LUKE CHAPTER oNE: AWESTRUCK!

Have you ever been
so in AWE,
that your words just go away?
Heart-stopping happiness
is how I felt today.

I have read 
Luke Chapter One,
a 1,000 times again,
but today,
I was totally stunned
by what I understood.

I don't even know where to begin
to express the knowledge that was gained.
For those educated in bible colleges, 
they may think my awe is dumb.

But for me, a secular girl,
not brought up in the church,
every time He reveals himself,
in his sacred word,
I become awestruck -
and I feel like I did when I gave birth!

It's hard to explain and put into words
the amazement that I feel,
when scripture comes alive,
and his presence becomes real.
 
Let me take a deep breath,
and find out where to begin.
I should probably start with Luke himself,
who I would characterize as the first Apologist.

He carefully investigated
the first-hand reports of eyewitnesses,
then he wrote an accurate account
to his friend, the honorable Theophilus.

My first revelation came when reading about
the parents of John the Baptist;
Zechariah and Elizabeth,
both possessed righteousness, 
and came from the Levite line
of Aaron, the first Jewish priest. 

My second revelation 
was learning about
the mandate placed on John;
he was never to touch
alcoholic drinks, or ingest wine.
"He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 
even before his birth."
It amazes me
how Heaven came down
to live upon this earth.
This verse
helped me to understand
the significance of conception,
for this is the genesis of human creation.

The third revelation on my checklist is this, 
"No one is greater than John the Baptist."
He was truly the greatest prophet ever to exist!
He is adored,
because his assignment
was to prepare the way of our Lord,
The Kingdom of Heaven was forcefully advancing,
and John caused those in rebellion
to accept Godly wisdom -
all was appointed to God's time.

The fourth revelation,
was learning how Holy Spirit 
was poured into their lives;
It was His presence
that made things ready,
so that everything was right.
Before birth, John contained the Holy Spirit,
and as a man,
he was given the prophet Elijah's spirit and the power.
This just blew my mind!
Then when Mary,
Jesus's mother,
greeted Elizabeth at her door,
John jumped with joy,
in the womb of his mother, 
then she was filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to prophecy.
But that's not the end,
it's only the beginning
of Holy Spirit power
declared in this time.
John's father,
Zechariah,
was also filled with the Holy Spirit  
when he wrote down
the name of his son,
"His name is John." 
Awe was spread,
through the neighborhood,
and then Zechariah began to prophecy 
that John would be
the prophet of the Most High.

The fifth revelation is this,
John lived in the wilderness
before starting his public ministry.
This reminded me of Jesus's story,
when he was led into the wilderness
by the Holy Spirit, 
before he did public ministry
and was glorified. 

Last of all,
at least for now,
is how the people felt
when seeing the angel, Gabriel.
Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed
when Gabriel appeared to him,
standing to the right side of the incense altar,
it the sanctuary. 
And then there was Mary.
Mary was confused and she wondered,
"What did he mean
when he called me favored?"
To both Zechariah and Mary,
Gabriel said, "Do not be afraid,
for I was sent by the Lord."
And both responded with,
"But how can this happen?"
Well, actually, Zechariah said,
"How can I be sure this will happen?"
and Mary said, "How can this happen?"

I wonder if there was a difference in their reply,
because Zechariah was told, 
"Since you didn't believe what I said,
you will be silent and unable to speak
until the child is born. 
For my words will certainly be fulfilled
at the proper time."
But to Mary, Gabriel said,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. 
So the baby to born will be holy,
and he will be called the Son of God."

Even as I write, Holy Spirit gives me new sight.
He is showing me that Mary did not hesitate,
she responded, "I am a servant of the Lord. 
May everything you have said about me come true,"
and then the angel left her.

So I thought I was done,
but there is just one more thing to define.
It is Luke Chapter One, verse 78-79.  
"Because of God's tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace."
There is so much packed into this verse,
from the blessing to the curse!
First, mercy is not the same as grace.
Mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve,
while grace is getting the gift we don't deserve.
Does that make sense?
One speaks to the offense,
and one speaks to an unfailing love.
Both are unbelievably good!
The morning light is Christ.
It is not the sun, the moon or the stars.
He is the eternal flame,
the light that never runs out. 
He is our ray of hope,
and He illuminates our spirit and our soul.
He pierces our present darkness,
and He shines a light onto our path.
He is with us,
as we walk through the valley
of the shadow of death.
And according to Psalm 23 -
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness
and loving kindness
will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen

Holy Spirit still has eyes to see,
He is the one who guides me -
every time I sit down to read.
With great care,
he reveals his mysteries,
enough to remind me
of his faithfulness,
and unfailing love for me.
I can only hope to be,
a servant like Mary,
who will choose to please,
without questioning
his authority.
AWE
It's a feeling I can not explain.
AWE
I can only imagine
that this is what true worship is!