Wednesday, August 26, 2009

LITN I, Verse 26 - 38

26. Then, in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth

27. to a little teen-age girl who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of king David. The young girl was a virgin, and her name was Mary.

28. The angel just went right into her house and said to her, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29. Mary was not only startled by his appearance, she was also troubled by his declarative words and wondered what he meant by his greeting.

30. But Gabriel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, I am here because you have found favor with God.

31. You are going to conceive today, and in a few months will give birth to a Son, and you are to name and call Him Jesus.

32. And your baby boy will become great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,

33. and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end…it will exist in the eternal now.”

34. After collecting herself and gaining her composure, Mary asked the angel, “How can I conceive a child today? I am engaged to a man, but I am a virgin...I have not slept with my fiance or any other man, for that matter...and have no plans to do so today!”

35. But the angel answered, “You are about to have an unprecedented encounter with the Holy Spirit that is going to affect your natural body and, when that happens, the power of the Most High will literally overshadow you and permeate your entire being. This encounter will cause you to conceive, so that the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God!

36. And your cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a child, even in her old age. She has never been able to conceive throughout her whole life, but she is already six months pregnant!

37. I know that this seems impossible to you…and, in fact, it is biologically and naturally impossible. But, with God, nothing in any realm is or ever will be impossible!”

38. Then Mary said, “You must understand that I can't even begin to comprehend or process all this with my mind, but in my spirit I say ‘Here I am, may it be to me, not according to logic or reason, but according to your word! I submit myself to the eternal, now Word of God that makes all things possible!" And when Mary said that, the angel left her.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Very cool, Bishop, how this letter actually sounds like a letter between two friends. I didn't know if it was just me at first, but now these verses confirm the conversational tone and style. It draws me in like I am reading a letter sent from one good friend to another...not a "planned as an account to be shared" but a one-on-one "okay, everyone's telling the story but I want you, my excellent friend, to hear what I've found and seen." Very cool, anointed and fun to read.

It is also cool to hear the logical, medical, even scientific paradigm...v.37 "and, in fact, it is biologically and naturally impossible." v. 38 "not according to logic or reason". Since this is a discussion that had to have been related to Luke it almost has a "some Luke commentary, some actual dialogue" feel to it and is somewhat reminiscent of your comments on Sunday, Bishop, about going in and out of time and space to minister here a little and then go back.

Seems like a glass of the finest wine needs to be ordered while we ponder this first course and anticipate the second.

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday to our blessed and beautiful in every way Pastor Debye. You are wisdom's daughter, sister and often mother and probably nahni too. I tried to spell the last one with a sort of mystical asian flare to it. We are all blessed in many ways because of you not the least of which is the encouragement and support you give to your husband. His inspired and inspiring work would not be done otherwise.

I agree with Avatar in that you have really set a wonderful tone for this gospel, Bishop. As a letter to a friend, it appears to include the reader as though we are that friend. Very nice touch, and I have to say the picture of the virgin being visited has become my favorite of those you have shown in the past. She is so sweetly receptive of the news in her humble place of existence.

Of course, being of my particular gender, I would not want to be the recipient of such news (that would be an entirely different kind of gospel) but it is a part of my desire to submit myself to the eternal now Word of God that makes all things possible. Doing that has been the source of success for me on many occasions.

let the blessings flow

Anonymous said...

Tom Cutts said...

This is a very meaningful translation. Makes it all the more clear how the Holy Spirit affected the natural bodies of both Elizabeth and Mary, while both were in the house of Zachariah.

Northern Light said...

I have ALWAYS loved and pondered the scenario of the angel coming to Mary and explaining "the plan".

From the very young age of this "girl", springs a faith that confounds the mind. To be in the presence of an angel speaking to you is one thing to believe/behold, but to hear the things this angel is speaking and to say "I can't comprehend, but I sumbit"...........WOW WOW WOW

I think the awesome wonder of that encounter could be a bible study in itself. Just all the dynamics and the "what ifs" and the how her life was changed forever more.

The lesson for all is that when "God" sends you a message, in whatever form it reaches you, are you so willing to say "here I am Lord", or do we need some time to think on it and "I'll get back to you".....

Peace,
Northern Light

karl cobos said...

Hello Bishop, bloggers and birthday lady Pastor Debye!

Keep loving yourself...keep holding on to grace!

Bishop, from the very get go last night I was hearing confirmations...first you reminded us about "loving yourself", embracing the way the potter made us. Earlier in the day I was thinking this and tried to share the following on Facebook, but for some "reason" it didn't go through;..."thinking badly of yourself is NOT ok...love yourself...love what the potter has made!"

...and then you moved into saying "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding..." from Proverbs 3, and another lady spoke the same. It really ministered to me because a little earlier that day I had a "moment" when my spiritual diapers went back on! Sending signals to the body, about 2 hours before service my friend Larry sent me these very same words that were spoken...twice.

So...trust...by faith, trust in the Lord.
---
...and these passages from Luke can definitely go along with trusting.
Certainly Mary had to trust that it could be so..."ok" she said, so be it!...amen.

By faith Mary, yet being a virgin, believed and trusted in the word of the Lord, that she would give birth to the Son of God.
While not yet fully comprehending what was going to happen, she submitted to God's plan.
How? Trusting that all things are possible with God.

