Dispensing With Disgrace

November 8

(Luke 1:23-25 NIV) ““When his time of service was completed, he returned home. {24} After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. {25} "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””

(Genesis 30:22-23 NIV) ““Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. {23} She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace.””

(Ephesians 2:4-9 NIV) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, {5} made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. {6} And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, {7} in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. {8} For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- {9} not by works, so that no one can boast.”

When the muted Zechariah finished serving at the temple, he went home, and the angel’s words came to be -- Elizabeth became pregnant. She hid her pregnancy for five months, probably because no one would have believed her until it became obvious. Her words portray a woman who was grateful for God’s grace. She knows God has done her a favor, and gives Him glory for the life growing inside her. There is no complaint about the timing -- only praise for a prayer answered. She echoes the words of an ancient relative, Rachel, and declares that by God’s grace, her disgrace has been taken away. God still dispenses with disgrace today. Jesus will deal with whatever has disgraced us. He can even redeem it for God’s glory. The Lord will dispense with our disgrace and replace it with joy. It is by grace you have been saved. Trust in Christ to dispense with your disgrace. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

The Proper Time

November 7

(Luke 1:20-22 NIV) "And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." {21} Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. {22} When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak."

(Galatians 6:9 NIV) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV) "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

(Psalms 31:15 NIV) "My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me."

The angel spoke, and Zechariah was silenced. He would be unable to speak again until the proper time. That proper time had already been determined by the Lord. Not until Gabriel’s God given words came to pass would Zechariah regain his voice. There was nothing he could do but wait for the proper time. God has a proper time for everything. Part of our rebellion against God comes in not waiting for that proper time. Often, we take action before the proper time. We run ahead of God like we know the way, but the road ends, and we crash. We grow weary and cease action before the proper time. We give up and miss the blessing that would have come in its proper time. Too often, we forget that our times are in His hands. We live as if we owned the future. Seek out God’s schedule. Accept His “interruptions”. His timing is always proper. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Muted By Lack of Faith

November 6

(Luke 1:18-20 NIV) ““Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." {19} The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. {20} And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.””

(Mark 16:11-14 NIV) “When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. {12} Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. {13} These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. {14} Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.”

(Matthew 21:32 NIV) “For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”

After Zechariah recovered from his initial fear, the angel Gabriel shared some incredible news. He would become a father, and Elizabeth, in her old age, was going to be a mother. Zechariah was flabbergasted, and doubted that this could be true. Gabriel told him that this prophecy came directly from the mouth of God and that since he did not believe God’s word, he would be unable to speak until after the baby was born. We can protest that we would have had the same reaction, but the truth is this: Zechariah was muted by a lack of faith. Many today have been also muted by a lack of faith -- not by an angel, but by a fear of being ostracized for speaking the truth in love. We have hit the mute button on our witness because we doubt God’s word. We doubt His command to share the gospel, and we doubt His miraculous ability to change the hearts of lost people. Un-mute your life today! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Prepared For The Lord

November 5

(Luke 1:16-17 NIV) "Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. {17} And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

(Matthew 11:12-15 NIV) "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. {13} For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. {14} And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. {15} He who has ears, let him hear."

The angel told Zechariah that the son born to him and Elizabeth would have a role in bringing people back to God. John would grow up to be a prophet. He would go before the Lord preaching repentance as Elijah had done in ages past. His preaching would cause people to turn around -- to turn away from sin and turn toward the Lord. Instead of mocking righteousness, the disobedient would begin to see the wisdom in following God’s way. Their hearts would turn and become open to something new: a new direction, a new answer, a new covenant. John would have the privilege of preparing people for the coming Messiah, Christ the Lord. This is our calling today, believers. We were born again to proclaim with our lives the value of repentance and righteousness. In the time we have left here, we are to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”, starting with ourselves. Are you ready? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day