Editors note: The devotionals that appear from this month on will be taken from the archives because I want to present devotionals relating to the reason for the season. It is possible they will have updates and will be highlighted in pink.

Quiet Times: (Psalm 129,  Proverbs 5, Book of Colossians and  Luke 1:26-31)

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-31, NIV)

OBSERVATIONS:

 I decided to list all the names mentioned in these verses:

1. God

2. Angel Gabriel

3. Virgin Mary

4-5. Joseph, descendant of David

6. Lord

7. Jesus

OBSERVATIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: 

I decided to look at the 7 names:

Name 1: God

I learned that God who is in charge of angels can send them where He chooses. In this instance, God decided to send His lead angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee to a virgin so that Gabriel could issue an exciting message to the Virgin Mary.

Name 2: Angel Gabriel

I learned that the angel Gabriel was obedient to God unlike Lucifer, who became Satan. In his obedience Gabriel goes down to earth after being summoned by God. On earth, Gabriel goes directly to the Virgin Mary.

Gabriel now does 7 things:

1. Gabriel greets Mary.

2. Gabriel lets Mary know that she is not just favored but HIGHLY favored.

3. Gabriel lets Mary know the Lord is with her!

4. Gabriel calls Mary by name.

5. Gabriel tells Mary not to be afraid.

6. Gabriel tells Mary she will be with child

7. Gabriel tells Mary she will bear a son who should be called JESUS!

 Name 3: Virgin Mary

 I learned that she was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David and was troubled at the angels greeting.

 Most importantly:

1. She was a virgin

2. She found high favor with God.

3. She was told that the Lord is with her.

4. She was told that she would bear a son in her virginity.

Mary decided to be a virgin in purity. She did not use the rationalization that ‘I am going to be married anyway to Joseph who is going to be my husband, since we are engaged, so it does not matter if I get to know him intimately before the marriage since one day we are going to be husband and wife anyway.’ Rather she remains a virgin to whom the angel Gabriel appears.

I found it very significant that she was chosen by God, for Jesus to be born, since she was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David.

You may wonder, why not?

 Name 4-5: Joseph, a descendant of David.

Joseph’s genealogy was marred with sexual sin and murder at different places. Mary was pledged to be married to this Joseph. As I read “Joseph, a descendant of David”, I decided to look at his descendants.

As I looked at the descendants of David in Matthew 1, only 4 female names were mentioned:

1. Tamar

2. Rahab

3. Ruth

4. her

Three out of 4 were directly involved in sexual sin and 1 was a descendant of the enemies of Israel.

1. Tamar slept with her father-in-law as Judah did not know she was his daughter-in-law but thought she was a prostitute. Tamar got pregnant and gave birth to Perez and Zerah, descendants of David. (Genesis 38)

2. Rahab was a prostitute. (Joshua 2)

3. her, refers to Bathsheba who committed adultery with David when she was married to Uriah. It is very interesting that she was only referred to as ‘her’ for only in her instance murder was directly involved to cover up a sexual sin. This must be the reason why she was not even mentioned by name but I am not sure. (1st Samuel 11)

4. Ruth, was a descendant of the Moabites, the enemies of Israel (Judges 3:28-30 & Ruth 1:22)

Two of the 4 men involved in the genealogy of Joseph, the descendant of David had a history of murder running through their family.

Judah’s brothers were involved in mass murder when their sister, Dinah was raped and (Genesis 34) Judah subjected himself to someone he thought was a prostitute. (Genesis 38)

David was responsible for the murder of Uriah after David committed adultery with Bathsheba and found her to be pregnant. (2 Samuel 11) The sword did not leave David’s house as murder and rape became part of it.

Name 6: Lord

Through the sexual sin and sin of murder from which line Joseph was part of, God still decides to go to the woman pledged to be married to him. Mary is told that the Lord is with her.

This shows me not only of the grace of the Lord but He shows favor to whom He desires and is full of mercy. I do believe there was repentance through the line before Joseph was born.

      Name 7: JESUS

It is very interesting that Jesus was going to be born to Mary, who was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. That line was filled with murder and sexual sin not to mention other sins. Yet, it is to this line God sends a message with the Angel Gabriel about Jesus’ birth.

(To be continued......)

