Luke 2-4 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

God puts His favor upon His children. Your children are His children. You will see His favor upon those you love. Also, if they receive your daily prayer support, they will experience it the more. God will bless them in ways that money can’t buy. You can’t look ahead and predict how it will happen, but you can certainly look back and see it.

Especially if you are a grandparent, it’s your job to provide a thick prayer covering for them as they navigate life. What else are grandparents good for? $$$(?!)

Luke 2 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

God’s grace was upon Jesus as He grew up. [v.40]

That same grace is upon our children when we raise them to serve the Lord. They will do and say things that indicate God’s call upon their lives, and they will shine with abilities that foreshadow how God will use them.

Take me, for instance. Music always came easy, and my natural musical ability qualified me for privileges and experiences our of the ordinary. The aptitude was just THERE. Then, I go to music school and live a life of musical service to the Lord’s Kingdom. Patty didn’t even know I could sing when she married me.

It’s not wise to fight against the gifts of God in children. George Fredrich Handel’s family wanted him to be a doctor, but God had other plans for his life … Hallelujah!

Luke 1, 2 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

Simeon was a devout man who knew the Messiah would one day come through the doors of the Temple and begin His life. He must have been a man of consistent and fervent prayer, for one day God’s Holy Spirit moved him to go the the Temple and await the Chosen One. This meeting is recorded in Luke 2. He prophesied over the young family and declared his life was successful to have seen the Christ.

Spending a life in prayer yields such experiences. God’s Holy Spirit moves upon us and leads us to do His will. There’s nothing like it.

Luke 1 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

Human ambition gets in the way of what God wants to do. Mary and Elizabeth were not chosen by God to bear Jesus and John because of their drive to succeed. God regarded the “low estate” of His handmaiden. Mary was humble. She was pure.

It’s been said, “Men don’t climb … they are LIFTED.

Mark 16 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

After commissioning the disciples to evangelize the world, Jesus made an important statement: ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Baptism is and outward indication of an inward work of grace. There should be no reservation on the part of a believer to be baptized. It’s a public declaration that someone has chosen Christ as their personal Savior. Christ Himself was baptized by John, His cousin. He declared, “This fulfills all righteousness.”

You are buried in the waters of baptism and you rise to walk in newness of life.

Mark 15 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

Christ didn’t even open His mouth when He was bitterly accused of being a fake. It was His normal response when being accused. He left all the judgement to His Heavenly Father.

This is meekness.

Moses didn’t rise to his own defense when Aaron and Miriam accused Him. God smote THEM with leprosy. We are encouraged to refrain from planning our own defense if and when we are charged in court. The Holy Spirit will give us what to say. We are to focus on spreading the Gospel and ministering to people.

When Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, they prayed and sang praises. God sent HIS ANGEL who busted them out miraculously.

We have an Advocate, Christ Jesus.

Mark 14 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

When Jesus shared His Last Supper with the disciples, they sang a hymn together before they departed. I wonder … what was the nature and subject matter of their song? Surely t wasn’t a song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, or Fanny Crosby.

The Greek definition of the word used in this text means, “song of praise.” They obviously knew the words well enough to sing it from memory. It was probably Christ’s idea and leading to do it.

Paul instructs us to sing using “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” May we take a lesson here from Christ and His Disciples to know from memory some good songs for opportune times. Also, singing a hymn at the conclusion of communion would certainly follow Christ’s example of making the most of our time around the Lords’ Table.

Mark 12, 13 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

In the end times (I believe we are in them now), Jesus commanded His disciples to keep watch. In considering the other translations, we find the concept of staying alert and keeping ready. How do we best do that?

• Read and study God’s Word EVERY DAY.
• Cultivate a consistent, vital prayer life.
• Be faithful to your church or Body of Christ family.
• Meter the amount of media news you ingest.
• Invest your financial strength in “things above.”
  • You can’t take any money with you, but you can certainly send it ahead of you through Kingdom stewardship.

Mark 11 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

Kneeling to pray is a given posture of humility used by many. But to say that all prayer must be on our knees is errant. If we “pray without ceasing,” we could never get up on our feet to live life. Prayer is more about Who you’re talking to rather than the position of your body.

Early on in my quest to please God with morning prayer, I would quickly nod off to sleep if I knelt down. I began walking and talking … to God in prayer. Then I began singing out loud to Him. That roused me. I would sing through 5 Psalms. THAT worked! I was staying awake and cultivating the prayer language of David.

The MAIN THING is you talking to God. He’s awake. You’re the one who needs to wake up!

Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night STAND in the house of the Lord. Ps. 134:1

Mark 10 [NIV Dramatized Audio]

For the Country Music fans …