Mary, highly favored

Why did God Almighty choose Virgin Mary, the little girl from Nazareth, to be the mother of his only son Jesus Christ? What was in her that attracted him to perform great deeds in her life and to entrust her? The qualities that prepared Mary for greatness can be imparted to you also because God is no respecter of man.

Humility

In his salutation and throughout their conversation, Archangel Gabriel mentioned to Mary more than once that she is highly favored by God. Why was she highly favored by him? Maybe because she was so beautiful that God wanted to bless his son with a beautiful mom or maybe because she was the only virgin in her town? No, Mary caught the attention of heaven because she was a humble vessel for such a high calling & mandate. She was favored because she was humble “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” James 4:6. Mary also confirms this by saying: “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl” Luke 1:48. Humility is obeying and serving God and saying yes to all of his will not a part of it no matter the high price of it “Mary responded, “I am the Lord's servant. May EVERYTHING you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38. Jesus Christ is the highest model of humility and in the light of his humility other humilities look like pride, Philippians 2:7-10.

Treasuring God’s Word

Another great quality that was attached to Mary is that she was serious about God’s word, promises & prophecies. You often read this about her: “Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:19. In her Magnificat, Mary recites the promises of God about the promised Messiah & the plan of salvation, she knew it well and she was expecting it. Because she disciplined herself all her life on meditating on the word of God she became a vessel of the truth, a vessel of the promise. God looked at her from eternity and said: “Man, this girl loves my word; she really knows how to meditate on it until she can get pregnant with it and birth it. I will reward her now with the LIVING WORD, Jesus himself”.

Mary was a great woman of God but in all her greatness she always knew her place & her position and never exalted herself like Lucifer did to be an object of worship, Isaiah 14:14-15. What a grace! When the wise men came to the house, it is written that they bowed to baby Jesus only “They entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped HIM.” Matthew 2:11. In her magnificat, Mary clearly called God her savior “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:47. Calling God your savior means you need salvation! Being virgin doesn’t mean you are not a sinner, my sister was a virgin before she got married but she is a sinner who needs God’s salvation, can you see the difference? Jesus died for all humanity on the cross including his mother who was the first to receive her salvation at the feet of the cross. Do you want to be like Mary? Be the first one at the feet of the cross and receive your salvation.

Are you highly favored? I mean, are you humble & do you treasure God’s word in your heart? If yes, then get yourself ready for greatness!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice

By Mark and Patti Virkler

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator beginning here and now, and lasting throughout eternity. Jesus declared, “This is eternal life – that they may know God” (Jn. 17:2). Unfortunately, many in the Church miss the great blessing of fellowship with our Lord because we have lost the ability to recognize His voice within us. Though we have the promise that “My sheep hear my voice,” too many believers are starved for that intimate relationship that alone can satisfy the desire of their hearts. I was one of those sheep who was deaf to his Shepherd until the Lord revealed four very simple keys (found in Habakkuk 2:1, 2) that unlocked the treasure of His voice.

Key #1 – God’s voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.

Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him (Hab. 2:2). Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and God does speak that way at times. However, I have found that usually, God's voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.

For example, haven't you been driving down the road and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person? Didn’t you believe it was God telling you to pray? What did God's voice sound like? Was it an audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?

Experience indicates that we perceive spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions and visions, and Scripture confirms this in many ways. For example, one definition of paga, a Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.” When God lays people on our hearts, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” intersecting our minds. Therefore, when you want to hear from God, tune to chance-encounter or spontaneous thoughts.

Key #2 – Become still so you can sense God’s flow of thoughts and emotions within.

Habakkuk said, “I will stand on my guard post…” (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that to hear God's quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

Loving God through a quiet worship song is one very effective way to become still. (Note II Kings 3:15.) After I worship and become silent within, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, putting on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

To receive the pure word of God, it is very important that my heart be properly focused as I become still because my focus is the source of the intuitive flow. If I fix my eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus. But if I fix my gaze upon some desire of my heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire. To have a pure flow I must become still and carefully fix my eyes upon Jesus. Again, quietly worshiping the King, and receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplishes this. 

Fix your gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence and sharing with Him what is on your heart. Spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow from the throne of God to you, and you will actually be conversing with the King of Kings!

Key #3 – As you pray, fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

Habakkuk said, “I will keep watch to see,” and God said, “Record the vision” (Hab. 2:1,2). Habakkuk was actually looking for vision as he prayed. He opened the eyes of his heart, and looked into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.

