What Will This Child Become?

SCRIPTURE

Luke 1:57-66 (NRSV)

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.


ADVENT DEVOTION

Like people around the world, yesterday I grieved as I watched the news coming in about the deadly school shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Twenty eight lives lost in one day, most of them young children who had their whole lives before them.

It is at times like this that it is right and appropriate that we should lament. We should lift up our voices, hearts, and tears unto the Lord and cry out for grace, mercy, forgiveness, help, and wisdom.

Like the people of John's day, we ask, "What will this child become?" We never dream that they will  soon be in the company of the saints, standing before the throne of God.

So many parents will never know what their children could have become. We must hold these families in our prayers during their hour of greatest need. We must also pray for our nation. We must grieve these senseless tragedies. We must come together to mitigate violence everywhere it is found. And we must gently and sensitively share the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ which gives us comfort in times like these...

Dear Friends, these precious lives are not lost, they are found in our God! And they are being tenderly held in the arms of our loving Jesus who has restored their joy and redeemed their futures...

**********************************************
For those of you who follow my blog, you may know that on Saturdays I generally offer a psalm from my heart. But on today, I simply feel led to pray...


PRAYER

Dear Lord, you hear the cries of mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, and others who have experienced unspeakable tragedy today in Ct. As they sojourn through this deep valley, be with them in this dark night of the soul. Awaken your children to sit with them in sack cloth and ashes as they grieve. Help us to bare gentle witness to your unconditional love and resurrection power. Teach us to forgive the one who perpetrated this heinous crime and cause all of us to seek your grace and mercy for ourselves. Please grant us wisdom in this nation that we may come together to end violence wherever it is found. And may the love, joy, hope, and peace of the advent season, manifested in Jesus Christ, wrap the mourning in the warm and heavy blanket of your comfort and as their tears fall, use us to hold them up to you. This we pray in the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

SCRIPTURE

Visit of Mary to Elizabeth
Luke 1:39-57 (NRSV)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.


DEVOTION

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a day set aside to remember all of those people, in military service, who gave their lives for the cause of freedom and to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of God's children.

After reading Mary's Song of Praise, I was struck by the words, "Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed..."

Indeed, we do call Mary "blessed," as we remember her as the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave his life in service to humanity in order to attain the forgiveness of our sin, reconciliation with God and our eternal life.

On this Memorial Day, we rightly remember those people who died to defend our country; but, let us also remember The One who truly made the ultimate sacrifice in order to defend all of humanity from the power of sin, death, and the grave--His Name is JESUS!

When Elizabeth heard Mary at her door, she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Once filled, she correctly bore witness to The Truth that Jesus is Lord.

On this day, I pray that we too will be filled with the Holy Spirit and that we will offer comfort those who mourn the loss of a beloved son, daughter, father, mother, sister, brother, or friend who died in combat. Let us share the sure and certain good news message that God offers blessing, comfort, and peace to all who mourn, as well as the blessed assurance that when we are in Christ, eternity awaits us.


Let us pray:

Dear God, thank you so much for all of those people who are peace makers and peace keepers throughout the earth. Please protect those who seek a just peace for all of your children and may the day soon arrive when the work of soldiers will no longer be necessary and the fullness of the angels' prophesy on Jesus' birthday will become manifest--PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TOWARD ALL PEOPLE. We pray this in Jesus Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta

Here Am I

LENT--DAY 32

SCRIPTURE

Annunciation of Our Lord
Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.


DEVOTION

Today I pay tribute to the courage, strength, and radical obedience of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

When the angel came to her and announced that she would become a pregnant virgin, she could have freaked out! She could have made excuses regarding why she was not the right choice. She could have flat out refused!

Instead she said, ""Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

WOW! What radical obedience!

Today, I feel truly repentant about all the times God has asked for my partnership in doing the work of Love and I have refused, made excuses, or only carried out the plan partway.

How many times has God instructed us to share the good news about Jesus and we have remained silent? How many times has God moved our hearts to give liberally to someone in need and we have turned away? How many times has God called us to prayer and Bible study and we have been "too tired."

