Showing posts with label Zacharias KJV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zacharias KJV. Show all posts

12/17/2015

HE+ Came to BE PROCLAIMED... By a MIGHTY ONE... Advent Meditations 2015... for the Monastic-At-Heart







Who was the first to PROCLAIM The LORD'S Coming ?

Luke 1:19

And the angel answering said
unto [ John the baptist],  him

I am Gabriel,
that stand in
the Presence of GOD;
and am sent to speak unto thee,
and to shew
thee these glad tidings.

An angel ! A "MIGHTY ONE OF GOD" was sent to proclaim the Coming of the MESSIAH+ !  Angel-to-man, face to face, Gabriel --- whose very name means "Mighty one of GOD" --- proclaimed these glad tidings to an astonished priest in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Gabriel, who IS    STILL   STANDING in the Presence of GOD, was specifically sent to announce this GOOD news:

NOW the appointed time had arrived for the advent of the Jewish MESSIAH+ Who+ was to Redeem Israel.

This news was the "GLAD TIDINGS" this Divine Messenger, Gabriel, was sent from before the Presence of GOD to bring to this earthly priest of the lineage of Aaron and Levi. 


Gabriel appeared to Zachariah (KJV: Zacharias), this humble and righteous priest as Zachariah performed his role in the Temple at Jerusalem to burn incense.

This Divine Messenger sent directly from the Throne Room of The LORD spoke to Zachariah about the role he, Zachariah, would perform in the Coming of the MESSIAH+,  our LORD JESUS.

 
Luke 1: 13-16

But the Angel said unto him,
Fear not, Zacharias: 
for thy prayer is heard; 
and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, 
and thou shalt call his name John.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; 
and many shall rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, 
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; 
and he shall be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, 
even from his mother’s womb.

And many of the children of Israel 
shall he turn to the LORD their GOD.



Luke 1:17

And he [ John the Baptist, the son of Zacahriah ] shall go before HIM+
in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just;
to make ready
a people prepared for the LORD.

Gabriel faithfully performed the proclamation to Zachariah the priest of his role to prepare a People for The LORD, the Coming MESSIAH+. 

Zachariah, humble and righteous as he was (Luke 1:6) , met the Angel's  announcement with unbelief, which only lasted a few seconds until he was struck dumb and judgment was pronounced upon him for his lack of faith.

Now, we KNOW our Righteous and Holy LORD is totally all-knowing and totally fair in all His Ways. The LORD knew Zachariah was troubled and feared ( Luke 1:12) at Gabriel's announcement.

The LORD graciously allowed Gabriel to address those fears, showing Zachariah that his prayers had been heard and answered

Obviously, only The LORD could hear prayers of the heart; only The LORD could address them. 

Zachariah would also know full well the account of Abraham and Sarah having a child of the Promise when they were past the years of child-bearing.

Thus, our All-knowing and Always Fair LORD knew Zachariah  COULD HAVE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE  the Angel sent to him.   Zachariah had enough witness and comforting words to know this angelic being was Divinely sent by The LORD.

Zacharias CHOSE
NOT to believe.

The LORD knew what Zacharias chose.

HE+ knows 
what we choose, too.


Daily. Hourly. In every instance. With every thought.  In every conversation, HE+ knows our choice: The LORD... or ... Self,  faith ... or ... unbelief,  Righteousness ... or ... sin.   

Let us Pray:

O LORD  GOD, Ruler of the Universe, forgive me for my deliberate choices made apart from Thy+ Will.  I know better.

Thy+ Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I have no excuse for choosing Self, Sin, Un-righteousness in any form.

Cleanse me of my self-will; I do not demand more proof of Thy+ Love and Thy+ Care for me. I can walk rightly before THEE+, O  GOD,  with what I have at my fingertips: Thy+ Holy Word. 

In Thy+ Light, can I see LIGHT+. 

Help my eye to be single, that my being may be full of Light,  O LIGHT+ of the World, CHRIST JESUS.

In Whose+ Name and by Whose+ Grace I even exist.

Amen.