God has always spoken through dreams and visions, and He specifically said that they would come to those upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:1-4, 17).

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, I have come to believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart to see in the spirit the vision and movement of Almighty God. There is an active spirit world all around us, full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent Father, and His omnipresent Son, Jesus. The only reasons for me not to see this reality are unbelief or lack of knowledge.

In order to see, we must look. Daniel saw a vision in his mind and said, “I was looking…I kept looking…I kept looking” (Dan. 7:2,9,13). As I pray, I look for Jesus, and I watch as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see, in the same way they receive spontaneous thoughts. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23). It is as simple as that. You can see Christ present with you because Christ is present with you. In fact, the vision may come so easily that you will be tempted to reject it, thinking that it is just you. But if you persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of living out of constant contact with God, declaring that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only what He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (Jn. 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Is it possible for you to live out of divine initiative as Jesus did? Yes! Fix your eyes upon Jesus. The veil has been torn, giving access into the immediate presence of God, and He calls you to draw near (Luk. 23:45; Heb. l0: 19-22). “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened….”

Key #4 – Journaling, the writing out of your prayers and God’s answers, brings great freedom in hearing God’s voice.

God told Habakkuk to record the vision (Hab. 2:2). This was not an isolated command. The Scriptures record many examples of individual’s prayers and God’s replies (e.g. the Psalms, many of the prophets, Revelation).

I call the process “two-way journaling,” and I have found it to be a fabulous catalyst for clearly discerning God's inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journal I am able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing it is God. I know that what I believe I have received from God must be tested. However, testing involves doubt and doubt blocks divine communication, so I do not want to test while I am trying to receive. With journaling, I can receive in faith, knowing that when the flow has ended I can test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lines up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you journal. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Relax. When we cease our labors and enter His rest, God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10). Sit back comfortably, take out your pen and paper, smile, and turn your attention toward the Lord in praise and worship, seeking His face. After you write your question to Him, become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus. You will suddenly have a very good thought. Don't doubt it; simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: Knowing God through the Bible is a vital foundation to hearing His voice in your heart, so you must have a solid commitment to knowing and obeying the Scriptures. It is also very important for your growth and safety that you be related to solid, spiritual counselors. All major directional moves that come through journaling should be confirmed by your counselors before you act upon them.

For a complete teaching on this topic, order the book 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice at www.CWGministries.org. Online catalog of 60 books by Mark & Patti Virkler as well as 100 college courses through external degree: www.cluonline.com

Everlasting Father

A man never knows what fatherhood looks like until that one becomes a father himself. It is like all the fatherhood emotions suddenly unwrap for him as soon as he holds his first born. Now this man is definitely set on a journey he never embraced before and it is new but incredible because now he can foretaste of the one whom is the FATHER of fathers (Ephesians 3:15). However God the Father didn't become a father overnight, he is never new to this experience of fatherhood, he is not new in the business of fathering because he is the EVERLASTING FATHER. You become better if you keep practicing something for a long time, men become better experienced dads in time but God the Father is the ancient of days and he is an expert in this and your life is entrusted to such a person who will never panic when you are a trouble or in trouble because he knows you ahead and he loves you already. He was fathering Jesus his only begotten son from old (Proverbs 8:23, 30-31), Jesus has the best dad in the universe and he invited you for such a long lasting experience on the cross.

Sometimes it is hard to see the heavenly Father the way he really is because of our imperfect experiences with our earthly dads and even though you had a good dad he can’t be compared to the heavenly Father because he is like no other and scripture likens good dads to evil ones compared to him (Luke 11:13). Your heavenly Father is holy, flawless, loving, all wise, all powerful, richly glorious, so good, so patient, so generous, extravagant and so protective and you are the object of his love and his focus night and day. Jesus’s ministry was so focused on revealing him to us. He is the exact image of him; if you see Jesus you have seen the Father (Colossians 1:15). The first time God held you in his hands when you became his, it didn’t trigger his fatherhood to show up although he was so happy and that’s because he has been your everlasting Father from the moment you were conceived in his mind and imagination. You have been fathered for a long time in his heart without knowing, he has been preparing your life. In Christ, you are officially his son and his daughter and you are loved exactly as Jesus is loved by him (John 17:23). Our heavenly Father Rocks! 

Glory to God
Tony Francis