Mary, Did you KNow?

Wow!  We blink our eyes and Thanksgiving is in the past and Christmas is less than a month away… and right after that is Launch Sunday! SMH (it means "Shaking my Head" in case you were wondering 😉).  It seems like yesterday I started this blog and yet I have been writing a weekly update for almost 6 months. 

This week, I have been looking closer at the Christmas story and especially the life of Mary as told by Luke.  The bible doesn’t say much about her life but what it does say speaks volumes.  There is one verse that I have read several times this week and even made it a highlight in one of my Renew Minute videos on facebook.com/renewmiami. 

Context from Luke 1:
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and greets her with a pretty surprising declaration.  “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” (I like that part).  Then Gabriel says, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Mary responds as I think any normal person would, “How?  I’m a virgin!”  (Pretty good argument).

Gabriel responds, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God….  For nothing is impossible with God.”

And then Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”  I bolded the part of the passage that I have been thinking about this week for emphasis and to help you catch a glimpse of how serious this really was.  Have you ever considered how that might have played out over the 9 months that Mary carried Jesus.  She was the pregnant mother of the Messiah but she had a lot of explaining to do. 

Obviously, when a massive angelic winged creature appears to you it will have influence on you.  But after he leaves, you have accepted an assignment that is not as easy as it might sound.
 
Here are some of the challenges she might have dealt with:
-She’s a teenage girl.
-She’s engaged to be married.
-She is a virgin but she needs her fiancé to believe that.    
-Sexual sin had consequences that could result in her death. 
-Her parents had to decide what they believed.  (What would you think if you were her parent?)
-Beside Elizabeth, many of Mary and Joseph’s family did not accept them. (Remember? They went to their hometown and yet Jesus had to be born in a barn or cave or some other animal shelter)
-She’s pregnant and they had to travel 80 miles for a census while carrying the Savior of the world in her stomach.
 
         There’s more that I could share… but the point that I’m trying to make is this:
                             
                               Serving God is NEVER easy, but ALWAYS worth it!
 
We are here today (in part) because Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” 

Now, how about you?  What part of your life do you need to say the same thing? 
 
Have a great weekend!
 
Treavor and Misty Pound                                                                                                                     786-547-3594                                                                                    facebook.com/renewmiami                                                                                                            www.renew.miami

P.S.  We have our very first Launch Team training this Sunday night at 6pm at our office location.  I can’t wait to hang out with the amazing group of people that have committed to help us make this vision a reality.  Interested?  Let me know!  We would love to have you join us this Sunday!