IMPLICATIONS:

I saw important implications for our own life. God is the initiator and can choose to show favor to whom He desires even if they come from a family line that was involved with sexual sin or murder. God’s favor is not limited to family lines involved in those 2 sins alone.

I ask you now dear friend, what is your genealogy?

Dear friend, you may know your genealogy or you may not. You may come from a genealogy involved in crime, idol worship, etc. We may not know everything our genealogy has committed except that we were all  born in sin because of Adam and Eve.

If you know your genealogy and it is not good, there is still encouraging news my friend. As you live your life for the Lord, regardless of what is happening in your family and genealogy, you will find the Lord’s favor.

If there has been alcoholism running through your family, the Lord can help you through that and you can find favor in the Lord as you depend on Him. If abuse has run through your family, you can find favor in the Lord as you depend on Him. If idol worship has run through your family, you can find favor in the Lord as you depend on Him. Whatever the issues, I believe in the Lord we can find favor and grace and He will give us the strength to endure through the pain.

The key becomes turning to the Lord and having Him become part of your life and letting Him work in you and through you. Now you will be governed by His Holy Spirit working in you and not the flesh.

Let me share a personal example with you. From what I can recall and know I come from a genealogy of idol worshippers who happen to be my relatives who I love very much.

God commands us not to have or worship any idols but that’s exactly what Hindus do. They have their temples and houses permeated with idols and worship them. My relatives follow Hinduism and so does my dad but he does not practice overtly by going to temple and having idols in the house. I am thankful to the Lord for that!

But you know what?

I cannot understand God’s ways but when my mom and dad were in the states, she was pregnant again with my third brother. During that time she was exposed a lot to the Billy Graham Crusades at home and Christian literature in the hospital she was at. Eventually, one day after many seeds were sown she prayed to the Lord Jesus and gave her life to Jesus.

Before then she was a devout practicing Hindu as I remember her praying to a Hindu god. When she became a follower of Jesus Christ, she got rid of all that.

 Naturally few back home did not take it too well that my mom became a Christian. Even though my dad considered himself a Hindu, he went and looked for a Bible for my mom during those days. Years, later I became the 1^st person in our family to give my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. There have been many times I wondered if I should be a pastor and dedicate my life to full time ministry since being the 1^st son to accept Christ into my life even though I am second-born.

My mom became the first child to become a Christian in her genealogy and I became her first son to become a Christian. Later, my brothers followed. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His favor and how He works in our lives.

I share this to encourage you that no matter what hold generational sin has on you and your family, it can be broken by the Lord’s favor and grace. Never give up and think it is hopeless. The Lord is the One that intervened in our lives to save us. I believe He can do the same to you no matter what you are facing.

Never give up but hold on to Jesus and you will be holding on to hope. May you know this Christmas season that Jesus Christ wants to be part of your life and He will make you part of His family filling you with His Holy Spirit.

"God’s Emancipation Now Encourages All Lovingly Offering Gracious Yeshua!" (G.E.N.E.A.L.O.G.Y)/”What is your genealogy?”

PRAYER:

Dear Jesus, I want to thank you so much for being born and for saving me. Lord, I thank you regardless of what genealogy we come from and what they are involved in and have been involved in, as we turn to you and depend on you, we can find favor with you. I thank you Lord that you choose to show favor to whom you desire though we cannot understand it but we know you are Holy and do what is best and right. Thank you for choosing to save humanity by dying on the cross where you shed your blood while we were yet sinners. Lord, you do not force yourself upon us but give us the opportunity to choose you. Thank you so much Lord for all those you have saved and all those you will save as they come to you. Lord, you know the generations we have been part of and are part of. You know the sins that are involved whether it be alcoholism, abuse, idol worship, etc. We thank you that you can deliver us and we need not continue to be part of that trend. Help us to seek you for those that are lost and please Lord intervene on their behalf and rescue them. I know you can! You are the Lord and our Good Shepherd. Thank you Father God for sending the angel Gabriel to Mary to let her know she would bear a son in her virginity and that she should call Him Jesus, who saves us from our sins. Hear our prayer and answer us Oh Lord. Thank you that you have heard us and answered us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart.

Friend, you may feel something or you may not but this you can be assured that the Lord Jesus has come into your life and will give you a new beginning! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Winter of 2005, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579.

Love in Christ,
Ramesh

Next Devotional:

Express your view