I could go on and on telling on myself (and you), but I won't (giggles)!

Let's suffice it to say that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." There is none righteous, no not one!

I am so grateful for the Endless Love and Amazing Grace of God that looks beyond our faults and sees our needs!

I am happy-glad about Jesus who gave his life on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

And I shout for JOY that Jesus did not stay dead, but was resurrected on the third day, just as he promised securing our eternal victory over sin, death and the grave!

GLORY TO GOD!

All of this was set in motion when Mary believed that "nothing shall be impossible for God" and responded with a resounding YES to God, in the form of the words, ""Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

May we all find the courage and obedience to tell God YES today!


Let us pray:

Holy God, thank you so much for your love and care toward me. Thank you that you love me so much that you give me the blessed opportunity to partner with you in your Kingdom building work. Thank you that I am invited to be your HANDS and SMILE in the world, blessing those with need. Please forgive me for the many times I have said NO to you and please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that you can count on my YES every day. I love you and I want others to love you too. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.



INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaL

Spirit Filled

SCRIPTURE

Luke 1:67-79 (NRSV)
The Savior is seen

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."


DEVOTION--Today is Saturday Psalmody; the mediation is offered as a psalm from my heart! If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)


Spirit Filled

Holy One

Fill me with your Spirit

Breathe on me

That I might be

An instrument of your peace.

My Lord and God

Use me

To share good news

To be good news

For those who need it

Spirit of God

Fall fresh on me

That I might be

A trumpet

A drum major

A voice

Crying in the wilderness

Prepare the way of the Lord

Holy and righteous

Wise and true

Are you O God

Lead me to the place

That is greater than I

That I might lead others

To the same.



THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Betwixt & Between: A CHRISTmas Story

If you would like to hear Pastor Yolanda preaching this sermon, please click the link above.


SCRIPTURE

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Luke 1:39-55 (NRSV)
Blessed are you among women

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."


SERMON

Today is the Fourth and final Sunday in Advent. As we know by now Advent means “to come” and it heralds the start of the Christian calendar when we wait, hope, anticipate, and repent in anticipation of the celebration of Jesus’ birthday on December 25th and of his glorious return from the heavens on the day of his choosing!

There are no other people who are more aware of the feeling of Advent than Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth knew what it was to wait in great expectation for something wonderful to happen!

After all, she was an elderly and barren woman who had lived her entire life waiting, hoping, expecting, dreaming that one day God would open up her womb and bless her with a child!

Well, after all her waiting, God did indeed do just that, but it sure took God long enough, didn’t it?

Poor Elizabeth! Whilst she was excited about her child, she was also shut up in her house ashamed to come out because she didn’t want to be the butt of her neighbors’ jokes as they gawked at her rounded and aged belly.

But one day, as she was hiding from the prying eyes of her neighbors, she received a most unlikely visitor. It was her young, teenage, and unwed cousin Mary.

Now, Mary also had a reason to want to hide inside of the house. She was probably deathly afraid of anyone finding out that she was pregnant because the penalty for such a thing would be stoning if the people were feeling generous and being burned alive if they were not.

How awful! In this little Judean town, Elizabeth and Mary huddled together with Advent Spirits—excited, afraid, anxious, fearful, worried, and amazed at what God had done to—and with--them!

Elizabeth carried the prophet, Mary the son of God, and yet here they were hiding and ashamed—triumphant and exultant.

Isn’t this an amazing paradox? I don’t know about you, but I have lived that paradox at certain times in my life. I suspect that all of us Christians have.

After all, we all have secrets. We all hide sin. We all have done things that we don’t want people to know about. We’ve all had people do things to us that we don’t want to talk about with others. We all know what it is to live with the sin and shame of self—or others--because this is just a part of the human condition.

But, as followers of Jesus, we also know the joy and excitement of living a saved life! We know what it is to believe that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!

Doesn’t that good news make you feel positively giddy? Joyful? Excited? Expectant?

