When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
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3 Days
In this Advent journey through Luke 1 – 2, Christopher Ash brings these familiar passages to life with fresh insight, colour and depth. As you soak up the Scriptures, you'll experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of those who witnessed it first-hand. This bible reading plan contains the first three entries in Christopher Ash's Advent devotional Repeat the Sounding Joy.
4 Days
The aim of this devotion is to help you put a little bit of "Awe and Wonder" back into your celebration as you contemplate and celebrate the birth of Jesus from a child-like faith. During this special time of Christmas celebration, may you prepare your heart to prepare Jesus even more room all year through.
As the people in the story of Jesus’ birth are transformed by God’s salvation, we are also challenged to receive his salvation. God’s message is working its way out through us: through our humanity, and our yearnings and longings, and God’s presence in the midst of them. So, lean in and listen. Make room for God, and as he dwells within you, the world will see Jesus in the flesh.
Fear can loom over our lives, especially during important times. The first Christmas was no exception, as key people were told not to fear. Over four days, this devotional will look at reasons we can overcome fear using the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. We will see how God's message to them still apply to us today.
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