Luke

Luke Chapter 1

Luke wanted us to have perfect understanding. He received all his information from eyewitnesses to Jesus.

 He tells us the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.


Elizabeth had been barren all her life. She had prayed and prayed for a child, but she was an older woman now.

How long had it been since she and Zacharias had prayed for a child of their own? How long since they had given up on that happening, believing that it was not ever going to be?

When the angel Gabriel told Zacharias what was going to happen, Zacharias doubted him... and with good reason.

Like Abraham and Sarah, they were both older, they were past having children and in their hearts believed that God did not and never would answer their prayer.

They gave up on it and somehow got past it, yet continued to serve the Lord.

Gabriel also appeared to Mary.

Gabriel told Mary "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1: 35 NKJV).

When Gabriel appears to Mary, he reinforces his revelation to her with these words: "With God, nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1: 37) NKJV.

There is no description of how this happened... how a virgin became pregnant with the Son of God.

But it must have been something that not only gave us Jesus, but altered the mind and heart and soul of Mary to enable her to carry Him and raise Him, watch Him live and die and rise again.

Something not unlike what happens to us when we are born again. We are sealed with the deposit of the Holy Spirit by the power of God.

The Holy Spirit enables us to live in faith and power.

When you believe something with all your heart, you are going to doubt if somebody, even an angel, tells you otherwise.

What do we believe in our hearts because God hasn't answered a prayer (yet)?

We may believe in giving up on that desire or request, even though we may still have faith in God.

It takes the Holy Spirit and God to change a heart belief.

I've been believing some negative things about myself because of prayers that were not answered how I wanted.

But if nothing is impossible with God, I think I will continue to pray and believe.

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