Whilst Elizabeth and Mary had done nothing wrong to warrant their conditions, they lived in the cusp between joy and sorrow, excitement and fear, freedom and shame.

This is the same place that many of us live. For we know that He whom The Son sets free is free indeed. But, we also know that there is a war within “our bodies” between the flesh and the spirit and that war is what causes us to live in the cusp.

So, what are we supposed to do in the cusp between the now and the not yet now? How do we live expectantly, wait actively, and hope ridiculously as we stand between time and eternity?

Well, again, we can learn from Elizabeth and Mary. For as they stood in the cusp they gathered together the shreds of their hope, dignity, and courage and began to praise God—in advance—for the miracles that they carried inside of themselves and the certain hope that God would bring the promise of their babies to pass.

I don’t know about you, but I believe that it is always a good time to praise the Lord! When Elizabeth caught sight of Mary, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit got to moving inside of her and Baby John. She began to exclaim with a loud voice, “"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Oh glory! Have you ever praised God for what God is doing in the life of someone else? In my tradition we do this all the time. We say, “If God can do it for you, God can do it for me.” and we get to praising!

In response to Elizabeth’s greeting, and the move of the Holy Spirit, Mary began to praise God her own self! She said, “"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

Hallelujah!

Mary’s Song, now also called “The Magnificat,” continues to inspire us as Christians today. As she began to pray and praise I believe that God began to minister to Elizabeth and Mary. I believe that God began to encourage their souls. I believe that God built up their courage, strength, and fortitude such that they were able to support each other, as they trusted in God!

Wow!

This is the type of “walking together” that we are called to do as Christians. Although we sometimes walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we ought not to be alone as Christians. We have the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and we should have the love, care, and ministry of our communities of faith, as we journey through hard times together.

Mary and Elizabeth became a community of two, hunkered down in the house for three months, encouraging one another to go on and see what the end was going to be!

This reminds me of the importance of having a prayer partner, being a part of a small accountability group, and/or attending worship regularly.

There is just something about walking with someone on this road called Life that makes the journey sweeter, easier, and more worthwhile! God created human beings to be in community.

God made us so that we would want—and need—each other to share love, joy, peace, and companionship. Adam needed Eve, David needed Jonathan, Elizabeth needed Mary, Jesus needed his disciples, Paul needed Timothy, and so on. We are not meant to face the trials and tribulations of this life alone.

So, when we feel lost in the cusp of the now and the not yet now, we need to draw near to God and to a Christian whom we trust. It is when we try to go it alone that we get into real trouble.

Elizabeth and Mary model a better way of confronting challenges—that is, to be in beloved community with people who can understand.

Finally, when we find ourselves “stuck” between the sorrow of our sin and the joy of our salvation, in addition to finding a community of faith to help us bear our burdens and lift up our praise, we need to remember that joy comes in the morning as we serve other people!

Within Mary’s Song we hear the promise of many good things for those who love, follow, and believe in Jesus!

She says that God will grant us mercy, show us strength, scatter and bring down our enemies and oppressors, lift up the lowly, fill the hungry, and remember us forever.

Yes, Lord!

Because Mary was willing to say, “YES, LORD!” when the angel came to her with the news that she would be the Mother of God we have a stellar example of what total surrender to Spirit should look like!

I love Mary’s response to the angel who brought her the news about Jesus. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may everything that you have said come true.”

I want to live a “Yes, Lord!” kind of life. I want to be so sold out for God and for the Kingdom of Love that I would never consider denying God’s requests of me!

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus this week, let us think about the ways that we can be of service to others. Mary said, “I am the servant of God.”

In what ways can we make that same declaration?

I believe CHRISTmas gives us manifold opportunities to serve God and community. After all, CHRISTmas is about the generous and loving gift that God bestowed upon humanity when Jesus was born. As we receive God’s generous gift, we are compelled to share it with others.

There are hungry people to be fed, thirsty people who need water, naked people who need clothes, homeless people who need shelter, sick and imprisoned folks who need visitors, and widows and orphans who need care.

