Good morning, all!

Father, what a wonderful time of year to be reminded of Your love for us through the birth of Your son. We pray Lord as we celebrate the greatest gift ever given to mankind that we express it with nothing but peace and joy, and just like Christmas morning, let us live with nothing but the greatest anticipation of Your love for us, Amen. Do you remember what it felt like Christmas morning when you were a child?

Luke 1

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
Hmm…looks like when don’t believe God’s word whatever we might have to say isn’t relevant…absence of God is absence of truth.

64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue [loosed], and he spake, and praised God.
Once God fulfilled His promise, He allowed Zacharias to speak again, and he started to sing a different tune…he praised God instead of doubting Him.

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
The knowledge of salvation is the absence of sin, if you can see it, you have knowledge of sin and NOT salvation.

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.
And because God loves of tenderly, He doesn’t stop with salvation, we have a visitation from the most High and gives us a dayspring…eternal Christmas morning.

Bottom line

This is widely known as part of the Christmas story in Luke, the uncle of Jesus…Zacharias…the father of John the Baptist, didn’t believe when the angel of the Lord told him he would have a son. So, what happened? The Lord closed His mouth, makes sense if you’re not willing to express what the Lord has spoken into your life then you must be silenced otherwise you might twist God’s word and live a life that’s NOT based on faith…tragic! Now once his son was born…God’s promise comes to pass…his mouth opened immediately, and his tongue LOOSED, and he praised God. I believe this to be significant, when we’re NOT praising God through our life we are in bondage. To what? Circumstances. Think about it, when don’t we praise God? In times of doubt, times of worry, times of jealousy, times of Pride, times of (insert your favorite excuse here). You know what a tongue sounds like when its bound up? I can’t, I won’t, I don’t care, not fair, it’s not my problem…your circumstance has your tongue NOT God. What should we do if we get caught up in our circumstances and forget God?

[Psa 137:6 NIV] May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, and if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Is Jerusalem from on high YOUR greatest joy this morning? Then whatever circumstance we face it can’t reach the heavens which is where our tongue is loosed to praise God through our lifestyle, if NOT, ask God to keep your tongue glued so you don’t say anything too hasty. After Zacharias praised God he declared the knowledge of salvation, which by definition in the verse is the ABSENCE of sin. If we’re still talking about sin whether ours or others then we are sinners in need of salvation, but if we hold to the power of the cross, we have knowledge that is based in our chief joy…heaven…and it’s says I don’t see sin, I don’t talk about sin. You know why?

[Jhn 1:29 KJV] 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Well, either Jesus took sin away or He didn’t, maybe instead of me talking about your sin my tongue should cleave to the roof of my mouth. Is this what love looks like?

[1Pe 4:8 NIV] Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. I know Jesus loves me enough to cover my wrong doings, but ABOVE ALL we do in this life can we love each other with the same passion and faith? The answer of course is yes, verse 78 God gives us the greatest gift a DAYSPRING…it is a morning that never ends, it’s like a permanent Christmas morning that is always filled with joy and great anticipation and NO circumstance in our life can change it…you know why? It’s based on the TENDER MERCY of OUR God. Can you imagine a life that’s always filled with the light of a morning? [Rev 22:5 NIV] There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. I pray we’re only lit by the light of Christ, and we live like that, so we have NO night, and we REIGN with God forever…salvation.

Point to Ponder

Does God light up your life? [Gen 26:4 KJV] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. According to God’s promise you are a shining star for HE has blessed ALL nations…includes you…go shine and remove the night.

Merry Christmas, in Him Phil

Faith – Family – Friends