming to earth. And indeed He was someone great- John the Baptist!!!
So did you try your hands on some things this year? and did you fail at them?
You are not a failure, you have only learned more ways not to do that thing. You now have more experience at it too. Don’t despair, something greater and better is coming in 2020. Stay HOPEFUL.
8 Days to Christmas๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
“Don’t be afraid Zach, your prayer is heard….” the angel said. Priest Zach replied, “Really? Have a baby? I am an old man, neither is my wife a young woman …C’mon angel” (my own paraphrase๐)
Although Zach and Liz had been praying for a baby, it seems like he didn’t really believe that God would answer. Well God is faithful and was bent on answering their prayers so Zach had to go mute for the next 9 months until the baby was born so that he won’t say any more things to annoy the angel.
Those prayers you’ve been sending up to heaven….do you really believe God will answer? God is faithful, He will answer at the appointed time but you must believe that He will ….else you may just find yourself going mute….. I didn’t say it…it happened in the bible…๐คทโโ๏ธ๐คทโโ๏ธ
7 Days to Christmas ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
The angel’s job was not done yet. He had a great assignment- To deliver another good news to a virgin in Nazareth a city in Galilee.
Boy! did he have all her details….. “…a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. Her name was Mary”
God knows every detail about your life and is cooking up something very specific and special for you. You’re not just one in the number. You are unique with a distinct life to live and a purpose to fulfill.
6 Days to Christmas๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
After the angel delivered the good news to her, Mary also asked the angel…”how will this happen? I am still a virgin.” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit…….”
Her conception, although she was a virgin, was going to be possible by the Holy Spirit. The year 2020 is going to be an amazing year, an awesome year filled with extraordinary feats but can I quickly remind you that it is going to be by The Holy Spirit.
Do you want to do the impossible in 2020? want to achieve great heights, you want to start your business, get married, get that high paying job, start your ministry, write your book, start your blog, start your YouTube channel, have a baby or any other amazing thing in the new year….you can not joke with your relationship with the Holy Spirit.
He is the power that knocks out the IM and makes everything POSSIBLE. Please don’t joke with Him, get glued to Him ‘cos your life depends on it!!!
Just in case you don’t know Him and would like to know him, see this post.
5 Days to Christmas ๐๐๐
Mary visited Elizabeth. As she stepped in and greeted, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (remember I told you. If you don’t have a relationship with Him yet see this post, He wants to be your friend)
Then, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit began to speak words that confirmed Mary’s encounter with the angel. . . .
This season, Look out for confirmations of God’s promises to you. It may come through a little child, it may come through nature or animals…it’s just God’s way of double assuring you that He will definitely fulfill His promises to you.
4 Days to Christmas ๐๐
Hurray!!! John the Baptist is born!!! ..and guess what? Daddy Zach can speak again๐๐ But before that…
Itโs the 8th day after his birth and the baby must be given a name, so the well-wishers asked Mama Liz for the baby’s name and she said, His name is John.
John?๐คทโโ๏ธ
But no one in your family has ever borne that nameโฆ She insisted…His name is John… But they were not convinced so they took a notepad and pen to Priest Zach (who was still dumb at this time) for him to give the babyโs name and he wrote, โHis name shall be called Johnโ
Case settled! In the year 2020, you have got to be courageous. You are going to do things no one in your family, lineage, village or country has ever done before and you may face a lot of discouragement and opposition. At those times, just remember what God told you and declare it boldly. Stand by it and see it manifest as you take the needed action, courageously.
By the way, immediately Daddy Zach wrote the name, โhis tongue was loosed and he spoke praising Godโ
Indeed miracles happen when we obey God.
3 Days to Christmas๐๐๐
So much rejoicing and celebration and partying in Zachariah’s home- He is now a Daddy!!! and He got his voice back.
I can imagine all the eating and merriment, their story would have made the headlines.
“๐๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐บ๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป”
Loved ones (like Mary) must have traveled long distances to come to see the miracle baby. Even the haters must have come too to confirm-did she really have a baby? or was it just some fake news being thrown around.
In the midst of all these we see my friend and helper again – The Holy Spirit, He inspired Daddy Zach who started prophesying about the new baby and about the great things God was going to do in the land of Israel.
Well, you may not make the news this Christmas, but I am sure you will eat and be merry, you will visit friends, celebrating the birth of Jesus. However, in the midst of all the celebration and merriment, be attentive because the Holy Spirit might just be telling you something.
Keep your ears and heart connected to Him because He speaks even… in parties๐. If He is still not yet your friend and you want Him to be…read this post now…remember You need Him like no other in 2020.
2 Days to Christmas ๐๐๐
After all the partying that went on when John the Baptist was born, you would expect that the newsmen of his days would take residence in their home so as to keep broadcasting all the miracles he will be performing.
Or maybe his life would have been the most popular reality show on TV… at least an angel announced his birth.
Instead, we read that “the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel”
Hmmm! really interesting. So even with all the drama around his birth John the Baptist had to go through a season of obscurity-living in the desert.
But there was finally a day of manifestation for him and when he did manifest, there was always a large crowd waiting to hear him.
Do you think your life seems to be in hiding now? You are going through your season of obscurity-No one knows you despite all your efforts and hustle? Don’t worry your time of manifestation is coming when the whole world would be “following” you…but while in the “desert” make sure you are growing stronger in every sphere of your life…that’s what John the Baptist was doing while in the desert.
1 Day to Christmas ๐๐๐
It is the first Christmas eve…but Mary and Joseph never knew.
They were just obeying the decree of the Ruler-Caesar Augustus. Caesar had issued a decree that the whole world should get registered…a Worldwide Census.
So they started their journey to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown and since Mary was engaged to him, she went with him. …heavily pregnant and about to “pop”.
I imagine that journey must have been the most tedious one Joseph ever made to his hometown. Coupled with that, there was no 7-star hotel waiting for them to lodge in.
As a matter of fact, the only place available to them was a manger, the home of animals. They had to lodge with rams and sheep and goats and….with all the smell… You would expect that since this was God coming to earth in human form, and since it was also an angel-announced conception and birth…they would receive world-class medical care for the baby’s birth.
Or there would be no issues along the way… Oh no, it was the opposite- a lot of judgmental glares and accusations, a tedious journey the eve of the delivery, a smelly manger as the delivery ward….. anyways..that did not stop the arrival of the promise.
No matter what you have to deal with even after God gave you His promise, know that nothing, NO-Thing will ever be able to hold back God’s word from being fulfilled in your life…Just keep believing and taking action.
Hurray!!! It’s finally here!!! Christmas is here.
JESUS is born!
PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT!!!
God indeed keeps His promises. Despite all that happened, His word came to pass.
No matter what is happening in your life right now, know that God is a promise keeper… Every promise He has made concerning you will surely, surely, surely arrive safely like baby Jesus did.
Soooo I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart๐ต .
Merry Christmas!!!! Welcome, Jesus! Happy Birthday, Jesus. So glad you came, so grateful that you were born!!!
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