Embracing God's Favor Amid Life's Disruptions

initially Rejoice favored one and that expression favored one is a single word what's striking here is Mary didn't do anything to earn the status of favored one God just chooses her for no reason at all God's favor comes to you through Jesus in the same way you don't have to earn it you don't have to achieve it you don't have to God just loves you rejoice favored one the Lord is with you [00:00:47]

this is the great news of the Incarnation what Dallas Willard calls the Emmanuel principle that runs through all the Bible the offer of the with God life now God is present with you and the question is as Roger Brotherton put it in our day folks talk a lot about mindfulness being present in the present but what we're called to is one more step being present to the presence in the present in this moment [00:01:17]

God is present God is present with you in your work God wants you to be connected to your work and you will find Jesus there we were talking today to a friend who uh had kind of a dream job lifetime possibility to achieve something and all of a sudden it was taken away and I thought there would just be you know Devastation and heartbreak and instead there was this unbowed Spirit Well God has something else for me now I wonder what it will be [00:02:20]

there's an old old saying that I love the headlights of a the car only show you 15 fet of Illumination at one time but that 15 ft will get you all the way home I have a renewed appreciation to that I'm I got a t a car from an app uh that I'm using while I'm up here in the Bay Area and last night I was driving home from the East Bay and the headlights went out you tried driving when you got to get off of the freeway when there are no headlights to guide you on there that will scare the snot out of you [00:03:01]

Mary was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be bary's going to continue to reflect on and Ponder and wonder about she is troubled here I was talking to my sister yesterday about uh ways in which I was kind of sad and she said you know sometimes instead of just pushing that away and saying I shouldn't be sad and I just want to be positive uh you need to allow those feelings to be present because there's no other way to deal with and find God except to do that right where you are [00:03:44]

her whole life is going to be deeply deeply disrupted uh I was just thinking about stuff I don't usually think about when I think about Mary and Jesus like she would have to go through morning sickness pretty much every woman does my understanding is and for Mary uh when she woke up in the morning and said Jesus I'm sick that was like a prayer she was literally the first woman to say that and uh she would be aware of him and talking with him and be present with him but her life would be deeply disrupted by this [00:04:37]

Don't Be Afraid Mary the angel said for you have found favor with God and now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you will name him Jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give to him the Throne of his ancestor David he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end you will notice all of this Kingdom language here about Jesus [00:06:08]

Mary said to the angel how can this be since I'm a virgin the angel said to her the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you therefore the child to be born will be holy he will be called Son of God and now your relative Elizabeth in her old age is also conceived the son and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be Barren for no word from God will be impossible [00:07:08]

here am I the servant of the Lord let it be with me according to your word rejoice and that's coming for Mary and it's coming for you and you may be ready to Rejoice right now but if you're not if you need to ponder right now just remember the very first Christmas that came came as a disruption and it did not look the way that anybody thought that it was going to look [00:07:41]

nonstandard my life is non-standard what I'm doing right now is non-standard but so far so good non-standard but so far are so good well that was marriage Journey non-standard I'm pregnant and I'm not married yet non-standard but so far so good Jesus will be present with you for with God nothing is impossible that's not a chirpy sacran sentiment [00:08:49]

think about another family out where I know where the mom and the dad have had not one but two children with Down syndrome and they with God no word is impossible nothing is impossible doesn't mean that that's going to be taken away that those children will be standard children as our world thinks of standard it means that enough love and Grace will be available that that too can be a little Outpost of the Kingdom that family can be a little Outpost of the Kingdom your life this day right here can be a little Outpost of the Kingdom [00:09:18]

Rejoice favored one the Lord is with you hey thanks for joining us my name is Tim I'm a part of the team here at become new and I live in Minnesota so it's freezing where I am be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any future teachings from John as we walk through the Christmas story a few vers [00:09:56]