Furthermore, there are still far too many people who have not heard the good news that Jesus saves and he saves to the utmost!

On Christmas Day as we eat cake, sing “Happy Birthday," go caroling, read scripture, pray and attend church, we will be making the extraordinary effort to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!

As we keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas, we will bear witness to the world that JESUS is the reason for the season.

In these waning days of Advent, please have the wisdom to slow down like Mary and Elizabeth. Take the time to gather with your community of faith for worship, praise, prayer, and mutual support and then together, please find a way to bring JESUS into the lives of those who need him, by faithfully serving the least of these!

These actions will be a wonderful birthday gift for our Savior!

Go in peace, serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!


INVITATION

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus in anticipation of his birthday this week, please pray with me:

Holy God, thank you for the precious gift of Jesus! Thank you that you love me so much that you gave Jesus to die on the cross and rise again on the third day, to forgive me of my sin and make provision for my eternal life. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share the CHRISTmas message to everyone I meet! I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.


SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would let me know about your decision today by clicking "YES" in the poll located in the upper-right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, "Did God save you today?"

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!

Child of Mine

SCRIPTURE

Luke 1:57-66 (NRSV)
The birth of John the Baptist

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.



DEVOTION--Today is Saturday Psalmody; the mediation is offered as a psalm from my heart! If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)




CHILD OF MINE


I’m thinking of you

Child of mine

Who are you and

Who will you become?

I’m praying for you

Child of mine

May the Lord use you

To do great and marvelous things

I’m preparing for you

Child of mine

You are wanted and welcome

And at home here

I’m needing you

Child of mine

Want to wrap my arms

Round you and hold you so tight

I’m seeing you

Child of mine

Embodiment of God’s mercy

Filling my heart with

JOY.




THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

ETERNITY'S EMBRACE

SCRIPTURE



Mary, Mother of Our Lord

Luke 1:46-55 (NRSV)

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."


MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)


ETERNITY’S EMBRACE

In the quiet of the night

My soul reaches for you

I breathe deep

As I feel Eternity

Embracing me…

In the midnight hour

I whisper my prayer

Knowing that you hear me

I am able to close my eyes

As I breathe

Just breathe

Listening

As you speak

In a still small voice

That summons me

Down the path

Of my greatest good

As a journey

I survey the manger

The cross

The tomb

And I rejoice as I

Dance

Just dance

Into the Light

of

Eternity.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

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PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

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TRUMPET SOUND

SCRIPTURE

Luke 1:57-80 (NRSV)

The birth of John the Baptist

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)

TRUMPET SOUND

Brother John

Brother John

You were born to be a trumpet

Playing in the night

A high sounding melody

Drifting on the air

Notes

Melody

Caressing my heart

Calling me home.

Brother John

Brother John

You were born to be a harbinger

A flag

A sign

Of things to come

Melodies

Sweet and strong

Music

Inside my heart

Singing of love

Joy and peace

Unlike any I have ever known

Brother John

Brother John

Crying in the wilderness

Preparing us

To welcome our king

Melody so sweet

Speaking of eternal things

Great love

Great pain

Great suffering

Great triumph

Dark notes

Sad notes

Mournful notes

Play on and on in my ears

Long, deep soulful

Melodies

And then silence.

Brother John

Brother John

Tears streaming down your face

They’ve taken our Lord

And we do not know where to find him

Tinny, reedy, weak notes

Barely there notes

Devoid of hope

Notes

Drifting on the air

Brother John

Brother John

Is your trumpet

To be silenced

FOREVER…

No,

there

From far away

Quiet at first

Getting louder

Three days

Then blow your trumpet John!

Blow your trumpet loud and proud!

Brother John

Brother John

Parade’s a coming

Great victory

Triumph

Resurrection music

Notes dancing on the air

Into every heart

Redemption music

Loud and clear

Laughing up the scales

Brother John

Brother John

Playin’ follow me music

Leads the band

Right into eternity

Brother John…

Play your song!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

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Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com