avent reading 8 & happy sunday!

Luke 1:5-25
The birth of John the Baptist is foretold to Zacharias.

 

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,   of  the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both  righteous before God, walking  blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.  But they had no child, because  Elizabeth was barren, and  both were advanced in years.  Now  while he was serving as priest before God when  his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot  to enter  the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  10 And the whole multitude of the people  were praying  outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of  the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and  fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for  your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and  you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will  rejoice at his birth,  for he will be  great before the Lord. And  he must not drink wine or strong  drink, and  he will be  filled with the Holy Spirit,  even from his mother’s womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and  he will go before him  in the spirit and power of Elijah,  to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and  the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

And Zechariah said to the angel,  “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”  And the angel answered him, “I am  Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.  And behold,  you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”  And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in  the temple.  And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in  the temple. And  he kept making signs to them and remained mute.  And  when his time of  service was ended, he went to his home.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,  “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me,  to take away my reproach among people.”

I LOVE this passage of scripture - God's power manifested even when men are doubting and sinful.  I pray everyone has a great Sunday worshiping our great God, refocusing our lives for the week to serve and honor Him with everything.  Continue to pray for us!  Much love.