Upon hearing the greeting of Mary, John the Baptist leaped for joy inside his mother's womb (v. 44). A six month old fetus experienced unbridled emotion, voluntarily leaped for joy and was actually filled with the Holy Spirit.
It is no coincidence that the man Jesus called the greatest of all Old Testament prophets, was the only man in the Bible to be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb (Lk. 7:28).
The anointing of God that breaks every yoke is simply the manifest presence and working of the Holy Spirit (Isa. 10:27). The Holy Spirit is the part of the Godhead that empowers us for service.
God is not asking us to live for Him. He is asking us to let Him live through us (Gal. 2:20)....
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What a statement! If we just believed this, how different our lives would be!
From birth we are trained to know our limitations. You can't have this. Don't touch that. Don't put things in your mouth. You can't touch the fire. On and on the list goes.
As we grow up, it's actually a sign of maturity to recognize our limitations and learn to live within them. There are limits to everything. It's a fact of life.
But God has no limits. When we enter into the realm of the supernatural, we have to take off all the limits. We have to renew our minds with the truth that God is not like us. He can do anything.
We have an awesome God whose power is so great that we can't even comprehend it. He created the universe and it didn't even tax His ability. Yet many times we find ourselves wondering if our...
Contrast Mary's question and Gabriel's response with the question that Zacharias asked Gabriel and the response that he received (Luke 1:18-20). You will find the questions are similar but the responses are totally different.
Both Mary and Zacharias asked how these miracles would occur but it is evident that Mary was asking "how" in faith while Zacharias was asking "how" in unbelief. It is a clear Bible teaching that unbelief doesn't please God (Heb. 11:6), but the Lord doesn't mind us questioning Him for the purpose of instruction so we can cooperate with His will in our lives.
Abram knew that it was God's will for him to have a son but Abram and Sarai came up with their own plan which caused them and the world much grief (Gen. 16:1-6). Abram would have avoided many...
THE DICTIONARY DEFINES "MARVEL" AS A STRONG SURPRISE OR ASTONISHMENT. DID YOU EVER THINK THAT JESUS COULD BE SURPRISED? WELL, HE WAS. IT SAYS HE MARVELED AT THE CENTURION'S FAITH. THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL JOY FOR JESUS WHEN HE HEARD WHAT THE CENTURION SAID. (MATTHEW 8:8-10 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy...
Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous people (v. 6) who prayed for a child for many years. They felt the same disappointments and frustrations that any of us would feel and yet they kept believing God. The Lord finally answered their prayers and sent His angel to announce the good news.
What was Zacharias' reaction? He couldn't believe it! The very thing that he had been praying for was granted and he doubted that it was true. In Zacharias' case he received his miracle anyway. Perhaps his wife's faith pulled him through.
Likewise, you may be praying for the right things. You may even be sincere and earnest, but would you be surprised if those prayers were suddenly answered today? Have you made preparations for your prayers to be...
Even the genealogies are inspired by God and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy through Joseph back to Solomon. However, there was a curse placed on one of Solomon's sons named Jechonias (Jer. 22:24-30), which Jesus avoided by being born of a virgin.
Luke mentions Jesus as being the supposed son of Joseph who was the son of Heli. It was actually Mary who was the daughter of Heli. This was done in other Old Testament instances (Num. 27:1-11; 36:12 with Ruth 4:6). Mary's genealogy was also from David but through Nathan, a half brother of Solomon. Thus the lineage was preserved but the curse bypassed.
These genealogies show the infinite wisdom of God in fulfilling His promises despite...