...a wonderful lesson to us as well, to submit to the words and plans of the Lord, though we may not know where we're going...by faith.

word ver: ainta
...ainta that good news!

Northern Light said...

In my post I refered to Mary and that she would (should read)"submit"...not sumbit

Although, it might have been a good word ver sumbit

Some Bit of this plan is freaking me out

ah....creative way to get out of that spelling typo....glasses might have helped TOO !

Peace,
NL

Larry Usher said...

Like the flow of the writing Bishop and I love angelic visitations as well; always interesting to see the human response.

Just had a word for several people today:

See past your problem/situation/circumstance/obstacle- know that this too shall pass...weeping and anxiousness may endure for a night, but joy will come in the morning. Hold fast to your profession of your faith and use the Word to constantly remind yourself of the truth that will move mountains.

Blessings to all,

Bro Lar

Northern Light said...

Amen Larry, I"ll receive that word, as many others will. I'm still sharing my piece of Bishop's "messy blessing" word last night;and no matter how much of it I give away, it still has me full. Like I mentioned earlier today, like the fish and loaves multiplying.

Peace,
Northern Light

Iris said...

Amen Bishop,

As I was reading LITN for today, my spirit leaped as I read today’s entry… Mary reminded me of us. How many times has God birthed something in us… His dream an embryo in an earthly womb. An “unprecedented encounter with the Holy Spirit that effects our natural body, and when that happens, the power of the Most High literally overshadow us and permeate our entire being. This encounter will cause us to conceive, so that the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”

It isn’t easy to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit… it messes up our comfort zones… our cloths suddenly don’t seem to fit anymore… it is comfortable to sleep… and the stretch marks… yikes… Stretching into doing things we haven’t done before… But in one remarkable moment the Word becomes flesh and the world witnesses an instantaneous consummate “encounter with the Holy Spirit.”

In awe… always. Afraid… most likely… But God!!! But God sends his messenger and says “Do be afraid… you have found favor with God.… what you conceive in your womb today will birth part of the kingdom that will be great in the earth… My kingdom will never end… it will exist in the eternal now.

Get ready CITN… Get excited… we are existing in the eternal now… the birthing pangs we are experiencing now will produce the kingdom that is be great in the earth.

Love
Iris
p.s. Happy Birthday Pastor Debye

Son of Zadok said...

Iris,

That was a great post. I'm sorry if I'm laughing a bit, but at the end you stated, "Do be afraid", instead of, "Don't be afraid". The reason why I mentioned it is to compare the fear that so often accompanies religion to the truth that was always heralded by messengers of God.
Could you imagine if in every case in the Bible where it was stated, "Fear not!", it was replaced with, "Be afraid...be very afraid!".

It just struck me as funny and illustrated the absurdity of what is taught versus what is written.

Thinking about Uganda also. The word "appearances" has been on my heart. We judge not by appearances, for God does not judge the world as men do, but by mens' hearts. We may see something that in the natural could look like defeat, but God sees something beautiful in operation.
In all of this, what more can you ask for?

You get to minister to Jesus.

Donald said...

I had never thought about it before, but with all this talk about Mary being a virgin it seems that that was a trait that differentiated her from the rest of the crowd.
I'm beginning to wonder just what sort of mess was going on with those folks back in those days.

Iris said...

SOZ,

I'm glad I could make you laugh... Laughter does good like a medicine...

Fear... or not to fear... that is the question... and a different blog.

As far as Uganda... It is a wonderful place and can't wait to go again... There is so much love and connection there. It transends any judgement... It is amazing... an experience that will change any life that encounters it.

Larry Usher said...

From Isaiah 55:

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands

Just a word...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, everyone...seems like when I really get into the paraphrasing flow, it tends to slow the blog comments down a little, so I really appreciate you troopers who hang in here and continue to read and write...

Donald, it's been a few days since you gave me chuckle...thanks...

Izumi/JOY said...

Good morning beloved Universe!

Bish, have attempted blogging a few times, but whenever I hit publish, got error notifications. (hence, the FB posts)

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

I don't know what's up with that...I moved your comment here...



Izumi/JOY said...

v.28 - I realize that the context of Gabriel's greeting was a salutation. But, I enjoy considering that word, "hail." As a noun - frozen rain drops were a plague of Egypt. (Haggai mentioned hail as a divine judgment.) (reminds me of Job 38:22,23. Also, Isaiah 33:22.)

By the time I got to v.36, I was seeing similarities with Job, again. (38:27,30)

V.38 - wonder which of Gabriel's words, Mary submitted to. ... Read More

Was it, God?

"Champion"? (Gabriel means champion of God) Courage? Favor? Life? Eternity?

Like Mattthew 4:4, it's so Job 38:36.

Izumi/JOY said...

Sanctuary much!

Safe passage to all on the Uganda trip!

Anonymous said...

Verse 38... I don't understand, but submit my self to You. Trusting Him completely...
Just recently I've been going through my own growth of learning to trust Him... no matter what. It's one thing to say it, but to actually apply it to your life...wow. There really is the free falling peace that comes when I just let go and completely trust.


Awesome Bish.
Lindsey Pettite