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THE GIFT OF ANSWERED PRAYER

The Message Brother Ken Wilson brought to The Orchard Church on December 14, 2008

Luke 1:56-80

Lk 1:56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

Lk 1:57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
Lk 1:58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
Lk 1:59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
Lk 1:60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
Lk 1:61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Lk 1:62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
Lk 1:63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
Lk 1:64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
Lk 1:65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
Lk 1:66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

Lk 1:67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Lk 1:68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
Lk 1:69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
Lk 1:70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
Lk 1:71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
Lk 1:72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
Lk 1:73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
Lk 1:74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
Lk 1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Lk 1:76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
Lk 1:77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
Lk 1:78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
Lk 1:79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Lk 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

THE GIFT OF BEING IN GOD'S PRESENCE

The message Brother Ken Wilson delivered on December 7, 2008.

MAIN SCRIPTURE LUKE 1:39-56

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord a should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.



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