A Willing Heart Series

You know this is a very plain statement but it needs to be said. There are many who will die lost and spend eternity in Hell, simply because they were unwilling to come to the Lord, admit their sins and receive Him into their lives. I remember a couple I prayed with as they were facing death. They died at separate times in a three year period but neither of them had accepted Christ. They were up in years and has lived all of their lives for themselves. I remember visiting the husband as he lay dying in their home. From beginning to the very end we could have conversations as long as I was talking about the weather or sports or the local news. But the second I would start talking about God and asking him how things were in his heart with his relationship with God he would stop talking. His silence still haunts me to this day. It was my first church and I am sure I made mistakes, I still do, but this was beyond me and my mistakes or inexperience. He couldn’t bring himself to accept the grace that God so freely offers.

His wife, used to sit in church and stand during the closing moments of the services with the most lost look on her face. In the final moments and days of her life she somehow mustered the faith to believe. God’s grace will perform in your life if you will let it.

Promise: Mary reminds us that those who realize their lack can come to the Lord and be filled, while those who think they have need of nothing can expect exactly that from God.

The bible is full of promises and they have all been proven time after time to be true. You just have to get on board and walk the road that God has chosen for you to walk. Mary did this. She accepted the role and played it out just like God asked her to.

A young boy went to the local store with his mother. The shop owner, a kindly man, passed him a large jar of suckers and invited him to help himself to a handful. Uncharacteristically, the boy held back. So the shop owner pulled out a handful for him.

When outside, the boy’s mother asked why he had suddenly been so shy and wouldn’t take a handful of suckers when offered.

The boy replied, "Because his hand is much bigger than mine!" Citation: Brian Harris; Mt. Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand

Sometimes I think we spend a whole lot of wasted time trying to work everything out on our own when all we need to do is trust God with our lives. His hands are bigger than our hands. His power is more powerful than our power.

3. Mary Celebrated Performing Grace Verses 54-55

She remembers His passion for His people.

54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." Luke 1:54-55

I cannot describe for you today how much God loves you. He is passionate about those who need Him. Christmas is not accurately appreciated unless you look at the whole picture of Jesus life. The manger should always have a cross in the background. You and I should not be able to think about the manger and the birth of Christ without seeing the shadow of a cross. That shadow fell across everything that Jesus did when He was on this earth. He came to die. He came on a mission and that was to save His people from their sins.