Encouragement

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"NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE" - Luke 1:34-38

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered , "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant", Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

This is a familiar passage of Scripture and always read during Christmas. There are many wonderful threads of truth we can take from it, but today we focus on two essentials to a victorious walk with God. Many of us have been battling year in and year out with the same struggles. At the beginning of each new year we are full of good intentions and New Year resolutions! Somehow, at the end of the year however, we may be feeling that we have not progressed very far since that time! It is now time for total transformation, and victory in those areas we have struggled with.

Here, the angel speaks to Mary about two physically impossible situations: 1) A young virgin girl becoming pregnant without any physical contact with a man; 2) And an elderly woman long past the childbearing season, who had been known as 'barren' all her life - in her sixth month of pregnancy! God had a beautifully woven plan for the lives of both these mothers, and the babies to be born. Elizabeth's child would be John the Baptist, whom God chose to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus; Mary was the carrier of a precious and powerful seed - the Word made flesh who came and dwelt among us (John 1), the One who would be the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Most High God and the Saviour of all humanity! She was certainly favoured! .

Friend, I know and believe that God has a wonderful plan for your life too. His Word tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." As we move towards the end of this year and walk into a new year, I want to claim this Word for each of us - that God has good plans for us in 2010; plans to prosper His children, to fill us with hope and help us see the awesome future He is preparing for us! He has plans to give us victory in our areas of defeat, and to strengthen us in our places of weakness. God desires to bless and not to curse; to bring healing and deliverance and victory into our lives - He has GOOD PLANS for us!

Mary was chosen by God because her heart was pure, and her life was pleasing before Him (we looked at this last week); but there are two essential keys for transformation which we can take from this Scripture today.

1) Surrender to the Holy Spirit - Most Christians believe in God the Father; they also believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. They may even believe in the Third Person of the Trinity - the blessed Holy Spirit. But are we completely submitted to the Holy Spirit and what He wants to do in our lives? Many of us have not recognised that He is God! He wants to draw us to the Father, and wants the name of the Lord Jesus to be glorified in our lives. He wants to bring God's plans and purposes to pass in our lives; He wants our lives to bear good fruit and be ones of powerful witness and victory in this dark and depraved world. He wants us to walk in the BLESSING of God Almighty! But this is only possible if we permit Him to come to us and fill our lives. We cannot place limitations upon Him; we cannot tell Him what to do - like Mary we have to allow the "Holy Spirit to come upon us, and the power of the Most High to overshadow us...". Mary surrendered; Mary submitted to the presence of God manifested through the precious Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may come into the life of a person, but if we are insensitive to His Voice, or persistently disobey His Commandment, if we resist Him and do not submit, then we will never see the fruit we longed for - He will not continue to stay. I want to ask you dear friends to seek the Holy Spirit in these days to come. He is the most precious and beautiful friend you could ever have. He is longing to lift your life to higher heights - this is possible if you invite Him to come (with no conditions!), and allow Him the access to do whatever He desires to do in your life. He will bring God's plans to fulfilment in your life, as you begin to submit to His Hand upon you. Maybe this is the missing link you have been looking for. As you fall on your knees and open your heart to Him, you will begin to have an encounter with the most beautiful person you ever met! If you are already experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit and His power flowing through your life you are indeed favored by God!

2) Surrender to the Holy Word - Many believers love to pray and seek the Lord, and spend time in worship, but it seems to be much harder to pin ourselves down and just read and meditate on the Word! The enemy makes this difficult for us and sends every hindrance to stop us, because of the power and anointing that comes from absorbing the Word! Each time we read the Word, our spirit is fed and grows stronger. Our faith grows!

There may also be many people who do read the Word of God consistently, but they do not agree with many aspects of it; or they may resist doing what God is asking them to do through His Word. Remember Mary - she heard the Word of God and simply said "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said"! This took a lot of strength. It is hard to submit to the Word of God for your life when you do not know what the consequences will be, or how you are going to be affected. It takes faith in God! For Mary, in the culture and context of the time, this was a big, bold step. She was a simple little teenage girl, but God's Word spoken over her life was sufficient for her! She believed! She surrendered!

Friends, in these last days, the Lord Jesus is waiting for His Bride to make herself ready. We can only grow and mature and be truly ready for Him when we grow in the power of the Word of God and surrender to all aspects of it, obeying with a whole heart.

I believe that God desires to see us walk in victory in the coming year. He wants to strengthen us to stand firm and not be knocked down by situations that are thrown against us. As we surrender to the Holy Spirit's work upon our lives, and as we surrender to the Word of God, know for sure that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. You will overcome every hindrance and obstacle that rises before you, and you will see your life PREGNANT with the POTENTIAL that God places within you. The Power of the Most High will overshadow your life and you will see great fruit brought forth - in your prayers, in your ministry, in your relationships, in your finances, and in your own personal walk with God. Surrender to the Holy Spirit. Surrender to the Holy Word!

This Christmas season, know that God has good things in store for you. He Loves you! His Word is true!

Minoli Haththotuwa
www.wingslikeeagles.info

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