Elizabeth Is Filled With The Spirit

Let us muse today from Luke 1:39-41 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. Mary arose and went to her cousin Elizabeth’s house and as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary speak John leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. Oh how the presence of  Immanuel in His virgin born womb can fill one with the Holy Ghost. This happened to Elizabeth without her expecting or asking for it, such is the work of the Holy Ghost, He fills the most unlikely candidates. I remember a night in the late 70s in Saluda, North Carolina in the service when God kicked the bottom end out of me, emptied me of myself, and filled me with the Spirit and all the measure of success I have had in the ministry has its roots in what happened that night.

God Specializes In The Impossible

Let us muse today from Luke 1:35-38 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. In our text today the angel Gabriel has come to visit Mary with the news that she is going to have a baby and yet remain a virgin. He gives the example of her barren cousin Elizabeth who is old, barren, and beyond child-bearing yet she is six months pregnant. The angel told her that God specializes in the impossible. He can let babies be born to virgins as well as women who are beyond having any ability to give birth. Mary’s response in verse 38 was do to me according to the Word of God. May we in these days submit to our God to be a candidate for the impossible to be done in our lives. Holy Ghost filled people see impossibilities as God’s possibilities because we know that He specialized  in the impossible  even the raising of dead sinners.

Hiding God’s blessing

Let us muse today from Luke 1:21-25 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. In verse 25 we are told that God is visiting Zacharias and Elizabeth with a child to take away their reproach. It was a great embarrassment for a Jewish couple to be without a child in the days of Christ’s birth. Zacharias doubts the news and Elizabeth  seeks to hide it. Oh how often we see the blessings of God as an inconvenience, wrong timing, or even a mistake. Let us be assured if we encounter anything on the road with Him, He has placed it there, caused it to be and when it is done it shall be good so just enjoy it on the journey home.

A Doubtful Zacharias

Let us muse today from Luke 1:18-20 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. Our text today speaks of a doubtful Zacharias. Let us remember God has not communicated with man in over 400 years. Zacharias is very familiar with the Abraham and Sarah story but when confronted with the fact he will have a child his doubts erupt with the thought I am old and my wife is well stricken in years. Oh how often we see our weaknesses to be greater than God’s power. For these doubts Zacharias is left speechless and such will we be when God’s power overcomes our weakness. It will leave us in awe. Awe is when one is left scratching their head with mouth open.

Prophetical Purpose

Let us muse today from Luke 1:17 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. I turn our attention today to the prophetical purpose of John’s birth. He is coming in the power of Elishja and will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the people to the wisdom of God. John’s major reason for coming was to prepare the people for the coming of Christ. His job was to announce behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Our Lord put John in the wilderness for a long period of time to teach him to point to the light with his life. When he was prepared he stood by the Jordan River and said behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world and six months later he was beheaded.

Turned Many To God

Let us muse today from Luke 1:16 and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. I find in our text the folks that God fills with the Holy Ghost will turn many to the Lord. I have folks say if I believed salvation was a sovereign act of God alone I would not witness at all. This is a foolish statement. I understand that not only is salvation a sovereign act of God alone but He uses men as the instruments through which He gets the Gospel to those He is pleased to saved. What a blessing to be filled with the Spirit and used to point folks to our Lord.

Filled In The Womb

Let us muse today from Luke 1:15b and the people whom God fills with the Holy Ghost and the birth of John. I find in our text today that God filled John with the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb. This really messes up much of today’s theology of decision and profession based salvation. John was filled with the Holy Ghost and he never went down the Romans Road, made a profession, or prayed the sinner’s prayer. I wonder if salvation is all a sovereign act ordained by a Holy God and our part of believing and calling upon God or acts brought on and caused by God alone?