Changing Hopeless to Hope-Filled

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. -Luke 1:30-37

Notice Mary’s response to Gabriel when he told her that she would bear the Son of God. She asked the angel, “How?” That’s an understandable question! How would Mary bear a child when she was still a virgin? Wasn’t that an impossibility?

“It will happen by the Holy Ghost,” Gabriel explained.

If we want to define an impossibility, we could say it is anything in life that makes us ask God, “How is this going to come to pass, Lord?” We are speaking of things that absolutely cannot be humanly brought forth. However, the Bible says that nothing is impossible with God!

This Christmas, I encourage you to remember: God knows the “how” of every hopeless situation!

What Will You Receive This Sunday?

Did you know that you are the only one who determines what you receive from God during a church service? It’s not about the song selection for praise and worship, how funny the pastor is, how many examples used during the message, or if there is a ministry line you can join. It’s about you learning how to connect and receive from the Spirit during every segment of service.

For example, praise and worship isn’t a spectator sport. It’s not just an empty song service to get things warmed up or the main event. Worship connects hearts with the Lord. It’s something you are to engage in rather than just watch or enjoy. To the extent that you engage, you’ll receive light and illumination from the Lord. Engage with your heart, and you’ll want to start dancing, lifting your hands, and surrendering more to the Lord. It will begin to prepare you for what the Lord wants for your day—and no one else can engage your heart except you.