Archive for December, 2007
FreshBread Message Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Luke 1:26-27 says…..
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 To a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
So how important is it that Mary was a Virgin? I think it is very important, but maybe not for the reason you think. There is no question that the Hebrew word means young girl also; so let’s say that is how it was translated. Verse 27 would read, to a young girl named Mary…..but the context itself tells us that Mary was a Virgin….she was engaged or betrothed to a young man named Joseph, and as a good Jewish family, they never would have made this arrangement if Mary had not been a Virgin. The importance of Virgin comes up again when the Angle appears to Joseph in a dream to let him know that the child that Mary is carrying was placed there by God. There is really little doubt that this young girl named Mary had not been with a man sexually.
Many people today try to make it a sport to prove the Bible wrong. Even some of the History channels on TV start with a premise that what we read in the Bible could not have happened so let us explain it to you. I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THAT. I believe the Scripture to be Truth! What I do not agree with all of the time is our 20th century interpretation of Truth. Interpretations that do NOT take into account first century culture run the risk of leading us astray. I love the Word of God for the more I read it, the more I discover I have to learn. It is a living book that has a depth I can never reach….O WHAT AN ADVENTURE!
Have a Great Day! Let’s read on in the Christmas Story tomorrow
Scott
Virgin ….Defined by context…… the Bible is true, we have just used 20th century interpretations that have been hard to buy.
FreshBread Message Monday, December 10, 2007
Good Morning Friends!
I pray that you had a GREAT day yesterday. I received many comments about the service and know that God spoke to many of us yesterday. If we are going to offer ourselves to God, be ready for that refiners fire! I am so excited about this weekend and the next step in the journey in discovering the kind of gift God wants us to bring him this Christmas. I want to encourage you also to have your family meeting and prepare for “We’re In”. Over the next few services we will have an opportunity to proclaim that to him and the community of faith at FreshStart! So for now, let’s continue with the Christmas Story!
Luke 1:26-27 says…..
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 To a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
So Elizabeth was carrying her son for six months when the angle appeared to Mary. Mary lived in a day when women were the property of men. In fact, a women was either the property of her father or her husband. Mary was in the “betrothal” period of her life where that ownership was about to change from her father to her husband. During this time (and really in all of life) she was to remain faithful and sexually pure. Any kind of sexual promiscuity was met with DEATH. It is important to wrestle with why this is. God was telling simply taking a strong moral stand by calling something wrong as opposed to right, but God new the POWER of sex….He created us remember. Sex unites two people at their very souls; misused it can be disastrous in our lives. For a woman of Mary’s day, unfaithfulness in this area at the best, got you cast out of the family where you struggled for the rest of your life. She would be unworthy to be owned by a man and unable to make it as a single women. At the worst, Mary could be stoned.
Luke let’s us know that Mary was a Virgin! There has been much written today about the issue of this Hebrew word for Virgin. The same word that is used in Hebrew for Virgin is also used for young child! So was the scripture simply calling Mary a young child or a Virgin? Does that answer matter? This might require some deep thinking, but think about the ramifications of that question today. What would it mean to your faith if that word was translated differently? I would love to hear your thoughts….send them to me at Scott@freshstartchurch.com . Tomorrow I will give you mine!
Talk to you in the AM.
Scott
FreshBread Message Friday, December 7, 2007
Dear Friends,
Check out the rest of the story from yesterday…….
Luke 1: 11-25
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
So, I have a couple of questions for you this morning……
What characteristics of John (the baby to be born) do you find the most interesting and why?>
Why do you think Zechariah lost his voice….punishment or protection?
I can’t wait to see all of you on Sunday…..We are going to have a GREAT TIME…see you then!
Scott