The Virgin Mary

If you type into Google "The Virgin Mary" you get 10,100,000 results. If you type in "Was Mary a Virgin" you get 27,100,000. Nearly three times the results.

Interesting, huh?

Everyone's got an opinion. It seems that a lot of time is spent discussing whether Mary was an actual virgin, or if virgin meant pre-pubescent, or if a Roman soldier was the actual father, or if the whole thing was a hoax, or Mary was a lying whore (sorry to be rough, but it's a common argument on google), or if she had perpetual virginity, or if she was ascended into heaven because she was a virgin, or if she just died like the rest of us.

Hmmm...is this really necessary?

Oh, yes, it's necessary if you are trying to keep the focus off Jesus Christ.

This week I sent my gals out into the big, dark world to see if people in general believed that the virgin birth was what it claims to be. In some studies I have found, they claim that 70% of believers and non-believers think she was really a virgin. It will be interesting to see if most in this area believe in the virgin birth. I should have instructed the women to ask a second question then - if she was a virgin, how does that affect you today?

The big question is: why is the virgin birth of Jesus so important?

It comes down to truth. If Isaiah 7:14 says that a "virgin will conceive and bear a son" and this child is "God with Us," then for Jesus to be "God with Us" or Immanuel, then He must fulfill this prophecy. Matthew 1:18 tells us that "...when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." Luke 1:35 tells how this happened - "...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God."

At face value, you have an Old Testament prophecy that states the birth will be a virgin birth and you have two gospel accounts that state Mary was a virgin and became pregnant through the work of the Holy Spirit - that's why Jesus would be called the Son of God. If Jesus was simply a baby born of Joseph and Mary, then He would have the same nature that you and I have, and He would need a savior just as much as we do.

But He was not born of man, but He was born of God, fulfilling the OT prophecy and establishing His divine nature.

So, if it's really that simple, then why are there 27 million results on google? Because without the gift of faith, the fact of the virgin birth is something to distract the world from the truth of the person of Jesus Christ. Remember, Satan is the master at twisting truth and he loves to draw even believers' attention away from truth by getting them tangled in senseless debates.

So, here's my advice for you today: stick with Truth. If the Bible says it, believe it. Oh, go ahead and study it, compare scripture with scripture, understand the context and you can even review the culture. But if the scripture says something, have confidence that you have been given the Truth.

Don't worry about the 27 million opinions. You have the One that counts.

Father

What thoughts come to mind when you look at this picture? Do you see the innocence of the child and the tender touch of the father? Do you see the commitment of a lifetime of gentle care that has been placed in this man's hands? Do you see the utter dependence of the infant?

Unfortunately some fathers never come close to fulfilling their responsibilities to their children. Some abandon early on. Others abuse and even more simply find being a father just too hard. It's much easier to be a friend than be a father. Friends laugh and play. Fathers mentor, discipline, teach and stay.

This week the gals in my study are going to read through John 15:1-11 and list out descriptions of the Heavenly Father from those verses. We have asked them to spend all week simply looking for the Father's actions, descriptions of His character and His roles.

This is a valuable exercise, especially for those who never had the earthly father they needed. You see, God chose the name Father, and in choosing this name, He committed to modeling out exactly who and what a father should be. For fathers, there is no better role model than God Himself.

But here's the kicker - as He models it out, He is living it out. He's not simply an instructor, defining the role for humans to live out, but He literally defines fatherhood by demonstrating it. "Father" is not simply a title or name for God. Rather, He is Father. He embodies exactly who and what a father should be.

So, without doing your work for you, see if you can take a few minutes and check out some of the things God is doing for you as a Father in John 15. If you've had a poor example of an earthly Father, then embrace the truth of the Heavenly Father. He will never let you down. He will never walk away and He'll never abuse. He loves you and He loves you enough to discipline you.

So have some fun with this and, after looking at the Father for a while, when you look at this picture, perhaps you will see yourself more clearly...

So, do you remember...

...when Dave spoke at the community forum about the value of the cross and the purpose of the church?

Do you remember the other "community leader" who shared the stage with him?

Do you remember what his particular message was?

It was that his "community" was open and inclusive of all - they would not offend anyone and they would not reject anyone. It was that everyone was welcome to join them and believe whatever they wanted to without being judged. Christians and Atheists alike. Muslims and Buddhists. Everyone was welcome and no one would be judged.

Do you remember that?

Well, today, I drove by their building (can't call it a church) and they had a sign out front that said:

"Non-judgment Day is coming - Sunday 10 AM"

Well, not to be difficult or anything, but if I were a Christian who attended that church, wouldn't this sign be offensive, seeing as judgement day would be something that my "religion" taught?

Would this "community" put up a sign that made a joke about the 12th Imam? I doubt it.

Sorry to rant, but this particular sign ticked me off...

Modern Day Magnificat

I cannot keep silent any longer. From deep within, my soul is bursting with praise and awe for my Lord and Savior. For He has taken notice of His humble servant and because of Him, I shall be remembered as a blessed woman!

Why? you ask. Because He has done incredible things for me. Yes, for simple, lowly, humble me. And all I can do is lift high His holy name.

It’s not just for me either. For generations He has provided mercy for those who fear Him. Oh, yes, He has done mighty deeds through the ages – do you remember Babel? He scattered those people who were so very proud of their accomplishments. And do you remember the time He caused Nebuchadnezzar to crawl on all fours and eat grass? Yes, He takes rulers off their thrones and replaces them with the humble.

He fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away with nothing – just like His provision for young David and His discipline of King Saul.

And today, He has answered the prayers of the fathers through the ages. He has remembered His people and He has granted us mercy. And just as He promised Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through Him, today He has kept that promise.

And for some reason, He decided to include me in the plan…All glory be to God.